The phone rang loudly beside the bed and Rick leaned over, answering it with a curt, “Hello?”

“Yes, I’m sorry to call so soon after sunset, but could I please speak with Cyra?” came a voice across the line.

“Hang on, let me find her,” Rick mumbled, looking around for her with no luck. Taking the cordless phone with him, he went out in the kitchen and found her staring out at the recently set sun. “Cyra? Phone’s for you.”

“Thanks, luv,” she said absently as she took it from him. She’d been so distant lately, saying that something was bothering her, that all Rick could do was wait for her to tell him what it was. Turning back to the window, she softly said, “Hello?”

“Siona? I mean, Cyra?”

“Yes?”

“This is Reginald White,” the man answered.

“What’s going on, Reg?” she asked, concern clear in the tone of her voice. “I don’t generally field many calls from Hunters.”

“And you know that’s because you and your coven aren’t usually a threat to most people,” Reginald said quietly. “No reckless deaths, needless killing, at least for the most part. We respect you and Lyra to keep yours in line. But we’ve got a problem here.”

“And what’s that?”

“One of your group has gone renegade,” he answered regretfully.

“You must be mistaken,” Cyra said with a relieved chuckle. “Lyra would have called me about that!”

“I’m not sure if she even knows it yet,” he sighed. “He disappeared several months ago and she hasn’t been able to track him down yet. It seems like he’s blocking her somehow. Every time she gets within fifty miles of him, he manages to get away from her again.”

“Then why hasn’t she called for me?” Cyra said crossly.

“Because, we believe she hasn’t realized just how serious this is,” he answered. “According to our records, she’s only ever once encountered the particular disease that seems to be plaguing this young male.”

“Which one is it?” she asked quietly, seeing Rick tensing as he listened to her conversation. But the thoughts that raced through her mind had already narrowed it down to one of three men in the coven. Either Steve, Vivian or Joe. In this life, at least, she’d never shared blood with Sav or Phil.

“All I’ve been told is that it’s one of the dark haired ones,” he answered. “Not Savage, because he never leaves her side since the other left. And Clark is a blond, so he’s ruled out as well.”

“Joe,” she sighed. Sav would never leave Lyra if there was a problem with Joe. But this did explain the problem that Cyra had been feeling for quite a while now. That something just wasn’t right. She realized suddenly that, though she could feel exactly how far Rick, Steve and Vivian were from her, Joe was clouded. Then her head snapped up as she asked him, “What disease?”

“The Blood Madness,” he replied quickly.

“Oh, fuck,” she gasped. “Are you sure?”

“The method of killing, the frequency, the victim profile, that’s the only thing that can explain it,” Reginald said quietly.

“Reg, keep your people away from him,” Cyra commanded. “I’ll deal with this.”

“Cyra, there is no record of a vampire being cured from this disease, only a few myths,” Reginald said in concern. “Every recorded case has been solved by killing the diseased vampire.”

“You must be slipping then, old man,” she said with a dry laugh. “I’ve seen three cases of Blood Madness. Two of them ended up staked. But one was cured. Now, I just have to figure out how I can do it.”

“I’ll keep my people back for now, Cyra, but I can’t make any long term guarantees. Hunters generally don’t just let rogue vampires kill at will, you know that.”

“I’ll take care of Joe,” Cyra answered breathlessly, her mind already racing as she tried to remember everything she would need to know. “I’ll contact your station in Dublin as soon as I have any news.”

“Thank you, Cyra.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she said as she rang off the line.

“What the hell is going on, Cy?” Rick asked as soon as he saw her hang up the phone.

“We need to get to the coven house,” she answered as she started up the stairs. “Joe is in major trouble and if I can’t find the cure for him, he’s going to have to die.”

“I heard you say something about a disease?”

“It’s called the Blood Madness,” she whispered. “It’s almost like a fever in the blood of a vampire. It drives the vampire to kill certain types of victims without the ability to control themselves. And the cure is nearly impossible to find.”

“What types of victims?” Rick asked.

“Young virgins of the opposite sex,” Cyra sighed. “And there are frequently multiple bites, because the vampire is fighting for control and stopping over and over again. At first, the kills are infrequent. But as the disease takes over, he’ll have to kill more and more often to satisfy the hunger.”

“And what exactly is the cure?” Rick probed, wondering if he was going to have to watch Joe die from this. “Do you even know it?”

“I do,” she whispered. “But the thing he needs is so rare, I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to find it.”

“Well?” Rick asked impatiently. “What is it?”

“The blood of a virgin female vampire.”

Lyra shook her head in frustration. After eight months of searching, she was finally getting very worried about Joe. He’d taken off the night after the children had found out about their fathers’ new lives, so at first she thought that maybe he was just uncomfortable. After all, he and Steve were the only ones among the men who didn’t have children. But the longer he stayed gone, the more concerned she got.

Rick and Phil had taken their children and headed back to California immediately after Rory and Phil had reconciled. Rory had taken home the story that Lauren had discovered never before heard Leppard tapes and called all the children to Dublin to discuss them. They were trying to decide if the tapes should be released “in memory of their fathers”.

Sav had stayed with Lyra, as had Steve, Lisel, Vivian, Kerrie and Vivian’s daughter, Lily. Since Lily had grown estranged from her mother, she made up a story of finding “true love” while on a visit to London and deciding to make her home there from now on. Because of her advanced years, Jewels had taken up residence in an assisted living home. She’d struck up a lot of friendships and even found love in the home, so she was simply happy that Lily was happy now.

The entire group remaining in the London coven house was now focusing on finding Joe. Often, Lyra and Sav would fly out at night to follow the bond they each shared with Joe. The hunt was getting frustrating, because they would often feel him close to London, but neither of them could pin him down exactly. Just as one of them would get a fix on him, his bond would seem to fuzz out and leave them blind again. They’d flew as far as Paris one night, only to get stuck in a cemetery when the sun rose. Waking the following night, Lyra heard tale of a fifteen year old girl who’d been killed the previous night. The neck had been gashed open in several places by what looked like wild dogs. Discouraged and unable to feel Joe any longer, they’d flown back to London the next night.

“Rick?” Lyra said quietly one night just after sunset. “Are you ready to go looking for him again?”

“Yeah,” Sav answered slowly. “It almost feels like he’s close now.”

“I know,” Lyra sighed. They said a quiet goodbye to the others in the castle and flew off into the night to begin the hunt once again.

About an hour after they’d left, Steve and Lisel walked out into the garden behind the castle, trying to forget about the seriousness of what Sav and Lyra were trying to accomplish. They were walking through the forest when Lisel suddenly went still and whispered, “Shhh. There’s someone else out here, luv.”

“Are you sure?” Steve asked softly. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Trust me, I know there is,” she answered. “And it’s a vampire.”

Sav and Lyra landed quietly in the garden behind the castle, looking around for any of the others. Lyra pulled Sav in the direction of the woods as she sought out Steve. Both of them were still confused because they could feel Joe somewhere out there. And Lyra knew that Steve was very close by as well. They walked out into a clearing and found Steve and Lisel kneeling down beside a figure slumped down on the grass.

“Lyra,” Steve called. “We need you!”

“It’s Joe!” Lisel called quietly.

“Oh God,” Lyra whispered, running over to Joe’s side. “Joe? Luv? Can you hear me?”

“Help me, please?” he answered in a soft moan. Looking up into her eyes, he pleaded, “I can’t stop it!”

His eyes were emerald green and she could see his fangs hanging down into his mouth. Cradling him against her body, she cooed, “We’ll do whatever we can, baby, I promise you that.”

After a long moment, Steve picked up Joe and carried him into the castle. Joe barely stirred until they entered the castle proper. Then his head shot up and he let out a hiss.

“What’s wrong, Joe?” Lyra asked worriedly.

“I can’t be here!” he cried, throwing himself away from Steve. Confused, Steve and they others watched as he tore out of the room and headed deeper into the building. Lisel was the first to recover her senses, running after him just seconds before the others.

Joe ran into the living room and skidded to a halt in front of Vivian and Lily. He was panting and fighting with himself, that much was obvious. His eyes fixed on Lily without even noticing her father was in the room. A split second later, he grabbed her roughly and sank his fangs into her tender young throat without hesitation.

Vivian grabbed Joe by the arm and tore his daughter free of Joe’s grasp. He stood between them, furious with his friend for even attempting to attack his daughter. His fist slammed into the side of Joe’s face, but barely moved the larger man. Grabbing Vivian by the front of his shirt, Joe threw him across the room where Vivian crashed through a heavy wooden table and shattered it into splinters. A heavy fragment of the table top stuck into Vivian’s back, right through his lower abdomen. He lay still and unconscious, leaving Lily undefended against Joe’s next attack.

Turning back to the young woman, Joe was dismayed to find his path blocked by Lisel this time. “You can’t have her, Joe,” Lisel warned. “You’ll have to stop this before someone gets hurt!”

“Lisel, you just don’t understand!” Joe pleaded, trying to fight his own urges. “I’ve got to do this!”

“I’ll be damned if you do!” Lisel cried, throwing herself suddenly at Joe. But he caught her in mid-flight and sent her hurling towards the mass of wooden splinters where Vivian lay bleeding.

Joe stalked back towards Lily and saw the girl trembling with fear. “Uncle Joe?” Lily said tearfully. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, my little luv,” Joe said softly, grabbing her by the arm. She let out a scream as she saw his fangs heading for her neck once more. Just before his teeth broke the white skin, Lyra pulled him roughly away from her and spun him around to face her.

“Joe!” Lyra whispered urgently. “I can help you stop this, but you have to let me.”

“It hurts, Lyra,” he cried, trying to make his way back to Lily. Sav threw his arms around the frightened girl and pulled her out of the room after licking her throat to staunch the bleeding. Lyra kept herself between Joe and the child long enough for Steve to grab his arms and pin them behind his back.

“Take him down into the dungeon, Steve,” Lyra said quietly. Brushing Joe’s hair back from his face, she said, “This is for your own good, Joe. If you’re down there, you can’t hurt yourself or anyone else.”

Trying to twist his way out of Steve’s iron grasp, Joe finally gave up when he realized Steve was just too strong for him. He looked at Lyra with pleading eyes and begged, “Please, just make this stop!”

“We’ll do what we can, luv,” she whispered, then let Steve take him below.

“Oh, God, LYRA!” Kerrie screamed almost directly behind her.

Spinning around, Lyra found herself faced with an absolute nightmare.

Laying still in the corner was Vivian, a piece of wood sticking roughly through his stomach. He groaned in pain, even though he wasn’t awake to know what was happening. Kerrie looked at her helplessly and whispered, “What do I do?”

“Pull it out and he’ll start to heal,” she said quietly, her eyes scanning over the damage Joe had done. Nearly satisfied Vivian was the only victim, she started to turn towards the stairs into the dungeon. That’s when she found Lisel.

She threw herself down by Lisel, hoping against all hope she was wrong about what she saw. But there was no denying it. A foot long piece of the table leg protruded from Lisel’s chest, the chance fall spearing the vampire squarely through the heart. Tears streamed down her face as she held the body of her long time friend against her chest.

“Lyra?” Steve’s voice called up the stairwell. “I got him locked in the cell down here. He’s calmed down some now that he can’t smell...” His voice choked off as he caught sight of Lisel’s body in Lyra’s arms. Speechless, he froze in uncomprehending silence. Kerrie saw the horrifying scene and asked in a hoarse whisper, “Is Lisel okay?”

“No,” Lyra rasped. “She’s dead, Kerrie.”

“What happened here?” Cyra said as she made her way into the room followed by Rick and Sav.

“It was Joe,” Lyra said tearfully. “He was trying to get Lily, but Vivian and Lisel got hurt trying to stop him. Lisel’s...Lisel is...she’s dead, Si.”

“I was afraid something like this might happen if he tried to come home in his condition,” Cyra said quietly. “Rick, Sav, we’ve got to find him, NOW.”

“He’s down in the dungeon, Si,” Lyra answered softly as Steve finally knelt down beside her and took Lisel from her arms. “He’s locked in the cell down there.”

“Good,” Cyra answered. “Then we’ve got a little time to work things out.”

“What are you going to work out, Cyra?” Steve said angrily. “Are you going to come up with some magical way to bring Lisel back to us?”

“I’m sorry, Steve, but you know I can’t do that,” Cyra said patiently. “But if we want to keep from losing Joe too, we’ve got some long hard nights ahead of us.”

“What’s wrong with him, anyway?” Sav asked in shock, still not believing that Joe had really killed Lisel.

“The Blood Madness,” Cyra said quietly and watched as Lyra’s head snapped up. “I see you’ve heard of it, Lyra?”

“I can’t kill him, Si,” Lyra answered quietly. “I won’t.”

“Then I will,” Steve said quickly, setting Lisel’s body gently down before heading for the stairs to Joe. Lyra jumped up and threw herself in Steve’s way, begging, “Please, don’t do this, Steve. He’s sick. It’s not like he killed her intentionally.”

“I don’t care,” Steve murmured, looking down at the hard stone floor.

“It was an accident, Steve,” Lyra pleaded. “He didn’t mean to do it, for God’s sake!”

“But he was trying to kill Lily,” Steve answered harshly. “Just because he killed Lisel instead, does that make it any less wrong?”

“So he went after Vivian’s daughter?” Cyra said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, and Lily would be dead right now if not for...for...” Steve’s voice broke as a torrent of bloody tears washed down his face. Lyra pulled him roughly into her arms and whispered, “Steve, killing Joe won’t bring Lisel back. I’m sorry and I know how this has got to feel. I know how it felt when I lost you and the others hundreds of years ago. It almost killed me. But one death isn’t going to make up for another, luv. It just won’t help and Joe didn’t even do it on purpose. You and Joe have been friends for more than forty years! Think about that!”

“And how long were you and Lisel friends, Lyra?” Steve cried roughly.

“Over six hundred years,” Lyra replied with tears in her eyes. “But even with that, I know that Joe wouldn’t have hurt any of us if he wasn’t sick. So how can I call out for his blood when the only thing that it would do is cost me another friend?”

“I guess you’re right,” he answered softly.

“The only thing we can do is mourn for Lisel and try to help Joe,” Lyra continued. “But I don’t even know if that’s possible...”

“It is,” Cyra said quickly. “But only with great difficulty.” Looking down at Lisel’s still form, she went on, “Let’s take care of Lisel first, though. As long as Joe’s in that cell, we have time to figure out what to do.”

Rick looked over the small group of grieving vampires and grabbed Sav by the arm, saying, “I think maybe we should go, well, you know, dig her a grave or something....”

A long slow sigh escaped Sav as he answered, “Yeah, I guess maybe that’s the right thing to do.” He could see Lyra still holding Steve close, trying to comfort him over this unexpected loss.

“No,” Cyra answered. “We’ll lay her body outside and let the sun reclaim her.”

“What do you mean?” Steve whispered.

“The sun will burn her remains to dust, like it would do to any young vampire who made the mistake of being out at sunrise,” Cyra explained. “It’s the most dignified way to deal with this.” Lyra merely nodded, knowing that’s what she would have wanted in this situation.

Pulling Sav and Rick outside with her, Cyra said, “We’ll build up a bit of a burial monument for her, then lay her on top of it. Help me gather as many of the big rocks around over here as you can.” They worked for over two hours, getting large rocks together to form a sort of table on the far corner of the castle grounds just out of the shade of the large oaks in the forest.

An hour before sunrise, Lyra followed as Steve carried Lisel’s body out to the clearing. The others came out to say their final farewells to a long time friend before heading in to the castle before the morning light. But Steve refused to abandon Lisel to the daylight alone. Rather than fight his instinct to see this through, Lyra pulled him into the edge of the forest, hiding under the shadows of the trees to shield his young flesh while allowing him to still be near Lisel to the end.

Holding him close against her chest, she could feel Steve fighting his body’s desperate need to sleep as the sun started to break over the horizon. Knowing it wouldn’t be long before it was all over but the crying, she cooed softly in his ear to help him stay awake. The sky above them was cloudless, meaning that it would only be moments before the brilliant rays hit Lisel’s lifeless body.

Steve’s eyes grew heavy as the sun light crept across the lawn to where Lisel lay. Lyra smoothed the hair back from his face and saw the blood tears run down as the sun hit the edge of the rocks Lisel was lying on. The man in her arms was sobbing as it started slowly over Lisel’s form. Smoke began to rise from the body, slowly at first then more as it started to catch fire from some inner source. By the time the light was fully on her, her whole body was ablaze. It lasted only a few minutes, then died away as the body was finally consumed completely.

Exhausted by what he’d witnessed, Steve collapsed down into Lyra’s lap. Slumber claimed him only seconds later when he couldn’t fight against it any longer. She sat for a long while with tears in her own eyes, watching Steve sleep quietly. After a long while, once she’d cried herself out, she walked slowly in to the house and retrieved a heavy wool blanket. Covering Steve carefully, she lifted his body gently and carried him into the safety of their castle home. She thought briefly of going to the room where Sav slept, but knew that Steve was going to need her when he woke up. So she lay down with Steve and let sleep take her away for the remaining hours of sunlight.

That evening, just after sunset, their group met in the living room of the castle. Vivian was fully recovered from his injuries of the previous night and was talking quietly to Kerrie and Lily in one corner. Sav, Rick and Cyra were off to the other side of the room talking in low tones. Lyra and Steve were the last to come in and everyone could still see the look of grief stricken shock on Steve’s face as he sat down. Sitting next to him, Lyra took his hand and turned to the others, asking, “Have we missed anything?”

“No, luv,” Sav said softly, coming to sit down on her other side. “Everyone’s only just woke up.”

“Okay,” she sighed, looking to Cyra. “What do we do now? And what’s this mysterious cure for Joe?”

“Something so rare that I’ve only ever seen it once,” Cyra answered quietly. “And it didn’t last very long.”

“Why not?” Sav asked.

“Because it was destroyed almost as soon as it was created,” Cyra said, looking down at the floor.

“Quit being so fucking cryptic, Si,” Lyra snapped impatiently. “What is the cure?”

“A pure and unsullied female vampire,” Cyra said softly.

“Huh?” Rick said with a look of confusion on his face.

“A virgin female vampire,” Cyra replied, looking him square in the eye.

“We both know that there’s no such thing,” Lyra said angrily. “Why did you hold out some kind of hope for him?”

“The one time I saw one, she was created for the express purpose of curing this exact disease,” Cyra went on. “As soon as the vampire took the blood from her, he also took her virginity, hence destroying the very thing that cured him.”

“And where, pray tell, are we suppose to find a virgin in this day and age?” Lyra snapped. “I really don’t relish the thought of bringing over some little twelve year old girl and destroying her chances of ever being able to make it on her own.”

“It gets worse,” Cyra continued. “A female vampire, one who’s never had sex before, can conceive a child during her first intercourse.”

“That’s impossible,” Rick laughed. “Everyone knows vampires are sterile!”

“Male vampires are only sterile with humans,” Cyra explained. “Female vampires, well, after they lose their virginity, they lose the ability to bear children as well. So, in truth, it’s actually only female vampires that are sterile.”

“But Joe couldn’t have kids before he became a vampire anyway, so this shouldn’t be a problem,” Sav said quickly.

“Joe wasn’t born sterile, was he?” Cyra asked quietly and Rick, Sav and Steve all shook their heads. “Well, look at the way your bodies repaired themselves after you crossed over. His did the exact same thing, which means that now, he could actually father a child.”

Asking the question that was on everyone’s mind, Lyra said, “And just what would this child be? Human or vampire?”

“A vampire from birth,” Cyra went on. “It feeds on the blood of its mother from the day it’s born. And during the pregnancy, there’s one other aspect we have to keep in mind. The mother can only tolerate blood from the vampire that impregnated her. The parents are forced to stay together, in order for the mother to survive the pregnancy. Lyra, it’s only fair that you know this. It creates a link between the two of them that will never be broken and will supercede any bond either of them has. That would include the bond you and Joe share, so in essence, you will lose Joe in a very crucial way. No matter how he feels about you, he’ll feel more for the woman who saves him from this. So, whether we save him or not, you’ll end up losing him after this is said and done.”

Sav put his arm around Lyra’s shoulders, knowing just how hard this had to be for her to hear. All Lyra could do was nod and whisper, “Better that I be the only one to lose him than for him to die. But how do we find a woman old enough to bear a child who’s still a virgin now? One who would be willing to give up her life as she knows it to save Joe?”

“I don’t know, so it’s a good thing he’s locked up downstairs,” Cyra sighed. “I guess it will take a good bit of leg work on our parts to find the right woman, one that will accept Joe and one the he can accept as well. Otherwise, this could be a death sentence for the woman. Because if she conceives, which is more than likely, she’d die without Joe.”

The vampires became engrossed in conversation, trying to decide just were they could find such a young woman. No one noticed when young Lily got up and made her way down into the dungeon below. As soon as she walked into the room outside Joe’s cage, Joe’s head snapped up.

“Get out of here, Lily,” he yelled quickly. “You don’t know what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in.”

“You can’t get out, Joe,” she answered softly. “Otherwise, I’d already be dead, now wouldn’t I?”

Gripping the bars tightly, Joe hissed, “You’re probably right. Now please don’t torture me this way, Lily.”

“I have to talk to you, Joe,” she said quietly. “You know, out of all the band, you were the one who was always there for me and Mom after Dad ‘died’.”

“I loved you both, what could I say?” Joe panted.

“You know I love you too, right?” she asked quickly.

“LILY!” Lyra cried as she made it down the steps. “You can’t be down here! You’re going to drive him crazy!”

“I just needed to talk to him,” Lily replied softly. “I’ll go now.” Then, with one last look in Joe’s direction that Lyra couldn’t quite read, Lily took off up the stairs. As soon as she was gone, Joe calmed down considerably. He sat down on the cot and said, “Lyra, you’ve got to end this for me.”

“No, I can’t,” Lyra whispered. “We’ll get you healed, I swear it!”

“But if you can’t, you’ve got to kill me,” Joe said hoarsely. “I can’t go on like this. You’ve got to promise me you’ll end it if you can’t find a cure.” He jumped up and started to pace the cell, saying, “I’m so damned hungry, Lyra! I’m going quite mad in here.”

Walking up to his cell, Lyra pushed her arm through the bars and said, “Feed from me for now, luv. At least the hunger won’t be as bad after that.”

Joe crossed the cell and stood directly in front of her. Running his fingers through her chocolate colored mane, he whispered, “You know how much I love you, Lyra?”

“I do, Joe,” she answered softly.

Before he leaned down to her arm, Joe pulled her face up against the bars and kissed her roughly. Then he took her arm and raise it slowly to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. Holding her hand in one of his own, his other hand grasped firmly at her elbow as his teeth sunk slowly into her flesh. Theirs eyes locked, Lyra’s misting over at the thought that maybe they wouldn’t be able to save Joe from this horrible disease. What would she do if it came to the point where Joe was truly pleading for death?

He took so much blood from her that she was weak by the time he released the hold on her arm. Lyra fell to the floor, her body only held upright by the bars of Joe’s prison. He sat down across from her and took her hand once again, saying, “Lyra, my love, please promise me you won’t let me stay like this forever. I can’t keep feeling this drive to kill for no reason.”

“Joe, you’re sick,” she answered softly. “It’s a disease called Blood Madness. That’s why you feel drawn to the victims you’ve been attacking. Only the blood of a virgin will quell this hunger.”

“Jesus,” Joe murmured so softly she could barely hear him. “Lyra, how’s Lily doing? I didn’t hurt her too bad, did I?”

“No, she’s okay, but...” Lyra didn’t know how to tell him this. “Joe, when you threw Vivian and Lisel across the room, you...Oh, God, I don’t know how to tell you this.”

“Did I hurt Viv?” Joe asked anxiously. “Is that why Lily was down here?”

“No, Viv’s recovering okay, but he did take some wood into his back,” Lyra said quietly. “But Joe, when you threw Lisel...um...ah...she landed very badly. Very unlucky.”

“But she’ll come around eventually, right?” Joe said uneasily.

“No, she won’t,” Lyra sighed. “She landed on one of the table legs, luv. It went right through her chest.”

“Oh, fuck,” Joe said quickly. “Please, Lyra, don’t tell me she’s...”

“She’s dead, Joe.”

He slumped down against the bars, tears streaming down his face while he whispered, “Lyra, I didn’t mean to...”

“We all know that, Joe,” she replied quickly.

“How’s Steve taking this?”

“He’s, well, saying he’s devastated pretty well covers it,” she answered in a low voice.

“He probably wishes it was me that was dead, doesn’t he?” Joe cried hoarsely.

“Well, at first he did, to be honest,” she said, running her hand over his shoulder. “But now he realizes that you’re sick and you need our help. He knows that losing you won’t bring her back.”

“Luv, I need to be alone,” Joe said quietly. “Please?”

“Sure,” she answered. “But don’t do anything stupid, understood? Everyone upstairs is desperate to save you, so don’t you hurt them all!”

“I’m locked in a bloody cage and I don’t see a bit of fucking wood, do you?” he replied crossly. “Just let me deal with this my way.”

“Okay,” she said quietly, making her way weakly up the stairs. As soon as she made it to the living room, she collapsed into a heap on the floor and was quickly surrounded by the rest of the coven.

“LYRA!” Sav cried as he rushed to her side. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“The bloody bastard probably attacked her, too,” Steve said hotly. Just as he was about to head down to Joe’s prison, Lyra leaned up and whispered, “No, Steve, I just let him feed so he wouldn’t starve and he took a bit too much. That’s all.”

Cyra walked slowly out of the room and returned with a bottle for Lyra to drink from. Then she knelt down beside her and said, “Lyra, don’t let him feed again. If we can’t find a cure for him, then it’s probably better for him to go to the ground. Even if it’s by force instead of choice. As young as he is, he’ll be out within a month of not feeding and that should give us time to find what he needs.”

“He asked me to kill him, Si,” Lyra said sadly between gulps of blood. “I told him I couldn’t do it, but he insisted that he couldn’t stand being left this way.”

“If it needs to be done, I won’t subject you to that, little one,” Cyra replied softly. “I’ll take care of it myself.”

“No one needs to do anything to Joe,” Lily said quietly. All eyes turned to her as Cyra asked, “Something has to be done, luv. He won’t be able to live in that cage forever.”

“He won’t have to,” Lily replied confidently. “I’ll help him.”

“There’s not much you can do,” Cyra said dismissively, turning back to Lyra.

“What type of victims has he been taking?” Lily questioned.

“Young female virgins,” Cyra said in exasperation. “So, you see, there’s nothing...”

“If there’s nothing I can do, why has he been trying to get me?” Lily said casually. “There’s a reason and you know it.”

“What are you saying?” Vivian asked, concern in his voice.

“I’m still a virgin, Daddy,” Lily answered. “If I became a vampire, I could cure him.”

“NO!” Vivian said emphatically. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Lily. Your life would be over!”

“I’d still be with you and the others,” Lily countered. “And you’re my family anyway.”

“I won’t allow it,” Vivian said angrily. “You need the chance to grow up all the way, be with boys your own age, get married, have kids. I won’t let you do this.”

“It’s my choice, Daddy,” Lily answered. “And I’ve made it.”

“No one will bring you across,” Vivian replied firmly.

“We’ll see about that when I’ve had to jump from the top of the castle to make you see I’m serious,” Lily went on. “Maybe I’ll live long enough for you to bring me over or maybe the fall will kill me. Either way, I’ll die to help Joe.”

“Why?” Cyra asked curiously.

“Because he was always there for me when Dad wasn’t,” Lily answered as she looked up at Cyra. “I’m the only one here who can help him and you all know it. So let me do it.”

“I won’t allow this,” Vivian said, looking to the rest of the group for support. Several of the others nodded slowly.

“Lily, luv, you just can’t be the one,” Cyra said calmly.

“Siona’s right,” Lyra added. “This isn’t as easy as you think it would be, Lily. This life, it’s not something you ask for. It usually only comes when you have no other options.”

“I don’t now,” Lily said angrily. “I won’t sit back and watch him die when I can stop it.” She jumped up, determined to make her way up to the roof of the castle. But Vivian blocked her way to the steps and said, “Lily, I won’t let you do this! Think about it!”

“I have, Daddy,” she cried in frustration. “Let me help him!”

“We can’t,” Sav said sadly. “There has to be another way around this.”

“Fine,” Lily said quietly. “I want a beer. Anyone else?” No one else responded, so she walked quickly out of the room.

“You know, Vivian,” Steve whispered, getting up to cross the room and stare out at the night. His eyes fixed on the pile of stones where Lisel’s body had lain that morning. “Lily is right. She’s the only one with any hope of bringing Joe back.”

Shocked eyes turned to Steve. No one had expected him to be the one to say this. Knowing the thought that had to be going through all of their minds, he said quietly, “I lost Lisel last night. We’d been together for, what, thirty years? Joe has been my friend for well over forty. I don’t want to lose him too.”

“This is my fucking daughter, Steve,” Vivian said angrily. “I won’t let her do this, no matter who it’s for!”

“Viv, baby,” Kerrie said softly. “At least, let’s think about this for a while.”

“I won’t let her,” Vivian said, his eyes daring anyone in the room to challenge him. “How long does it take to get a fucking beer, anyway?” He got up, but just as he was about to head into the kitchen, he saw her. Lily stood swaying in the doorway, a bloody knife in her hand and blood covering the front of her shirt. Collapsing, Vivian caught her just before she actually hit the floor.

“Daddy?” she said weakly.

“Jesus, Lil, what have you done!” Vivian cried.

“I had to, Daddy,” she whispered, then her body went slack in his arms.

“Vivian, she’s not going to last much longer,” Cyra said urgently. “If you’re going to bring her across, then you’ve got to do it now. Otherwise, her sacrifice will be in vain.”

“What do I do?” Vivian asked in stunned confusion.

“You’ll have to feed her or she’s going to die,” Lyra said anxiously.

Looking down at his dying daughter, Vivian knew he couldn’t let go of her so soon after getting her back into his life. Closing his eyes, he gnashed his own wrist open and put it against Lily’s lips. For a moment, he wondered if he’d taken too long to give her his blood. But slowly, her lips parted and her tongue went out, gathering the stray droplets from his wrist. Then she latched on to him, taking the full measure of his life. When she let go of him, she fell back away from him and said, “I’m sorry, Daddy. I just couldn’t let him die.”

“Hush, luv,” Vivian said softly, brushing her hair back. “Sleep now and we’ll be waiting when you come back to us.” Lily closed her eyes and the room fell silent as her breathing slowed, then finally stopped.

“Lyra, get Sav and Steve out of here,” Cyra said hurriedly.

“Why?” Sav asked in confusion.

“Because, if you’re here when she comes to, you might be tempted to take her for yourself,” Cyra answered quickly. “A virgin vampire is the most irresistible creature on the planet.”

“What about Viv and Rick?” Sav asked uncertainly.

“I’ll take care of Rick and Viv won’t be a problem,” Cyra said confidently. “She’s his natural daughter, so that should stop him. I just don’t want to take any chances with this.” Turning to Rick and Vivian, she said, “Take her down and lock her into the cell with Joe. That way, the only one who can reach her when she wakes up will be Joe.” Looking at Sav and Steve, she said, “Now shoo and let me take care of things.”

Lyra pulled Steve and Sav out of the castle. Just as they reached the garden, Lyra turned and looked back at the building behind her and the men could feel her inner turmoil. Joe was going to live, but his relationship with her was more than likely over now. After a few minutes, she flew up and off into the forest without saying a word to either man. Sav started to go after her, but Steve grabbed him by the arm and said, “Wait a minute, mate. Give her some time alone right now. Remember, she feels like she’s losing Joe forever right now.”

“But I want her to know she’s not alone,” Sav answered worriedly. “I love her too much to see her suffer like this!”

“I love her too, Sav,” Steve admitted. “But she needs time to herself, even if it’s only a few minutes. She hasn’t gone far, that much I can tell.”

“She’s crying,” Sav whispered as he focused in on her.

“Let her for a little while,” Steve answered. “She needs to let him go.”

Inside the castle, Rick and Vivian laid Lily’s lifeless form inside the cell as Joe looked up at them with a worried frown on his face. “What the bleeding hell is going on?” Joe asked in dismay.

“Lily made a decision and I couldn’t stop her,” Vivian said quietly. Rick left them alone and Vivian looked at his friend. “Joe,” he said calmly. “You’d best take care of my little girl or I’ll bloody well stake your ass.”

“I’ve always looked after Lily, you know that,” Joe said defensively. “What happened, Vivian?”

“Cyra told her only a virgin vampire’s blood could cure you,” Vivian said, horror still apparent in his eyes. “Well, come to find out, my little girl wasn’t nearly the partier that her old man was and she was still a virgin. She tried to convince me to let her help you, but I wouldn’t let her do it. So,” he said with a shake of his head, “she showed a bit of her mother’s stubborn streak. She went into the kitchen and slit her own throat. She made it back into the living room just before she passed out.”

“She did that...for me?” Joe said in stunned disbelief.

“Yes, you bastard, she did,” Vivian said angrily. “So you’d better never hurt her.”

“I wouldn’t,” Joe whispered as he knelt down beside her body. He brushed the hair back from her face and studied her young features. There’d been very little change in the girl’s face because she’d already been in the prime of youth when she’d crossed over.

“Don’t make this sacrifice in vain, Joe,” Vivian said as he turned to leave. “Remember, the blood has to be from a virgin.” Then Vivian was gone and Joe heard the ringing slam of the door above.

“God, luv, what have you done?” Joe whispered as he felt her begin to wake. Her eyes opened and Joe was suddenly spellbound. Why had he never seen how deep and beautiful her eyes were? How her lips had such a lovely curve to them? The soft way her hair curled around her face like a halo?

As her eyes fell on Joe, Lily smiled up at him and he looked down at her in bewilderment. Why wasn’t she consumed by the first hunger? Where was the inflamed passion so many of the others had felt when they’d crossed? Her smile was gentle as she whispered, “You need to feed, Joe.”

“Of course I do,” he murmured, running his hand down the side of her neck. “All in good time, luv.” Watching as if he’d never seen her before, he leaned down and kissed her gently. Lily wound her arms around his neck, all her young fantasies coming true in that moment. Joe had been her first crush as a young girl and the man she’d always wanted but could never have as an adult. When she’d been told he’d disappeared after his car wreck in Paris, she’d held out hope that someday, somewhere, he’d come back again. And now here he was, holding her and looking at her like a woman for the first time.

His fingers traced down her side ever so lightly, sending a shiver racing through her. The kiss grew harder, more passionate as she pulled him down on top of her. Slowly, his hand moved to the front of her shirt, unbuttoning each button carefully. Then he traced the slight, lacy fabric of her bra with feathery touches before unsnapping the front fastener and brushing it aside to reveal the soft white flesh underneath.

Seeing the perfect skin so bare and vulnerable beneath him, Joe was left in wonder. He almost felt as if he stumbled through the forest and come upon a unicorn in a clearing, so rare was this beauty. A stab of pure lust drove through him as her fingers wound through his hair and guided his mouth to the small pink rosebud of her nipple. For one second in time, he wanted nothing in life more than to possess her body and soul. Within a few minutes, they’d shed the rest of their clothing and lay naked in each others arms. His lips traced lightly down her throat as his hips moved slowly between her thighs. He could feel her blood racing under her skin as he moved closer to taking her precious maidenhood.

Lyra cried alone in the forest. Her bond with Joe was strong again and she could feel just what he was about to do. Closing her eyes, she bent all her will to stopping him before it was too late. If his teeth didn’t break Lily’s skin before he entered her body, everything was lost. Then a blinding flare of light and heat tore through her as he bit deeply into Lily’s throat, drawing hard on the blood that would heal his illness. She could taste the salty sweetness of Lily’s blood for only a second before Joe broke through the barrier of Lily’s innocence and the sensation left her. Her link with Joe dimmed to the point where she could only barely feel that he was alive and healthy again. Their bond of the last thirty years was shattered in a heartbeat. The howl of anguish that ripped from her throat was inhuman as the realization that Joe was truly gone from her finally hit. She leapt into the sky and flew away from the coven house blindly, trying to escape the pain that circled around her heart.

A couple of hundred yards away, Sav and Steve both felt her leaving and took to the sky as one. They didn’t know just what she was feeling, but they could sense the ache of grief in her. She needed them, that was one thing they were sure of as they followed her into the night.