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Thebehind ht from the desk la from inside his black velvet jacket I stood behind him, my back to the wall, arht hand co Hi-Power in its shoulder holster I wasn't about to draw on Jean-Claude It was the other vampire I orried about

The desk laht in the room The vampire had requested the overheads be turned out His na in the dark He was covered head to foot in a black, hooded cape He looked like so out of an old Vincent Price movie I'd never seen a real vampire dress like that

The last roup was Dominic Dumare He sat in one of the client chairs He was tall, thin, but not weak His hands were large and strong, big enough to palm my face He was dressed in a three-piece black suit, like a chauffeur except for the diamond stickpin in his tie A beard and thinbones of his face

When he'd entereddown my spine I'd only encountered two other people who had that taste to them One had been the most powerful voodoo priestess I'd ever met The second had been the second most powerful voodoo priest I'd ever met The woman was dead The man worked for Animators, Inc, just like I did But Dominic Dumare wasn't here to apply for a job

"Ms Blake, please be seated," Dumare said "Sabin finds it "

I glanced behind him at Sabin "I'll sit down if he sits down," I said

Du smile "Do you have such poor control over your human servant?"

I didn't have to see Jean-Claude's smile to knoas there "Oh, you are on your oith ma petite She is my human servant, so declared before the council, but she answers to no one"

"You seem proud of that," Sabin said His voice was British and very upper crust

"She is the Executioner and has more vampire kills than any other human She is a necromancer of such power that you have traveled halfway around the world to consult her She is my human servant without a mark to hold her to lamor Why should I not be pleased?"

Listening to hiht it was all his own idea Fact was, he'd tried his best tobecause he'd blackmailed me Date hied to e Why was I not surprised?

"Until her death you cannot mark any other hureat deal of power"

"I am aware of what I have done," Jean-Claude said

Sabin laughed, and it was chokingly bitter "We all do strange things for love"

I would have given a lot to see Jean-Claude's face at thatover his jacket, black on black His shoulders stiffened, hands sliding across the blotter onstillness that only the old vah, they would simply disappear

"Is that what has brought you here, Sabin? Love?" Jean-Claude's voice was neutral, empty

Sabin's laughter rode the air like broken glass It felt like the very sound of it hurt so deep inside me I didn't like it

"Enough gaet it done"

"Is she always this impatient?" Dumare asked

"Yes," Jean-Claude said

Duhtbulb "Did Jean-Claude tell you ished to see you?"

"He said Sabin caught soo cold turkey"

The va it like a weapon across the rooood"