Ryan nodded. "Then that would mean that the condition that he is in is not a result of the damage being done..."

"But rather a response to it," Susan said, finishing the sentence. She looked to Ryan with concern. "But then that would mean that your body will begin to take that route as well, to protect itself."

Ryan's expression was resigned. "Then that means I am running out of time."

CHAPTER 16.

THE HANDSOME YOUNG MAN WAITED in the shadows. The beautiful girl said she would meet him here, and he waited anxiously for her. Although he attracted many of his Kind, there seemed to be something special about her, something different from the self-absorbed crowd he was used to. He was taking a great chance, inviting her to such a secret gathering, but he desperately wanted to impress her. Introducing her to the Old Ones, or at least, what he considered to be Old Ones, would hopefully make her wish to keep his acquaintance.

He shifted from foot to foot, thinking of her. G.o.d she was beautiful, with golden hair and eyes that changed from blue to green to gray depending on her mood. He thought she might be American, although she spoke French fluently. He had no idea how old she was, but thought she might be close to his century mark. That would make them some of the youngest ones at this gathering. He frowned slightly. That would be dangerous. Still, he thought, she really wanted to come to the gathering.

His heart jumped as he saw her approach, and he rushed to take her hand.

"Bonsoir, comment ca va?"

"Ca va," she responded, "Thank you for inviting me, Jean-Luc."

He smiled, clutching her gloved hand and pulling her with excitement. She laughed as they rushed off to their destination. It was a short distance away, then down a dark alley, then down a deep stairwell. They stood at the door as a small window slid open and they were inspected. Apparently they pa.s.sed muster, and the door opened inward. The young man gripped her hand tightly as they were ushered in.

Ryan held the young man's hand, feeling oddly protective of the youngster she had just duped. She was carefully controlling her aura, which had been simple enough to do with this infant, but it was just about to get significantly more difficult.

She inwardly smiled. Not as hard as Muenda, though.

They were welcomed into a large foyer, and Ryan had to struggle to keep from bursting into laughter.

The room was decorated in the most melodramatic, gothic way imaginable, filled with thin, pale creatures lounging about on overstuffed couches draped with dark silk fabrics. The creatures were dressed in clothing that might have been fashionable in Victorian France, with lace cuffs and cravats in glorious abundance. Dark eye make-up seemed to be popular with both s.e.xes, although it was difficult to tell them apart even without it. All held large, jewel-encrusted goblets that they sipped from.

Ryan carefully controlled her demeanor, although it was extremely difficult considering she could barely control her mirth. She was decidedly underdressed in her blue jeans and simple black turtleneck and jacket. She and her companion were the center of attention as they entered, with numerous predatory glances sizing up the newcomers.

Julien eyed the two Young Ones. The boy was handsome enough, but otherwise unremarkable. The girl, on the other hand, had a certain "je ne sais quoi," about her. Strikingly beautiful with a perfect, athletic form, she wore her simple clothing with more elegance than the fully-dressed fops in the room. He watched them carefully.

Jean-Luc was searching for a place for them to alight, someplace out of the center of the room and out of the center of so much attention. It was with some relief he recognized Didier, who rushed up to them.

"Jean, you know you're not supposed to bring strangers here," he whispered furiously, although everyone in the room could hear him. Didier eyed the girl. "Julien will not like this."

Julien materialized at Didier's elbow, startling him. "And since when do you speak for me, Didier?" he asked smoothly. He offered his hand to Ryan, who tried to appear flattered as he brushed a kiss across the back of hers. There were several t.i.tters from the shadows. It appeared poor Jean-Luc would not be leaving with whom he came, and the poor girl might not be leaving at all.

Ryan quickly a.s.sessed Julien. He was likely the oldest One present, perhaps even four or five centuries. She would not really consider him an Old One, because he lacked the stunning magnetism of the truly aged, but he was definitely in the upper ranks of the middle ground. He was a.s.sessing her as well, but with decidedly more l.u.s.t and less accuracy than her appraisal of him.

"Won't you and your companion join me?" he asked Jean-Luc, motioning to a small seating area off to the side.

Jean-Luc nodded, but wasn't certain he was happy with the invitation. Although it was a great honor to be noticed by someone of Julien's stature, it was also very dangerous. He held the girl's arm and they settled on a couch, sitting very close to one another.

"Would you care for a drink?"

A woman of reasonable attractiveness in a low-cut gown leaned over, a goblet in her hand. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s nearly spilled out of the blouse, and Ryan and her companion had a hard time not staring at the twin globes of flesh on the verge of exposure.

The woman felt a flush of warmth from the girl's steady gaze, which was odd coming from one so young. She was oddly flattered by the attention, again, a feeling completely incongruous with the youth of this girl.

Ryan finally managed to make eye-contact. "I'm sorry," she said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, "What did you say?"

The woman was completely enamored with the reaction, as was Julien, who watched it closely.

"I asked if you would like a drink. It is blood from an Old One."

Ryan cautiously leaned forward, sniffng the gla.s.s. Unlikely, she thought. It wasn't anyone she knew.

She delicately took the goblet, and after a good deal of hesitation, tentatively took a sip. She immediately choked and spit the blood out on the ground, evoking laughter from those around her. They were all greatly amused, mistaking her disgust for weakness.

"It is powerful, eh?" the woman asked.

Ryan wiped her mouth, wishing the foul taste were gone. "Um, yeah, powerful," she said weakly. She handed the goblet back. "Do you have any wine?"

This evoked additional laughter, but she was brought a goblet of a mediocre French merlot, which at least rid her of the aftertaste. She leaned back, sipping the wine.

Jean-Luc, flush from the blood he had been given, tried to make conversation.

"So, Julien," he said, overly friendly, "Any word of the hunter?"

Ryan was suddenly very alert, although outwardly she appeared completely relaxed on the couch.

"Rhiannon Alexander," Julien said with a degree of disgust, "she will not come here."

"Why not?" Jean-Luc asked, feeling slightly reckless.

Julien eyed the boy, finding him annoying. But his companion was growing more and more relaxed, which was a good thing.

"Because our lineage protects us. We are the offspring of Aeron, the true leader of our Kind. Why do you think she has not set foot on this continent?"

The woman took a sip from her goblet. "And what about Victor Alexander? I think he might have something to say about who is in charge." She leaned back dreamily, "I saw him once. He's very handsome."

Julien's arm shot out, slapping the woman's face so hard he drew blood. She raised her hand to her face, stunned, then stood and ran from the room. The sudden violence and appearance of blood raised the tension in the room dramatically, and several followed the woman, most likely with less than honorable intentions.

Jean-Luc stirred the liquid in his goblet with his finger, then licked it. He took another deep drink from the goblet. "It's so odd that no one has pictures of her. In this day and age that seems like it would be such a simple thing."

Didier had strategically moved to take the chastised woman's place as soon as she left, hovering about Julien. "I heard that anyone who has a picture of her has been killed, and the pictures immediately destroyed."

Julien snorted in disgust. "I weary of this talk of the 'hunter' and these 'Alexanders.' The stories we have heard of the Cleansing have been greatly exaggerated. I have heard from good sources that Rhiannon Alexander has been able to kill fewer than a hundred, and all of those were Young Ones, one step from being human."

Jean-Luc and Didier both nodded sagely at the wisdom of his words. It was likely true.

Ryan took a long drink of wine, finishing the gla.s.s. Julien watched her carefully. She seemed almost drugged. His influence was working.

Ryan stared at the wine gla.s.s in her hand, and was surprised to see two of them. It was not possible for her to get drunk, so there was definitely something else wrong. She glanced up, and the room appeared to be swimming, the figures elongating and twisting. She felt suddenly very dizzy and nauseous, and she could feel the fire rise in her veins. She struggled to bring the room back into focus, knowing that if she lost mental control her ident.i.ty would quickly and emphatically become known.

Ryan cursed the virus, or whatever it was, that was in her system. Its timing was inopportune to say the least. She focused on Julien, and was relieved to see that he suspected nothing. Even in her current pained state, it amused her to realize he thought he was the cause.

Julien watched the girl carefully. He motioned for Jean-Luc to move, who did so reluctantly. Ryan felt Julien settle in beside her, and any goodwill she felt toward her companion immediately dissipated with his next comment.

"Can we at least watch?" Jean-Luc asked.

Julien nodded, his irritation obvious. He returned to his prey, and again there were t.i.tters from the shadows as all watched him seduce the Young One. He kissed her throat sloppily, and Ryan had to will herself not to move as another wave of dizziness overtook her. She could not, however, control her thoughts.

He certainly doesn't have any of his "father's" finesse, she reflected, then was angry at herself for the reflection.

The anger somewhat cleared her vision for a moment, and she saw Julien in a state of ma.s.sive self-absorption, preparing to bite her neck after his miniscule attempt at foreplay. He leaned downward, lost in his pa.s.sion, preparing to take what was his.

But it was not to be, for he was stopped by something that felt like a vise grip. He opened his eyes to find the girl calmly looking up at him, holding his throat between a thumb and forefinger. She gazed at him curiously, turning her head slightly as if she examining some strange insect she had found. She began to sit up, and astonishingly, Julien felt himself lifted upward. She stood to her full six-foot-plus height and he felt his feet dangling off the ground.

She brought him very close to her face, tightening her grip on his throat, causing him to claw helplessly as his eyes bugged outward. She leaned forward even more, now centimeters from his face. Her eyes were aflame but her words were calm.

"My father, Victor Alexander, will always be the leader of Our Kind," Ryan said between clenched teeth, "and in his absence," her grip tightened further, "I am King."

She flung him across the room as if he were a rag doll. Her comment brought immediate pandemonium to the room, which was amplified by the fact that she released the perceptual veil she had been hiding behind. Those in the room were horrified to realize that the hunter was in the room with them.

And more horrified to realize that Rhiannon Alexander was far more terrifying than they had imagined.

Ryan felt the heat rise in her veins, both from her fury and from the virus. Normally she could control the violence that spilled out of her, the ferocity that Kusunoki had spent decades teaching her to restrain.

But the virus seemed to add fuel to a fire that was already burning out of control, and Ryan's vision went blood red as she stared at the frozen sheep in the room.

And then, quite surprising her, it went black.

Ryan's head was pounding, and her mouth was painfully dry. A dim light shown through her closed eyelids, and she opened them slowly to see a beam of light shining through a pair of ripped curtains. She closed them again, wincing at the brightness. She sat up, leaning back on her hand as she did so.

She opened her eyes again, raising the hand to her face. It was covered in blood. She slowly focused on what was beyond the hand, and she swallowed hard.

The room was in shambles, and there was blood everywhere. There appeared to be body parts lying in some of the larger pools of blood, but they were so mangled it was difficult to tell what they used to be. There wasn't a single piece of furniture that wasn't in splinters.

Ryan slowly stood, and looked down at herself. She was covered in blood, from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. And none of it appeared to be her own. She looked back at the room.

I did this, she thought. I killed them all, and I don't even remember it.

She slowly moved through the wreckage, wondering if anyone was left alive. There had to have been almost a hundred people in the room. She moved down a hallway where the carnage continued. She didn't even remember being here.

She staggered out into the alleyway, which was now lit brightly in daylight. The blood on her clothes was garish in the sunlight. She glanced down at a huddled form near a trash dumpster. It was the woman who had offered her the goblet. Ryan wasn't certain if the woman was still alive, but didn't think she had been the one to attack her. The figure shivered, although it wasn't cold, and turned to look up at Ryan.

Ryan gazed down at her, unblinking. Although expressionless, the woman realized Ryan was not going to kill her.

Ryan gazed at her a long moment, then spoke. "You were right," she said, still slightly unsteady. "My father is very handsome."

In a flash, Ryan was gone, moving too quickly for anyone to see the blood, or in fact, see anything at all.

Abigail picked her way delicately through the ruins, dabbing her nose with a scented handkerchief. The blood had dried, but the body parts remained, and they were beginning to smell. Preternatural senses were not always advantageous.

Aeron walked through the debris as well, glancing around him. He was followed by Kusunoki, who had come because he had to see this for himself.

"Well," Aeron said, unperturbed, "I'm impressed. I didn't think she had it in her."

Abigail glanced around at the slaughter, less disturbed by it than one would think. "She did try to eat her father," Abigail reminded him.

"Oh, that's right," Aeron said with obvious pleasure. "I forgot."

Abigail a.s.sessed the bloodbath without emotion. The actual killing did not concern her. Ryan was a predator, and had killed thousands long before she had been tasked with the cleansing. But she usually did so with cold effciency, without pa.s.sion or sentiment.

This was an act of pure, unadulterated rage.

Kusunoki agreed in his own, lyrical way. "I spent decades caging the dragon." He turned with obvious disapproval to Aeron. "And now you have released it."

Aeron did not take kindly to being scolded by some would-be samurai. He turned sharply to Kusunoki, staring down at him. "Maybe I like the dragon," he said bitingly.

Kusunoki was not the least bit intimidated. "You will not like it so much when it comes for you."

Abigail put her hand on Aeron's chest, pushing him gently but firmly away. He stepped back, but only because he had nothing more to say.

"These were your offspring," Abigail said.

Aeron shrugged, "The nearest was fourth or fifth generation, and none that I was particularly fond of." He was thoughtful. "The girl does have a knack for taking out the least desirable amongst our Kind."

Kusunoki bit down hard to keep from adding to that comment. The dragon would be visiting him for sure.

"I understand there was a survivor?" Abigail asked calmly.

"Hmm, yes," Aeron said. He motioned to someone standing in the doorway, and the woman whom Ryan had allowed to live was brought in.

Abigail stared at the woman curiously. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about her, and she wondered why Ryan had spared her. The woman was obviously terrified, and Abigail calmed her, not out of any altruistic motive but because she needed information from her.

The woman felt the calmness descend upon her, and relaxed in spite of circ.u.mstances. First she had come face-to-face with the hunter, and now she was in the presence of power she had not known existed. These Old Ones made Julien look like an immature fool.

"Perhaps you could give an account of what transpired here?" Abigail said, more than a hint of suggestion in her voice.

The woman nodded, and began relating how the young, beautiful stranger came with Jean-Luc.

"And no one recognized her?" Aeron asked in scorn and disbelief.

The woman shook her head. "She appeared to be nothing more than a Young One. Julien insulted her father right in front of her, then disparaged her."

Ah, Abigail thought, there was the spark that lit the inferno. And most likely the former rather than the latter.

"Did she say anything while she was here?" Aeron asked.

The woman again nodded. "I saw and heard from the doorway," she said, motioning to what was now a gaping hole in the wall. "Julien thought to feed from her."