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Robbie had risen from hisin front of the big Suhtly on his hips, as if to keep the the truth out of him "How is she, Juro? Is she alive?"

"She’s with Raphael," Juro responded "That’s all we know"

"She’s alive," Sophia said with certainty "None of us would be standing here if she’d died"

That made no sense to Colin, but it seely up at the big house

"There’s no need for you to leave, Rob," Juro’s deep voice ru compassion "We know you did all you could Lord Raphael will know it, too"

Robbie looked up, his face filled with gratitude, but he shook his head "She shouldn’t have been there at all, Juro It wasn’t--"

"We both know her better than that," Juro insisted And for the first tie vampire’s face It was the same expression he’d seen on Robbie’s face in that bloody car The sa he’d seen on the faces of his buddies as they paced the sterile halls offor word on whether they’d be attending another funeral or cheating death one more time It was a look he’d seen on his own face in the hton Not as a lover, but as a friend, as a comrade-in-arms

"Colin" Sophia’s voice jerked him out of his contemplation of this new idea

"Yeah?"

Her lip curled slightly, acknowledging his rudeness "If I could have a ith you?"

He studied her for a azed up into Colin’s eyes They looked alht, but they were blue--a beautiful, crystalline blue that contrasted with the black hair now hanging wetly over his forehead Black Irish, he’d told her, and she’d laughed at hirinned then, but he wasn’t grinning now

She gave a sht way to talk to this er in this place and tier he was in, and she suspected it was because he knew so little about vao was absolutely true If Raphael’swould save any of therief would wipe out everything forHe would kill friend and foe alike, not discrie

But even if Cynthia didn’t die, there would be consequences Colin and this other human, Robbie, had been with her when she was attacked By Raphael’s reasoning that wouldto protect her Robbie, certainly--he was souard, after all But Colin would be considered equally guilty by association Raphael would reht at least But when he finally e for someone to punish He’d hunt down those truly responsible, but his anger would begin with the first person at hand And if she had anything to say about it, that person wouldn’t be Colin

But how to convince Colin of that?

Aware of her vampire audience, particularly Juro, she turned her back on theroup and across the driveway It wouldn’t stop Juro fro every word she said, but he wouldn’t be able to see her face when she said it

Colin surprised her by not shaking off her touch He walked with her a few yards off the driveway and onto the grass There wasn’t ate And Colin seemed untroubled by the dark, his footsteps sure on the uneven lawn

Careful to keep her back toward the gate and its vaenuine save a little jerk of surprise at the change in her demeanor He controlled it quickly, but she saw it "You have very good night vision," she coure out her angle But she didn’t have an angle Finally, he shrugged "Years of night ops It stuck withon his thicklyyou need to understand about vampires, especially powerful ones like Raphael Their--" She struggled for the word "--aggression is very close to the surface It’s part of what ness to fight for what they want, to defend what is theirs And nothing, Colin, nothing is more sacred to a vampire than his mate I heard the report frohtened immediately "You talked to hi at the complexity of her huhed inwardly "He told us she is very badly injured, that if she is to live, it will be Raphael who saves her"

Colin shook his head in denial, a pained look on his face "I don’t understand that, Sophie Everyone keeps saying Raphael can save her, but how?"