Tina still seemed a little dazed, but Kira remembered how overwhelmed she'd first felt, too, and that had been with more proof than Tina had seen.

"Do you have fangs?" Tina asked, looking both fascinated and hesitant.

"Yeah." Kira smiled wryly. "I'm still getting used to them."

"And the guy . . . you and he . . ."

"His name is Mencheres, and I love him," Kira replied softly. "He's amazing. I don't have time to tell you how much, but he really is. You'll meet him soon, I promise." Tina glanced over her shoulder, as if Mencheres would magically appear behind her through the door. "That'll be, ah, a little weird," she said with a catch in her voice. "I mean, you're my sister, so you don't feel like something other even if you are now. But he's all the way other. He even looks like a vampire, with that tall, dark, and hot thing going on.

Does he live in one of those big creepy houses?"

"No, both places of his that I've been to were pretty normal," Kira replied while thinking, aside from the house I haven't seen. The huge triangular one in the Giza Plateau.

Tina's gaze flicked behind Kira. "You can't tell Rick. He loves you, but he rolled over on you as soon as the cops questioned him. Told them everything you've done since you were ten. If he knows about this, he'll go to the police, the news, you name it."

"No, I'm not telling Rick," Kira sighed, following Tina's gaze to her brother. Rick hummed to himself as he sat, looking far more relaxed than she'd seen him without being heavily stoned. "He won't even remember that I came here, either. But you will. If you want to."

Tina's expression was steady even though she was still pale. "I want to. You can trust me."

"I know I can, Tiny-T," Kira said, calling her the nickname she'd used since they were kids. She went to her sister, feeling Tina tremble just a little as she put her arms around her. Then her sister relaxed when nothing more happened except a hug, never knowing that Kira chanted "eggshells" in her mind so she wouldn't inadvertently squeeze too hard.

"I gotta go," she said at last, releasing Tina. "I had to sneak away from Mencheres when he was out on business to come see you. He wouldn't have let me do it any other way, so I have to get back soon. He'll freak if he comes back, and I'm gone." Tina touched her arm. "He keeps you from going out?"

"He's nothing like Pete," Kira said softly, knowing where Tina's worry stemmed from.

"He's just afraid something will happen to me because of that other vampire who's after him. That's why I couldn't leave to see you until he was out. But once things are back to normal, I can go anywhere I want."

"I hope so," Tina said. "Don't call or e-mail. I think the police have my phone and maybe even my e-mails bugged or something, but be careful."

"I will."

Kira went over to Rick, staring at her brother. If only she could help him with his disease as easily as Mencheres had helped Tina.

"You never saw me tonight," she said at last, green flashing from her eyes. "You've been asleep. When you wake up in another few hours, you'll know Tina and I love you and we always will. You'll go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, and you'll get a sponsor, because you realize there's more to life than getting drunk or high. You'll know there's more to you than your addiction, Rick, and that you can beat this. Oh, and you won't smoke in front of Tina again," she finished.

Kira couldn't make her brother get clean and stay clean, but maybe, just maybe, this subconscious directive would set him on the path toward recovery. Ultimately, only Rick could save his own life. All Kira could do was try to give him a boost.

Then she turned, gave Tina a final hug, and walked out of the apartment. She took the stairwel again to go down, counting off the floors and missing Mencheres even though it had only been hours since she'd seen him. The stairwel was silent except for the clatter of her boots against the steps, but after she'd descended about a half dozen floors, tingles in the air brushed like invisible spiderwebs across Kira's skin.

She hesitated just a moment before resuming her pace. Six more floors to go until she reached street level. That spiderweb sensation increased, but Kira squared her shoulders and continued downward, ignoring the EXIT sign on her right that would lead her inside the building's sixth floor.

The vampires smashed into Kira before she reached the fourth floor.

Chapter 30

Mencheres's new mobile phone rang. He stared at the numbers showing that it was Bones calling for several seconds before answering. It took that long to compose himself so that his voice didn't betray the emotions raging inside him.

"Yes?"

"I just hung up with Radjedef," Bones began without preamble. "Told him I had no idea how to reach you and all that rot, but he gave me a number to repeat to you. Said you need to contact him 'before it's too late.' What the bloody hell does he mean by that?" His power surged inside him, seeking someone to kill, but the only person Mencheres wanted to unleash that lethal force on wasn't here.

"More threats about the dead Enforcer, no doubt," he replied coolly. "Give me the number - and then send a mass e-mail at once to all our people to forward to their property as well, repeating the number and message."

"I'll do it, but stop lying to me," Bones said in a flat tone before repeating the number.

"What has Radjedef done now? Let me help you."

"When you alluded to the possibility that you've manifested more of my powers in the past year, was sensing a person's location part of those powers?" Mencheres asked, ignoring the other question.

Bones was silent for a moment. "No," he said finally.

"Then you can't help me," Mencheres sighed. "But you can help our people by not running afoul of the Guardian Council. Send that e-mail. Keep disavowing any knowledge of how to reach me. Renounce me if needed. That is what I require from you." An exasperated snort sounded on the other line. "Now I know how frustrated my wife feels when I try to keep her out of things for her own protection."

"I'm glad you have Cat," Mencheres said quietly. "You believe I acted as I did in the past merely to secure her powers for our line, but I saw that you would love her. That, more than any other reason, was why I intervened."

"Why do I feel like you're saying goodbye to me?" Bones asked, his words edged with tension.

Mencheres closed his eyes, needing another moment before he could speak again.

"You've made me very proud," he said at last.