After nearly two weeks of watching Lyra take out a stag or other large animal every other night or so, Steve and Sav were getting extremely worried about her. She’d barely spoken two words to either of them at those times when she was actually awake. But, for the most part, she would wake before either of them and take off to feed, then come back to her lair and go back to sleep without a word. Finally, they decided that if she wasn’t any better by the following night, Steve would take off and bring Cyra back to help them get her to come around.

When the two men woke up alone in the bed the next night, Steve let out a long sigh. Pulling his shirt on over his head, he turned to Sav in the darkness and said, “Guess I’d better go find Cyra before this gets any more out of hand.”

They both got up, Sav intent on tracking Lyra down as soon as he could. Then he realized that, while during the previous night, his bond to her was fuzzy, it was crystal clear tonight. And she was very close by. “I don’t think we’ll be looking to hard for her, mate. Can’t you feel it?”

Pausing for a moment, Steve looked at him and said, “You’re right, feels like she’s...”

“Sitting right here?” came Lyra’s soft voice from across the dark room. A match flared brightly, then Lyra lit one of the lamps sitting on the table beside her.

“Lyra?” Sav whispered uncertainly.

“You’re okay?” Steve said at the same moment.

“Not totally, but I’ll get there,” she answered quietly. Both men slowly crossed the room and knelt down in front of her, hands laying down gently in her lap.

“What happened?” Steve asked. “You were really starting to scare us, luv!”

“I’m not really sure,” she sighed. “How long was it?”

“About two weeks,” Sav answered.

“Not long at all then,” she whispered. “Last time, it was nearly a year before I came back to myself again.”

“When was that?” Sav asked in astonishment.

“Right after Ronan, Rafe and Gregor died,” she answered without looking at them. “I was so lost then, I guess I just went out of my head. It’s a wonder someone didn’t just stake me and put me out of my misery then.”

“Lyra, what happened to you these last couple of weeks?” Sav asked again.

“The pain was just too much,” she sighed. “Losing a bond like that, it shattered a small part of me, I guess. Broke me down to the most basic of all creatures...”

“You’ve been through this before?” Steve said, frankly amazed that she’d survived a year in that condition.

“Yes,” she nodded. “The three men I was closest to were dead, Siona had left because she was still mourning Connor, and Lisel and Leesha didn’t know about this place. I came back here and hid for a year before I returned to the coven house. The only way they knew I hadn’t died was because Leesha could still sense me out there, somewhere.”

“Okay, another question,” Sav asked quietly. “What is this place?”

“Somehow, I knew that question would come up,” she said with a slight laugh. “But it’s a very long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“Of course we do,” Steve said quickly as Sav nodded.

“Then you’ll have to come with me,” she said softly, taking each of their hands and pulling them toward the exit. When they made it out into the crisp night air, she released them and made her way up the hill through the trees. The full moon shone brightly as they walked. The forest got extremely thick, with barely enough room for them to pass in a single file line. Then they broke into a small clearing and Sav let out a gasp as he looked over the land. A small rock hut was in the center of the clearing. It looked on the verge of tumbling down, it was so old. Lyra walked slowly over to it and picked up a rock, placing it back into the wall of the building. Behind the first building was what looked to be a stall for a horse. Moldy hay still lay in the manger.

Sav stared around himself, wondering why everything here looked so familiar. Even the trees that surrounded them seemed to be something he’d seen in a dream, only they’d been much smaller then. And somehow he knew, without going inside the hut, exactly what the interior of the small building looked like. He looked to Lyra for an answer, but she was lost in her own thoughts at the moment.

Steve wandered around, looking over every part of the two tiny buildings. There was something here he couldn’t quite remember, as though he’d seen it all before. Though the feeling wasn’t as strong in Steve as it was in Sav, it was still there and it was puzzling.

“This building has been here for a thousand years,” Lyra murmured. “I’ve kept it standing as a reminder of who I once was. Besides, it’s always a wonderful feeling to come home again.”

“Home?” Sav asked with narrowed eyes.

“This was the last home I knew as a mortal, luv,” Lyra explained. “The home I shared with my husband, Ronan.”

“Ronan?” Sav asked incredulously. “My God, I lived here too? No wonder...”

“Deja vu, Rick?” Lyra replied with a laugh. “Considering Ronan and I came back here often during the five hundred years we had together, I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. We tended the house and planted the trees to keep out any unwelcome visitors. But I’ve owned this land since the time of Elizabeth the first, legally at least. Before that, it was always just accepted that the owners of this land were a mysterious pair who kept to themselves. But Queen Elizabeth finally gave me title to this land and all its surroundings after I did her a favor, just after her coronation. I’ve managed to keep it by passing it from one Alyria to another over the years. Though, at first, I let it pass to Ronan. We would pass it back and forth between us. But the record keepers of this century can tell you that there have been dozens of Lyra’s and Alyria’s over the centuries.”

“Wow,” Steve sighed. Then he looked up and asked, “Was I, I mean, Rafael, ever here?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “During the time when Ronan was gone with Siona, Gregor and Rafe both came here with me at different times. Just for a day or two, to get away from the others when it got too depressing without Ronan. Rafe kept coming with us, even after Ronan returned, but for some reason, we never brought Gregor back again.” Her hands ran over the rough stone of the entrance, then she turned to Sav and said quietly, “Welcome home, luv. Sheffield’s more than in Rick Savage’s blood. It’s in the soul of the man at the core of you. We lived here long before Sheffield ever truly came into existence. This land was all we had back then, so it became part of us both, body and soul.”

Sav walked into the hut and sat along one wall, still stunned by his surroundings. But Steve was curious, asking, “What about that cave under us? It doesn’t look like it’s a natural cave.”

“It’s not,” Lyra said with a chuckle. “Ronan and I dug it out so that we’d have a hiding place from the sun. Over the years, we added small things to it, like the fireplace and the alcove where the bed is. Those bushes just at the edge of the clearing? The really thick ones? The fireplace vents up through them. We planted those so that it would hide the smoke, so no one would wonder where it came from. But the cave originally started out during our mortal lives as a place to store milk and cheese. Once we came back here, after we became what we are today, we decided to camouflage it and make it into a little home whenever we needed it.”

Something drove Sav to stand and walk to the far wall of the hut, pulling a loose brick from the wall. Lyra’s head snapped around as she heard the stone grind its way out of its place. Only she and Ronan had ever known of that secret hiding place. Had could Sav have ever managed to remember it? She held her breath as he pulled a necklace from the small space, then turned to Lyra. “Why’d you stop wearing it, Lyra?”

Taking the necklace from his hand, she whispered in reply, “You were gone, Ronan. I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore.”

“Wear it for me now?” Sav murmured.

“Of course,” she sighed, lifting her hair and letting him fasten the chain around her neck. The small pendant was in the shape of a dragon’s claw and made of a golden alloy. Steve watched them with fascinated eyes, wondering what had just happened between them. Lyra turned and saw the expression on Steve’s face, then said softly, “Ronan gave me this necklace when we were first betrothed.”

“How’d you know where to find it, Sav?” Steve asked quietly.

“I don’t bloody well know, mate,” Sav said, shaking his head. “Somehow, I just knew it was there...”

“There’s a spell on this necklace, Rick,” Lyra sighed. “About a hundred years after we crossed over, you met up with an old witch living in the woods outside of Paris. You asked her to make it so that we’d always be able to find each other, no matter what separated us. She charmed this necklace and made it the focus of her working.” Walking back to the hole in the wall, Lyra reached in again and pulled out a sapphire men’s ring, whispering, “This was her talisman for you.” Sav held out his hand and Lyra slipped the ring onto his finger. It was a perfect fit and Lyra let out a laugh, saying, “Guess the ring remembers you as well, luv.” Then she got suddenly sober as she said, “I found it when I went back to the house where Ronan and the others died.” Then she paused and reached in once more, pulling out another necklace. This one was a simple strand of silver with a crescent moon hanging from it. “Steve, this...well, this belonged to Rafe. It was the only other thing I found after the fire.”

Steve crossed the room and looked down at the necklace in her hands, asking, “Is it charmed as well?”

“No, but I gave it to Rafe just before the fire,” she said, tears beginning to prick at her eyes. “I found it just a few feet from Ronan’s ring, so I assume the two of them were close together when the fire...” For a moment, both men saw the wild light coming back into Lyra’s eyes and wondered if they were losing her to the animal inside once more. But Steve wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “I’m here now, Lyra. And I’m not going anywhere again. Neither is Sav.”

“No, luv, we won’t leave you again, I swear,” Sav murmured as he came up to stand just over her shoulder. His hands ran over her back as he let Steve hold on to her. He held her for a long while before Lyra finally pulled away from them and walked slowly over to the fireplace. She silently laid several small logs across the pit, then pulled out a lighter and worked carefully to start a fire burning. Sitting back on her knees, she watched the flames leaping as Steve knelt beside her. Curling into his body, she laid there for a long while before she finally said, “Joe’s not going to come back to me, is he?”

“No, luv, I’m sorry,” Steve whispered into her hair. “He’s with Lily now. But I’m sure he still misses you, Lyra.”

“I know,” she cried softly as Sav crossed to her and pulled her from Steve’s arms. “It just hurts...”

“Shh, luv, it will pass,” Sav whispered. “And you’ll always know he loves you, no matter what happens.” Then he bent and kissed her gently, trying to wipe the pain from her mind again. For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to respond to him, then the kiss deepened as she clung to his body.

Steve thought of leaving them alone, but Lyra’s hand went out and grabbed his. With a gentle tug, she pulled him closer to them until his arms wrapped around her from behind. In the press of their bodies, Lyra could finally let go of all the pain she felt and revel in being alive once more. It took only a moment before the two men had the tattered rags that Lyra had worn removed from her, then they laid her back onto the hard packed floor of the hut.

Laying beside her, Steve’s mouth closed over hers as Sav suckled at her breast. Each of her hands wrapped through the thick, long hair of one of her partners. She felt Steve’s hand wander down her side and pull her leg up over his as Sav moved slowly between her thighs. A shudder passed through her as Sav moved gently inside her.

In an agony of erotic torment, Steve kissed her as his hardness ground into her hip. His fingers held onto her leg tightly as Sav pounded furiously into Lyra’s body. He could feel her body shaking as Sav bit down hard into her neck, his orgasm following closely on the heels of her blood entering his mouth. They lay there for a long moment, Lyra’s tongue working feverously into Steve’s mouth as Sav cradled her body against his. Sav’s head went down to her nipple, capturing it quickly with his lips as his hips slid slowly away from her.

Her hands ran down Steve’s side until she found the top of his jeans. Needing to feel him inside her as well, she fumbled with the buttons until he took over and opened them. His rock hard manhood sprang out, rubbing along her slit. Her back arched into Sav’s wondrous mouth as his fingers started to tease the hard nub of her clit. The arch gave Steve the perfect angle to enter her body, sliding into her hot channel with one swift movement.

Their bodies rolled over as Sav moved off to the side a bit, his hand never leaving her mound. She grabbed Sav’s other arm as Steve got up on his knees behind her, his hips slamming into her. Her legs started to tremble from the attention both of them were giving her. Sure fingers pulled gently at her clit, stroking it while Steve worked hard into her. Then something snapped inside Lyra as her climax broke over her and she sank vicious teeth into Sav’s arm. It only took a moment longer for Steve to finally give in to his own body’s needs with one final thrust. Then, as he collapsed down onto her, his fangs bit gently into her shoulder. Knowing that Sav would need the blood as well, Steve moved his hair back from his neck and exposed it to him. For a long moment, Sav stared down at him undecided. Then he finally gave into his own needs and completed the circle of the blood kiss as he bit into Steve’s pale throat. An electric current seemed to pass through them all as the blood flowed from one and into another. They stayed there for hours, reveling in the feeling of each other’s blood and bodies. As the sun came up over the horizon, they simply released the bites and fell into the deep sleep of daytime.

When Lyra’s eyes opened the next night, she stared down at the earthen floor beneath her and felt the weight of Steve’s slim body still laying across her own. Her hand went out, seeking Sav’s in the darkened room. Her fingers curled around his as he woke slowly from his day long sleep and smiled down at her. Steve was the last to wake, hunger finally pulling him from his rest.

“I’m starved!” Steve laughed as he rolled off Lyra’s body and kissed her softly.

“Well, around here, there’s really only one thing to do,” she said quietly. “Hunt.”

“For what?” Steve asked.

Sav shook his head, saying, “You mean, like you’ve been doing the past few days.”

“Exactly that,” Lyra smiled into the darkness. “It’s not as neat as the little bottles we keep at the coven house, but it does the job.” The two men pulled back on their jeans, but Lyra simply walked out into the night air naked as the day she was born. Watching her, they both wondered what could possibly be going through her mind. Then she motioned for them to follow her into the forest that surrounded them. She walked silently, watching the trees in front of her. She’d stop for a moment, then motion them forward again. After a moment, they saw a wolf walk slowly up to Lyra’s side and let her pet its broad head. The wolf turned and looked at the other two people behind her, then stared back up at Lyra again.

“She’ll let us all hunt with her tonight,” Lyra whispered.

“What?” Steve said as Sav stared at her in confusion.

“We get the blood, her pack will get the meat,” Lyra answered. “There are certain things that I benefited from my bit of madness in. A kinship with this pack is one thing.” Sav nodded, though Steve was still a bit bewildered. But they both followed her as the pack surrounded them. The hunt was on.

The pack crept slowly through the trees, stopping often to scent their prey. The three vampires followed silently, waiting for the moment when the deer or other animal came into view. The wolves froze and Lyra grabbed Sav to pull him back as soon as they spotted the doe laying in the clearing ahead. The lead wolf looked up at Lyra, almost a signal to her from what Sav and Steve could see. Then, fast as the wind, Lyra shot across the grass and grabbed the sleeping doe. The animal didn’t even have time to fight as Lyra’s fangs tore into her throat. She motioned Sav and Steve to her side and waited for them to take over at the deer’s head before moving back out of the way. The wolves were cautious, not knowing exactly what to expect from these two newcomers. But the vampires fed only until the blood was drained from the kill, then moved back to Lyra’s side.

“How on Earth did the two of you manage while I was hunting?” Lyra chuckled softly as she walked back to the lair hidden in the hillside.

“Um, well, there are a few anemic prostitutes here in Sheffield now,” Sav said sheepishly.

“More than a few, I’d say,” Steve grimaced.

“But no deaths?” Lyra asked in concern.

“Nope,” both men replied quickly.

“Good,” she sighed as she walked into the cave. Reaching into the trunk on one wall, she pulled out an old fashioned dress and slipped it over her head. Then she tossed each of the men one of the tunic type shirts and asked, “Feel like a night out tonight?”

“Sure,” Sav answered as he put on the shirt. Lyra looked as if she’d just stepped out of a Renaissance painting in the cream colored dress she wore. Slipping into an old pair of soft leather boots, she said, “Then let’s go.”

“Guess we’ll be making a bit of a fashion statement, huh?” Steve laughed as he tugged at his shirt.

“Actually, I think there’s enough variety in modern clothing that we should still manage to blend in,” Lyra answered.

“Well, let’s head out then!” Steve answered with a smile. They took to the air and came down just behind a small pub on the outskirts of Sheffield. They thought they weren’t seen before walking quietly into the bar. None of them noticed the middle aged woman who’d watched them with excited eyes.

Sav looked around, suddenly very uncomfortable in the press of people. Tugging on Lyra’s arm, he whispered, “Someone’s up to something, well, it’s not quite right....”

“Can you tell who?” she replied quietly.

“Not yet, there’s too many people,” he sighed.

“Then we’ll just keep our eyes open and watch for it,” Lyra answered. “It most likely doesn’t have anything to do with us anyway.” That said, they threaded their way to the back of the busy room and took up a table in the far corner. The juke box was playing loudly, so Steve pulled Lyra out on to the dance floor for a brief spin. Lyra watched as a woman, who was probably in her forties, walked over and slid into the seat next to him. There was a short conversation, but Sav seemed completely distracted during it. He kept looking at the woman, not quite sure what to think of her. How many forty year olds came up to a man who looked twenty anyway?

As she saw Lyra and Steve head back to the table, the woman took off quickly. Lyra scooted in next to Sav and asked softly, “What was that about?”

“I don’t know,” he said uncertainly. “I don’t even really remember what she was talking about. It’s kind of...well...blurry, now.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed as she studied him. What could have possibly caused him to forget a conversation he’d had only a couple of minutes before? Turning back to the crowded room, she tried unsuccessfully to find the woman who’d spoke to him. As she looked back at Sav, she heard Steve let out a gasp. Spinning around, she saw his mouth hanging open and followed his eyes. And was absolutely stunned by what she saw there.

Sav looked at both of them sitting there with mouths hanging open and whispered, “What’s wrong, Lyra?”

“That woman!” she hissed. “She looks just like...but that can’t be!”

“What?” Sav asked anxiously as Steve stood up and started across the room.

“No, Steve!” Lyra cried out as he moved across the room like a sleepwalker. “It’s not her, luv!”

“Who the bleeding hell are you talking about, Lyra?” Sav asked with worry in his soft voice.

“Look at that woman,” Lyra answered in disbelief. “She could be Lisel’s twin!”

Finally, looking out at the dance floor, Sav caught sight of the woman who’d captured his companions’ attention. Steve was just approaching her, asking her to dance with him. She consented with a small smile and Lyra cringed as the woman walked into Steve’s arms.

“He’s got to understand that isn’t Lisel,” Sav whispered.

“Let him have this few minutes, luv,” Lyra said sadly. “She’s only been gone for a couple of weeks, so I know he still misses her.”

“But Lyra,” Sav insisted. “SHE’s what’s wrong here!”

“What do you mean?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“I mean, she’s not what she seems,” Sav replied carefully. “I can’t hear anything from her, no matter how hard I try.”

“You’ve got to be wrong,” Lyra answered with a nervous laugh. “Watch, I’ll get her to scratch her nose.” Concentrating hard, she focused on the mystery woman and tried to plant the thought of an itchy nose in her mind. Watching for a long moment, Sav whispered, “She’s not going to scratch it, Lyra. WE can’t reach her, don’t you understand it?”

“No, that’s not possible,” she said confidently. “There’s only one person who’s ever been able to block me like that and she’s been dead for a few centuries now.”

From her vantage point, Lyra watched in dismay as Steve leaned down and whispered softly into the ear of the woman he was dancing with. She looked up at him with lust-filled eyes and pulled him to the back of the dance floor and out of Lyra’s view. Sav grabbed Lyra’s arm and asked worriedly, “And who was she?”

“The witch who put the charm on this necklace,” she answered absently, fingering the dragon’s claw at her throat. “She could block me when she concentrated hard enough, but it took a lot of effort to do it.”

“And you’re sure that’s not her?” Sav asked quietly.

“We were there when she died, Rick,” she assured him.

Sitting there thinking for a few minutes, Sav finally leaned over to her and whispered, “But, luv, if Steve and I could be reincarnated, why couldn’t she?” His eyes went blank for just a moment, then he hissed urgently, “She’s not what she looks like, Lyra!”

“What?”

“I could hear her for just a second, luv,” he said as he got to his feet. “She doesn’t really look like that! It’s some kind of spell or something.”

“FUCK!” Lyra exclaimed quickly, following Sav’s lead to the dance floor. Rather than let Sav burst into the conversation between Steve and the woman, Lyra grabbed him and wrapped her arms around him. They danced slowly, closer and closer to Steve and his companion. Casting a slight glance in their direction, Lyra saw Steve pull the woman over to them. He touched Lyra on the shoulder and said, “Lyra, I’ve got someone I want you to meet. This is Lisa. Lisa, this is Lyra and that bloke is one of my best mates, Sav.”

“Nice to meet you, Lisa,” Lyra said quietly as she pasted a false smile on her face. Glaring at Sav, she finally managed to get him to simply say “Hello” without any harsh words to Lisa. Steve didn’t notice the narrowed eyes Sav aimed at Lisa, nor the frozen expression on Lyra’s face. Smiling down at his dance partner, he let her pull him away from his friends and towards the back of the club. Hanging on tightly to Sav, Lyra hissed, “We can’t just go after them, luv. She’s got to think we’re not on to her at all, so we can find out just what her game is...”

“Okay, but I’ll tell you this much,” Sav answered. “I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

After a couple hours of forcing Sav to dance and keeping an eye on Steve and Lisa, Lyra sat at the back of the club and tried to figure out what was going on. What could this woman want from Steve? Was it just a coincidence that she’d chosen the form of the lover Steve had recently lost? Or had she managed to find out just what Steve‘s weakness was?

Hearing a yell, Sav looked up just in time to see three men start a brawl in the open dance floor. He got up, throwing people aside as he made his way to them and pulled them apart. Looking between them, and with Lyra standing just over his shoulder, he said calmly, “Okay, guys, what’s going on?”

“He hit on my girlfriend!” the shortest one yelled.

“How was I supposed to know she was with you?” a second one responded. “She kept bloody well staring at me!”

“Probably wondering how any human could be so fuckin ugly!” the first man cursed.

“I don’t have time for this right now,” Lyra muttered. Moving Sav aside, she looked the second man in the eyes and said, “You made a mistake, correct?”

“Yeah, but he...”

“It was a mistake,” Lyra said insistently.

“Right.”

Walking slowly up to the shorter man, she looked at him and said, “All’s forgiven, right?”

“Are you insane?” the man started.

“I wouldn’t mess with her, mate,” Sav said with a sad shake of his head.

“Piss off, asshole,” the man hissed back at Sav, only to feel Lyra’s strong hands grab him by the collar. His feet came up off the ground as Lyra said slowly, “I’ll say this one more time, then I’ll get physical. I don’t have time for your bullshit tonight. Now, is this over or not?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he squeaked. Setting him back on his feet, Lyra looked between the men and said, “I really don’t want to hear this again, okay? I’ve got much more important things to worry about other than who’s fishing in what pond!”

“YES MA’AM,” all the men involved said quickly, obviously put off by the way Lyra had handled the first man.

“Now get out of here!” Lyra insisted. The three men shot out of the bar, one of them stopping only long enough to collect the woman who’d been at the heart of their dispute.

Turning around, Lyra searched the bar for Steve. He was no where to be found. Focusing on her bond with him, she realized she couldn’t feel him at all. Panicked, she looked at Sav and whispered, “Did you see Steve go out the door with her?”

“No, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find him, luv!” Sav said confidently. “Trace him with your bond.”

“I can’t feel a fucking thing!” she hissed as she took off towards the back of the bar. At every table, she searched faces, frantic to find Steve. But he wasn’t at any of them.

“Fuck all,” she breathed quietly as she ran out the back door of the bar and into the alley. Sav was right behind her as she looked around the dirty street, trying to locate Steve. “Rick, go down that way,” Lyra pointed, “See if you see him anywhere. I’ll check down here!” Then she was gone, running away from him into the darkness of the alley.

The night was so thick and dark by that hour of the morning, Sav could only see because of his vampire enhanced vision. And even with that advantage, he still stumbled noisily as he rounded the first corner. Suddenly, he could hear the moaning gasp of a man having an orgasm and knew exactly where Steve was.

“Steve?” he whispered urgently. Silence.

“Steve, mate, I know you’re there!” Sav hissed into the night.

“Go away!” came a harsh female voice.

“What the fuck do you want?” Sav asked in confusion. He wasn’t prepared for Steve to lash out at him, knocking him to the ground with a sudden blow.

“I told you to go away, Sav,” came the woman’s voice again. This time, the hostility resonated in her tone. “He’s with me, now.”

“You sorry bitch,” Sav muttered, trying to get to his feet. But Steve knocked him down again, this time with a vicious kick to the mid section. It beat the wind out of Sav, giving Steve time to throw a punch that knocked Sav unconscious.

Lyra found Sav laying on the ground just a few seconds later and peered at Steve for an answer as to what happened. A car going past the alley threw just enough light on Steve’s face for her to see the hollow look in his eyes. It frightened her. How had this “Lisa” managed to do this to Steve in such a short while?

Focusing with all her might on Steve’s mind, she managed to break through the blockade between them and feel him again. His thoughts were muddy and clouded, not making any sense even to him at that moment. Without a word, Steve advanced on Lyra as though he was about to strike her as well. She felt his fingers dig into the flesh of her arms, but couldn’t let go of her focus on him. Mentally, she begged him to hear her and felt a slight response in him. He paused just as he started to lift her off the ground.

“Get rid of her, luv!” Lisa insisted. “She’s just going to stand between us!”

Lyra closed her eyes as she felt her feet leave the ground. Her mind pleaded with him, repeating reassurances directly into his thoughts.

“Lyra?” Steve whispered uncertainly.

“Yes, luv,” she exhaled, feeling the Earth under her once more.

“Steve!” Lisa hissed. “You can’t do this!” Steve swayed on his feet and Lyra caught him just before he fell to his knees. She laid him down, telling his mind to sleep as she said quietly, “I’m sorry, luv. I’ve got to do this without you.” With a soft sigh, Steve closed his eyes under her command. A small smile played across his lips as he fell quickly into dreams of happier times.

“Lyra?” Sav asked as he came around, rubbing the side of his head where Steve had hit him. “What’s going on?”

“Rick, baby, just stay with Steve and DON’T get close to her,” Lyra answered softly as she got up and headed for Lisa.

“Okay, lady,” Lyra said evenly. “What’s this game about?”

“What are you talking about?” Lisa answered with feigned innocence.

“What are you trying to do with Steve,” Lyra growled as she closed on the other woman’s position against the wall.

“Just having a bit of fun,” she said flippantly. Lyra didn’t see the movement of her hand until it flashed out at her. A fine, silvery powder scattered in Lyra’s face and eyes, burning her and leaving her blind. Shoving her way past Lyra, Lisa just had time to hiss, “I’ll take him back whenever I’m ready and you won’t be able to stop me!” Then she disappeared into the night, leaving Lyra writhing on the ground in the most intense physical pain she’d felt in a century. Sav flew to her side, pulling her into his arms as he quickly said, “Jesus, Lyra! Are you okay?”

“NO!” Lyra cried, the pain seeping into her voice. “Oh, God, Rick, what the hell did she do to me? I can’t see a thing!” Running his hand over her face, he pulled back in alarm as he felt moisture there.

“STEVE!” Sav yelled urgently, rousing Steve from the slumber Lyra had induced. “Lyra’s hurt! We’ve got to get her out of here!”

“Okay,” Steve answered groggily, stumbling to his feet. He gathered Lyra up in his arms and looked at Sav, though he was still slightly stunned by what he’d just been through. “What now?”

“Let’s get her back to the cave for now,” Sav said, not seeing the dumbfounded expression on Steve’s face.

“Um, okay,” Steve said, shaking his head. “How?”

“We’ll just have to fly,” Sav answered. “Wait! What do you...nevermind, let’s go and we can talk later.” Pulling on Steve’s arm enough to get him started into the air, Sav led the way back to their hillside hideaway.

By the time they reached the cave, Lyra was unconscious from the pain. Sav got Steve to help drag her in, but he was still worried about the fluids he’d felt on her face. It hadn’t felt a thing like tears. Not even the bloody tears a vampire would shed. As soon as they got her into the bed, Sav lit a lamp and brought it over to her side. Then let out a gasp as he looked down at her face.

“OH GOD!” he gasped as he saw the bloody pits that covered her face. Her eyes were covered in lesions as well, so no wonder she hadn’t been able to see a thing. “Steve, give me that water on the table!”

Bringing the pitcher over to Sav, Steve stared down at Lyra’s face in horror. He heard her moan lowly as Sav dabbed the edge of a blanket into the water and tried to wipe the remains of the toxic powder from her. His head finally cleared completely as he watched Sav work diligently over their lover’s injuries.

“Lisa did this?” he asked in dismay.

“Yeah,” Sav answered absently, all his attention focused on Lyra at the moment.

“Fuck,” Steve murmured, wondering how he’d been so captivated by a woman capable of doing this to his lover and friend.

All Sav could concentrate on was trying to relieve some of Lyra’s suffering for the next hour. He could feel the rising sun coming upon them all as his body started to move more sluggishly. Hoping that daylight would render her at least partially unconscious for the next several hours, he pulled Lyra into his arms as his body gave in to its need for sleep. Steve slipped into the bed on her opposite side and wrapped his arms gently around her as he fell into the death like sleep of daytime as well.