Witchful Thinking Part 4

aWhere is Sinjin, anyway?a Christa asked while pouring herself another gla.s.s of wine. She glanced up at me and held up the bottle in a charade of Want more?

I shook my head as I returned to the whereabouts of my favorite vampire. Worry began gnawing away at my stomach again. aNo one knows where he is.a aDid he die in the battle?a aNo.a I then explained how Varick was able to feel Sinjin in his veins, which made me believe he was unscathed. Before I knew it, Iad spilled my guts about time-traveling back to 1878, Mercedes, falling in love with Rand, and, finally, how Iad been chosen to be Queen.

aSo Rand doesnat want you to be Queen?a Christa asked, her left eye beginning to droop like it always did whenever she got drunk.

aNo,a I said, settling my gaze on a willow tree that was swaying outside my living room window, its leafy foliage dancing almost playfully. aHe doesnat believe in monarchy, heas made that much crystal clear.a aHeall have to come around,a Christa said with a smile before gulping the last drops of her wine and wiping her forearm against her lips. aI mean, if the prophetess exists, which she obviously does, and she says youare supposed to be Queen, Rand sort of has to get on board, you know?a I nodded, even though I knew it wasnat that simple. aYeah, but you know how Rand is. If he doesnat believe in something, he wonat support it.a aYou gotta do whatas right for you, Jules.a Christa patted my hand consolingly. The cat apparently became irritated, because she hopped off Christaas lap, plodded into her cat house, and fell back to sleep.

aYou canat let other people hold you back,a Christa finished. Her compa.s.sionate expression coupled with the facts that I was holding on to an empty gla.s.s of wine and there were two empty wine bottles on my coffee table made me feel like I was on the receiving end of an Alcoholics Anonymous intervention.

aBut!a aIt sounds like youare meant to be Queen, Jules,a Christa interrupted. aThis is your calling.a aWhat if itas a mistake, Chris?a I asked, placing my empty gla.s.s on the side table. aWhat if Mercedes has the wrong person? What if Iam not really meant to be Queen?a Christa shook her head. aIall bet the prophetess made sure you were the right person before she announced it to everyone. I mean, think of what a disaster it would be if she realized you were a total loser or something? Besides, one of the things I learned in Australia is that when something feels right, you just have to go for it.a I couldnat help but smile. And Christa did have a good pointa"I couldnat imagine Mercedes making a mistake on anything, let alone something this huge. aYou learned that in Australia?a She nodded. aYeah, I was walking down Market Street in Sydney just doing my own thing and minding my own businessaa"she eyed me with an expression that implied, Since you left me on my owna"aand I was suddenly overcome by this crazy feeling that I should glance over my shoulder. So I did, and would you believe it, I saw the cutest pair of red stilettos right there in a shop window. You know how Iave been looking for a pair of red ones forever?a I nodded just to placate her and she continued. aYeah, well, now I own a pair.a aSeriously, Chris?a I asked incredulously. aYouare comparing a pair of shoes to me being Queen?a She frowned and stuck her tongue out at me. aIam just using the stilettos as an example, Jules. You have to be ready for whatever life throws your way. When you donat take risks, you donat find red stilettos.a I laughed and shook my head at the absurdity of this whole conversation. If only my life could be as simple as buying a pair of shoes. aYou have a very unusual way of looking at things.a aIam an unusual girl,a she said with a candid smile, her eyelidas droop now increased by another thirty degrees. aWhat were we talking about again?a she asked, reaching for a third bottle of wine. aAh, I remember. So Rand is having a little conniption about the thought of you being Queen?a aNo, not so far,a I said and sighed as I thought about Randas general discouragement about the whole Queen bit. He hadnat asked me not to accept the role, but I knew thatas what he wanted. aIn fact, I havenat seen him at all yesterday or today.a It had been two days since our little discussion in his dining room and in true Rand form, head vanished for a couple of days, probably tending to the legions stationed at Pelham Manor. Hopefully he wasnat just avoiding me. aSo, what, is he p.i.s.sed again? He always seems to disappear when heas mad at you,a Christa slurred.

aNo, I think this time heas honestly busy.a Christa nodded and took a sip of her nth gla.s.s of wine, arching her eyebrows at the bottle in what appeared to be silent appreciation. She poured the remaining wine from the bottle into my gla.s.s and handed it to me. aWhat was he like back in the, what was it, sixteen hundreds?a aUm aa I tried to hold back a giggle but failed miserably. aRand wasnat alive in the sixteen hundreds, Chris.a aWhatever.a She waved me away. aThe eighteen hundreds, then. Whatas the difference?a aAside from the Industrial Revolution, you mean?a I replied with a smile.

aBlah, what year was it that you met Rand?a aEighteen seventy-eight,a I answered and then took a second to think about what Rand had been like back then. aHe was wonderful,a I finally admitted, sighing. aHe didnat trust me at first, but once we got past that, he was amazing, Chris. He allowed himself to love me and he even asked me to marry him.a aHe asked you to marry him?a she squealed. aSo are you engaged or did you actually get married?a I shook my head and suddenly felt sicka"I wasnat sure if it was from the thought that I missed out on marrying the love of my life or if all the wine was finally making a statement in my gut. I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes. aNo, I mean, I said yes, but he knew Iad have to return to my own time. He just made me promise that he and I would be together again in the here and now.a aBut you arenat?a I sat up straight again and opened my eyes, not feeling any better. aNo.a She shook her head and offered me an expression of annoyancea"like it was my fault that Rand and I werenat together. aSo you need to make it happena"to keep your word to a ancient Rand.a aAncient Rand,a I repeated with a laugh before returning my thoughts to the subject at hand. aItas not as easy as it sounds.a aRand will get over this whole Queen thing. I mean, otherwise, off with his head, right?a aThereas a lot more to it than that.a I took a deep breath. aRemember when I told you that Rand had bonded with a witch in his past?a She nodded and glanced at the empty bottle of wine, then started exploring the perimeter of my living room with her eyes, probably in search of more bottles. Not finding any, she faced me again with a sigh before apparently remembering that Iad asked her a question. aYeah, and her death nearly killed him?a I nodded but didnat say anything for a few seconds, not really sure how to say what I needed to. aThat was me, Chris.a aWhat was you?a aThe witch he bonded with.a She looked perplexed. aHow can that be? You arenat dead.a Then her face paled. aOh my G.o.d, are you dead, Jules? Did you die in the battle?a She stood up and gawked at me. aAre you a ghost?a aNo.a I shook my head.

aBecause if you are a ghost, I donat think I can handle that. Iave been afraid of ghosts my whole life.a aNo, Chris, Iam not a ghost.a I glanced up at her and frowned; the color still hadnat returned to her face. aIam not dead, Chris! Jeez.a She sat back down next to me, but at the far end of the sofa. aWell, what did you expect me to think?a aI didnat expect that!a I announced before returning to my story. aThe woman Rand bonded with never dieda"she just time-traveled.a It took her a second to compute the meaning of my sentencea"I think she was still stuck on the ghost thing, and the haze of alcohol wasnat helping. Once my words sank in, she stared at me in total shock.

aNo freakina way, Jules,a she said, shaking her head at how crazy this whole situation was. aRand bonded with you!a aBingo.a aSo what did Rand think about that? The look on his face must have been priceless.a I sighed again and couldnat escape the feeling of guilt that immediately descended upon me. aThatas the other part of the story a I havenat told him yet.a aWhat?a she squealed. aWhat do you mean, you havenat told him yet? That should have been the first thing you said.a Then she stood up and faced the wall, her arms extended before her until she looked like she was about to deliver Hamletas soliloquy. aUm, hi, Iam back from time-traveling the world, and by the way, you and me got it on like Donkey Kong and I was the chick you bonded with, capiche?a She looked at me while I clapped. Well, it wasnat aTo Be or Not to Bea but it was a close second. aGot it on like Donkey Kong?a aWell, you did, didnat you?a she asked as she eyed me approvingly. If there was one subject besides gossip that Christa loved discussing, it was s.e.x. And due to the fact that my s.e.x life had been anything but interesting, she had to be eating this up.

I nodded as thoughts of s.e.x with Rand infiltrated my head. aYeah, we did, and it was amazing.a aAnd it can be amazing again, Jules. You just have to tell him the truth.a I nodded but it was unconvincing. aIave decided not to tell him.a aWhy?a aBecause I think itas better that he doesnat knowa"I mean, itas not like weare bonded anymore a and, besides, I think the news could really hurt him.a She shook her head. Suddenly noticing that my gla.s.s of wine was still full, she reached for it, the expression on her face saying she needed it. aWhy would bonding with you upset him? It just means youare meant to be together. Thatas like a better love story than The Princess Bride.a The Princess Bride just happened to be Christaas favorite movie of all time, so she was really saying something. aJules, that is seriously romantic.a Look out Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, because here come Rand and Jolie. Somehow I just wasnat feeling it.

aWell, I guess Rand could take it well,a I began, but I couldnat say I believed it. It was really more of a concession to Christa. aOr he could just freak out when he realizes that he nearly died because of me.a She was quiet for a second or two. aHmm, I hadnat thought of that angle.a Silence for a few more seconds. aBut you didnat know you were going to bond with him, right?a aIt crossed my mind.a aBut as soon as you saw his hot, naked bod, you must have been like Bond, what bond? Oh, you mean bondage?a I laughed, suddenly feeling so grateful. Yes, Christa had her shortcomings, but she was the greatest friend in the world and I loved her. aYeah, it went something like that.a She nodded and swigged the last of her wine, er my wine, before facing me again blankly. Then a smile spread across her lips. aWell, when you tell him, just leave out the part about you guessing you two might bond. Just make it sound like it totally took you by surprise and you never expected it.a aI donat know, Chris, I think itas better to just avoid the whole thing aa aYouare just going to have to spit it out, Jules. The longer you hold it in, the more upset heas liable to get because heall want to know why you didnat tell him sooner.a I woke up and I wasnat sure why. It wasnat like Iad been having a nightmare. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, trying to adjust them to the light of the yellow moon that was beaming through my bedroom window, interrupting the monotonous dark of night. I loved the feel of the cold air as it tried to breach the warmth of my covers.

The mischievous breeze ruffled my curtains, allowing them to billow out in a sensuous dance. Finding the visual rea.s.suring, I started to close my eyes again. But something in my peripheral vision stopped me. There was a darkness at the far end of the rooma"a blackness that hinted of something more sinister than just night. I opened my eyes in alarm as I watched the darkness that was too dark twitch.

I bolted upright and didnat have time to scream before I felt a cold swish disrupt the air. Then within a split second he was directly in front of mea"a speed that characterized his race. Just as suddenly the fear pounding through me faltered and was replaced by a calming ocean of relief.

aIt is true, then,a he said in a hoa.r.s.e voice, his English accent thicker than I remembered it.

aSinjin,a I answered, and before I could even fathom what was happening, the vampireas mouth was on mine, his arms around my shoulders. His smell, which was somewhere between the clean scent of soap and the spice of an exotic aftershave, hit me like a truck. Memories of another kiss we shared while en route to Culloden Battlefield in Scotland hijacked my mind.

I cared for Sinjina"it was as obvious as the fact that I was finding it difficult to pull away from his embrace. But I had to pull away because even though there was a part of me that could recognize my attraction to Sinjin, kissing him didnat feel righta"not after what Iad been through with Rand.

I pulled away and smiled up at him somewhat nervously as a flood of emotions welled up within me, threatening to choke me. Sinjin was okay. The relief almost made me want to crya"I wanted to reach out and touch him, run my fingers down the velvet perfection of his skin, but I wouldnat allow myself.

aYou are alive,a he said while continuing to stare at me, his hands still on my shoulders. I gently escaped from his hold and pushed the duvet back as I stood up, wrapping my arms around myself. I was dressed in a long-sleeved Victoriaas Secret nightshirt that ended at my knees. Even though my nightshirt wasnat terribly revealing (okay, I was showing a little leg), Sinjin beheld me with his wolfish stare from head to toe, making me feel as if I was as naked as the day I was born.

Then he smiled and it was a smile I remembered too wella"a smile that could only characterize Sinjina"something racy and bold, yet secretive. aI could not believe you were alive though I felt your very life blood pulsing within me.a Sinjin had drunk my blood months before when I was attacked by a werewolf and had nearly become hairy, myself. He sucked the poison from the wound and, while saving me from becoming lupine, head also given me about ten o.r.g.a.s.ms a Anyway, owing to the fact that head swallowed my blood, he could track me.

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. I didnat know if I should wrap my arms around him and tell him how worried Iad been and how incredibly happy I was to know he was okay. In the end, because our relationship was purely platonic, I opted for a more casual response.

aYep, Iam alive,a I confirmed, not knowing what else to add. Truth be told, I was still reeling from the fact that Sinjin was in my room and wead just shared a very a good kiss.

aI watched your life end,a he said in a hollow voice that sounded pained.

aIt did end.a At Sinjinas curious expression, I continued, aThe prophetess brought me back to life.a In an instant his attention was riveted. aThe prophetess, you say?a I nodded, wondering why the prophetess held such interest for hima"she always had. In fact, prior to the battle with Bella, Sinjin had been teaching me how to take on Ryder. In return, he only asked that I attempt to locate the prophetess telepathically. Of course, I hadnat been successful at the time because shead been stuck in 1878.

aWhat happened to you, Sinjin?a aI am more interested in what happened to you, poppet. I have relived your death too many timesa"until I thought perhaps I would go mad.a I shook my head, dismissing Sinjinas flair for the dramatic. What I wanted to know was why the h.e.l.l head just vanished like that. I could remember it like it was yesterdaya"Sinjin standing with his back to the battlefielda"the tightness of his lips and the glossiness of his eyes.

aAnd thanks, by the way, for not doing a d.a.m.n thing when I died.a aWhat would you have suggested I do?a he demanded with narrowed eyes, his muscular arms wrapped across his chest.

I shrugged. aI donat knowa"you seemed to have some tricks up your sleeve when that wolf attacked me.a He nodded and glanced down for a second or two before his ice-blue gaze met mine again. His eyes werenat quite so narrowed and his jaw had relaxed. aYou were much closer to the gates of heaven, love, than you were when the wolf attacked.a aYou could have done something,a I insisted even though I didnat entirely believe my own words.

He swallowed and his eyes suddenly steeled again. aAll that was left to me was turning you into one of my own kind, and that is a choice I could never make.a He turned away from me and faced the window, allowing me to appreciate the expanse of his shoulders and back. His shoulders were broad and then tapered into an athletic waist and a tight rear that topped an incredibly long pair of legs. Sinjin was very talla"probably six-five or thereabouts. And as Iad come to expect, he was clothed entirely in blacka"a black sweater with a black undershirt and black slacks.

He turned toward me again and I couldnat help but swallow, gulping down the thoughts of how incredibly beautiful he was.

aI would never condemn you to live this way,a he whispered.

Surprise echoed through me. If anything, I would have thought Sinjin would have no problem turning me or anyone else into one of his kind. He seemed to parade his vampire status around as if it was the be-all, end-all in the Underworld communitya"like driving the newest, coolest car in town.

aWhere have you been, Sinjin?a I asked, no longer feeling comfortable with the direction this conversation was headed.

aHave you been worried about me, pet?a His tone reminded me of the old Sinjin, the joking and never serious, but seriously s.e.xy, Sinjin.

aYeah, I have,a I said without a trace of humor. aIave been wondering what the h.e.l.l happened to you. Where have you been?a I repeated.

He nodded but didnat say anything for a few seconds. aI have been everywhere and I have been nowhere, love.a aDonat screw around with me,a I snapped. aWhere, specifically?a aI have been traveling, poppet. You could say I have been doing some soul searching.a aAnd is Varick going to be upset with you?a I asked, remembering how irritated Varick had seemed the other evening. I didnat know if there was something overly protective about me but for some reason I did tend to be a mother hen where Sinjin was concerned.

aI care not, love.a He approached the window, his long and slender physique highlighted by the moon. aI understand congratulations are in order?a he asked, blinding me with his incredibly charming smile.

aCongratulations?a I repeated. At my bewildered expression, he merely bowed slightly, so formally that I felt like I was back in 1878.

aYou are Queen, as I understand?a he asked, standing up straight again.

aWell, I havenat exactly a,a I started, about to argue the point that I hadnat abandoned myself to my apparent calling.

aI am your loyal and faithful subject, my Queen, to do with as you please.a And the way he said it dripped with sensuality.

aThanks,a I said, but wasnat sure I meant it.

JOURNAL ENTRY.

Mercedes Berg. The prophetess a Itas almost as if I can see her power emanating from the very letters of her name.

I canat help but think back to the day of the battle, when Gwynn ran her blade into my gut and then I blinked and found myself in the middle of a s...o...b..nk and was like WTF just happened? It was so cold, I nearly froze to death and would have if it hadnat been for Mercedes. She was the one who dragged me in from the snow. Of course, she knew I was coming all along since she was the one responsible for bringing me there in the first place, but I guess I still owed her grat.i.tude for preventing me from becoming a Jolie Popsicle.

At the time, I sure as h.e.l.l didnat regard the scullery maid with the beautiful green eyes as anything extraordinary. Of course, I had to wonder when she lifted me over her shoulder and carried me into the house like she was some sort of woman wrestler souped up on steroids. And if that wasnat enough, she was also able to restore my frostbitten toes to their former glory just by wrapping her hands around them. So the clues had been there; I just hadnat possessed my full faculties to really add everything up. (I mean, I had been on the brink of a very cold death. Who can really blame me for not paying much attention to anything else?) And even if I had added everything up, I would never in a million years have reached the conclusion that Iad just met the prophetess.

A few months ago I wasnat even convinced the prophetess was real. She was more like an urban legend that everyone halfheartedly believed in, some more than others. Any disbelief stemmed from the fact that pretty much no one could boast that theyad ever set eyes on the prophetess, until now.

Sure, Bella has always been convinced that the prophetess exists. Looking back on it now, Iam convinced Mercedes was the reason Bella wanted me on her side to begin witha"so I could reanimate the prophetess and Bella could benefit from her power. As a matter of fact, Bella forced me to try to reanimate some old woman whom she believed to be the prophetess, but of course, the old woman wasnat.

Nope, Mercedes Berg is the prophetess. And even though sheas this omniscient being, I canat say I completely trust her. Itas not as though sheas ever done anything that would make me not want to trust her, itas just that with all-powerful beings, you canat help but wonder what their deal is. I keep asking myself if Mercedes really exists merely for the good of our society. Couldnat it be possible that she falls victim to the same vices we all doa"fame, power, and greed, to name just a few? What does Mercedes get out of making sure I unite all the creatures of the Underworld and become their Queen? Maybe itas just a sign of my sinful humanity that Iam even doubting her in the first place.

Truth be told, Mercedes worries mea"her power is so extreme, no one really seems to know how strong or how powerful she truly is. And I believe Rand questions her for the same reasons. I guess I shouldnat doubt her, since sheas never done anything other than insist Iam the savior of our kind. Most people would probably be incredibly grateful to her. Just call me an ingrate I guess.

And speaking of this whole savior stuff, Savior is a really big t.i.tle to wear. And so, for that matter, is Queen. Really, if Rand would just stop playing the part of revolutionary, head make the perfect King. Heas kind, honest, and just. What more could you want in a King? Oh, and heas incredibly hot. Hmm, and if I married him, that would make me Queen by default. Wonder if Mercedes would go for that a Who am I kidding? Rand would no sooner become King than befriend Sinjin. So where does that leave me? The same place Iam always left when it comes to this subjecta"square one. And square one is getting old fast. Regardless, Mercedes seems to think Iave accepted my fate as Queen because she keeps going on and on about my lessons and when Iall be Queen this and when Iall be Queen that.

I just have this gut feeling that if I do follow my acallinga and become Queen, Iall lose Rand. And thatas a big gamble to take.

I opened my front door, shivered in the night wind, and beeped my remote, unlocking the doors of my silver Range Rover Freelander. The SUV had been a gift from Rand after my relocation to England.

But back to my present mission. There was lots of important stuff I needed to discuss with Randa"chiefly, when to start reanimating our legion. It seemed like it was taking Rand an eon to compile his list of the deceased. Really, I was itching to get starteda"to be able to give back to the soldiers who had given their lives for our cause.

I drove the two miles to Pelham Manor in silence. Once I arrived, I didnat make any motion to undo my seat belt; I just sat there instead, staring up at the stone edifice. I almost felt intimidated by the ancient walls. I turned off the headlights and melted into the darkness, shivering despite myself. I stepped outside to face the wide stone staircase that graced the front of Randas majestic home, leading to a pair of dark, heavy, wooden doors.

With the weight of the Underworld on my shoulders, I trudged up the stone steps and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later the door flew open and Christa appeared in her cowboy-and-Indian PJs, a pint of ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other.

aHi, Chris,a I said in a somewhat dejected tone.

aHi, Jules, whatas up?a She rammed her spoon into the hard ice cream and seemed to wrestle with it before a smile of victory lit up her mouth, which she then opened wide to make room for the heaping spoonful.

aI came to see Rand,a I said as I walked in through the open door.

She nodded but said nothing as she spooned another heaping bite of what looked like chocolate ice cream with red cherries and hunks of fudge into her mouth. There was probably a third left. aHeas outside trying to finalize the list of dead guys,a she said, not bothering to swallow first.

aIs the list almost ready, then?a She shrugged and dug in for another mouthful. aI donat know but hot d.a.m.n, it seems like itas taking forever.a She didnat wait for my response but turned around and headed down the hall to the kitchen, which led to the back gardens of Pelham Manor. I couldnat help but glance around Randas house, wondering if anything had changed since Iad moved out. Everything seemed to be in the exact same place. I wasnat sure why, but for some reason that little familiarity made me happy.

Even though the outside of Pelham Manor boasted its seventeenth-century beginnings, the inside was the epitome of modernity. A large black leather sofa dominated the living room, which had oriental rugs on the floor and abstract oil paintings on the walls. But the most outstanding centerpiece of the room, and the feature most commented on, was Randas fireplace, which was easily as tall as I am. What I loved most about Pelham Manor, though, wasnat the priceless art or the ginormous fireplace, but the way it smelleda"it shared the same clean spiciness that put me in mind of Rand.

aDid you hear Sinjin is back?a I asked, in an effort to force myself to think of another subject.

Christa glanced over at me in surprise, pausing only momentarily before she dived back in again, looking like an archaeologist chipping away at a fossil. Shead probably come across a nut.

aWhere did you see him?a I knew my answer was going to sound bad but there really wasnat any way around it. aHe showed up in my house last night.a She nodded, not daring to pry her attention from the excavation of an almond. aDid you get it on?a I just shook my heada"I knew that would be the first thought to cross her mind. aYou seriously think about s.e.x way too much.a She freed the almond and spooned it into her mouth, smiling at me as she did so. aAnd you think about s.e.x way too little.a I wasnat sure if that was true but I also wasnat in the mood to argue. Instead I stayed silent and followed her through the hall and into the kitchen.

aSo where the h.e.l.l has Sinjin been?a she asked, dropping the empty ice-cream container in the trash can on the way to the back door. How Christa could eat the way she did and yet manage to keep her awesome figure was beyond me. I teetered on the line between aathletica and acould stand to lose five poundsa; it was a constant struggle. I did find, however, that living within the Underworld had taken about ten pounds off me. So I guess I was off the diet seesaw a for the time being, anyway.

aHe refused to tell me,a I answered, remembering how Sinjin had deliberately avoided the subject of his location.

After our reintroduction, Iad sent him on his way so I could get some shut-eye. I was convinced head just hung out in my house, though, because I kept waking up to strange sounds I couldnat placea"sounds that had probably been coming from the TV. I hadnat really minded. Somehow, with Sinjin in my house, I actually felt safer, as ridiculous as it sounds, since he could easily rip my throat out.

Before I had the chance to comment any more on the subject, I noticed a pool of mist appearing just over the staircase. The more I watched it, the more it morphed into the shape of a man, resplendent in nineteenth-century breeches and a waistcoat.

aUm, what are you looking at?a Christa asked and turned in the direction of my gaze. Of course she couldnat see the ghost, Pelham, the original owner of Pelham Manor.

aIam looking at Pelham,a I answered as I smiled and waved at the ghost in question.

Ah, you have decided to return and grace me with your beautiful presence. I could only hear Pelhamas voice in my head.

aHi, Pel,a I said with a warm smile.

Christa glanced at the staircase, back to me, and back to the staircase again before letting out a deep sigh. aSpooky. Anyway, Jules, why donat you tell your invisible friend that we were in the middle of a conversation before he interrupted us?a She folded her arms against her chest and tapped her fingers on her elbow as if she was irritated.

aHe can hear you,a I said and threw her a frown.

Pelham just smiled at me and tipped his head as if to say yes, he could hear her and he apologized for interrupting us.

aIall come and visit soon, Pel,a I announced.

Very well. I have missed you. Then he just disappeared into the stairwell.

aDo you still want to see Rand?a Christa asked.

aYes,a I said and followed her down the hallway to the kitchen, which, in turn, led to the back garden area.

aThereas your man,a Christa said with a smile as she pointed at Rand, who stood beside Odran and Trent. All three of them were staring at a piece of paper on a picnic table. I a.s.sumed the paper in question was the ledger of names of the dead soldiers who needed to be reanimated.

Behind them, as far as I could see, were the tents of our legion. The glow of their campfires cast shadows and flickering lights against the tents, making it look like a campsite of ghosts.

aThanks, Chris,a I answered with a grin before starting forward. The three men were probably twenty feet or so from us, all hunched over the table, scrutinizing whatever was on the sheet. At my approach, all three looked up, but it was Rand who smiled first.

aIs everything all right?a Christa mumbled something about it being too cold outside and returned to the house but I didnat turn to watch her leave. I couldnat tear my eyes away from Rand. I smiled and nodded even though the answer to his question was a definite no. If anything, it felt like my world was crumbling down around me and it was all I could do to grab hold of a loose brick or two.

aYeah, I just wanted to find out when you thought we should start the reanimations,a I said.

Rand nodded and glanced at the sheet of paper in front of him, flicking it with his long index finger as he stood up straight and beamed at me. aI think weare ready.a aAnd I am quite certain the dead soldiers would thank you if they could.a All four of us turned to the sound of Sinjinas voice as he stepped out from behind a ma.s.sive pine tree. My heart leapt into my throat and I wasnat sure if it was because Sinjin had just appeared out of nowhere and scared me half to death, or because he was standing in front of Rand. The two hadnat seen each other since the battle and whenever they came within a few feet of each other, it was a prescription for conflict.

aSinjin,a I said without realizing Iad spoken his name.

Sinjin bowed and smiled, his fangs reflecting in the moonlight. He was dressed, as always, in black, and he looked as elegant and handsome as ever with his longish black hair curling over his ears in gentle waves, in contrast with the iciness of his piercing blue eyes.

aGreetings,a he responded, his tone dripping with sensuality.

It was like slow motion as my gaze shifted from the vampire to Rand. And Randas expression was not a happy one. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were tight, his jaw even tighter. The color had completely drained from his face.

aYou b.l.o.o.d.y b.a.s.t.a.r.d,a Rand started and before anyone could stop him, he lunged forward, pulled back his fist, and delivered a clean blow to Sinjinas cheek. The vampire took a step back and appeared to be slightly off balance. For a split second I thought he might fall down, but he regained control and stood stock-still.

aBlooody aell,a Odran exclaimed while restraining Rand with his mammoth arms when it appeared the warlock was going to go for round two. Rand said nothing but shot daggers at Sinjin with his eyes as his chest rose and fell with his belabored breathing. If Odran released him, head be at Sinjinas throat in a split second.

The tension in the air was so thick, I felt like I didnat want to breathe. I didnat want to inhale the negativitya"enough pessimism was floating through me as it was.

Glancing at Sinjin, I was suddenly worried head lash out at Rand, but he didnat appear to be in a fighting mood. Instead he just wore a smile that was ironic considering the blood still trailing from his lips. After another second or two, Sinjin wiped his sleeve across his mouth.

aThat was not quite the greeting I expected, Randall.a Sinjin had a tendency to call Rand aRandalla even though that wasnat Randas name and Sinjin knew it.

Rand made an attempt to break out from Odranas grip, and Trent and I stepped in between Rand and Sinjin. I glanced at Trent with a frown but said nothing, instead turning my attention to Sinjin.

aI donat want either of you to fight,a I said in a tight voice.