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"Does it hurt your… what do you call them, the people you… u for And no, it doesn't hurt them, any more than it hurt you"

"But you take more from them, do you not? You said you took only a little froht for you to do this? They never complain?"

"They never remember"

"Why not?"

"I wipe the memory from their minds when I'm done"

Brenna shook her head "So, you are a vampire, a sorcerer, and a hypnotist, as well?"

"Just a vampire"

She looked at hile

"What's so funny?"

"Just a vahter "You say it as if it is so… so… ordinary" Her laughter trailed off as she lifted a hand to her neck

Roshan went suddenly still, his gaze following the ers probed the skin behind her ear The scent of her blood, flowing like a crih her veins, filled his nostrils; the sound of her heartbeat echoed in his ears The hunger stirred within him

"Have you taken blood from me before and wiped the memory from my mind?"

"No" But now that she had planted the idea in hisjust that "You were going to go and change your clothes," he reed "Do it now"

She stared at him a moment Whatever she saw in his face drove her to her feet and out of the rooh she kneould not keep him out For a mo How could she have been so foolish? She should have known better than to bring up the subject of how he fed, should have known it would arouse his hunger But he had discussed it so cal fascinated by it, and by hiain What was the matter with her, that she was curious about such a repulsive act?

Her sto her that she was supposed to be changing her clothes to go out to dinner with Roshan That hat he was doing now, she thought without to dinner Who did he prey upon? How did he decide?

Putting the thought from her mind, she went to the closet and opened the door She stood there ato decide what to wear, and finally settled on a gauzy white blouse with a scoop neck and full sleeves, and a white skirt that was longer in the back than in the front She wished there were a full-length mirror in the room so she could see how she looked Perhaps the next time she went out, she would buy one Perhaps Roshan would not mind She wondered what it was like for hie reflected back She tried to iine how she would feel in his place Would it make her feel as if she didn't exist? Was that how it affected Roshan? Was that why there were no e of the bed, she pulled on a pair of silky nylons and a pair of high-heeled white boots She had never worn shoes or boots with such high heels and she wobbled a little as she walked into the bathroom to brush her hair

Forty minutes later, she heard Roshan's knock on the door He whistled softly when he saw her, chasing away any doubts she ht have had about how she looked

He took her to dinner at a quiet restaurant located in an upscale neighborhood