"I very much fear I have."

Forgetting her revulsion of him, Miss Kingly suddenly stepped forward. "What is it?"

He pretended to consider the matter for a moment before speaking. "I am uncertain how to tell you this, but she was discovered in a nearby alley just half an hour ago."

Her hand reached up to clutch the Medallion upon the chain as if seeking strength.

"Discovered? What do you mean, discovered?"

Amadeus briefly recalled the sweet delight as he drained the life from the struggling, terrified wh.o.r.e. It had been a hurried affair, without his usual finesse, but the blood still raced through his body with a potent force.

"She has been murdered," he announced simply.

Predictably the maiden's eyes widened in shocked horror. Humans could become so illogi- cally attached to one another.

"Dear heavens," she breathed.

"A shock, I know," he sympathized.

"Are you certain it was Molly?"

He heaved a deep sigh. "Unfortunately it was I who found the body."

There was a moment of silence as Miss Kingly struggled to come to terms with the disturbing news of her friend, then she abruptly straightened her shoulders with commendable fort.i.tude.

"Where have they taken her?"

Once again she managed to catch Amadeus off guard with her display of courage. His brows rose at her firm words.

"No, you must not attempt to see her," he retorted in solicitous tones. "Of course I must."

"My dear, it would not be at all prudent."

Her expression hardened to one of determination. "I do not care for prudence. She may have been a prost.i.tute, but I cared for her."

It was the opportunity he had been awaiting. He would display just how kind and compa.s.sionate he could be.

"A most honorable sentiment, my dear, and I fully applaud your generous nature. I myself have pledged my life to helping these poor wretches who nightly struggle just to survive.

However, my desire in preventing you from joining the poor child stems from the knowledge you would be deeply disturbed by her grievous attack. The murder was quite savage."

She paled at his soft words, her hands trembling as they clutched the shawl. "Oh."

"It is truly best that you return home."

Clearly disturbed by the unexpected end to Molly, the formidable woman gave a reluctant nod of her head.

"Yes, perhaps you are right."

Once again Amadeus held out his arm. "Shall we?"

"No, no, I thank you," she stammered, still uneasy in his presence. "I prefer to be on my own."

Incensed, Amadeus took a step forward, his fangs instinctively lengthening in antic.i.p.ation of the kill. He would teach this vexing chit a lesson in daring to defy him. Then, with an effort, he regained his composure.

All things would come to him in their proper time.

Patience.

"As you wish." He performed a stiff bow. "I do hope that you will not hesitate to seek me out if you ever have need of my services. Until then, good night, my dear."

"Good night." With an absent nod the maiden turned and soon disappeared around the corner.

On his own, Amadeus clenched his hands in frustration. The evening had not progressed nearly as well as he had hoped. Miss Kingly had not readily embraced him as her savior, nor had she eagerly turned to him for his a.s.sistance. Instead, she remained wary and far too distant.

Still, he would not allow himself to press matters. Unlike Tristan, who was always brutal and impulsive, or Drake, who was far too arrogant, he knew that it was his keen intelligence that would allow him to succeed.

He had planted one further seed this evening. In time it would lure Miss Kingly into his clutches. Of that he did not doubt.

Until then he would simply enjoy the undeniable pleasures of his various experiments.

Watching Miss Kingly safely walk away from the deadly vampire, Lucien slipped the dagger beneath his jacket.

It had been rather a nasty surprise to nearly stumble over the traitor. When he had impulsively decided to follow Miss Kingly through the dark streets, he had been more concerned with the mundane dangers. Thieves, rapists, murderers. The sight of the Inscrolled slaves, followed closely by Amadeus, had made his blood run cold.

Keeping close enough to rush to the maiden if the vampire desired to harm her, Lucien had remained in the shadows to discover precisely what the renegade would do. For all his frivolous ways, he knew it was imperative that he understand precisely how Amadeus intended to acquire the Medallion.

It had taken only moments to realize that the renegade was intent on wooing the maiden with his supposed sympathies to those poor individuals who littered the streets of St. Giles. And that he was quite willing to kill without remorse to achieve his goal.

The realization hardened his determination.

He would not allow Miss Kingly to be harmed. For once in his existence he possessed a true responsibility. He would not fail.

Waiting until he was certain that the maiden was on her way home, Lucien silently stepped from the shadows and confronted the vampire with a mocking smile.

"My, my, Amadeus," he drawled. "How terribly clever of you to save Miss Kingly in such a daring manner. But then, you have always been clever."

With a smooth motion Amadeus turned to confront him, a cold glitter in his pale eyes.

"Ah, Lucien, I have been expecting you."

Lucien narrowed his gaze in dislike. He had always found the vampire a pompous, ill - humored man. He was also cruel in nature and took unpleasant delight in causing pain in others.

Unfortunately he was also cunning and dispa.s.sionate. Two qualities that would ensure that he would not make a foolish mistake.

Keeping his guard raised, he leaned against the derelict gin house and folded his arms over his chest.

"Poor Molly. I do not suppose she ever realized that she was being butchered just so you would have an excuse to insinuate your way into Miss Kingly's life?"

The thin lips curled into a humorless smile. "In truth she revealed little interest in the reasons for her torture. Like most humans, she was predictably swift to succ.u.mb to her terror. They can be so tediously mundane."

"An unfortunate tendency of being mortal, I have discovered."

"Yes.." Amadeus gave a mockingly sorrowful sigh. "And as I was pressed for time, I was forced to be wretchedly clumsy. Her throat, I fear, was quite mangled and her head barely remained attached."

Lucien refused to be goaded into revealing his revulsion. He did not doubt Amadeus was deliberately attempting to prod for some response.

"My sympathies. I know how you dislike a messy kill."

Amadeus gave a delicate shiver. "I do. Unlike Tristan and Drake, who have joined me in the battle for the Medallion, I do not allow blood l.u.s.t to make me into a savage. It is only a means to a, greater power."

"That is no doubt a great comfort to Molly," Lucien drawled.

The false vicar gave an indifferent shrug. "Sacrifices must be made."

"Why?" Lucien demanded.

"I beg your pardon?"

Lucien slowly pushed himself from the wall. "As you said, you are unlike Tristan and Drake.

You have never placed yourself forward to be considered as a member of the Great Council, nor sought privilege for your undoubted powers. You are a scholar. Why are you here?"

Amadeus smiled in a condescending manner. "I am a seeker of knowledge, not a scholar," he corrected Lucien. "I do not read the words of others or endlessly debate philosophy with those of lesser intelligence. I search for the truth in all its various forms. An impossible task when I was imprisoned behind the Veil."

His arrogance would have been astonishing to all but those acquainted with Amadeus. He rarely disguised his sense of superiority over all others.

"You find truth in the killing of mortals?"

An odd glitter abruptly entered the pale eyes. "Actually I believe that there must be a startling clarity that can be found when confronted by impending death. What other moment can offer such a rare opportunity to thrust aside all frivolous distractions so that one is allowed to concentrate on the meaning of life? As an Immortal I am denied such a moment of enlightenment, so I search for it among the humans. For all their weaknesses, they must gain some knowledge in that final breath. Now that my experiments can continue, I possess great faith that I shall uncover the most fascinating revelations. It is all a matter of discovering the proper mortals for my research."

There was a fevered edge in his tone that struck a chill in Lucien, but he determinedly kept his expression impa.s.sive. The vampire had obviously lost all sense in his thirst for knowledge.

"You are now free of the Veil. What need have you for the Medallion?"

A sudden sneer twisted Amadeus's features. "I am not so naive as to believe Nefri will tolerate my peculiar studies. Like you, she possesses an inexplicable fondness for mortals. And, of course, the lure of power is undeniable. With the Medallion I shall be beyond the tedious strictures of the Great Council and free to indulge in my thirst for knowledge, no matter where it might lead."

Lucien slowly straightened his shoulders, his own expression grim. "All very commendable, no doubt, but I fear I cannot allow you to claim the Medallion."

Amadeus gave a sharp laugh at his firm warning. "You believe you can halt me?"

"If necessary."

"Then we are destined to be enemies." The vampire gave a mocking bow. "May the best vampire win. Adieu, Lucien."

With supreme nonchalance Amadeus turned on his heel and moved down the darkened street. Lucien briefly fingered the dagger beneath his coat before giving a shrug. He truly hoped that there would be no need to actually put an end to the vampire. No matter what his distaste for Amadeus and his torture of humans, he was a brother to him. It would be a terrible thing to destroy him.

Giving a shake of his head, Lucien shrugged off his dark thoughts. For the moment his concern was for the Medallion-and Miss Kingly. He could not allow himself to be distracted.

With movements too swift for human eyes, Lucien disappeared into the shadows and made his way back to the small house that was now his home. His fleetness ensured that he arrived upon the doorstep only moments after Miss Kingly, and with silent steps he slipped in behind her. It was only when he lightly touched her upon the shoulder that she gave a startled jerk and turned to regard him with a wide gaze.

"Oh, Mr. Valin," she breathed, not completely able to hide her relief that he was not some villain intent upon harm.

"Good evening, Miss Kingly," he murmured softly, his gaze deliberately moving to the smudge of dirt upon her cheek and down to the torn bodice of her gown. "What has occurred?"

She belatedly attempted to hide her wounds with the well-worn shawl. "'Tis nothing."

His expression firmed at her ridiculous words. "'Tis more than nothing."

Without awaiting her approval, he grasped her elbow and sternly steered her toward the small front salon. She attempted to protest, but it was obvious she was still too unnerved by the murder of her friend to conjure her usual spirit.

"What are you doing?"

"Those wounds must be attended to or they will become infected," he retorted, leading her to a chair and pushing her onto the threadbare cushion. He crossed toward the sidebar near the window. "I presume you have brandy? Ah, here we are."

Grasping the small bottle of brandy, Lucien returned to the dazed maiden. He paused to remove a handkerchief from beneath his coat and poured the brandy onto the clean linen before gently pulling the shawl aside.

"This is not necessary," she protested as her cheeks filled with heat. "Meg is quite capable of a.s.sisting me."

He lifted his head to meet her embarra.s.sed gaze. "Why would you disturb Meg when I am here? Now, hold still, this might burn." He pressed the handkerchief to the sc.r.a.pe on her shoulder, his lips thinning as she flinched in pain. Amadeus would pay for causing her injury, he silently promised himself, determinedly cleaning the bits of dirt from the wound.

"Oh," she choked as he continued his ruthless cleansing.

He gave a rueful grimace. "I fear I have no means of making this painless."

She gritted her teeth. "It does not matter."

"May I inquire how you managed to find yourself in such a condition?" he demanded, hoping to take her mind off his ministrations.

"I encountered some ruffians."

"Ah. Hardly surprising in such a neighborhood. I suppose it would be a waste of time to warn you that a young, lovely maiden should not be wandering the streets at this hour?"

"You suppose correctly," she retorted in tart tones, no doubt having been warned of the dangers on more than one occasion.

"At least you should take along a companion. A lone woman is far more likely to be attacked."

"I will not endanger Meg."

His gaze met her own squarely. "Only yourself?"

She gave a lift of her shoulder, only to wince at the movement.

"It is my decision to make."

He smiled wryly at her stubborn tone. She would not easily be dissuaded from her reckless behavior. Not when she was convinced she was saving those poor souls upon the street. And unable to reveal the truth of her danger, Lucien was stuck in the unenviable position of somehow charming her into accepting his a.s.sistance.

A task that he would not wish upon his most dire enemy.