A Girl's Guide to Vampires

'When?'

'Earlier. He took the sixth step to Joining by asking for your help. Now all that's left is for you two to complete a blood exchange.'

I made a face as I continued up the stairs. 'That, I can assure you, is not going to happen.'

A few hours of nap time, and I was feeling much more optimistic that the plan we'd agreed on would actually work. I pulled out the long blue and green peasant skirt I'd bought in Brno, and added a frilly silk blouse and an oversized paisley scarf that doubled as a shawl.

'Going with the gypsy look?' Roxy asked, poking her head into my room.

'Yup. You remember everything you're supposed to do?'

'Keep an eye on Arielle, warn you whenever I see Raphael, and act as courier whenever you need a message sent to Christian.'

'Right.' I pulled on my underwear and the ruffled petticoat I'd bought with the skirt.

'I have a question.'

'Shoot.'

'Why do I have to act as courier for you when you can just call Christian up on the mind-phone?'

I shivered. 'I told you earlier, I don't want to do that. It's a very intimate thing, and the less intimacy I have with Christian, the happier I am. Besides, he's not answering me.'

'You make him sound so dangerous.'

'He is dangerous. Very dangerous. You have no idea of the torment he's in, what he's capable of, but I am.'

'He'd never hurt you.'

I tucked the blouse into the skirt and draped the scarf around my waist, a la gypsy, then turned to look at her. 'It's not me I'm worried about him hurting.'

She pursed her lips in a silent whistle and admitted I might have a point.

By the time we left the hotel, the sun was just sinking down behind the indigo mountains.

'You are going to be done in time for the magic show, aren't you?' Roxy asked as we settled back into the ancient Peugeot taxi. 'Believe it or not, Dominic is really great at it. Even Christian was impressed with some of the illusions he did.'

'I should be done with the readings by then. Tell me again when you and Christian parted ways last night.'

'He left right after the magic show. Said he'd heard all he could take of the bands, and since you were nowhere to be found, he said he'd see us tonight, before the festival.'

'Hmm.'

'Why? What are you thinking?'

'I'm not sure. I just can't help wondering why he disappeared, and didn't try to seduce me. I can't shake the feeling that something is going on with him, that something isn't right.'

She didn't say anything to that, but cast me occasional worried glances. I looked out into the darkening night and wondered what Raphael was doing, and if he was thinking about me even half as much as I was thinking about him.

'Boy, do I have it bad,' I muttered to myself.

'That's the understatement of the year,' Roxy grinned. She gave my hand a little squeeze. 'However, I have to admit I don't really blame you. Raphael's kind of cute, in an immense, overpowering sort of way.'

There was nothing that could be said in response that she wouldn't interpret as the smutty imaginings of my mind, so I just looked out into the night and tried to construct convincing arguments for Christian to help nail Milos.

Chapter Eighteen

'Found him! Come on. He's in the west garden.'

I looked up from the stones scattered in front of me on the casting cloth I'd bought earlier and frowned at Roxy. 'The line of people standing here might have escaped your notice, but I am busy right now, Rox.'

Although we had arrived a couple of hours before the festival itself was due to begin, Dominic had arranged for the more popular attractions of the fair to be open early on the grounds of Drahanská, including the tarot, rune stone, and aura photography booths, as well as a stage set up for Dominic's magic show, and later a lineup of European Goth bands. I had been reading runes nonstop since we arrived a short while earlier.

'You told me to find Christian. I found him.'

'Damn.' I smiled reassuringly at the woman sitting in front of me before turning back to Roxy. 'Do me a favor and go find Renee. She said she'd spell me if I needed a break.' Roxy sped off to find Arielle's friend while I hurried through as many readings as I could before she returned.

'I'm not very good at this,' Renee told me in breathless French as she maneuvered her very pregnant self into the chair I vacated for her. 'But I will try.'

'I won't be long,' I promised her. 'I know you're helping Arielle with the tarot readings.'

I gave her the hematite stones Arielle had been using and reiterated that I'd be back shortly, then headed off to speak with Christian. On the way, I ran into Raphael and Inspector Bartos. They were deep in discussion and didn't notice me when I made my way to them.

'—forensic report must confirm that,' Raphael was saying.

'Unfortunately, the forensic examination has not yet been completed,' Inspector Bartos replied, his eyes on the crowd. I had noticed several of his people mingling with the festival-goers, as well as an unusually high number of uniformed police. I gathered they were there to not only keep the peace, but to nab Milos if he turned rabid again. That is, if they weren't there to grab Raphael. 'This is not Lyon, Mr. St. John. We do not have such resources at the tips of our fingers. As for your suggestion regarding—ah, Miss Randall.'

Both Inspector Bartos and Raphael turned to look at me. Neither looked particularly happy with what they saw. I gave the inspector a toothy grin and latched on to Raphael's arm, a suspicion growing in my mind. 'Evening, Inspector. Pardon me for interrupting what sounds like a fascinating conversation. I don't suppose you care to continue it?'

Both men just looked at me.

'No? What a shame. Raphael, if I might have a word with you?'

I pulled on his arm, but he stood firm, his eyes wary. 'What about?'

'Christian,' I hissed, still smiling at Inspector Bartos. His mustache looked unhappy with me. 'He's in the west garden.'

'I know where he is.'

I stopped tugging on his arm. 'How do you know?'

The corners of Raphael's lips quirked. 'Baby, I told you I wasn't going to allow you to go ahead with your plan to play detective.'

'You odiously arrogant man!' I immediately understood exactly what he was saying. 'You're having Christian followed? Who else, Raphael? Milos, I hope, but what about Dominic? Why stop there? Why not have Arielle, Roxy, and me followed as well? Sheesh!'

A familiar exasperated expression began to form on his face. 'Joy, I've explained this all before, but I'll do it one more time on the chance that this time you'll heed me and do as I ask. You are not going to poke around trying to find out who murdered Tanya.'

'I have no need to poke around. I know who murdered Tanya. It's Milos,' I told Inspector Bartos, just in case Raphael hadn't. He pulled out his notebook and made a note.

'You are not going to convince me that Christian Dante is a vampire.'

'A Dark One,' I explained to Inspector Bartos. 'They're kind of benign vampires, but I expect you know all about them, having lived here.'

He licked the end of his pencil and made another note.

'And furthermore,' Raphael said, 'you are going to do everything I ask you to do this evening, starting with