"A moment, my dear."
She glanced at him in surprise. "What is it?"
"Remain here. Do not stray."
"Mr. Valin, where are you going?" she demanded with a hint of impatience.
"To rid us of a pest." Removing the dagger from beneath his coat, he moved with a fluid stealth down the street and slipped into the alley. He con-fronted the silver mist with a frown.
"Reveal yourself, Amadeus."
With an eerie chuckle the mist swirled, forming into the shape of the nondescript vicar.
"Just keeping a guard on my property, Lucien. Neither of us would desire harm to come to the Medallion."
Lucien narrowed his gaze in distaste. "I intend to keep a close guard upon Miss Kingly. Your concern is unnecessary."
The vampire gave an impatient click of his tongue. "The female is meaningless. All that interests me is the power that she unwittingly holds. As long as she maintains possession of the Medallion, I shall be near."
It was a threat that Lucien did not doubt for a moment. Amadeus possessed a single-minded purpose that would make him relentless in his quest to gain command of the Medallion.
"It shall never come to you," he swore in low tones.
Again Amadeus chuckled, his expression mocking as he regarded Lucien.
"It will be mine within the month. There is nothing you can do to halt me."
Lucien clutched the dagger in his hand. "Do you wish to settle this now?"
"Now? That would hardly be logical," the vampire retorted. "The moment is not yet ripe to put my plans in motion."
Plans? Lucien experienced a flare of unease. He deeply disliked the knowledge that the cunning vampire was patiently plotting in the shadows. He was devious and utterly ruthless.
Worst of all, it appeared that he would not be easily swayed into giving up his desperate desire for power.
"I do not desire to destroy you, Amadeus," he said in dark tones, his reluctance unmistakable. "But I will if I must."
"You?" Amadeus stepped forward, his eyes glittering with cold amusement. "Within a few days you will be bored of your role as heroic knight and be seeking more enticing entertainments. You have never been worthy of being a true vampire."
The condemnation struck deeply. There was no denying that many among the vampires had considered him a plague rather than an equal among brothers. Even the Great Council had chastised him for his frivolous nature and lack of responsibility.
And perhaps, deep inside there was a faint doubt that he was equal to the great task laid upon him. A task that might very well have been given to a far more worthy vampire.
He would not, however, reveal any weakness to Amadeus.
"I will not fail," he pledged softly. "I will not."
"Of course you will." Amadeus mocked. "It is as inevitable as my undoubted success. I always win, my poor boy. You would be wise to stay out of my path."
The air around the vampire suddenly shimmered, and in a blink of the eye Amadeus had changed into a large black dog. With one powerful vault he was past Lucien and bounding down the street.
With a curse, Lucien turned to follow, but even as he left the alley, the slender form of Miss Kingly was appearing from the shadows.
"Mr. Valin."
He grimaced with impatience, knowing he could not abandon this maiden to pursue the vampire. There were more dangers than Amadeus in the dark streets.
Calming his fiery desire to discover precisely what the renegade was plotting, Lucien regarded the pale face with a lift of his brow.
"I thought I told you to stay put."
Her pride was instantly ruffled by his stern words. "I do not take orders from you, Mr.
Valin."
His irritation was swift to fade at her stiff defiance, and a smile curved his lips as he held out his arm. "So I see. Shall we go?"
There was a moment's pause before she at last laid her fingers upon his arm, although she made no move to continue down the street.
"What were you doing?"
Lucien grimaced, still able to feel the faint choking sense of malevolence. "Having a word with an old friend."
"A friend." Her eyes abruptly narrowed. "In this neighborhood?"
He abruptly laughed as he realized the direction of her thoughts. "Stop glaring at me in such sour disapproval. My friend was not a poor lady from the local brothel. It was an acquaintance from my homeland."
A faint color touched her cheeks at the realization she had leapt to conclusions, but her gaze remained steady. "Where is your homeland?"
Lucien shrugged. "At the moment it is in the garret of your house."
"That is not what I meant."
"No?"
"No."
Although he was uncertain that he could keep his secrets forever, Lucien was not about to confess to truth until he had proven to this maiden she could trust him.
"I believe we should be about our task. The night is swiftly passing."
She frowned into his impassive countenance. "What are you hiding?"
"All things in their time, my dear. For now I think we should concentrate upon what we set out to do this evening."
Perhaps sensing he was not about to satisfy her curiosity at the moment, she gave him a last probing glare before reluctantly nodding her head.
"As you say. It is this way."
Allowing her to lead the way down the street, Lucien kept a watchful eye upon the various drunks and ruffians that tumbled from the local gin houses. More than one allowed their gazes to linger with hunger upon the beautiful maiden at his side, but one glance into his set countenance was enough to convince them to move along to less dangerous game.
He was so intent upon his vigilant guard that he nearly stumbled over Miss Kingly when she came to an abrupt halt before a tumble down building.
"An empty warehouse?" he demanded in puzzlement.
"It is not empty." She headed toward a narrow door. "Come, but be on your guard."
He smiled ruefully at her warning. "I am always on my guard, my dove."
Coming to the door, Miss Kingly knocked sharply upon the splintering wood. From within, a muffled voice could be heard.
"Who passes?"
"It is Miss Kingly."
There was a moment of silence. "Do you know the password?"
"Thomas," Miss Kingly retorted in stern tones.
"Sorry, that ain't be it."
"Thomas, open this door at once."
With ready speed the door was pulled open to reveal an urchin with a round, dirty face and clothes far too large for his slender frame.
"Just be having a bit of fun, Miss Kingly," he said with a roguish grin.
"Mmm. I have a good mind to give your peach tart to another."
The lad did not appear particularly concerned by the threat. Indeed, his grin only widened.
"Now, you know I be yer favorite, Miss Kingly."
The maiden gave a chiding click of her tongue, but there was no mistaking the glint of amusement in her eyes.
"You are a scamp."
"Aye, but an adorable scamp."
Miss Kingly chuckled as she reached into the basket she carried to remove a small bag.
"Are there any injuries?"
"Freddie was roughed up a bit last night," the lad answered, his grin fading.
"Where is he?"
"In the corner."
"Here." Miss Kingly handed the basket to the boy. "Feed the youngest first."
"Aye, Captain," the urchin readily agreed, turning about to hurry from the door.
At the maiden's side Lucien stepped into the dirty, shadowed interior of the warehouse. He briefly halted as the smell of sewage and rotting food threatened to overwhelm his heightened senses. Great Nefri, but the place was a cesspit.
A fierce urge to grasp Miss Kingly in his arms and take her from this awful place rippled through him. No maiden should be exposed to such wretched surroundings. But even as the thought was running through his mind, his gaze caught sight of the mass of children huddled around Thomas and the basket of food.
There were at least twenty of them, ranging in age from sixteen to a few who could not be more than five. His heart faltered at the knowledge that they had been thrown onto the streets as if they were no more than garbage.
It was little wonder that Miss Kingly found it impossible to turn her back on such misery, he thought, turning his head to watch the maiden as she moved toward a small form huddled in a distant corner.
It seemed impossible to believe that any creature with any heart at all could allow such misery to exist.
Uncertain whether to join Miss Kingly and risk frightening the injured child, Lucien was halted as a small hand suddenly clutched his fingers.
Glancing down, he was instantly enchanted by the tiny girl with a heart-shaped face and large brown eyes that were regarding him with absolute trust. With great care not to startle the child, he settled his tall length onto a dusty barrel, indifferent to the knowledge his breeches would be ruined.
She regarded him in silence before calmly climbing onto his lap and polishing off the peach tart she held in her grimy fingers. Lucien instinctively cuddled her close, thoroughly caught off guard by the warm glow that entered his heart at the sensation of her tiny form settling against his chest.