~ * ~
At midnight, they stood on Izabela’s porch.
The witch opened the door, asked the usual question, received the usual answer, and bid them enter. With a warning glance at Saintcrow, she settled in her rocker. The cat curled up on her lap, her fur puffed up as if for battle. There was no sign of the kittens.
A tall woman stood in front of the hearth. Saintcrow recognized her immediately. How had he ever forgotten her? True, it had been centuries and they had only crossed paths a few times, but he remembered her now. Tall and blonde and coldly beautiful, with a slender figure and piercing black eyes. The green dragon tattooed on the side of her neck seemed to move with each breath. How had he not known that she was a vampire when they met? The aura of preternatural power, common to all vampires, surrounded her. Of course, most vampires shielded that power when in the presence of mortals. Oddly, he had expected it to be stronger.
“Rylan.” Her voice was as cold as her beauty.
He inclined his head. “Elowynne. Why were you looking for me? And how did you know to contact Izabela?”
“I mesmerized you centuries ago. I took some of your blood and gave you some of mine.”
“No shit? Why the hell did you do that?”
She shrugged one elegant shoulder. “If you remember, I was quite taken with you at the time. I thought perhaps we might indulge in an affair.” Anger flared in her eyes and was quickly gone. “But you had no interest at the time. I thought you might change your mind at a later date so I took a little of your blood and gave you a little of mine so that I would be able to find you. Unfortunately, the blood bond between us was broken when you were turned. And I had no idea what your surname name was.” She smiled faintly, pleased with her story, although she had left out the most important part. “If you recall, you were only known as Rylan the Bold at court.”
“Rylan the Bold,” Kadie murmured. “Perfect.”
Elowynne smiled faintly. “Indeed.”
“So how did you find Izabela?” Saintcrow asked again.
“Quite by accident. I was seeing a witch about a recent problem, apparently at the same time your witch had opened a portal to the whims of the supernatural. I heard her mutter your name and my witch made the necessary magical connection.”
It sounded as unlikely as hell, Saintcrow mused. But here she was. “So what does your problem have to do with me?”
“I turned one that I dearly loved about the same time you were at court. He has come down with some mysterious ailment. I heard through Grigore that you were suffering a similar condition. I was wondering if you had found a cure.”
Saintcrow shook his head. “No luck so far. There are only a few vampires still in existence who are older than I am and yet none of them has been affected by anything like this. I’m beginning to think it has nothing to do with age, although I don’t know what else it would be. The only thing I’ve found that helpsis the blood of one of the old ones. Have you given your blood to your...friend?”
“Of course,” she snapped. “It didn’t help.”
Saintcrow shrugged. “Then I don’t know what to tell you.”
“You will let me know if you find a cure?”
“Sure.”
Elowynne’s gaze moved over him. It was blatantly obvious that she still liked what she saw. And that, even after so many centuries, she still wanted him.
Beside him, Kadie’s fingers bit deep into his arm.
With a wry smile, Saintcrow shook his head. “Not then,” he said, with quiet conviction. “And not now.”
A look that might have been anger or hatred or both distorted Elowynne’s features for a moment and was gone. “I’ll be in touch,” she said, and with a wave of her hand, she disappeared.
“Well,” Izabela said. “That was interesting. Has she always had the hots for you?”
Saintcrow glared at her, then loosened Kadie’s grip on his arm. “There’s blood under your fingernails, darlin,” he remarked.
“What? Oh! I’m sorry. But she made me so mad! How dare that woman look at you like that when I’m in the room! If she does it again, I’ll...I’ll....”
“Calm down, love,” Saintcrow said, amused as always by her anger and her jealousy. “Like I said, I didn’t want her when I was mortal and I don’t want her now. There’s something evil about her that I find distasteful.”
“I have a feeling most everything she said was a lie,” Izabela remarked, lightly stroking the cat’s head. “I think the only reason she came here was to see for herself how you’re getting along. In fact, I’m convinced that she’s the catalyst behind your problem. Did you know that besides being a vampire she’s also a practicing witch?”
“What?” Saintcrow stared at Izabela. “What are you talking about?”