Chapter II
This time, Caitlin didn’t see Julian for eight days. He called her almost every night, assuring
her that everything was all right and that he would back soon. She didn’t see Lillie again and
decided not to mention her until Julian returned. At work, everything seemed to return to the daily
routine. Caitlin started to feel bored. She missed Julian desperately but was too proud to tell him so.
She wanted to go back to her own house, the mansion depressed her when Julian wasn’t there. By
the week’s end she returned to her home despite Arthur’s protests. But she slept better in her own
bed. The next morning she found out that Arthur had spent the night in the car, outside her house. It
made her feel guilty and angry at the same time. He refused to abandon her and she refused to go
back to the mansion. The next time Julian called, she demanded that he get his bodyguard off her
back. She was quite adamant about it and, finally, he gave in. Her car was returned to her.
A couple of days later, when she was working late pouring over a story about air pollution, she
heard some commotion outside her office. She got up wondering what was going on, glad that she
could get away from the dreary recount of poisonous substances for at least a moment. She opened
the door and there he was, surrounded by her colleagues who were cheering and congratulating
him. She felt her heart-rate rise. She just stood there watching him. He looked just as he had when
she first saw him: his black hair in perfect order, his beautiful face unlined, seemingly ageless, a
dark, expensive suit, a matching tie.
"Oh, Julian," she whispered.
He heard her in spite of the raised voices around him and turned in her direction. Caitlin
started to walk towards him, her steps becoming swifter the closer she came. It was as if an invisible
thread was drawing her. She ran the last few steps and he enclosed her in his arms. She pressed her
face to his chest as she heard loud applause and whistles around them.
So now I have made it official, she thought.
The cheers continued but she was too embarrassed to lift her head. Suddenly, there was a
deafening pop that made her jump. Has somebody started shooting? She turned around, still within
the circle of Julian’s arms, and saw a bottle of champagne being emptied into paper cups.
Where had they been stashing that? she wondered.
A champagne-filled cup was shoved into Caitlin’s hand, and Julian was given another. His
other arm was still around her back and he pressed her closer to him. They raised their paper cups
solemnly, somebody piped "Mazel Tov", and everybody started laughing. They drank, and just as
Caitlin started to hope that the performance was over, there was a shout:
"A kiss! A kiss! We want a kiss!"
Caitlin’s face turned hot as she felt herself blushing. But Julian was unperturbed. He took her
face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the mouth. As the cheering and shouting became louder,
their kiss became more passionate and Caitlin felt her desire for him explode in her body so hard
that her knees became wobbly. She was aware of his immediate response. He broke the kiss and, as
his hands moved around her body supporting her, he leaned close to her saying:
"Let’s get out of here before they start demanding a live show."
They escaped into her office. Caitlin’s eyes widened as she saw Julian lock her door. He
pressed her up on her desk sweeping papers, cups and pens off it. The sounds they made hitting the
floor were explosions in Caitlin’s ears. He tugged at her clothes; the dress came off in one piece,
but the flimsy underwear turned to tatters.
"No," she moaned, "not here," while her hands yanked his shirt open and started to pull at his
belt. Outside, there was absolute silence. A groan escaped her lips when he came inside her with
one powerful thrust.
"My associates are getting their live show anyway," she whispered in Julian’s ear, "I’ll never
be able to show my face here again."
"Oh yes you will," he muttered as his thrusts became even more forcible. She locked her arms
and legs around him and soon the world outside faded away.
They emerged from Caitlin’s office an hour later. In spite of their efforts to tidy themselves,
they still looked somewhat disheveled. Nobody looked up as they passed, but some giggles,
together with "good night, Caitlin, good night, Mr. Luna" chased them as they left.
During the next few months, Caitlin and Julian lived in an exclusive world of their own. They
spent all their free time together. Caitlin finally started to believe that she was getting through his
seclusion. He was still very secretive about his past, but she found out that he was well educated,
especially in natural sciences. He didn’t mind sharing that knowledge. He would explain to her how
the moon created tidal waves in the Earth’s oceans, made small sketches, and cited numbers from
memory. He spent hours making her understand the difference between weight and mass. The laws
of gravity became lucid, but the theory of relativity was beyond her grasp. When she implored him
to go on a trip together he agreed and said that it was his turn to kidnap her. The next weekend he
did just that.
He surprised her by turning up on her doorstep early on Saturday morning dressed in jeans -
black jeans, but nevertheless jeans - and a thick sweater and telling her to dress for an excursion in
the country. They drove for hours until they were high up in the mountains where, even more
surprisingly, he built a camp. He had brought food and heated it for her over the campfire.
When the night came, he extinguished the fire and got a telescope from the trunk of his car. It
was bigger and more powerful than the one he had given her. He put it together expertly and within
minutes they were scanning the sky. He pointed out scores of stars and constellations which until
now she had only heard of. He knew where to look for all the visible planets. At last, he made her
look at a tiny, blurry spot, explaining that it was a galaxy, millions of light years away. She knew
that astronomy was his favorite hobby, and he made it more exciting to her than her father, a
professional in the field, had ever been able to do.
They slept on the bare ground that night, swabbed in several blankets in order to keep the cold
at bay. Caitlin listened to the sounds of the night, wondering if there were any predators nearby.
When she mentioned her concern to Julian, he laughed out loud and said:
"I’m the top predator here."
Nothing disturbed them that night. On Sunday they went hiking, watching nature, and
enjoying the fresh air. They returned to San Francisco very late, so tired that they fell asleep still
wearing their clothes. Caitlin never noticed that Julian had left her alone in her bed for several hours
that night.
Julian marveled at his power over Caitlin. Using his hands and his body, he was able to make
her forget the whole world, no Kindred tricks involved. Of course, she didn’t have his stamina and
would become tired and spent within hours. It had been different with Lillie and Alexandra. They
had been able to match his strength, could go on for days and nights. But no, that was over, he
wanted Caitlin now. The way she abandoned herself in his arms, her vulnerability and physical
frailty, made her more enticing than the equal Kindred women. Even her inability to keep up with
him made her more endearing.
How do mortal men keep up with Kindred women? he mused fleetingly. Maybe, that’s why
such relationships are so rare. How was it for Alexandra and Frank? He felt a touch of pity for
the human policeman who had lost his love in such a cruel way. But his thoughts soon returned to
Caitlin. He loved to watch her face when the pleasure overwhelmed her: her flushed skin, her scent,
the way she would strain against his body, but most of all, that look on her face, her breath catching
in the soft cries she made. If he was inside her, he’d try very hard to be still and then feel her
muscles convulse. Often, it was enough to send him over the edge: as if her orgasm transported
itself into him. Such moments more than made up for all the grief. Such moments were worth living
for.
He was very careful nowadays not to let her draw any blood from him. He prevented her from
biting him and when he felt her nails dig into his back, he’d move his arms sideways, forcing her
hands to glide away from his body. He hated to do that because he desired that pain. He
remembered the first time he had been with Lillie. She had clawed his back and chest to shreds and
then had licked the blood off his skin. He had done the same to her. He could still recall the taste of
her blood when he lapped it from her breasts and her belly. The memory aroused him. But none of
that with Caitlin. He had to be careful. The other night she had bitten her own hand. The smell of
her blood drove him mad. Before he could stop himself, he’d taken her injured hand and had
sucked at the tiny wounds. Luckily, she mistook it for a kiss. He was deliriously happy with Caitlin,
but there were dark moments when he was aware that he was balancing on the edge of disaster.
With a long, deep kiss Julian tore himself from his lover and left. He hated doing that just
after they had made love, but he was already late for the meeting. Caitlin closed the door behind him
and curled up on her bed in a fetal position. She was still hot and wet from their lovemaking but she
didn’t want to go and wash herself, not yet. She pressed her thighs together, trying to prevent the
fluid he had left inside her from seeping out. She was sore inside from chafing against him. She felt
swollen and tender. They had spent the entire evening in her bed. Her period had ended just a day
ago and, as usual, Julian had avoided her during those days.
In the beginning, she had found his behavior strange, but he told her that it pained him: being
near her and not being able to make love to her. The few times they had met during such days, he
really looked like he was in pain. When she pointed out that there was nothing to prevent them from
having sex during her period, Julian had responded that it would harm her and refused to discuss it
further. He was so old-fashioned sometimes. She let it rest.
Odd, she thought. He always knows without asking when I’m bleeding, and I’m not very
regular.
Tonight, however, he had made up for the lost days. With his mouth and his sensitive fingers
he had excited her almost beyond what she could endure, until the throbbing pleasure started
turning into pain. Until she pleaded with him to end it. She could still hear her own breathless,
imploring voice:
"Please, Julian, I can’t take it anymore. Please..."
He had made her come then in a violent, extended orgasm that made her head spin. When she
had returned to reality she had found, to her disappointment, that she had been robbed of the
gratification of experiencing his pleasure.
She realized that she was falling asleep without having showered, but the thought of getting up,
turning on the lights and getting into the shower wasn’t appealing. The languid feeling of happiness
and fulfillment took over, her hand drew a cover over her body and she fell asleep.
A touch woke her.
"Julian," she murmured, "I’m too tired..."
The grip on her shoulder hardened. She gasped in fright and the rush of adrenaline made her
instantly awake. Someone was in her bedroom and it wasn’t Julian! She cried out, trying to get
away from the hand that held her, when something hit her on the head and the darkness of the night
was exchanged for the deeper darkness of unconsciousness.
At noon, Julian was sure that something was terribly wrong. There was a call from her office.
They had tried to reach her at home and, when there was no answer, somebody whipped up enough
courage to call the Luna mansion. Julian felt the cold claws of fear rip at his heart. Not being able to
get to him, somebody had taken Caitlin. He called Frank Kohanek and told him to meet him outside
Caitlin’s house. When the policeman started to ask questions, Julian silenced him effectively by
breaking the phone into pieces with his bare hands. Twenty minutes later, they were standing in
Caitlin’s driveway. Her car was parked in the same way Julian had seen it the previous evening. Her
door wasn’t locked. The policeman hesitated on the threshold.
"Are you going to tell me what it’s all about?" he asked. Julian’s hand was rubbing his
forehead as if he were suffering from a headache. He was as pale as death.
"Caitlin’s missing." His voice was anguished.
Serves you right. Frank said it almost aloud. But he checked himself when he saw the
desperation in the other’s face. They went inside. There was no sign of a struggle, only the rumpled
bed. A paperweight had been thrown beside it. When Frank picked it up, they saw some blood
smeared on it. When the policeman turned to Julian, he saw something that stopped him dead.
Julian Luna’s dark brown eyes had turned a bright gleaming green color.
"You might get your revenge," Julian said in harsh voice, "but I wonder, if it’ll be worth the
cost." He rushed out of the house and, when Frank Kohanek followed him after a few seconds, he
had disappeared, although his car was still there.
Julian’s anger knew no boundaries. He flew over the city, screaming his rage at it. He wanted
to wipe it off the face of the earth: he wanted flames and destruction: he wanted it dead. He wanted
to shatter the Masquerade, to let the Kindred Clans drown it in blood. But most of all, he wanted the
villain who had taken Caitlin. He wanted Caitlin back.
At last he exhausted himself. After returning to his home, he sent all those who could go out
during daylight to roam the city in search for her. He locked himself in the library but it didn’t stop
Daedalus from entering.
"I’ve lost her," he said to his friend, and felt tears run down on his cheeks. Red droplets fell
on his hands. The Nosferatu Primogen moved closer, putting a comforting hand on Julian’s
shoulder.
"Nobody stands to gain from her death," he said. "She has been taken in order to put pressure
on you. Whoever has her, knows that if she’s harmed in any way, he’ll
have your wrath upon him. As soon as it gets dark I’ll let the Nosferatu search the city. I have a feeling
that a visit to the Brujahs might prove fruitful."
Julian looked up. He tried to dry his tears, smearing the blood over his face.
"What if she was taken by humans?" he asked.
"Let’s hope that’s not the case," Daedalus answered. "Anyway, grieving in advance will not
help. Get some rest, Julian. We’ll need your keen eyes when night falls. Sitting here won’t help
you find her."
With that, Daedalus left. He was worried. If they didn’t find Caitlin - or worse, if they found
her dead - he was afraid to think what might happen. If Julian Luna went mad with grief, and he was
the sort of person who might, if he endangered the Masquerade, then he, Daedalus, would have to
kill the Prince of San Francisco. He shrunk from that horrendous thought.
Caitlin woke up totally disoriented. The darkness around her was absolute. She had a terrible
headache, her mouth was dry and she was very cold. She realized that she was laid out naked on a
concrete floor. Then her memory returned and she screamed. Before the echo of her voice died out,
she heard steps. Someone crouched over her. She was so afraid that she started whimpering. Her
face was slapped.
"Well, well," a man’s voice said, "Luna’s little bitch has come around." The voice sounded
vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place it. "If you don’t keep quiet, I’ll break every bone in your
body," the man continued threateningly. Caitlin clamped her teeth together so hard that it hurt. She
was trying to think very fast. She had been taken by somebody who wanted to get at Julian; not a
casual kidnapping, because her bedroom window had been left open. She was here for a reason. It
meant that there was hope that she would get out of this alive - she tried to comfort herself. She lay
very still, keeping her eyes shut, although in this darkness it didn’t make any difference.
Her kidnapper took hold of her arms and she felt him lean closer.
"If Luna wants his plaything back," he hissed in her ear, "it will cost him dearly!" He shook
her, but Caitlin kept her silence. Suddenly, he made an angry sound.
"I can smell him on you!" the man exclaimed. Her legs were forced apart and hard fingers
thrust into her. She cried out in pain.
"I can smell him in you!" the voice was raging. With a swift movement, he pressed her down
and, in the next moment, she felt his body over hers. Oblivious of her screams, he thrust into her,
almost tearing her apart. He was laughing and screaming obscenities.
"Luna’s slut! Luna’s slut!" he repeated over and over.
This isn’t happening, Caitlin was trying to defend her sanity, this isn’t happening! But it was
happening! The pain was unbearable. Finally, the merciful darkness of unconsciousness enveloped
her again and delivered her from the nightmare.
When Caitlin regained her consciousness, she found she was still in the same place. She tried
to move, but the pain made her retch. She lay back on the cold concrete, tears running down her
face. After a long moment, she tried to pull herself together.
Okay, Caitlin, she told herself, you’ve been kidnapped and raped. But you’re alive and, as far
as you know, nothing is broken. You hurt like hell but you’re not tied, so pull your act together and
try to find a way out of here. Her rising anger helped her to her feet. She moved around on shaky
legs. The cellar seemed empty. She found a door, but it was locked, then she came upon a bucket.
She thrust her finger into it - cold water? She tasted it cautiously. It was. She scooped the water
with both hands and drank as much as she could. Then she splashed some in her face and tried to
wash herself, pouring the cold water over her aching body. She remembered that she hadn’t washed
herself after Julian had left. If she had, then maybe this horror wouldn’t have happened to her?
No, she thought, blaming Julian won’t change a thing, at least not now!
But thinking of Julian made her start crying again: his gentle hands, his kisses. She felt soiled,
somehow destroyed. She understood now why rape had been described as a means of degradation.
"Oh, Julian," she sobbed, "will you ever want to touch me again?" She crept into a corner, and
pulling her legs up close to her body, rested her chin on her knees. She continued crying for a long
time.
Cameron was scared and remorseful. He had let his anger at Julian Luna get the better of him.
Grabbing Caitlin and using her for extortion was one thing, but ravaging her the way he had was
something else entirely. Every Kindred in the city knew that the Prince was crazy about his human
lover; she was considered untouchable. And he had not only touched her but... Cameron shuddered.
He had not set out to harm her, but when he had taken hold of her arms, the vivid images of Julian’s
and Caitlin’s lovemaking had invaded his mind. Together with their mixed scents, it had sent him
into a frenzy of lust and violence. He regretted it now. He didn’t feel sorry for Caitlin, after all, she
was just another mortal. He hated Julian Luna but he feared him too.
Cameron was much too intelligent to underestimate his adversary the way Eddie Fiori had.
The truce between him and Julian had been cool at best, but now he had managed to turn the Prince
into a mortal enemy. By now, Luna probably knew that Caitlin was missing and made sure that no
one could get to him. To try to kill him now was not an option. Killing Caitlin would only make
things worse. He had to get rid of Caitlin before the Gangrels started banging on his door during
the day and the Nosferatu during the night. He knew that locked doors and dark cellars were no
obstacles for the mighty Nosferatu. He would blindfold her and dump her outside some hospital
this very evening, before the Nosferatu started searching. He thought of Daedalus and shivered
again. He didn’t care to face that one again. After all, Julian Luna, apart from being the Prince of
San Francisco, was just another Ventrue: sleek, cunning, intelligent, sometimes more deadly than a
panther, but still another Kindred like himself. The Nosferatu Primogen on the other hand, well,
there were rumors that even he, a Brujah, found difficult to believe. He didn’t want to dwell on it.
With luck, the woman hadn’t recognized his voice, and Julian would never know for sure who had
attacked her. He called his most trusted associates and gave orders to get Caitlin, blindfold her and
then dump her outside one of the city’s hospitals. He didn’t see that Sasha had just come to the
gates of the Brujah Compound when the car carrying Caitlin sped out.
Caitlin cried out in pain. She was lying on an examination table and the nurse holding her
hands was murmuring comforting words. The doctor examining her tried to be as careful as
possible, but it still hurt like hell.
"There," the doctor was saying, "it’s over. Now, let’s get you cleaned a little and then you can
get some rest. Warm water ran between her legs and there was the stinging smell of antiseptics. She
heard the clinking of instruments being put away and a thin sheet was put over her legs and belly.
"Doctor," Caitlin only managed to whisper, "am I badly hurt?"
A woman’s graying head bowed over her.
"You’ll be quite all right, my dear," she said with a reassuring smile. "Those laceration will
heal within a few weeks." She stroked Caitlin’s hair gently. "It might take longer in here." Then her
face became professionally impassive. "As regards sex, I’m afraid you’ll have to abstain for at least
a month."
Caitlin was allowed to take a shower and was put to bed after being given a mild sedative. A
beautiful black nurse was at her side all the time, her compassionate eyes comforting.
"I’m not suicidal," Caitlin murmured to her before falling asleep.
As it turned out, Frank Kohanek was the first one to be informed that Caitlin had been found.
The hospital filed a police report. He decided to talk to the doctor first. He entered her office, his
badge already in his hand.
"Yes?" the woman said inquiringly.
Frank told her his name and rank and proceeded to ask about Caitlin.
"There isn’t much I can add to our earlier report," the doctor said. "According to what Ms.
Byrne has told us, she never saw her assailant. Only..." She hesitated for a moment and told him
about the test results.
The nurse gave Frank a stern look when he entered. He glanced at Caitlin’s prone form. The
left side of her face was swollen, there was a cut on her forehead and several scratches on the hand
that clutched the blanket that covered her. Frank wanted to talk to Caitlin before he contacted Luna,
but she was asleep and there was no chance that the watchful nurse would let him wake her. He just
stood there, dithering, when suddenly Caitlin screamed and sat up in bed. She fell back, moaning in
pain, the nurse was immediately at her side, cradling and comforting her. Frank moved closer.
Watching her frightened expression was torture, but he had to talk to her. After an anguished
moment her eyes focused on him and she frowned.
"The police, what’s... why?" She was unable to put together a coherent sentence.
Frank sat on the edge of her bed and, taking hold of her hand, said as gently as he could:
"Hospital policy. They filed a report about your... rape." There was no way around it. She
tried to remove her hand, but he didn’t let go.
"Caitlin," he tried to get through to her, through the despair in her eyes, "Caitlin, you must tell
me what happened, please."
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then looked up at him, making a visible effort to
concentrate.
"I was at home, after..." A sob escaped her, and the nurse made a disapproving sound. But
Frank was determined to get all the information he could.
"Yes?" he prodded. Caitlin took a deep breath and continued:
"Somebody was there, grabbed me... then there was nothing. Then... dark, cold, a man, never
saw his face..." She started to cry again. "He called me names... and Julian’s... he called me Luna’s
slut... I thought, he would tear me to pieces." She turned her face away, tugging at the sheet, trying
to wipe her tears with it.
"Caitlin," Frank disregarded the nurse’s attempts to stop him, "Caitlin, this is important, are
you sure there was only one man?"
"I don’t know," Caitlin shook her head. "I passed out. Does it matter? But I don’t think that
there was anyone else, I..." The tears burst out again. Frank waited until she calmed down and then
squeezed her hand a little, just enough to catch her attention.
"The doctor said..." He looked away for a moment, not knowing how to continue, and then
started anew. "She said that according to the test results there were two men..." His voice trailed off.
Caitlin’s breath caught; then she turned to Frank and hid her face against his chest. She shook and
sobbed for several minutes; then raised her head and looked Frank Kohanek straight in the eyes.
"Julian was with me before I was attacked. We... made love."
That exquisite evening. Was it only yesterday? The memory of the happiness and the
satisfaction she had experienced in Julian’s arms made her heart break. Her sobs became
uncontrollable. Frank held her lightly at first, but his anger made his embrace more forceful.
Another woman hurt, if not yet destroyed, because of Luna. He wanted to find Julian Luna and beat
him up, although he knew he’d never be able to do it.
Although he hadn’t harmed Caitlin himself, as far as Frank Kohanek was concerned Julian
Luna was the one to blame. When Caitlin became a little calmer, he let her lie down again and
walked out. He hadn’t told her the last piece of information that the doctor had shared with him.
According to the tests, both men whose semen had been taken from Caitlin were sterile.
Frank braced himself and called the Luna mansion. Julian wasn’t there so he just left the
message; I’ve found her, together with the number of his cellular phone. He decided to give Luna
five minutes to get in touch. The call came within three. Frank said the name of the hospital,
intending to break the connection immediately, but something in Julian’s voice made him listen.
"Is she... Is she alive?" Luna asked. Suddenly, the British accent was more pronounced than
ever.
He’s losing control! Frank thought. He took pity, and said:
"Yes, get your ass here as fast as you can." This time he broke the connection. He wanted to
see Luna sweat.
Julian Luna heeded Daedalus’ demand that he should go to the hospital by car. It would have
been faster to fly, but he listened to reason. He didn’t make any fuss about all the bodyguards who
crammed themselves into the car with him. He didn’t want to lose any time on futile arguments.
They arrived after twenty-five minutes of neck-breaking speeding. Julian allowed only Cash and
Arthur to follow him inside. They found Frank Kohanek just beyond the entrance.
The two men faced each other.
"Where is she?" Julian demanded.
"We must talk first." The policeman took Julian’s arm, and looked pointedly at the men
behind him. "Alone," he added.
Julian made a dismissive gesture to his bodyguards. Cash opened his mouth to protest, but the
look he received from his Prince made him shut up with an audible clap. The two men melted away.
Slowly, Julian Luna took hold of Frank’s hand and removed it from his arm. That deliberate
slowness made Frank realize that Luna didn’t want to pulverize his bones. Not yet. The vivid
feeling of being confronted by a vicious animal poised to strike made Frank Kohanek cautious. He
talked fast, as if he were reciting a police report.
"Caitlin Byrne was found outside this hospital at eight this evening. She was half-conscious
and badly bruised. She has been examined, cleaned up and sedated. She’s asleep now." Frank ran
out of breath.
"Where is she?" Julian repeated his question.
"She’s upstairs, but..." As Julian moved past him, Frank grabbed his arm again. "Wait!" he
shouted. "She has been raped!"
Julian Luna stopped, as if he had walked into a wall. His face turned deathly pale and Frank
saw that green shimmer again. But he was past being afraid.
"Yes," he continued, "she has been raped, and by one of your own kind." He recounted what
the doctor had told him.
Julian was absolutely still; only his eyes became increasingly pale green. Then, with a snarl, he
wrenched his arm free from Frank’s grip and bolted towards the staircase. Frank Kohanek would
never know how close he came to being ripped to shreds.
Julian stood outside the door to Caitlin’s sickroom trying to fight down his rage. At last, he
felt his eyes return to normal; his hands relaxed, the claws and fangs disappeared. He started to
breathe again and walked in.
The room was almost dark. A tiny, weak lamp, placed close to Caitlin’s head, was the only
source of light. The nurse sat sleeping in a chair near the bed. Julian moved closer without making a
sound.
Julian Luna spent the night on his knees at Caitlin’s bedside. The nurse was dismayed at
seeing him every time she woke up, his position unchanged, but she didn’t have the heart to disturb
the man, who she thought was praying. He was totally immobile, crouching slightly over the edge of
the bed, his head bowed. He held Caitlin’s palm against his face with both his hands; his eyes were
closed. In the end, the uncanny immobility of the strange man got to the nurse - it was scary. She
checked on Caitlin several times during the night. The man never seemed to notice her presence.
In the early morning, when the daylight started slipping in, she was at last able to take a good
look at him. He was extremely handsome, in a devilish sort of way. Even in this humble position,
there was an atmosphere of power and wealth about him. Quietly, she tiptoed out to get some coffee
and was faced by two men outside the door. Her heart skipped a beat before she realized the
obvious.
Of course, bodyguards, she thought.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and, after a moment of hesitation, she poured another one
before she went back. One of the guards opened the door for her and tried to peer inside at the
same time. She shut the door resolutely by leaning on it with her back. The kneeling man was
startled by the bang. He turned his head and looked at her, then got to his feet effortlessly. Seeing
her surprise, he tried to smile.
"Years of practice," he said, covering his mistake. No mere mortal would have been able to
move the way he did after several hours of kneeling. She offered him the coffee.
"Good morning, Mr.?" He could hear the question mark.
"Luna," he accepted the coffee she was holding out to him, and shook her hand, "Julian Luna,"
he introduced himself. "Caitlin is my... fiancée." He sipped the coffee and made a grimace. "Thank
you, Nurse Donovan," he said, after peeking at the badge on her chest.
"It’s the hospital brew," she tried being cheery. "You’re not supposed to like it, but it does
wake you up."
Caitlin stirred and moaned and nurse Donovan was immediately forgotten. Julian was back on
his knees and, clasping her hand, he whispered her name. Caitlin’s eyes opened. Slowly she looked
around, her vision focusing. The nurse moved closer, but Caitlin’s gaze came to rest on Julian’s
face. Her chin began to tremble as she tried to move towards him. He clasped her tight to his chest.
"It’s all right," he said, "it’s all right, my love. You’re safe now."
For almost an hour, Caitlin cried her heart out. Julian held her in his arms, rocking her gently.
She was shaking uncontrollably, her whole body racked by heart-rending sobs. Julian tried to
comfort her, whispering softly, hiding his feelings perfectly. There was nothing soft inside him. He
would do anything to avenge Caitlin’s misery. Could there ever be justice for what had been done
to her? He didn’t think of the justice that belonged in Caitlin’s world. The justice of courtrooms,
judges and lawyers. No! He thought of the justice of the Kindred and the human justice of his time
as a mortal. He thought of tar and feathers on fire, of shotguns and hanging ropes, with some
torture thrown in for good measure. And he wanted to do it himself!
Never in his life, before or after he had been Embraced, had he wanted to hurt somebody just
for the sake of inflicting pain. Never, until now. The streak of cruelty that he found in himself
appalled him. It wouldn’t diminish Caitlin’s hurt one bit if he tortured her abuser to death.
Nevertheless, that’s what he wanted to do. He wanted to hear bones break, muscles tear and
screams of agony. He tried to banish such pictures from his mind. In vain - they would be there
until he got his revenge.
The door opened and the doctor came in. She frowned at the scene she saw.
"Who are you, and who are those men outside?" she asked.
Julian didn’t let go of Caitlin but, before he responded, the nurse came to his rescue,
whispering into the doctor’s ear. Her face softened somewhat, but she told him to get out - she
wanted to examine Caitlin. Reluctantly, Julian obeyed. He waited outside, noticing that both Cash
and Arthur made a point of not looking at him. Unlike the humans, they were quite able to sense the
emotions that raged inside him.
He intended to return to Caitlin when the doctor came out, but she stopped him.
"I want to talk to you, Mr. Luna. I’m doctor Enright. Please come with me."
He followed her meekly to her office where she bade him to sit down. Julian Luna had been
educated enough to respect the science of medicine. Physicians were dangerous. Their knowledge
equipped them with means of uncovering the Masquerade. They were able to notice things that no
other mortal could see.
How many doctors had paid with their lives for their keen powers of observation? Julian
wondered. He decided to make sure that she wouldn’t get too close to him. But at the moment she
sat behind her desk, looking him over.
"I’m told that you and Ms. Byrne are close." She was stating a fact, so Julian only nodded.
"Good," she continued in a professional tone. "Our tests showed two different kinds of
semen. Were you and Ms. Byrne intimate during the twenty four hours prior to her abduction?"
Julian confirmed with another nod; he didn’t trust his voice. What was she aiming at?
"Good," she said again. "We’ll need a sample from you; a blood sample will do," she added,
noticing his terrified expression.
Julian Luna’s heart stopped, literally. He could feel the silence of fear inside his own body.
The doctor leaned over her desk, gazing at him worriedly.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
To her, it must look as if he was about to faint, his face white, his eyes fluttering. He forced
himself to breathe and took advantage of the situation.
"Doctor," he made his voice sound weak, "I haven’t eaten or slept for almost two days. I’m
sorry, but I don’t think that I can take it right now. Besides, what good would it do?"
"We could tell the two of you apart," she answered. "It would help to identify the rapist once
he’s caught."
"If he’s caught!" Julian’s voice regained its strength.
But it wouldn’t do, he thought. He will be caught, but not by humans! He stood up. He had to
get away from the doctor’s prying eyes. But she wasn’t finished.
"There were some strange similarities," she was saying, "and you’re both sterile. He could be
a relative of yours."
But Julian already knew that much.
"No," he said. "I have no relatives in this city." He walked quickly out of her office with a
strange feeling that her eyes were burning holes in his back.
Doctor Enright was talking to Frank Kohanek.
"I don’t know why, but there’s something strange about this Luna character. I can’t put my
finger on it except for the fact that he almost passed out in my office at the mere mention of a
needle."
"He’s strange, all right," Frank laughed dryly, "but you shouldn’t let him fool you. He can
stand the sight of blood - I know that for a fact - even if it’s his own blood."
"Well, I don’t think he had anything to do with what happened to Caitlin. Nurse Donovan told
me that he spent the whole night kneeling by that poor girl’s bed."
"Yeah, he does love her. The whole city knows that by now. But what happened to her
happened because of that. The attack on Caitlin was aimed at Luna. But someone got stupid, and if I
know Luna well, and by now I do, that someone is in trouble," Frank sounded harsh.
"What do you mean?" the doctor asked. "Are you telling me that he might take the matter into
his own hands?"
Frank shook his head vehemently.
"If Julian Luna gets hold of that rapist, he’ll personally tear him to pieces so small, that all the
pathologists in this hospital won’t be able to put him back together!"
The doctor looked at him in dismay.
"This is no laughing matter," she admonished.
"You bet it isn’t. But you know what, for once I’m on his side. And if he does... well, I won’t
lift a finger to stop him."
The doctor was still gaping in disbelief when Frank Kohanek left her office.
When the doctor came in she found Caitlin sitting in bed, Julian at her side, holding her up,
while she ate some soup. The swelling on her face had subsided, but she still looked ill, her skin
almost transparent. Julian Luna, on the other hand, looked much healthier than he did those few
days ago. However, the look he gave her made her decide against mentioning any blood sampling.
It would have to wait.
"How are you, Caitlin?" She made an effort to sound kind.
Caitlin tried to produce a smile for her doctor, but failed.
"I’m so tired, so very tired..." Her voice was barely audible.
"It’s the medication. You’ll feel better in a few days when we take you off those pills."
But Caitlin only sagged, and the doctor saw how Julian’s face contorted in pain. She watched
as he helped Caitlin to lie back and then saw the bright spark in the girl’s eyes as she looked at her
lover. He smiled back and, in that instant, there were only two of them in the whole world.
Nothing can separate them, the doctor thought, taken aback by her own flash of envy. She
turned away. Somehow, the glance that passed between Caitlin and Julian was the most intimate
thing that she had ever witnessed. It made her feel like she were intruding. Abruptly, she walked out
but returned within seconds, and beckoned to Julian.
"It’s against my better judgement, but I’ll let you have it your way. You can take her home the
day after tomorrow. On the condition that Nurse Donovan goes with you." She brushed away his
attempts to protest. "You can afford that and Caitlin needs someone to be with her around the clock.
I hope, you will take those two as well." She nodded towards Cash and Arthur. "They are becoming
a permanent fixture here. This is a hospital, for God’s sake!" she started to sound angry.
"Thank you, doctor Enright," Julian said simply. Then he did something that stunned her into
silence. He took her hand and, bowing over it formally, kissed it lightly. His touch felt very hot and
dry.
"Mr. Luna, you have a fever!" she exclaimed. He let go of her hand as if it stung him, then
checked himself.
"My body temperature has always been higher than normal," he said. "I’ve been told by
members of your profession that it’s the reason for my sterility." He turned to go, but she stopped
him once more.
"You must let her heal, give her time," she sighed inwardly at his blank stare, "for at least a
month, maybe more. When Caitlin is ready, she will let you know."
"If ever," Julian said with infinite sadness.
Caitlin was brought to the mansion late in the afternoon. Some of her closest friends were
allowed to visit her just before she was discharged from the hospital. They brought flowers and
sweets. She did her best to look brave in their presence. To their surprise, as well as her own, she
succeeded. Of course, they didn’t know what had really happened to her. As far as the rest of the
world was concerned, the beautiful city editor had been kidnapped and badly battered. There were
speculations in other papers that maybe something had been printed that made someone angry.
After all, there was that long series of articles on pollution in which the heavy industry was pointed
out as the villain behind various scandals during recent years. Only some of the tabloids mentioned
Julian Luna’s name, making the correct assumption that the kidnapping of the editor was aimed at
the publisher. But then, who takes tabloids seriously?
Although Caitlin was quite capable of walking, Julian insisted on carrying her into the house.
There was something symbolic in that gesture, making her realize that she’d probably stay there for
a long time, maybe for good. A sort of an apartment had been prepared; a bedroom connected to a
bathroom for her, another one for the nurse, a sitting room, even a small kitchen. During the first
couple of days Caitlin suspected that she was still being fed sedatives because she slept most of the
time. Sometimes, when she woke up, Julian was there, a supporting smile on his face.
One morning, when Caitlin opened her eyes, she found Sasha sitting at her bedside. The girl
had brought books, magazines and an enormous container of Caitlin’s favorite ice cream. After
some initial talk about irrelevant matters, she asked Caitlin right out about what had happened.
Caitlin was surprised.
"Julian hasn’t told you?" she asked. Sasha shook her head.
"He hasn’t said anything to anybody. But sometimes, the way he looks... everybody just gets
out of his way. I’ve never seen him so upset. Not since..." She made a dismissive gesture. "It’s not
important," she added.
Caitlin gazed at Sasha, wondering. Julian had not yet posed a single question to her. Had he
sent his niece to conduct the investigation he didn’t dare do himself? Didn’t he have the guts to face
her ordeal. No, Julian was no coward. Sasha had come to ask questions on her own. But Caitlin
didn’t tell the girl the truth. Only that she had been hit on the head and then kept in a dark cellar.
"I was unconscious most of the time," she confessed, trying to keep her face impassive. Sasha
seemed relieved.
But that very evening, when Julian came in to see her, he sent the nurse out.
"Caitlin," he touched her face tenderly, "do you think that you can talk about what has
happened?"
She looked at him apprehensively and her hands began to shake. He saw it and covered her
shaking hand with his.
"Caitlin," his voice took on a mesmerizing quality, "talk to me!"
She did her best to recollect the details of that terrible night. Closing her eyes, she recounted
all she could remember in a monotonous voice. Julian turned his face away when she came to the
most gory details of the violation. She didn’t see his harsh expression or his bright green eyes.
Reliving the experience left her empty, numb and weak. Julian stayed with her that night, holding
her and caressing her face whenever she woke up crying. The nurse peeked in every few hours, but
most of the time she left them alone.
Caitlin waited for weeks for the shock to overwhelm her, but the break down never came. She
was depressed and afraid of the dark, but the nurse told her that it was only natural. As the pain
subsided, and then disappeared due to the healing process, her ordeal seemed more and more like a
terrible nightmare, not a reality that she had lived through.
The discomfort woke her in the middle of the night. She threw away the covers, and screamed
when she saw the blood. The nurse came running, still half-asleep. She burst out laughing, when
she understood what had happened.
"Honey," she was trying to reach Caitlin through the attack of hysteria, "it’s okay, it’s just
your period starting, you’ll be all right!"
She helped Caitlin to the bathroom and made sure that the girl had calmed down before she
returned to the bedroom to change the bloodstained bedclothes. Caitlin stood in the shower,
watching her blood dilute and disappear down the drain in pink rivulets. The hot water that battered
at her skin made her feel alive and alert. The sight of the blood that was running out of her body
made her light-headed. It was as if she was being... cleansed!
The next day Caitlin decided that she’d had enough of feeling sorry for herself. It was time to
go back to work. Only this time she didn’t make any fuss about Arthur’s ubiquitous presence. In
fact, she was grateful; his attention was reassuring. Her colleagues welcomed her warmly. There
was a lot of work that awaited her and she buried herself in it with abandon. For hours, she was able
to forget. Was life returning to normal?
Julian called her late in the evening. Caitlin steeled herself, expecting him to scold her, but he
seemed genuinely pleased that she was working again, joking about having reason to sign her
paycheck. It made her laugh.
The nurse had been dismissed.
Caitlin still slept with the lights on. She still had nightmares, but these created more a feeling
of danger than real threat. She figured that it was because what had happened to her had transpired
in the darkness, thus her imagination never conjured up any images.
Also, Julian had made himself scarce. She didn’t mind that, however. She was apprehensive
about facing him alone. He had been nothing but wonderful during those past weeks, but she was
unsure of herself, afraid of not knowing what her reaction would be if he wanted to make love to
her.
He came for her when she was at work, hammering away at her computer. She looked at him
bleary-eyed, suddenly aware that her hair was standing on end and that her make-up had
disappeared hours ago. Also, her stomach was screaming bloody murder; she hadn’t eaten anything
since lunch.
"Julian!" she exclaimed, "I didn’t hear you come in. What time is it?"
He made a point of looking at his watch.
"It’s past eleven," he smiled at her surprise, "and I don’t pay you that much! Whatever you’re
working on, can wait till tomorrow."
Her stomach growled angrily and the sound made her flinch. Julian’s smile became wider.
"Let’s go," he said. "The least I can do is to buy you dinner."
They went to a small Mexican restaurant not far from Caitlin’s home. As usual, he ate nothing,
and, as usual, she stuffed herself while he watched with amusement, sipping his wine. Caitlin forced
him to share her ice cream at least, and he yielded gracefully. The single spoon passing between
them, she persevered until he admitted to liking it.
She almost fell asleep in the car. It came to a stop outside her place. Her palms were sweaty all
of a sudden, her heart beating faster.
"I thought you would like to make sure that your home is all right. I have arranged for
everything to be put in order." The nervousness in his voice was audible, the British accent
suddenly manifest.
"I don’t have the key," Caitlin mumbled.
"I do." He opened the door and let her go in first. The lights were on.
He took her in his arms before they reached the sitting room. She could hear her own
heartbeat when their lips met in a soft kiss. But when he drew her closer, his mouth pressing hers
open in search of intimacy, her body stiffened and she tore away from him, a sob catching in her
throat.
"Julian, I can’t," she cried out in anguish. He let go of her so abruptly that she almost fell. Her
whole body was shaking in panic. She shied away from his touch when he reached for her again,
trying to steady her. But this time he didn’t let go and, after a few seconds of struggling, she just
leaned against him, crying in a forlorn way.
"It’s all right, Caitlin, it’s all right." He waited until she stopped crying before he made her lie
down in her bed. He sat in a chair at her bedside until she fell asleep.
Julian was gone in the morning but the answering machine was blinking at her urgently. He
had placed it on the chair he had been sitting on the night before. It made her smile; Julian hated
answering machines.
"I love you, Caitlin," Julian’s voice was saying. "I can wait forever." There was a short silence
before the message continued. "I’ll come for you at a more appropriate time this evening. Maybe
some more ice cream." There was a slight chuckle. "Oh, by the way, Arthur awaits outside." The
message ended there.
For the first time in her life, Sasha tried very hard to be logical. This unending argument had
been going on in her mind ever since she saw Caitlin being driven out of the Brujah Compound.
When she returned home that night and was informed that Caitlin had been found, she had decided
then and there to keep her mouth shut. She cared for her Uncle Julian, but she didn’t hate Cameron
the way she had hated Eddie Fiori. She had also started to like Caitlin. However, her motives
weren’t quite altruistic in the case of Julian’s lover. Since the death of Archon, these two had spent
more and more time together, and Caitlin had stayed in the mansion overnight quite often. That
meant, of course, that Julian spent more time at home, leaving his bodyguard, Cash, free to be with
Sasha. Oh yes, Sasha liked Caitlin a lot, enough for her conscience to constantly batter her:
Tell Uncle Julian what you have seen!
She saw Julian’s distress and it pained her, but when she tried to imagine what would happen
if he knew for sure that the Brujah had abducted Caitlin, she shivered in fear. Julian would pursue
Cameron with all his might and Cash would be in the front wave of that might. No, Sasha didn’t
want her lover to become a casualty of war. After all, Caitlin came out of this with nothing more
serious than a scare and a bump on the head.
Sasha chased away the whispers of her conscience. If Julian ever finds out about Cameron’s
role in Caitlin’s kidnapping, it won’t be from Sasha. She also prayed silently that he’d never know
that she’d withheld that information. By now she knew how fierce her Uncle Julian could be.
"Time is on my side!" Lillie was trying very hard to comfort herself. It didn’t work. She had
been thrown out. Well, not exactly thrown out the way her guards would throw a drunkard out of
Haven, but asked to leave. Julian even bought a house for her. But Lillie was honest, at least to
herself. She had done all the things Julian accused her of. She had betrayed him, almost getting him
killed. The fact that she had decapitated Eddie in everybody’s presence didn’t change that. After all,
she only precipitated his destruction. She had tried to get rid of Caitlin, sending her right into the
claws of Goth and Camilla. What a fiasco! Goth had lost his head, and Julian had gained a lover.
She had endangered the Masquerade by hiring that PI to follow Julian. In the privacy of her own
mind, she had to admit that being thrown out by Julian was a mild punishment. Only she still loved
Julian and wanted him back. How long would she have to wait before he got tired of his human
lover?
She wasn’t even beautiful! Pretty, yes, but far from the breath-taking beauty of his other
mortal mistresses, whom Lillie had watched come and go in the past. None of his "mortal" affairs
had ever lasted longer than a few months, a couple of years at the most. She thought of that blonde
film star, the one who had died so mysteriously; vicious rumor connected her death to the President
of the United States. But Lillie wasn’t fooled. There was no doubt in her mind that Julian had done
away with his human lover. Why? Lillie could only guess. There were other mysterious deaths and
disappearances. Julian had a weakness for mortal women, although these flings seldom lasted, often
ending in disaster. Alexandra was Kindred, and now she was dead too. Lillie shuddered inwardly.
All things considered, it was rather dangerous to be Julian’s mistress. But Caitlin had lasted longer
than most. What made her special? Lillie wondered. She knew of course that Caitlin had saved
Julian’s life with her own blood. All Primogens knew that; all that were close to Julian knew.
Lillie had always trusted her judgment, but it had disappointed her lately. She remembered
how it was when she first met Julian Luna. He had turned up in England more than a hundred years
ago. He had been quite careless at that point of his life, spreading destruction around. Only no one
suspected anything; so many died mysteriously, anyway. Who might have guessed that some died
because Julian had been courting disaster. Lillie had come upon him because he was suspected of
being Jack the Ripper. The Kindred of London were worried. But the Ripper, a renegade Brujah
who had left a bloody trail after his visit to the City, was soon apprehended and condemned to final
death. There were no bloody trails left by Julian Luna, only scores of hysteric women, some of
whom died of high fever, ranting madly. Humans never suspected anything, putting the blame on
the some raging epidemic. Julian was too smart to leave bloody tracks. But the Kindred Clans of
London weren’t amused.
Julian had been summoned by the Prince of the City of London who looked at the American
upstart with disdain. But, to his surprise, the Ventrue immigrant wouldn’t be intimidated. He
repudiated all accusations coolly. In truth, he had not endangered the Masquerade. None of the
human women had died directly in connection with his advances. In fact, they died when he wasn’t
present. In fact, they died because he had left them.
Lillie Langtry was impressed. Up till now, this had been her domain. It had worked when she
had been mortal and it worked even better now. But she had always been the predator; the men had
been her prey. Lillie fell madly in love with Julian Luna. Together, they had made London their own
playground. Oh, how she had enjoyed life then!
A close friendship had developed between them over the years. They both had other affairs,
but sooner or later would return to each other, never letting jealousy interfere. So he liked mortal
women, but he would become tired of them as soon as their demands for emotional commitment
exceeded their ability to please him. Lillie never demanded anything more than his entire attention
when they were together. And that, she would get. With her, he could be as violent as he wanted.
Lillie could match his fierceness, his violent temper, his desire, if not his strength.
When Julian was summoned to return to America, he informed her casually.
"I’ll be sorry to see you leave," she had said, her voice level. She wanted to beg him to take her
with him, but her pride had stopped her.
That night, after they had exhausted themselves by making love with more frenzy than they
had exhibited in years, he had asked her to come with him to San Francisco. It was the first time
Julian had made her cry, but those had been tears of happiness. She had never suspected that she
would cry in anger and despair over Julian Luna. But that’s what she was doing right now. She was
a Toreador, an easy prey to her own emotions. And now she had been discarded like a pair of old
shoes! Lillie wasn’t used to being discarded. In the past, she had been the one to do that to others.
But time is on my side, Lillie turned the sentence over and over in her mind. Only Lillie didn’t
own the patience of a Ventrue. She had come to San Francisco with Julian.
She liked the city and had managed to charm everybody. Even Archon seemed pleased that
she was Julian’s companion. Julian’s ravages among mortal women had always alarmed his Sire. It
was Archon’s financial help that made Lillie the proud owner of Haven, and it was his support that
helped her to become the Primogen of the Toreador Clan in San Francisco.
And now, all her successes were quickly turning to nothing.
But Lillie was never the one to say die. One thing she knew for sure though, she had been
plain stupid. No more of that. Trying to take out Julian Luna with the aid of Eddie Fiori!
Ridiculous! How could she forget Julian’s past? He hadn’t been Archon’s enforcer for so many
years for nothing. He destroyed almost the entire Brujah population in Manzanita. He defeated the
Nosferatu renegade Goth, single-handedly. Having Julian Luna as an enemy was no game. No, she
was through playing games. So, what could she do?
Caitlin?
To go after Caitlin wasn’t such a good idea either. If anything happened to that vapid little
reporter of his, Julian would suspect Lillie immediately. She would have to leave Caitlin alone. So,
what could she do? Sit tight, biding her time? That wasn’t Lillie’s style. She wanted to act, to fight,
to win Julian back.
Think, Lillie, think!
First, she had to recapture Julian’s trust. How? Listen and observe. The right opportunity will
present itself. In the meantime, convince him of her loyalty. Protect him! Support him at every
opportunity! Starting now. Starting with that police officer, Frank Kohanek. It shouldn’t be too
difficult to distract him, keep him out of Julian’s hair. After all, he was just a human male, and in
Lillie’s experience, human males were easily distracted. Besides, he was quite fun to have around,
and she needed something to occupy herself with. For the time being, Frank Kohanek would do.
You’re the biggest fool alive, Frank Kohanek was complimenting himself. Getting involved
with a Kindred female once was stupid. Doing it twice was idiotic. Taking up with Julian Luna’s
mistress was downright insane.
Your affairs with the immortals might prove prejudicial to your health, he laughed at himself.
His sense of humor was what kept him sane. He watched Lillie while she dressed; she was so
beautiful. Was he falling in love with another Kindred woman? What madness would this one
create for him?
He was both fascinated and scared of her. Unlike Julian Luna, Lillie Langtry didn’t mind
sharing her past with her human lover. But Frank noticed that she was very careful not to say
anything incriminating about her former lover. She was reluctant to talk about him, but Frank
understood that the Prince was always on her mind.
They had exchanged information. Lillie told him how she had killed Eddie Fiori.
Well, scratch Fiori, Frank thought. He was no big loss to anyone. The only thing that Frank
had to trade with was his knowledge of what had happened to Caitlin. To his surprise, Lillie seemed
quite upset about it and not because the crime had been committed by a Kindred.
Was there any room for compassion inside this cold-blooded woman? he wondered as saw
he her eyes flash like white lightning. Lillie tried to get as much information out of him as she
could, but there was no more he could give her. He asked what she intended to do with the
knowledge she had obtained from him. She had smiled her cold, perfect smile.
"Can you imagine what Julian Luna would pay for information that pointed out the guilty
bastard?" she had retorted, "or what the guilty bastard would pay to prevent that information from
reaching the Prince?"
"But he already knows that it was one of your kind," Frank said. "The question is - who?"
But Lillie had only laughed and had left in a hurry.
Lillie was appalled. Her hatred for Julian’s lover was one thing, but this! Lillie was still a
woman. What had been done to Caitlin was revolting. And Lillie knew all too well how revolting.
She had been raped when she was still a mere mortal. In fact, it was the reason that she decided to
ask to be Embraced when the opportunity arose. Oh, how she had enjoyed her revenge! She could
still relive the triumph she had felt when she tore the corpse to pieces.
Lillie had not been informed that Caitlin had been abducted until after she had recovered. Did
Julian suspect her? It seemed so strange. Why would anyone grab Caitlin, and then drop her like a
hot potato, within twenty-four hours?
Strange indeed. No money had changed hands, no concessions had been made. Lillie figured
that somebody had taken Caitlin before realizing who she was, and then let her go in a hurry.
Nobody in his right mind would mess with Julian Luna!
But now, Lillie saw it in a different light. There was something she could do to regain Julian’s
trust. Being the owner of Haven had its advantages. Sooner or later, all information came her way.
She had contacts that were even beyond the Prince’s reach. If she could find out who had
kidnapped and raped Caitlin and pass on that information to Julian, she would redeem herself in his
eyes. She already had her suspicions. After all, she knew the entire Kindred population of San
Francisco. A little prodding, twisting a few arms, should do the trick. And then, no matter how long
Julian kept his love, he couldn’t keep her forever. Not unless he Embraced her. But he wanted her
alive.
Well, Julian Luna, Lillie thought, you can’t have it both ways.
Lillie found out the truth sooner than she expected. Somebody had heard that someone had
seen... A part of the registration number of a car, remembered by a drunkard... The right amount of
money, a seductive smile, refreshed memories even better. Within a week, Lillie knew that Caitlin
had been taken by the Brujahs. Who had committed the actual crime was another matter. In contrast
to the Prince of San Francisco, the Primogen of the Toreador Clan was not beyond stooping to
blackmail. But the name she was given made her hesitate. Was Cameron even more stupid than
Eddie had been, or was it a part of a bigger plan?
Well, whichever, Lillie had made up her mind. She sent a message to Julian, informing him
that she needed to see him. When he called, she told him that that which was on her mind, could not
be discussed on the phone. He was suspicious and reluctant, but his curiosity won. He came to her
new house in the middle of the night but showed her the courtesy of leaving his bodyguards
outside. Without a word, she handed him the envelope that contained all the evidence she had
gathered. She watched his impassive face intently while he leafed through the papers. He was so
different now. No longer the impulsive young Ventrue she had met in London so many years ago.
At last he looked up at her.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked simply.
Lillie bowed her head. She couldn’t bear to see the hurt in his eyes.
"In spite of what you think of me, I’m not your enemy," she answered. She wanted to tell him
that she still loved him, but she didn’t dare. Julian looked at her bowed head for a long moment;
then he said "thank you" and turned to leave. She followed him to the door, but before opening it,
stopped him by putting her hand on his arm. He didn’t move away from her touch.
"Can you ever forgive me?" she asked quietly. He touched her face lightly.
"You’re my friend, Lillie, otherwise your betrayal wouldn’t hurt that much."
He left her with that.
Cameron was worried. Almost two months had passed and Luna had been silent as the grave.
Cameron feared that he had underestimated his enemy after all. He had expected that the Ventrue,
true to his famous temper, would come after him, screaming death and revenge. Then he, Cameron,
would have been able to expose the Prince’s attack as a vile attempt to get rid of him, without any
proof of his guilt. Cameron had prepared himself for such an event. But it didn’t happen. As weeks
went by, he became more and more nervous. There was no doubt in his mind that Luna was
hatching some evil plot, together with that Nosferatu buddy of his. A plot to destroy him!
Cameron made sure that nothing out of the ordinary was going on among the Brujahs. Luna
had spies in the most unlikely places. But so had Cameron. He had questioned Sasha, but all he had
got out of the girl was that Uncle Julian was preoccupied with his injured lover and that he seemed
rather upset. Cameron swore. He could have guessed that much without Sasha’s help. But he was
aware that the girl couldn’t tell him what she didn’t know. Sasha was young, vulnerable and a
Brujah. She would never be privy to Julian Luna’s more sinister doings. But now, Cameron had
been summoned to a meeting of Primogens. No agenda had been stated. That in itself was
ominous. The meeting would take place in Luna’s mansion next Tuesday. In five days!
Cameron hated to admit it, but he was afraid. He was afraid of Julian Luna’s power, and he
was afraid of Julian Luna himself. He was painfully aware that, if it came to a confrontation between
them, he was no match for the Prince of the City. They were in different leagues. For a moment he
thought of flight. Cyrus, the Brujah Prince of Los Angeles, would protect him. On the other hand,
Cyrus’ protection hadn’t helped Eddie much, had it? No, Cameron would not run. Fleeing would
be tantamount to a confession. After all, there had been no witnesses in that cellar. Cameron would
go to the meeting. He would not let Luna intimidate him. He would hide his fear well. He would be
all right. Only, he didn’t feel all right. He was on edge all the time, jumping at every unfamiliar
sound, scared of his own shadow. A terrifying thought surfaced in his mind. Was this what Julian
Luna was aiming at? A war of nerves? If that were the case, then the damn Ventrue Prince was
succeeding all too well! Cameron swore again. He would go to the meeting, but he would go well
prepared. Cameron called in his associates for a meeting of his own.
Caitlin set out to fight her fear of the dark. She couldn’t sleep anyway. She got up, put on her
clothes, took a bottle of wine and a glass. The hallway was deserted; it was long past midnight.
There were some garden furniture on the terrace. She sat in one of the chairs and poured some wine
into the glass. The night was warm, full of mysterious sounds and smells. The garden was hidden
in the darkness, but the light from the house reached her and she dared to look out into the
shadows. She sipped her wine thinking this isn’t so bad after all. She felt no anxiety. She was into
her second glass of wine when she thought that she saw something move just outside the circle of
light. Her heart started to beat faster. The next moment a big dog came out of the bushes. Caitlin
laughed nervously, peering at the animal. It moved closer, its yellow eyes gleaming.
My God, it’s a wolf, she thought, and then checked herself. What would a wolf be doing in the
middle of San Francisco?
"Here, come here," she whispered softly.
"But you are a big beast!" She stretched out her hand and felt a wet touch on her fingers. It
was big and beautiful. She sat perfectly still as the big gray animal sniffed at her feet. Then it raised
its head, and its bright yellow eyes looked into hers. For a brief moment it rested its nose on her
knee, but when she tried to pat it, it moved into the shadows and melted away in the dark. Caitlin
shivered in spite of the warmth. A couple of minutes later, when Caitlin decided to go back inside,
she heard steps behind her. She turned and saw Julian standing in the entrance, framed by the light
that shone in the hallway behind him.
"Caitlin, what are you doing sitting here all alone?" There was a trace of worry in his voice.
"I’m fighting the night," she said. "You won’t believe what I saw just a moment ago. The
biggest dog you could imagine... I thought it was a wolf. It came that close." She patted her knee.
Julian sat in a chair next to her and she offered him her glass. He took it and drank the wine.
"It’s quite possible that it was a wolf," he said. "There are people in this city who keep wolves
instead of dogs. Sometimes, the animals run away. But no one has been harmed as yet. Wolves are
rather shy."
"Yes. It ran away when I tried to touch it." Caitlin sounded disappointed. "But what are you
doing up in the middle of the night? Can’t you sleep either?"
"I had some paperwork to do," Julian shrugged. "It gave me a headache, so I came out to get
some fresh air." He returned her glass, and she poured more wine into it. He leaned closer, his arm
sneaking around her back. He drew her towards him, his face hidden in her hair.
"And what is the result of your battle with the dark?" he murmured in her ear.
"Ummm," was all of her answer as her head bowed back, allowing him better access to her
throat. She reveled in the pleasurable sensations his lips produced in her. His hand touched her face
and then his mouth was on hers. The kiss became more passionate. Caitlin waited for the burst of
panic, but it didn’t come. She relaxed with a deep sigh of relief when his hand came to rest on her
breast. Without knowing how it happened, she was sitting on his lap, her feet on the chair she had
occupied just seconds before. His hand moved over her knee and then disappeared under the hem
of her skirt. She moaned when his fingers touched the silk of her panties. Lightly, then pressing
harder, he moved his hand rhythmically. It took longer than ever before, but she reached the peak
finally, shuddering in his embrace. He pressed his face against her damp neck, feeling her racing
pulse under his cheek, but he no longer had to fight the urge to open her veins. He had learned to
keep that desire in check. She moved in his arms and he felt her hand slide over his chest and belly,
coming to rest on the bulge in his pants. He groaned but stopped her when the searching hand tried
to sneak inside his clothes.
"The guards," he whispered hoarsely. There were four of them in the garden that he could see.
He sensed the others.
Caitlin jumped off with a dismayed shriek.
"Julian Luna, you are a bastard!" Her voice could be heard clearly all over the garden.
"Caitlin, please!" At least he had the sense to look chastised.
But Caitlin tugged at her skirt and ran into the house. She turned off the light in the bedroom
for the first time. Her face was still hot with shame.
"Julian, you son of a bitch! I’ll get you for this," she swore softly. But he didn’t come after
her. She remembered the hardness her hand had encountered.
Serves you right! she thought with satisfaction. But when she fell asleep, there was a smile on
her face.
The next evening she fell asleep in front of the TV in her sitting room. She had taken a blanket
and curled up on the couch, intending to watch a late show. She suspected that hers was the only
TV-set in this big house. But the show bored her. The sudden silence woke her. She was looking at
the gray screen, trying to fathom what had happened to it, when she heard a chuckle. Julian was
standing behind the couch bending over her, the remote control in his hand.
"I didn’t mean to wake you," he said, glancing at her apprehensively.
She looked at him for a second, her eyes throwing thunderbolts, before sitting up abruptly.
"Julian! You cowardly, rotten..." She didn’t get any further. Julian bounded over the back of
the couch and cut off her string of invectives effectively with a kiss. But she wouldn’t give in.
"How could you do this to me?" she whimpered with more helplessness than she really felt.
"Caitlin, my love," he was trying hard to placate her, "it was dark, they could hardly see us.
Besides, they are paid to watch out, not in."
"So why did you stop me when it was your turn?" Her eyes were still ablaze.
He hesitated for a moment.
If he says, it’s different for men, I’ll punch him in the nose! Caitlin thought hotly.
"It’s different..." He caught her raised hand. "They work for me. I need their respect."
"And I don’t?!" Caitlin wouldn’t be pacified. Julian kissed her hand.
"They respect you more than you can imagine," he said. She frowned at that, but he didn’t
elaborate further. He couldn’t tell her that the Kindred who were loyal to him, knew that Caitlin had
saved his life in Manzanita with her own blood, offering it freely. It was the only thing that could
make a Kindred respect a mortal.
"Don’t worry about their respect," he murmured, "you have it."
Caitlin came to think of Arthur. Sure enough, the reverence he showed her was much more
apparent than one would expect from a bodyguard commandeered to take care of the boss’
mistress. She subsided at last.
"I forgive you," she pronounced royally, but started to giggle when he tried to make a
remorseful bow. Then she allowed him to make love to her in earnest.
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