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Yet if Monica really were a vampire, wouldn’t she sense their presence anyway? Just how close to reality did the ht" Though it was little ht to see why no one uard was here, all right, but dead

Nikki handed Jake the light and shoved her hands in her pockets to hide their sudden shaking

"If this is Monica’s handiwork, she’s one angry teenager," he said, kneeling next to the body He pointed the light towards the guard’s neck--or what remained of it She sed and turned away

"There’s not enough blood," Jake muttered "With a wound this bad, there should be more blood" Sweat broke out across her brow "Monica’s a vae" He rose, face ashen "We’d better move if ant to stop her She can’t be too far ahead of us"

She retreated out the door, studying the still darkness Jake pressed one of the buttons in front of the guard’s chair, and the huge gates silently opened Hell, uard was any indication, the mansion had indeed become hell for its occupants They clihts The night closed in around theht winked, starlike, from oneon the upper floor The rest of the ard’s butler has his quarters at the far end," she commented "Should we check that first?" "After what she did to the guard, I’d say yes She’s obviously not being selective tonight" He stopped the car and gave her a gri the cops, too"

"Good" After discovering the guard, they had no real choice She cliht was still, and the air held the promise of rain Her psychic senses could find no trace of life, not even in the butler’s section If Trevgard was here, he no longer lived

"He’s not here," a soft voice behind her said "And two servant’s lie dead inside that house" Nikki ju around Michael stood two feet away, arms crossed as he stared at her

"Why didn’t you wait, as I asked?" His voice was flat, devoid of the anger she could feel in his thoughts and all thebecause of it

"This is my fault, and my problem to deal with" She watched hier Just how different was he from the lad he was there Though she doubted he’d be much protection should Michael attack

"Michael," he said, surprise edging his voice "Glad you could join us" He stopped next to her, close enough for their shoulders to rub Nikki wondered if he could sense her uncertainty about Michael

"I got here as soon as I could But not soon enough, I fear" Jake barely glanced at the house "It would be nice to know if Monica’s inside or not" Michael’s face was expressionless "She’s not here at the moment I would sense her" Jake raised an eyebrow "How?"

"Nikki’s not the only one with psychic abilities"

"Really? And do these said abilities make you move faster than a car? Because you certainly didn’t arrive in one"

"No, I didn’t" Michael’s voice held an edge of annoyance "Nor do I fly We waste tiun We have to stop her"

Nikki pushed the hair out of her eyes "To stop her we have to find her Unless you have soet inside that house and grab so of hers"

"I can trace her, to a certain extent" Michael hesitated, then frowned "If you enter the house, she’ll know It’s horound, the place she lived most of her life She’s still connected to it"

"Another one who believes in vanored him "Is it true a vampire can’t cross a threshold uninvited?" Michael nodded "Yes, but the rule doesn’t hen it’s your own threshold"

"Oh"

She glanced uneasily at the ain If she wasn’t here, they had to find her Whichthe teenager’s psyche She doubted Trevgard would actually lend them another bracelet She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and glanced at Jake "Let’s get this over with" They walked to the far end of the house Jake climbed the steps and approached the side door cautiously Soh her htly-lit s above the

Surprised, she looked at Michael How can you tell so like that?

I can smell the blood

His eyes were icy pools that soh herhis arers, and a haze filled her vision Suddenly, theirone She could see the bodies in the roo heat of their flesh, could almost taste the sweet dark pools of blood--her sto

Michael shattered the contact between theered away from him, one hand held to her throat Dear God, what sort of talent was that?

"Don’t ever do that again, Nikki" His voice was gentle, but there was both surprise and anger in his expression "It’s far too dangerous for you"

He didn’t explain how it had happened or why it was dangerous, and she didn’t dare ask Soht not like the answers

"The door’s locked," Jake said into the silence

She turned away froently, and Jake raised a surprised eyebrow

She shrugged in reply and clis as she stopped in front of the open door Light filtered down the stairs at the far end of the hall, but the rest of the house was a no-man’s-land of uneasy shadows

Jake turned on the flashlight and swung the bea" His voice was hushed, as if he too sensed death waiting "I guess we’d better check upstairs" She fought the sudden rise of her stomach Death waited upstairs, and she really didn’t want to face it again "After you"

"I cannot go inside," Michael said quietly "While you two can give a plausible enough excuse for being here, I can’t I’ll wait here and watch for Monica"

Jakeback at Michael "And if she eludes you?"