After a hot shower, Vanora dressed in a long, wine-colored velvet skirt, black angora sweater, and black ankle boots. She wasn’t exactly sure how she should dress for a party she hadn’t even expected to attend, but she had found something suitable in her closet.
The house was strangely quiet when she emerged from her bedroom and hurried downstairs. Tonight, her body was tingling all over for the night was charged with danger. There was an ominous presence in the gloom that lay beyond the sanctuary of the house. In the kitchen she found Miss Robbins.
“Oh, you look so pretty!”
“You’re still here?”
“I don’t fear the vampires, darling.” Miss Robbins gave her a broad smile.
“A lot has changed.” Vanora admitted.
Ryan entered the kitchen, freshly scrubbed up after working hard outside all day. “Hey, Miss Vanora, you’re home safe and sound I see.”
It was strange being back in the world she had run away from and seeing how much had changed. Ryan had more white hair and was a little craggier in the face, yet his smile was the same. “Hi, Ryan. It’s been a long time.”
Ryan clasped her hand in his heavily callused one and shook it firmly. “It’s good to see you back.”
Miss Robbins set crystal goblets on two silver trays then centered crystal pitchers on them. Vanora observed with some discomfort as Miss Robbins poured the warmed blood into the pitchers. Ryan picked up one tray, and Miss Robbins the other.
“Time to serve their breakfast,” she proclaimed.
Curious, Vanora followed them up the back stairs to the second floor. Ryan set down his tray outside of Alisha’s room and Miss Robbins laid hers at Roman’s door.
“Now, we need to wait downstairs for them,” Miss Robbins said.
“Aren’t they already awake?” Vanora asked.
“They sleep in. Armando blames the pig’s blood. Doesn’t have the same kick as ours, he says.” Ryan explained.
Miss Robbins nodded, then cast a wary glance at one bedroom door. “Alisha wakes up first. She is always testy when she first climbs out of bed.”
Stifling a shiver, Vanora trotted down the stairs after the two servants. Miss Robbins and her husband hurried back to their tasks, leaving her to her own devices until her siblings appeared.
Already the house was becoming engulfed in shadows. Turning on lights as she moved through the house, she wandered about until finally coming to Roman’s study. It was bittersweet to step into the old familiarity of the room. Only a new computer and a large file cabinet had been added since her departure. Vanora impulsively opened one of the drawers of the file cabinet and discovered it was filled with letters. She skimmed over one that was gushing with adoration while praising Roman for his revolutionary ideas. Vanora flipped through a few more, all addressed to Mr. R. Law at a post office box. Curiosity gripping her, Vanora opened another drawer and found a large black binder full of names and addresses.
“Those are all the vampires who follow Roman. He insists on keeping a record of all of them. I told him it was foolhardy, but he doesn’t listen to me anymore,” Armando’s voice said from behind her.
Vanora whirled about, relief filling her. Armando stood in the doorway, elegant all in black. He stepped into the room with vampire gracefulness. His curls were tamed and swept back from his face. His complexion appeared more human than usual. She would have described it as being flushed with life. Then Vanora realized why and her stomach clenched.
He had fed on humans.
“Who does he listen to?” Vanora asked, shutting the drawer.
Armando lifted an eyebrow, then shrugged. “I really don’t think he listens to anyone anymore. I’m hoping he’ll listen to you.”
Wary all at once as her old fear unfurled inside her, she moved behind Roman’s large desk, her finger nervously tapping the hard wood. “You fed on humans, Armando. How does Roman feel about that?”
“He doesn’t know.” Armando swiftly crossed the room to her side. “I have to be at full strength, Vanora. Roman is being a fool and won’t listen to me. Therefore I have to be prepared to protect you and the others. Tonight, you can’t falter in your task. You must get him to leave Houston this very night if possible.”
“Have you tried talking to Carlotta? He’s marrying her. Or the vampire equivalent.” Vanora dreaded speaking to Roman. If she failed, she didn’t want to consider the outcome.
“He can’t trust Carlotta. No one can.”“
Uneasy with his declaration, Vanora said, “You’re saying we can’t trust Carlotta but you brought her here that first night. She was your friend. Why did you bring her here if she was so dangerous?”
Armando ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the bookshelves, his eyes resting wearily on Vanora. “I was a fool. She wanted to meet Roman and I was gullible enough to think that maybe he could influence her in a positive way.”
As usual, she felt like Armando was only giving her tidbits of the entire truth. It angered her, especially when so much was on the line. Even if he did make her weak in the knees, even if he was ungodly handsome, even if he was most likely the love of her life, he was pissing her off. Vanora stood with her arms folded, her gaze accusing, her posture defiant. “In just what way is she dangerous to us, Armando?”
Armando stared at her for a long moment, his expression vague and unreadable. Finally, he simply shrugged. “It’s just a feeling.”
“A feeling? You said we’re in danger.”
“You are! I killed two vampires last night that were trying to kill you.”
The intensity in his amber eyes frightened Vanora, and she took a step back. “You killed two vampires?”
“Yes. Defending you.”
Vanora was speechless. On the heels of Rhonda’s death, this was almost too much to process. Finally, she managed to say, “Because I’m Roman’s sister?”
“Something like that,” Armando answered vaguely.
“Do you know who is trying to kill Roman?” Vanora stepped closer to Armando, her voice tense, her gaze demanding.
Armando hesitated, then shook his head. “I don’t know who is going to try to kill Roman, but I know he’s in danger.”
“I want details.”
“I can’t give you details.”
“You’re asking me to convince my brother to uproot his life and run off to who knows where and you can’t give me details.”
“No.”
“Bullshit.”
Armando’s eyes flashed dangerously. “I would tell you if I could.”
“What’s holding you back?” Vanora demanded to know.
“Snow Pea!” Alisha rushed across the study in a blur to embrace her sister, completely startling the younger Socoli.
Vanora forced her fears aside as her older sister held her close. She felt Alisha’s love engulfing her and penetrating through her panic and anxiety. Tears filled her eyes as she realized just how much she had missed her sister’s embrace. “I missed you so much, Alisha.” It was the truth. She had longed for her sister, not the monster that wore her face the night she had fled.
“I missed you, too! It’s so good to have you home after all this time!” Pulling away, Alisha regarded Vanora with glittering eyes. “Oh, Vanora, you’re gorgeous! You’re so grown up! My little Snow Pea is all grown up!”
“A few years tends to do that to you.” Relief filled her as she realized that time had done more than age her. The terror of the last night she had spent in the house was gone and in its place was the comforting presence of the sister she loved almost like a mother.
Alisha’s appearance was basically the same, except that she had lopped off her long blond hair to her shoulders. She looked angelic in a long white jersey dress. Startled, Vanora realized that they looked almost the
