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Or blinded her to the truth, as Sean feared

But Krysta didn’t think so Vampires were insane They were mentally off, and anyone who spent two minutes in their company knew it Not once, all day, had any of the iest they weren’t completely lucid Not once had she felt threatened by the harmed by them? No

"Who is David?" she asked as dark arboreal shadows in monstrous proportions whizzed past outside theTheto which they had all been summoned would be held at the home of someone named David, who seemed to live way out in the middle of nowhere

Seated beside her, Etienne said, "David is the second eldest, most powerful immortal in existence"

"How old is he?"

"I don’t know exactly and suspect he ceased counting centuries ago Suffice it to say, he is old enough to have witnessed biblical events"

Her neck popped as her head snapped in his direction "What?"

Sean turned to look at the he’s thousands of years old?"

"Yes"

"Do vahts

"No Vampires rarely live a century because of the madness that claie, are hunted and killed by i about their own destruction"

Krysta couldn’t even i She had suspected va as movies and books often clai thousands of years? What was that like?

"You said second eldest," she murmured "Is the tall one I met earlier older?"

"Yes And he’s only about an inch taller than David"

Sean frowned at her "You met another one?"

She nodded "He ht, and he positively oozed power"

Sean shifted his gaze to Etienne "Just what are these elders’ gifts?"

"Don’t answer that," Caaze in the rearview mirror

Krysta waited for Etienne to respond

He re her, but she couldn’t fault hi Or he was, but had put up quite the verbal fight in an atte sequestered in a ho

So Krysta could see why Etienne ht be reluctant to shareSean’s favor

"We’re here," Ca it to a tall security gate Heavy silence filled the car as he rolled down his , reached out, and entered a security code she couldn’t see fro open on well-oiled hinges

Dark trees towered over the a winding road that ended in a circular drive full ofhybrids and electric cars?

Sean peered through theas Cauys, like, environhtened," Etienne said, "not just our vision Our sense of smell is more acute than a polar bear’s or an arctic fox’s The pollution you barely notice that makes the air sh we’re living doind of a garbage durimaced "That sucks"

He nodded "Particularly since h to remember what the world smelled like before the industrial revolution"

Cam exited the car and pocketed the keys

Etienne opened his door, stepped out, and circled around to open Krysta’s before she could reach for the handle

She took the hand he gallantly offered and let him help her from the car

Did she need the help?

Of course not

Did she leap at the excuse to touch him?

Absolutely

Sean joined them and slammed his door shut out of habit

Etienneopen at their approach

Etienne nodded to Darnell, who greeted them all with a smile

"Hi You must be Krysta and Sean It’s nice to meet you I’m Darnell, David’s Second"

Krysta and Sean each shook his hand

"So you’re huifted one like you two"