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"Roshan, co for the past two hundred and eighty-six years, Roshan ith the setting of the sun But on this night, he didn't rise i inventory of his injuries He felt only ht before He hoped Brenna would forgive hih he yearned to see her, be with her, he knew that on this night, he needed blood And rest In that order He wouldhis eyes, he let his preternatural senses search the house She wasn't preparing her dinner in the kitchen, she wasn't curled up in a chair in the living roo, nor was she anywhere upstairs He expanded his senses to search the grounds She was not walking in the gardens, or sitting on the stone bench Where was she?

A shiver of alarh to leave the house?

Brenna! Where are you? Da He reached out, his ates Morgana But no sense of Brenna's presence He jack-knifed into a sitting position The gates were open!

Cursing softly, he slid his legs over the edge of the bed, stood, swaying on his feet, wondering if he had the strength towhen he reached the top Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and then, keeping one hand on the wall for support, he made his way down the corridor toward the entry hall, wondering if this hat it felt like to be old

The front door stood open

Descending the porch steps, he walked down the driveway to the gates Morgana was there, pacing back and forth She looked up at hi loudly, then leaped into his arms

Startled, Roshan stroked the cat's fur "Don't worry," he said "I'll find her"

He carried the cat up to the house and locked her inside, then went to the garage

He would have preferred traveling through the night with his own preternatural speed, but he was too weak He needed to save his strength for whatever lay ahead

He backed out of the garage, down the driveway, and out onto the street Once again, he sent his senses searching for Brenna It frightened him that he could not detect her life force

Certain that Loken was behind her disappearance, he drove toward the warlock's house Parking the car a short distance away, he exited the vehicle Several tall trees and shrubs grew alongside the parkway, shielding hi on what power he could muster, he su toward hi her by the hand, he pulled her behind a nearby hedge

Overco deep within hi her flesh He drank and drank, his eyes closing in near ecstasy as her life's blood flowed into hi his pain