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"Breathe, Francesca, you can do her no good reliving these memories. Lucian may have sought to throw
down the gauntlet but he is inadvertently aiding me in bringing about justice for this child. Our child. We
will love her."Gabriel flooded her with warmth and solace. She could feel the sensation of his
arms around her, the strength of his body as if he were holding her close even though they were
miles apart.
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"Where are you? "She caught a glimpse of a busy room - filled with desks and people, mostly
men.
"At the police station. I am unseen at the moment. I need to know everything about this kill. I want to
hear the personal comments and read the reports. I have already visited the site. I do not know what
Lucian is up to, but I want you to be very careful. Scan Skyler's memories each time you visit her."
"She is asleep and becoming restless."
"I want you safe, my love. Perhaps you should go back to the house and set safeguards. But do not
think it will do more than slow him down if he attempts to come after you. Should you be in danger, you
must call to me. Do not wait."
"I have to see my lawyer. He has drawn up the papers and the judge will see me this night. It is a special
favor he is doing me and I must attend. The judge will ask Skyler if she agrees and as soon as Brice
okays it, we will be able to take her home with us. There has been a reply from Aidan Savage via e-mail.
A few members of his household are in London at the moment. He will contact them and see if they
would be willing to aid us, housekeeping for Skyler during the daylight hours."
"Please be careful, Francesca,"Gabriel cautioned as he slowly allowed the connection between
them to fade. He liked none of it. It could only be Lucian merging with Skyler. Gabriel knew he
would easily detect any other of their kind or the undead. Everything pointed to the handiwork
of his twin. This kill. It was classic Lucian. Neat. Tidy. Unidentifiable to anyone except Gabriel.
The opening gambit in their game.
He considered an attempt to lead Lucian away from the city and the two women. Both of them
were at risk.
Gabriel examined the pictures of the body from all angles. In a few minutes he would go to the
morgue and make sure that there were no telltale signs of vampirism. Most vampires were
messy with their kills and the remains usually had to be incinerated to a fine ash, leaving little
for the human police to trace. Lucian had always been different. It was as if he deliberately
kept the game between Gabriel and himself.
This body was Lucian's kill. He was like a surgeon, never leaving so much as a pinprick
behind. The blood was drained from the body, not a single drop spilled on the ground. Around
the neck was a clean slice like a giant smile. The medical examiner could never quite figure out
exactly what was used. The evidence pointed to a single razor-sharp claw like that of a
long-extinct raptor. The only blood remaining in or on the victim was the thin line like a
necklace around the throat. That macabre mystery was Lucian's calling card, his idea of a joke.
In the past no one had ever determined what had caused the injury or how the blood loss had
occurred. When Gabriel was a step and a half behind Lucian, as he was now, and the police
found the bodies, these kills always created a major sensation. Everyone liked a good mystery.
Right now they were all speculating about the injury. It was so precise they were betting it was
done with a surgical instrument by a surgeon. Gabriel walked among them unseen to the human
eye. As he moved through their midst, he noticed that some of the detectives were more
sensitive than others. One or two of them shivered unexpectedly, looking around to see where
the cold draft came from.
Computers could make things much more dangerous now. With their ability to trace everything
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from DNA to voice to fingerprints, they could make the job of concealing evidence of
Carpathians extremely difficult. Gabriel realized he needed to learn every aspect of the latest
scientific discoveries. A great number of the topics being discussed were things he had no real
knowledge of. He automatically shared the information with Lucian, and much to his shock
found that Lucian already had studied the latest in medical research. The flow of data returning
to him was astonishing, although he shouldn't have been surprised. Among their kind Lucian
had been shockingly intelligent, assimilating information at a much more rapid rate than others.
It was as if his brain constantly craved more data. Naturally Lucian had already discovered the
scientific advances, the extraordinary technology that could make things so difficult for their
people. Carpathians and vampires alike would undoubtedly have a much more difficult time
hiding their existence.
"Do not worry so much, Gabriel, I am more than careful. They will not find what I do not wish to leave
behind."
Gabriel took the opportunity to "see" through his twin's eyes. If he could lock in on his
brother's position, he might have the opportunity to fulfill his vow. At once Lucian's soft,
taunting laughter echoed in his mind and the view was distorted so that Gabriel had no chance
to see anything that would help him."You do not think I would make our game so easy for you, do
you? You must follow the clues I leave. That is the way it is done. You cannot cheat, Gabriel."
"This is between the two of us, Lucian. There may be other hunters in the city. I would keep this
between us, as it should be."
"Do not worry so much for the safety of your brother. I am certain I will defeat all who come to threaten
me. I am learning about this world fast and the knowledge is rather exhilarating. There is much to play
with here. I like this place and do not want to hurry our battle."
Lucian was gone just like that. Gabriel felt a peculiar wrenching pain in the region of his heart.
His brother. He missed their closeness. Missed the man he had followed for so many centuries.
A great mind. A warrior unsurpassed. No one could orchestrate a battle as Lucian could.
Sorrow engulfed Gabriel, nearly drove him to his knees. To destroy such a great man. To
destroy the one who had always been there with him, for him, the one who had saved his life so
many times. It was more than should be asked of anyone.
"Gabriel, you are not alone."Francesca's voice was gentle and soothing."You know that is no longer
truly Lucian. You are honoring him by fulfilling your commitment to him, by destroying the very thing he
fought against for so many centuries."
"I remind myself of that fact often. Intellectually I know it is true, yet my heart is heavy with the burden."
"Fortunately, you have only to reach out to find me here. I am, after all, a healer."There was the
merest hint of teasing in her voice.
Gabriel instantly felt warmth surround his heart. It was supposed to be this way. Never alone,
the two of them walking through life together, helping each other with the emotional
entanglements, with each crisis that came their way. That note in her voice gave him a measure
of comfort, gave him hope. He touched her mind to see if she had talked with Brice. He didn't
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