He hadn't practiced witchcraft in centuries. Until now, his supernatural powers had been enough, but tonight he felt the need for all the help he could get.

Going out into the backyard, he erected an altar on which he placed a black candle, an aged athame, a cup of his own blood, and a quick sketch of Costain's face.

Lifting his arms toward the moonlight sky, Erik reached back in time, sifting through his memories until he found the spells his mother had taught him. Using the toe of his shoe, he drew a circle that encompassed himself and the altar and then, chanting softly, he cast his spell. He just hoped he hadn't lost his magic after letting it lie dormant within him for so many years.

When he finished the incantation, he broke the circle, doused the candle, and spilled the blood onto the ground.

Now there was only one more thing to do before he faced Rhys. Leaving the backyard, he moved into the shadows alongside the house, his nostrils scenting the wind for prey.

He didn't have to wait long. From his place beneath a pepper tree, he watched a young man stride down the street toward him. He waited until the man passed by, then moved up behind him. A word spoken to the man's mind brought him to a stop. Erik moved off the sidewalk and the young man followed. Knowing he would need all his preternatural strength, Erik fed quickly, taking as much as he dared without doing the man any permanent harm. After freeing the man from his hypnotic state, Erik sent him on his way.

"Now for the hard part," Erik muttered, and headed for his old friend's lair.

Chapter 33

Rhys Costain's primary lair was located in a high-rise building that he owned in West Hollywood. The first floor housed a bank, the next five floors housed a variety of small businesses. Rhys used floors six to ten to store the furniture and memorabilia he had collected in the last 512 years. His residence occupied the eleventh-floor penthouse. A private elevator that required a key and a password known only to Rhys ran from the tenth floor to the eleventh, where a solid steel door assured his privacy and his security.

Erik thought it odd that Rhys was such a fanatic about protecting this lair and so lax when it came to protecting the house he used for his meetings with the other vampires in the city. It had been a mere fluke that Alex and Daisy had found Costain resting in the meeting house.

It took only moments to transport himself to Costain's penthouse lair. Erik stood on the sidewalk, looking up, his senses probing the interior of the building. There was no one inside save for one security guard. And one vampire.

A thought took Erik to the penthouse balcony. His feet had barely touched the floor when the French doors flew open.

"Well, well," Rhys drawled, "look who's here."

"We need to talk." Erik stepped across the threshold and as he did so, he felt the full weight of Costain's anger slam into him with the force of a blow. Erik immediately summoned his protection spell, praying that it would block the other vampire's preternatural power.

"Yeah, let's talk." Rhys lifted his head, his nostrils flaring. "You've been with her, haven't you? That tasty little mortal who tried to destroy me." He sniffed the air again. "And her brother, too."

"Listen to me..."

"No! You listen." Costain slammed the French doors with a wave of his hand. He glared at Erik, his eyes burning red. "You're going down this time."

Fury sheathed in ancient power rolled toward Erik in an angry wave, met his protective spell, and dissipated.

Rhys bared his fangs as he summoned his power and unleashed it a second time with the same impotent result.

"We need to talk," Erik said again.

Uttering a low growl, Rhys took a step forward, fangs and claws extended, only to come to an abrupt halt. "What the hell...?"

"I don't want to fight you."

Rhys spat out a string of oaths as he tried, without success, to penetrate the invisible barrier that held him immobile. "What kind of stunt is this?"

"Just a little old-fashioned witchcraft."

Rhys swore again. "Witchcraft?"

Erik nodded, immensely relieved that the ancient spell had worked. "Just listen to me for a minute. I'm not the one who put the price on your head, but I know how to find out who's behind it."

The red faded from Costain's eyes. "Go on, I'm listening."

As briefly as possible, Erik told Rhys about Alex and how he had found the offer of a reward for Rhys's head online.

"So, you want me to play dead so this Alex can meet with the hunter and collect the reward?"

Erik nodded. "You got it."

"What are you gonna use for my remains?"

"Fireplace ashes. By the time the hunter discovers it's not you, it'll be too late for him to get away."

"Whoever the hell it is, he's mine," Rhys said. "And after I dispatch him, I'm going after, what was his name? Alex? And his sister, too."

"No! You can't touch them."

"Like hell!"

"Come on, Rhys. They're hunters. They were only doing what hunters do, the same as you."

"Except these two were hunting me."

Erik sighed impatiently. "It's my way or no way."

Costain regarded him a moment, his eyes narrowed. And then he grunted softly. "She means that much to you?"

"And more. I won't let you hurt her."

"Fine, I'll spare the girl, but the boy dies."

Erik shook his head. "No."

"Dammit! They tried to destroy me!"

"I know, but if you lay a hand on either one of them, I'll come after you with everything I've got."

Rhys hadn't survived as long as he had by being stupid. "So, when do we start?"

"Your word, Rhys. I want your word of honor that you won't touch Alex or his sister."

"Fine, you've got it. Now turn me loose!"

"You believe me, then?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How do I know you won't take my head off when I release you?"

"'Cause I'm telling you I won't. Now turn me loose, dammit!"

Hoping he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his existence, Erik released Costain.

The vampire took a tentative step forward. And then, before Erik realized what he was about, Rhys was on him, his hands locked around Erik's throat, his eyes blazing, his fangs bared.

Erik stared up at Rhys and knew he was looking death in the face. And even then, his only regret was that he wouldn't be able to see Daisy one last time.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again." Rhys bit off each word; then he dropped his hands and took a step backward. "Why didn't you tell me you were a witch?"

Erik rubbed his throat. "The subject never came up."

"So, what now?"

"Meet me at my place tomorrow night."

"I won't find any hunters waiting for me when I get there, will I?"

"Give it a rest, will ya? My place, tomorrow night. And leave the attitude at home."

For the tenth time in as many minutes, Daisy glanced at her watch. She hadn't heard from Erik since last night. Why hadn't he called? She knew he couldn't go out until after sundown, but she had expected to hear from him before now. Surely he knew she would be worried about him, curious to know how his meet with Costain had gone. She chewed on her thumbnail. Maybe it had gone horribly wrong.

"Stop fidgeting," Alex said. "I'm trying to watch the news."

Daisy shook her head. The news was always the same--a horrible accident on the freeway, fires in the mountains, floods in the South, and a stock market that went up and down like a yo-yo. "Do you think something went wrong last night?"

"How the heck should I know? Damn, look at that pileup on the 101."

"Alex, I know you don't like Erik, but he's trying to help."

"Yeah, right. He probably made a deal with the devil last night."

"Alex."

"All right, all right, I'm sorry. I just don't trust him." He held up his hand when she started to speak. "I know, he saved our lives, but..." Alex shook his head. "He's a vampire. Killing mortals is what they do. We're mortal, natural enemies, you know? No matter how much you might want to keep a tiger for a pet, it's never a good idea because you never know when they'll turn on you."

"He's not a tiger."

"No, he's worse." Daisy glared at him and Alex shook his head.

"It's like talking to the wall," he muttered sourly. "Have you forgotten a vampire killed Brandon?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten!"

Daisy glanced at her watch again. She had awakened in her own bed this morning with no recollection of how she had gotten there. But, oh, she remembered everything that had happened before she fell asleep. Just thinking about it now, recalling how she and Erik had made love, brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. She had read books and seen movies depicting love, she had daydreamed about making love, but the reality had been far more than she had ever imagined.

Her cheeks grew hotter under Alex's suspicious gaze.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked.

"Am I?"

Alex stared at her, his eyes narrowing. "Anything you want to tell me, little sister?"

Daisy shrugged, her gaze sliding away from his. "I can't think of a thing."

"I never heard you come in last night. Where'd you go with him?"

"We just...we went for a drive up in the mountains."

"Is that right?"

"You're not my father," Daisy retorted, lifting her chin defiantly. "I don't have to answer to you."

Alex grunted softly. "You don't have to say anything. I've got a pretty good idea what you were up to last night." He shook his head. "How could you? Dammit, Daisy..."

She turned her back to him when her cell phone rang. After a quick glance at the caller ID, she flipped open the phone. "Erik! Are you all right?"