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"I don't know"

"No one has bothered Jean-Claude or his people"

"I know," Malcolm said

"Without a true master, a true blood-oathed, ation are just sheep waiting for the wolves to coet them"

"Jean-Claude said as o"

"Yeah, he did"

"I thought at first that it was one of the new vampires who has joined Jean-Claude One of the ones fro roup of vah their master's marks I have felt such power only once before"

"When?" I asked

He shook his head "We are forbidden to speak of it, on penalty of death Only if they contact us directly can we break this silence"

"It sounds like you've already been contacted," I said

He shook his head again "They are ta with me, and my people, because technically I am outside normal vampire law Did Jean-Claude report to the council that my church had not blood-oathed any of its followers?"

I nodded "Yes, he did"

He put his big hands over his face and leaned over his knees, almost as if he felt faint He whispered, "I feared as much"

"Okay, Malcol too fast forto the council have to do with so with your church?"

He looked at ray orry "Tell him what I have told you He will understand"

"But I don't"

"I have until New Year's Day to give Jean-Claude enerous and patient, but there are those as I had hoped they would be proud of what I had accoht it would please them, but I fear now that the council is not ready to see my brave neorld of free will"

"Free will is for humans, Malcolm The preternatural community is about control"

He stood again "You have almost complete discretion on how the warrant is executed, Anita Will you use some of that discretion to find the truth before you kill my followers?"

I stood up "I can't guarantee anything"

"I would not ask that I ask only that you look for the truth before it is too late for Sally, and iveout of toould I warn the other?"

"You ca Sally was in trouble I'uy out"

"It is a man, then?"

I just looked at hiive full eye contact It had always been so hard to do the tough stare back when I couldn't look a vamp in the eyes

He straightened his shoulders as if only noare that he was sluive me that, will you? Please tell Jean-Claude what I have told you I should have co to the very power structure I despise, but it wasn't morals, it was sin; the sin of pride I hope that my pride has not cost more of my followers their lives" He went for the door

I called after him "Malcolm"

He turned

"How big an eency is this?"

"Big"

"Will a couple of hours make a difference?"

He thought about it "Perhaps; why do you ask?"

"I won't be seeing Jean-Claude tonight I just wanted to know if I should call hiive him a heads-up"

"Yes, by all ive him his heads-up" He frowned at ht, Anita? Aren't you living with him?"

"Actually, no I stay over at his place about half the week, but I've got my own place still"

"Will you be killing ht?"

I shook my head

"Then you will raise my other colder brethren Whose blissful death will you disturb tonight, Anita? Whose zoet their inheritance, or a wife can be consoled?"

"No zoht," I said I was too puzzled by his attitude on the zombies to be insulted I'd never heard a va but other vamps

"Then ill keep you from your master's arms?"

"I've got a date, not that it's any of your business"

"But not a date with Jean-Claude, or Asher?"

I shook my head

"Your wolf king then, Richard?"

I shook ain

"For ould you abandon those three, Anita? Ah, your leopard king, Micah"

"Wrong again"

"I a my questions"

"So a me a whore, and I think I want to rub your face in it"

"What, the fact that you are a whore?" His face showed nothing when he said it

"I knew you couldn't do it," I said

"Do what, Ms Blake?"

"I knew you couldn't play nice long enough to get et snotty and mean"

He gave a small bow, just from the neck "I told you, Ms Blake, my sin is pride"

"And what's my sin, Malcolm?"

"Do you want me to insult you, Ms Blake?"

"I just want to hear you say it"

"Why?"

"Why not?" I said

"Very well; your sin is lust, Ms Blake, as it is the sin of your master and all his vampires"

I shook my head and felt that unpleasant smile curl my lips The smile that left my eyes cold, and usually meant I ell and truly pissed "That's not my sin, Malcolm, not the one nearest and dearest to my heart"

"And ould your sin be, Ms Blake?"

"Wrath, Malcolm, it's wrath"

"Are you saying I've ry?"

"I'et to focus it on"

"Do you envy anyone, Ms Blake?"

I thought about it, then shook my head "Not really, no"

"I will not ask about sloth; you work entirely too hard for that to be an issue You are not greedy, nor a glutton Are you prideful?"

"Sometimes," I said

"Wrath, lust, and pride, then?"

I nodded "I guess, if we're keeping score"

"Oh, so score, Ms Blake, never doubt that"

"I'm Christian, too, Malcolm"

"Do you worry about getting into heaven, Ms Blake?"

It was such an odd question that I answered it "I did, for a while, but low My prayers still have the power to chase the evil things away God hasn't forsakenfundamentalist Christians want to believe he has I've seen evil, Malcolm, real evil, and you aren't that"

He sentle, and almost embarrassed "Have I come to you for absolution, Ms Blake?"

"I don't think I'ive you absolution"

"I would like a priest to hear my sins before I die, Ms Blake, but none will cos of their calling will burst into flames in my presence"

"Not true The holy iteo off if the true believer panics, or if you try vampire powers on them"

He blinked atin the overhead lights "Is this true, Ms Blake?"

"I pro to make me afraid for hih people in h to worry about; I did not need to add the undead Billy Graham to my list

"Do you know any priests thatconfession?"

"I ive you absolution, since technically in the eyes of the Church you're already dead You have ties to a lot of the religious community, Malcol"

"I do not want to ask them, Anita I do not want them to know my sins I would rather" He hesitated, then spoke, but I was pretty sure it wasn't the sentence he started to use "Quietly, I would rather it be done quietly"

"Why the sudden need for confession and absolution?"

"I aed that I wish to die absolved of my sins"

"Why are you expecting to die?"

"Tell Jean-Claude what I have told you about the stranger or strangers in my church Tell him about my desire for a priest to hear my confession He will understand"

"Malcolm"

He kept walking, but stopped with his hand on the door "I take back what I said, Ms Blake, I ao" With that he walked out and closed the door softly behind him

I sat down aton, but so bad