But not this time. The news Dorgal had brought had destroyed the satisfaction he had been feeling after he had talked to Catherine Ling. He wanted that satisfaction back. He didn’t want to sit here by the sea. He wanted to move on that bitch.

No. Control and patience. He would not destroy the master plan he’d created because he was impatient. It would be a disservice to Delores.

Yet would Delores really want him to delay that final revenge?

She had always opted for bloodletting—swift, cruel, painful.

And was this doubt he was feeling her message to tell him that she was getting impatient, too?

It’s so hard, my love. I need you here to help me.

He could almost hear her scornful laughter drifting to him from her tomb on the hill. He could never expect softness or sympathy from Delores. It was part of her appeal for him that she was as sleek and dangerous as he. She was a glorious, shimmering mirror of everything he was or wanted to be.

Nothing was as good without her. Even that little whore he’d had last night had only brought back painful memories. He had told Dorgal he wasn’t finished with her yet, but there was only one last act to perform.

He got to his feet and moved toward the path.

You know it won’t be as exciting as when we finished it together. I have to play both roles. But I’ll be thinking of you every minute when I do it.

And then I’ll bring her to you, and she’ll belong to you forever.

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Eve stared dully down at the caller ID on her phone. “It’s Catherine.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Joe asked gently.

She shook her head. “No. I promised her I’d let her know. I just haven’t been able to pull myself together yet.” She punched the access. “Hello, Catherine. It’s not good news.”

“Shit.”

“Dr. Basle just left. He was very thorough, very kind.” She tried to steady her voice. “And told us exactly what the other doctors had already told us. A week to ten days.”

Silence. “God, I didn’t want to hear that. Can you find another specialist?”

“I could. Basle is supposed to be the best.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s right.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling myself. I’m not giving up hope. I’ll bring in a shaman or witch doctor if he tells me he can help. I’ll hit the Internet and see if I can find any new drugs or procedures that have had success in other countries. You know that the U.S. is the last to approve new drugs. But Jane has nothing to lose now.”

“No. If I can help, let me know.” She added grimly, “I’ll get you any drug in the world, legal or not. If Hu Chang can’t create one or duplicate it, Cameron and I will steal it.”

“First, I have to find one that has a chance of working. In the meantime, you know how you can help. Joe and I will take care of our Jane. Good-bye, Catherine.” She hung up and smiled shakily at Joe. “Catherine is all set to raid the CDC if we want her to do it.”

“I’ve been on the computer while I was back in ICU sitting with Jane,” Joe said. “I haven’t found anything hopeful.”

“Neither have I.” Her hand tightened on Joe’s. “But we can’t give up. There has to be a way.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I was telling Catherine the truth. I’ll do anything I have to do.” She paused, then said deliberately, “Shaman or witch doctor or anyone else.”

He stiffened against her. “What are you saying?”

“She’s having problems with blood flow, damage to the arterial system. Those doctors say the usual arterial graft won’t work with her.”

“For God’s sake, I know all that.”

“Who do we know that could possibly adjust blood flow? Who have we seen actually kill by causing the blood to hemorrhage and induce a heart attack?”

He went still, then pushed her away from him to look down into her face. “Seth Caleb? You want to try to get Seth Caleb here to try to help her?”

“I’d try to get the devil himself here if I thought he’d help her.”

“Some people would say that Caleb’s uncanny ability to manipulate blood flow has a certain Satanic base.” He grimaced. “I understand he’s been accused of being a vampire on occasion.”

“Not to his face.”

“No, Caleb is too intimidating.”

“Besides, that’s totally ridiculous. It might just be that he possesses some kind of simple magnetic force.”

“You don’t think that. You were worried about Jane whenever he was around her.”

“But she wasn’t worried. He saved your life once, Joe. And she asked him to help her find me when Doane kidnapped me. She trusted Caleb.”

“Are you talking yourself into this? I remember watching him at Trevor’s funeral. He was almost explosive.”

She remembered that night, too. The dark fascination that always surrounded Caleb, the overpowering tension that he had generated. “Okay, he cares about her. But that could be a good thing.”

“Or a very bad thing.”

“For Pete’s sake, he’s not going to steal her soul or anything like that. He’s rich, he’s intelligent, and he has a certain … wildness. He travels around the world, but no one accuses him of anything that’s particularly—” Or maybe they had. She’d better drop that argument. Caleb kept his private life very private. “He’s been in and out of Jane’s life for years. She’s always been able to handle him.”

“She’s dying, Eve.”

“Yes.” She leaned her head on his chest. “So I may have to be the one who handles Caleb for her. If he needs handling. Maybe he’ll just want to save her like we do. No strings attached.”

He drew her closer. “Maybe he will. I’m not going to talk you out of it, am I?”

“No, not if he can help her. Maybe he can’t. He’s always been a wild card.”

“Wild, period,” Joe said dryly. “But I’m like you—if there’s a chance, I’ll take it. And I’ll be the one to handle him if he causes trouble. Do you want me to call him?”

“No, I’ll do it,” she said quickly. She didn’t want Joe and Caleb to go up against each other during a first encounter.

“Then I’m going to go back to Jane with my computer and try to find a reasonable alternative to Seth Caleb.” He kissed her nose and moved down the hallway. “And compared to him, almost anyone is reasonable.”

But not just anyone was able to do what Caleb might be able to do, Eve thought, as she pulled out her phone. She quickly dialed the number she’d looked up after she’d talked to Dr. Basle.

“Eve?” Seth Caleb’s voice was wary as he picked up the call. “What an unexpected pleasure. How are you?”

“Not good,” she said tersely. “I need you.”

“How flattering. I don’t believe you’ve ever expressed—”

“I should have said Jane needs you. She’s been shot.” She added baldly, “She’s dying, Caleb.”

Silence. “No.” His voice was dagger-sharp, vibrating with explosive force. “She’s not going to die. I won’t let her.”

The sheer power of his words filled her with a strange fear, yet gave her hope. “Then come here and keep her from doing it. She was shot in the chest, and they’ve managed to take care of most of the damage. But there’s some kind of blood-flow problem that they can’t seem to fix. She’s in a coma at St. Joseph’s in Atlanta. They say she has no more than ten days.”

“Ten days? Blood flow is damn tricky. It could be much less. You hold on to her. Don’t let her go. I’m on my way.”

“Where are you?”

“Edinburgh. I can be there in seven hours. You keep her alive until I get there.” He hung up.

Keep her alive, she thought wearily. How was she going to do that?

Talk to her and hope she could hear her.

Tell her how much they loved her, how much they’d miss her.

Pray.

“Perhaps a little of all three, Mama.”

Eve knew what she would see when she lifted her gaze at the soft child’s voice. Curly red hair, seven years old, and the most glowing smile in the universe. Bonnie, leaning against the doorjamb and gazing at Eve with love and sympathy. Bonnie, her little girl, who had died so many years ago. Bonnie’s spirit, who had somehow been permitted to remain behind to save her mother when she had been spiraling downward after her death.