Father Hummer threw back his head and laughed heartily. “He certainly had everyone’s attention for a while there. Newspaper people were flying in from all directions. It was quite an entertaining show.”

Mikhail grimaced. “As I recall, I had to spend so much time out of my office, I worked day and night for a week to catch up.”

“Even you had enough of a sense of humor to appreciate his little venture, Mikhail,” Father Hummer said. “I’ve been around a long time, ladies, and I’ve never once encountered a walking corpse.”

Raven swept a hand through her hair, rubbed at her pounding head. The slivers of glass were relentless. She always associated such pain with prolonged exposure to a sick mind. Mikhail’s hand came up, brushed her temple tenderly, trailed his fingers down her soft skin. “It is getting late, and Raven is still feeling the effects of the flu. Perhaps we could continue this discussion another evening?”

Father Hummer instantly rose. “Of course, Mikhail, and I do apologize for barging in at such an inopportune moment. The ladies were very agitated and it seemed the most expedient way to alleviate their fears.”

“Raven can come back with us,” Margaret offered solicitously.

Raven knew she would never survive a car ride with the woman. Shelly was nodding her head eagerly, giving Mikhail her best smile. “Thank you so much, Mikhail. I would love to discuss this further with you, maybe take some notes?”

“Of course, Miss Evans.” Mikhail handed her his business card. “I am swamped with work right now, and Raven and I want to be married as soon as possible, but I will do my best to find some time.” He was ushering his guests to the door, using his large, muscular frame and his beguiling smile to prevent anyone from touching Raven. “Thank you, Mrs. Summers, for offering to look after Raven for me, but we were interrupted, and I intend to make certain she does not leave me without the all-important ring.”

When Raven moved to step around him, he cut her off, his body so graceful and subtle, that his movement was not noticed. His hand slid down her arm, shackled her fragile wrist. “Thank you for coming,” she called softly from behind him, afraid that if she spoke too loud her head would shatter into a thousand fragments.

When their visitors had left, Mikhail dragged her protectively into his arms, his face a mask of dark menace. “I am sorry, little one, that you had to endure such a thing.” He carried her into his house and made for the library.

Raven could hear soft words in his own language muttered under his breath. He was swearing and it made her smile. “She isn’t evil, Mikhail; she’s twisted, fanatical. It was like touching the mind of a burning crusader. She believes what she’s doing is right.” She rubbed the top of her head against the rigid set of his jaw.

“She is beneath contempt.” He spat the words. “She is obscene.” Very gently Mikhail deposited her in the comfort of his armchair. “She came to test me, to bring a priest into my home and try to outwit me. Her brush in my mind was clumsy and inept. She uses her gift to mark others for murder. She read only what I allowed.”

“Mikhail! She believes in vampires. How could she possibly think you’re a walking corpse? You have unusual gifts, but I can’t see you murdering a child to keep yourself alive. You go to church; you’re wearing a cross. The woman is nuts.” She rubbed at her pounding temples in an effort to relieve the pain.

Chapter Six

Mikhail loomed over her, a dark shadow holding one of his herb concoctions in his hand. “And what if I was a mythical vampire, little one, holding you captive in my lair?”

She smiled up at his serious face, the pain in his brooding eyes. “I would trust you with my life, Mikhail, vampire or no. And I would trust you with the life of my children. You’re arrogant and sometimes overbearing, but you could never be evil. If you are a vampire, then a vampire is not the creature of the legends.”

He moved away from her, not wanting her to see how much her words meant to him. Such total, unconditional acceptance. It didn’t matter to him that she didn’t know what she was saying. He felt the truth of her words. “Most people have a dark side, Raven, I more than others. I am capable of extreme violence, cruelty even, but I am not a vampire. I am a predator, first and foremost, but I am not a vampire.” His voice was husky, strangled.

Raven moved to close the distance between them, to touch the edge of his mouth, smooth a deep line. “I never thought such a thing. You sound like you believe such a terrible being exists. Mikhail, if such a thing was true, I would know you could not be one of them. You always judge yourself so harshly. I can feel the good in you.”

“Can you?” he asked grimly. “Drink this.”

“It better not put me to sleep. I’m going back to the inn to my own bed sometime this night,” she told him firmly as she took the glass from him. Her voice teased him, but her eyes were anxious. “I do feel the good in you, Mikhail. I see it in everything you do. You put everyone else first in your life.”

He closed his eyes in pain. “Is that what you think, Raven?”

She studied the contents of the glass, wondering why her words were hurting him. “I know it. I have done what is being asked of you, yet I did not have to follow through and bring the killer to justice. That must eat away at you all the time.”

“You give me far too much credit, little one, but I thank you for your faith in me.” His hand curled around the nape of her neck. “You are not drinking. It will help with your headache.” His fingers found her temples with their soothing magic. “How can you go back to that inn when we both know the assassins are staying there? It is the old woman who leads them to our people. She is curious about you already.”

“She can’t possibly believe I’m a vampire, Mikhail. Why would I be in danger? I might even be of some help to you.” A mischievous smile curved her soft mouth. “I can hear so much better these days.” She toasted him with the glass and drank the mixture.

“There is no argument when your safety is involved. I will not have you in the middle of this battle.” His black gaze was clearly troubled.

“We agreed to compromise. Your world and mine. I have to be my own person, Mikhail. I have to make my own decisions. I know you would never let me go through the torment of tracking a killer by myself. I want to help you, be there for you. That’s what a partnership is.”

“Being apart from you even under normal circumstances would torment me. How can I tolerate such a thing as you being in the same house with those who murdered my sister?”

She attempted to tease him, wanting the darkness to recede from his eyes. “Do one of your sleeping numbers on yourself, or teach me how to do it. I’ll be more than happy to put you out.”

His hand slipped around her throat experimentally. “I bet you would. How does your head feel, little one? Better?”

“Much, thank you. So, tell me what you know so far.” Raven watched him pace across the hardwood floor, all restless energy. “I have done this Mikhail. I’m not an amateur, and I’m not stupid. Mrs. Summers may look like a sweet old lady, but she’s very sick. If she’s targeting people as vampires and has a fanatical following, a lot more people could be hurt. And these people must believe Mrs. Summers. They killed the woman...”

“Noelle,” he supplied softly. “Her name was Noelle.”

Her eyes touched his face, her mind flooding his with warmth and comfort. “Noelle,” she echoed gently, “was killed in a textbook style for vampires. Stake, beheading, garlic. This is a sick group. We at least have a place to start. I think it would be safe to assume Mr. Summers is involved. So that’s two of them.”

“That silly girl Shelly is a blind. They are using her to help them by asking her ridiculous questions. She is not directly involved; they do not trust her to keep her mouth shut. Her brother planted the idea of studying folklore in her head and this tour is supposedly a research trip for her. She is easily led by him.” He raked a hand through his thick hair. He needed to feed soon. There was a dark, cold anger in him. It crawled through his body, dangerous and deadly. Jacob was unscrupulous, even with his sister, it seemed. And he had looked upon Raven with lust.