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"Candles?" she asked

"Alexandra preferred things as they had been She never adapted well to the estured above "Mostly for the huht you humans have in the dark, Cyn"

"You know," shea lot better if you stop pointing out all of my human deficiencies I’ave a soft chuckle "My manners are a bit rusty, I’m afraid I have so little direct contact with humans anyht words, but there was always the tiny hint of a s for his own entertainht So where’s this security setup then?"

"This way" He continued down the hall,a turn into a small foyer near ould have been the main entrance if not for the useless checkerboard courtyard Cyn followed hi stairway and toward the back of the house where a square of light on the wood flooring ht to wait for her, then preceded her down the stairs to the basement

Duncan was already there, seated at the hub of a very sophisticated security control center Every console was lit up, and as she glanced from uest house that wasn’t under surveillance She did a quick survey of the rooe and what looked like a closed bank vault door against the far wall Curious

"Nice," was all she said, focusing on the security console "Do you have any redundancy between the houses? The ate?"

"Not at this house Not a live feed anyway," Duncan said "Alexandra lived apart" He frowned slightly "For ate, however Video only His fingers flew over the keyboard and he gestured at a largein question"

Cynthia walked over to the monitor and watched as a black, late uards were huuards," she said "When I cauards were all vamps"

"As you noted, they tiht behind her She started a little and his eyes shifted to her, his gaze lingering long enough to h to sunrise that my vampires had already retired for the day These humans--" He paused and pointed at the monitor "--would have been on duty perhaps half an hour, no e Did you see anything different, unusual?"

"No Most of Alexandra’s vauards are my own, my children--"

"What does that mean? Your children?" Cynthia asked in surprise "You don’tstare "Of course not, Cyn A us, the terht over One we havereborn It is a powerful connection a our kind and one not easily broken"

"But it can be broken?"

He frowned at her "Rarely But, yes"

"You referred to a traitor Was he one of yours?"

"No"

"But he was one of Alexandra’s guards?"

"Yes I thought I knew him That was my mistake and one I shall personally rectify"