Sex and the Single Vampire

Cornwall that has tremendous activities around the solstices. We believe there is some druid influence there.'

'Druids, really, how very fascinating. What exactly are you doing with the spirits that your Trust members Summon?' I turned back to look at Guarda and prayed my tone sounded chatty and not in the least prying. 'You mentioned that you wish to keep the ghosts available for research for a little time before Releasing them—what sorts of research are you conducting?'

Guarda ran through the usual litany of tests: spectral analysis, aural dissection, ion and EMF examinations, as well as personal histories and interviews regarding their time bound in spirit form. All pretty standard stuff except the last two. What bothered me was that she was lying, and lying big-time, lying through her teeth.

Summoners have a very good grasp of who is lying and who isn't. It's something to do with our sensitivity to minute environmental changes (a ghost's arrival is always heralded by a slight change in the room temperature and air density). My theory is that our acute awareness of the physical environment is what allows us to detect people in a lie so easily, but other Summoners have other theories.

All I knew at that point was that Guarda was lying to me.

'Fascinating. Well, this has been a really interesting discussion; thank you for being so open with everything. I will think over your offer to stay at the trust house, and will let you know my decision in the next few days. In the meantime, I promised a friend I'd go check out a cold spot in his basement, but I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning and we can see about Summoning those two missing ghosts at the theater.'

I rose as I spoke, but neither Guarda or Eduardo stood with me. 'I'm afraid we can't allow that, Allegra,' Guarda said slowly, then pulled out a desk drawer. I gasped in horror as I looked over her shoulder, and quickly sketched a protective ward in front of me when both she and Eduardo turned to look at the spot I was staring at. I had no time to do more than sketch the one ward (one to each compass point is recommended for a truly dangerous situation), but I was hoping it had the power to stop a bullet should Guarda be reaching for a gun.

'Sorry,' I said when they turned to look back at me, Guarda's hand holding nothing more dangerous than a sheaf of papers. I slumped in relief and came up with a feeble excuse. 'I thought I saw something. Boy, what a boob I am, eh? I guess it's a good thing I'm not on tonight!'

A handful of papers couldn't hurt me, right? Right. Not with a ward guarding me, they couldn't. Behind my back I sketched a second ward, then held my hand tight to my bad leg and traced a third. In order to be fully protected from harm, I needed to trace the fourth, but I couldn't do it with Eduardo standing there watching me with those cold gray eyes.

'As I was saying, I'm afraid you represent too great an asset to the Trust to allow you to go traipsing around damp basements on mere whims. If you had cleared the site through the Trust, we would, of course, be happy to have you investigate it after the proper preliminary work was completed on it. You must allow us to be overprotective of our little charges,' she added with a horribly insincere smile.

'Of course,' I answered, my stomach knotting with concern. I could feel the waves of hostility rolling off her. Once again she tested the guards on my mind, but they held without the slightest bit of give.

'If you will just sign these few papers, everything will be official and we can pay you your first honorarium.'

'Oh? How much is that?'

She glanced at Eduardo. 'Five thousand pounds for the first month's work,' he answered smoothly.

I just about dropped my purse. That was almost $7,500! Just for one month?

'Gark,' I said, then suited action to thought and dropped my purse.

Right on top of a small bud vase containing a perfect yellow rose. The vase was knocked over, breaking the delicate glass and sending the water racing toward Eduardo's hind end. He leaped up off the table with a nasty word.

'Oh, I'm so sorry!' I gushed as I turned my body sideways and quickly traced the last ward. 'How clumsy of me! Such a pretty rose, too.'

'Never mind, leave it, it's quite all right.' Guarda's mouth was white with tension, but it was nothing compared to what I was feeling. Now that I was protected, shielded from the influence of Guarda's power, I could feel the threat in the air. It was positively thick with malevolence. She held the pen out to me, but I shook my head and backed away, clutching my purse to my chest.

'I'm sorry, I couldn't. My contract with UPRA says I can't work for any other organization without their consent. I will have to contact my boss to get permission to join you before I sign anything.'

'We will call him now. Anton Melrose is his name, yes? Give me the number and you may speak with him.'

The power rolling out of her manifested itself in me as nausea. I swayed a little, then moved slowly backward until I had the chair between me and her desk. 'No, it's… uh… Wednesday! Anton always plays golf with the Archbishop of… um… Fresno on Wednesday. He won't be in the office today.'

Eduardo fairly snarled at me. I stepped backward again. 'Then you will resign your position. We will see to it that you are more than adequately compensated financially.'

'Oh, I couldn't do that,' I lied as I took another step backward, praying the wards would keep him from reading my lie. 'I owe Anton everything. I couldn't possibly just quit like that. I couldn't!'

The air behind me stirred. I whirled around, blinking with surprise at the woman who entered the room.

'Is there a problem?' the hermit Phillippa asked, giving me a large berth. 'I can feel your anger all the way down the hall, Guarda. What is amiss?'

She stopped next to Eduardo and the three of them looked at me. I collected my jaw from where it was hanging around my knees, and thought fast and furious. If Phillippa was here and on friendly terms with Guarda, that meant she was a part of the Trust. It also meant that Guarda was likely to know that I had Esme and Mr. Woogums as part of my entourage, and that I hadn't figured out how to Release them.

All of which added up to some pretty bad trouble for Allegra the Summoner.

Beloved? Christian's voice was sleepy, but infinitely reassuring in my mind. I wasn't alone! You are frightened?

Very, I answered, twisting my fingers into my purse. I've done something stupid.

I felt his sigh even before his words caressed my mind. Foolish, perhaps, but never stupid, Beloved.

'Um, Phillippa, what a surprise. I hadn't expected to see you here.'

I'm in Guarda's office. With Eduardo and the hermit I told you about. I think they want to force me to go live in their town house. They don't seem to be inclined to let me walk out of here, Christian.

His silence was almost as loud as his second sigh. I believe I will withdraw my objection over the word stupid.

'Indeed.' The hermit turned to Guarda. 'She is speaking to someone who is at a distance from us. With whom has she had contact?'

My eyes widened. How did she know I was talking to Christian? And could she tell who he was? The need to protect him was very strong, strong enough that I closed down my mind to him.

I understand, Allegra. It is still daylight; I cannot come to rescue you.

I swallowed hard. Christian seemed so normal to me, I'd forgotten that he couldn't go out in daylight.

I will send help.

Just the touch of his mind in mine reminded me that I was not a victim; I was a woman in charge of her life. I raised my chin a notch and stared down my nose at Phillippa.

'Really? How very interesting.' Guarda looked at me with speculation, then edged around her desk and approached me. I backed up until she stopped a few feet away from me. The ward I'd sketched in the air suddenly flared to life, glowing a shimmering gold in the pale, watery light of a rainy November afternoon.

'Wards!' Guarda hissed, then shot me a look of loathing that I won't soon forget.

Phillippa walked a circle around me. As she reached each ward, it burst into light, fading when she passed its range of protection.

'She is guarded,' Phillippa acknowledged. 'Still, there may be a way.'

Uh-oh. I didn't like the sound of that. I prayed Christian was going to summon the fire department or other emergency service, because I had a worrisome notion that whatever Phillippa was planning, it wasn't going to be