"You must be Bart," I said, stepping in front of the others. Derik 
made as if to move forward, but I waved him back. Of the three of us, 
I was the only one with the necessary speed and strength to fend off 
an attack, thanks to Asher's marks.  "Got it in one, darlin'," he 
continued to grin. "And you must be Mrs. Lowery."  I nodded 
acknowledgment. 


Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Charlie was starting to get a 
blank look on his face. "Charlie!" I said sharply.  "Huh?" he replied 
dazedly.  "Don't make eye contact with vampires; it can be hazardous 
to your health," I warned. That got Bart to laughing.  "You mean he's 
really a...," Charlie said, fear starting to creep into his voice.
"Oh yeah, this is the real thing," I answered. "We weren't kidding 
about *this* stuff."


I returned my attention to the still laughing vampire. "So, Bart, 
what brings the Master of the City all the way out here?"  His 
laughter ceased abruptly, leaving his face neutral. His eyes, the 
same grey-green as mine, began to glow, the pupils vanishing in a 
solid wash of color. I met his gaze with a bored look.  "You do, 
darlin'," he said, his voice becoming low and warm. He reached 
a hand out, snake quick, in a grab for my shoulder. I was a split 
second faster, moving just out of his reach, but maintaining my 
position in front of the guys.  


"I'm not that easy," I stated.  "So I see," Bart conceded. "You are a 
lady instead of a tramp. How on earth did someone like you end up 
messed up with that Frenchy?"  "I'm still trying to figure that one 
out myself," I said with a half-smile.  "There is still the matter of 
price of admission to my territory, Mrs. Lowery," he got back to 
business.  "I thought Asher already took care of that," I said warily.
Bart smiled, his eyes still glowing as he eyed my throat. I didn't 
like where it looked like this was going.  "Oh, he tried to, but 
*you* were the one wanting in, so you are the one who has to pay," he 
informed me.


"And what exactly *is* the price?" I asked.  "A willing drink from 
you."  "Tammy, no!" Derik said, anger tinting his voice. "If he just 
has to have blood from us, let it be mine. I'm the reason we're here 
anyway."  Bart actually thought about it for a moment. "It *would* be 
tempting to have you in my thrall, Mr. Lowery, but I don't really 
want *you* in my territory any longer than necessary. Besides, I 
don't like to drink from *men*."  


"It's all right, Derik," I said. "I'll pay his price."  
"But...."
"No, I'll be all right," I assured him. "He knows that he'll have 
*two* master vampires to answer to if he should damage me."


"Two masters? Come now, Tammy, you don't have two masters," Bart 
sneered.  "No, I don't. But my master still maintains an alliance 
with Jean-Claude, Master of the City of St. Louis," I reminded him.
"Point taken," Bart bowed.  Derik and Charlie looked slightly puzzled 
at the sudden show of respect.  I smiled, unable to resist the urge 
to play smartass.  "Gives a whole new meaning to 'friends in low 
places,' doesn't it?"  Bart gave a short bark of laughter at the 
joke. "Now about that drink...," he moved towards me. I held out my 
arm, wrist up at him. 


He took hold of my arm, but pouted at me. "Does this mean I can't 
have a kiss?"  "Be glad I'm cooperating at all, Bart. The wrist is 
the best you're gonna get from me," I said coolly.  "Oh well," he 
sighed. Then he bit into my wrist. I hissed at the pain of his fangs 
entering and gritted my teeth. I sincerely hoped he wouldn't take 
enough to seriously weaken me. Derik and Charlie gazed on with a 
mixture of horror, fascination, and worry.  It *seemed* like Bart fed 
at my wrist forever. I was starting to feel a bit lightheaded by the 
time he finally released me. He threw his head back, eyes closed, and 
licked his lips. 


I stepped back out of his reach, swaying a bit. Derik steadied me.
"You all right?" he asked.  I nodded. "I'll be fine; just give me a 
minute."  Bart laughed. "Oh darlin'! *That* was sweet! *Where* are 
you keeping all that power hidden?"  I just blinked at him. I had no 
idea what he was talking about.  "All right, Mrs. Lowery. You can 
keep your little secret," Bart smiled.


A bleached-blonde vamp burst through the door. She was dressed in 
honky-tonk barfly chic...painted on jeans, stiletto heels, and a 
midriff-baring halter-top, no bra.  "BARTHOLOMEW! I *felt* that!" she 
screamed right up in the master vamp's face. "What have you been 
doin' with that hussy?!"  "Watch your mouth, woman," Bart warned 
her. "Mrs. Lowery is a lady.  You will treat her as such."  "Oh la-de-
da, a *lady*," the new vamp sassed.  "I'm warning you, Tanya," Bart 
growled.  


She spotted Charlie standing a little away from Derik and me. "Oooo! 
What have we here?" she squealed. "I haven't had a single *bite* 
tonight.  And sugar, you're just the perfect little tasty morsel." 
She started to stalk towards him.  I moved to intercept her, but Bart 
was faster. He gave her what *looked* like light, backhanded slap. It 
sent her flying into the wall, and she crumpled to the floor.
"Mouthy little slut!" Bart growled. "You'll go without feeding 
tonight and maybe for the next few nights, too."


"Fine!" Tanya snarled. "By the way, *master*," she sneered, "the 
Council representative is getting tired of waiting. He insists on 
seeing her...NOW."  "*Council* representative?" I asked cautiously.
Bart looked a bit abashed. "I'm sorry, darlin'. He got here right 
before y'all did."  I felt like we were trapped in a bad rewrite of 
The Empire Strikes Back, all of a sudden.  "Guten abend, Frau 
Lowery," came a voice I never thought to hear again outside of my 
nightmares.  A *really* bad rewrite.