Is it possible there is an evil one present?she asked. Her stomach was lurching.

Gregori studied the room. There was always the chance one of the undead had learned to mask himself from other Carpathians. He could do it. It would be egotistical to think another might not learn the trick. The master vampire was very old. He had survived the hunters because he was cunning and perfectly willing to flee the vicinity and leave it to the hunter until such time as it was once again safe to return. Still, Gregori doubted he would deliberately go to the same restaurant as a hunter to secretly gloat, especially if that hunter was Gregori. The Dark One.Only those weary of their existence challenged him outright.

Gary was looking from one to the other in alarm. “What is it?”

“Remain calm. Savannah is very sensitive to evil. She can feel it, and I can touch it through her, but I cannot detect it within the room myself.”

“Are we in danger?” Gary found the idea more exciting than frightening. He was looking forward to action. Rambo style.

Savannah and Gregori exchanged a sudden smile. “Gary.” Savannah couldn’t help herself. “You’ve seen too many movies.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t know what this is like for me. All my life my classmates and friends made fun of me.

The bullies shoved me into walls and tossed me into trash cans. All because I always did my homework and got A’s on every paper. This is exciting stuff for me.”

“Me, too,” Savannah lied. She didn’t want any part of it, for herself, for Gary, or for Gregori. She wanted them all to be safe. Whatever horrible thing was waiting for them, crouched just beyond their reach, carried the foul stench of evil. It permeated her mind and left her feeling sick and dizzy. “I have to get out of here, Gregori.”

You will be fine,mon amour. We will leave this place immediately. It seems your mother did pass on her gift to you.Once more he allowed himself to survey the room. There was nothing but the laughter of the tourists and the good-natured wrangling of those who lived there. Gregori summoned the waiter, paid the check, and took Savannah by the arm as they wound their way among the tables.

Chapter Fourteen

Walking around the French Quarter in the night air helped to clear Savannah’s head of the presence of evil. Whatever or whoever it was didn’t follow them out of the restaurant. Within a few minutes, she felt better. Gregori kept her under the shelter of his shoulder. He remained silent, but his mind was merged fully with hers, observing the darkness rapidly dispelling.

Gregori guided them without saying a word toward the hotel where Gary was staying. He wanted the list of names, wanted to be able to see how far the society’s rot had spread. Gary believed most members of the society were others like him, hoping it might be true that vampires lived and that they were the romantic characters depicted in recent movies and books.

But Gregori had seen what the depraved human mind could do. He had seen the work of the society time and time again. Women butchered and murdered, innocents, children. He laced his fingers through Savannah’s, finding a measure of peace and solace in her closeness. The wind blew the dark, ugly memories into the night.

Savannah’s fingers tightened around his. “Did you know what it was?”

“No, but it was real, chérie.I was in your head. You did not imagine it.” They walked along, the silence comfortable between them.

A block from his hotel, Gary cleared his throat. “I thought you said going back to my room might be dangerous.”

“Life is dangerous, Gary,” Gregori said softly. “You are Rambo,remember?”

Savannah’s laughter rang out, rivaling the jazz quartet playing on the corner. Heads turned to listen to her, men to watch her, stealing away the attention of the audience gathered in a loose semi-circle around the quartet. She moved in the human world, completely comfortable in it, a part of it. Gregori had walked unseen, and that was how he preferred it. She was dragging him into her world. He could hardly believe he was walking down a crowded street with a mortal with half the block staring openly at them.

“I didn’t know you knew who Rambo was,” Savannah said, trying not to giggle. She couldn’t imagine Gregori in a theater watching a Rambo movie.

“You saw a Rambo flick?” Gary was incredulous.

Gregori made a sound somewhere between contempt and derision. “I read Gary’s memories on the subject. Interesting. Silly, but interesting.” He glanced at Gary. “This is your hero?”

Gary’s grin was as mischievous as Savannah’s. “Until I met you, Gregori.”

Gregori growled, a low rumble of menace. His two companions just laughed disrespectfully, not in the least intimidated.

“I’ll bet he’s a secret Rambo fan,” Savannah whispered confidentially.

Gary nodded. “He probably sneaks into movie theaters for every old showing.”

Savannah was really laughing now, the soft notes dancing in the air, contagious, infectious, beckoning all within hearing to join in.

Gregori shook his head, pretending to ignore the two of them and their shenanigans. But he couldn’t help himself; he felt his heart lighten even as he scanned the hotel from the courtyard and knew they would soon be in another confrontation with dark, compulsion-driven members of the society. He stopped them abruptly, drawing them into the shadows of the building. “Someone is in your room waiting, Gary.”

“You don’t even know which is my room,” Gary protested. “There’s a lot of people staying here. Let’s not make a mistake.”

“I do not make mistakes,” Gregori said softly, his black-velvet voice very much in evidence. “Would you care to go up alone?”

That was unnecessary, lifemate,Savannah reprimanded. And beneath you. You like this mortal, and it bothers you that he may be in danger.

Perhaps it is your easy way with him that bothers me,he suggested silkily. His hand wrapped a length of braid around his fist and gave a tug.

You’d like me to think that, but I am in your head, reading your growing affection for this man.

Gregori didn’t want to admit she was right. Savannah was bringing him so far into her world, she was making him feel things uncomfortable for him. Mikhail had had a friendship with a human. Gregori had known he felt great affection for the man, yet Gregori had never understood it. Respected it, perhaps, but he did not understand it. Savannah had genuinely cared for Peter. Gregori didn’t dwell on that issue too much, but again, he found it hard to comprehend. Yet now, with Gary, in spite of himself, Gregori actually admired the mortal and didn’t want anything to happen to him.

“Tell me what you want me to do,” Gary said almost eagerly. He was sick of bullies pushing him around.

“You are going to walk in by yourself and fish for as much information as you can get before they try to kill you,” Gregori answered.

“ Try.I hope that’s the operative word,” Gary said nervously. “ Tryto kill me.”

“You will not have to worry about yourself,” Gregori informed him, his voice utterly confident. “But it is necessary that the police do not come looking for you. That means no dead bodies in your room.”

“Right, messy. If I have vampires and nut cases from the society hunting me, we don’t need the cops, too,” Gary admitted. He was sweating now, his palms so wet he kept rubbing them on his jeans.

“Do not worry so much.” Gregori flashed a smile meant to reassure, the one that left vivid images of open graves. “I will be with you every step of the way. You might even have fun playing Rambo.”

“He had a big gun,” Gary pointed out. “I’m going up there with my bare hands. I think it might be pertinent to say I’ve never won a single fistfight. I’ve been put in trash cans and toilets and had my face rubbed in the dirt. I’m no good in a fight.”