Nights in White Satin Nights in white satin, never reaching the end Letters I've written, never meaning to send Beauty I've always missed with these eyes before Just what the truth is I can't say anymore 'Cause I'll love you Yes I'll love you Oh! How I'll love you! Gazing at people, some hand in hand Just what I'm going through they can't understand Some try to tell me thoughts they cannot defend Just what you want to be, you will be in the end And I'll love you Yes I'll love you Oh! How I'll love you! Oh! How I'll love you! Nights in white satin, never reaching the end Letters I've written, never meaning to send Beauty I've always missed with these eyes before Just what the truth is I can't say anymore 'Cause I'll love you Yes I'll love you Oh! How I'll love you! Oh! How I'll love you! And I'll love you Yes I'll love you Oh! How I'll love you! Oh! How I'll love you! Breath deep the gathering gloom Watch lights fade from every room Exeter people look back and lament Another day's useless energy spent Impassioned lovers wrestle as one Lonely man cries for love and has none Young mother picks up and suckles her son Senior citizens wish THEY were young Cold-hearted orb that rules the night Removes the colors from our sight Red is grey and yellow white But WE decide which is right And which IS an illusion "A CAB?" I asked Asher in astonishment. "Jean-Claude sent us a *cab*?!" Asher sighed and looked down, then back up at me. "He does not know we are coming," he stated flatly. "WHAT?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Then how did you find out about Anita? If he didn't send for you..," I trailed off. Technically, Asher was still Jean-Claude's second-in-command. But this could be taken as an act of aggression if it wasn't handled right...especially since Anita's condition left Jean-Claude weakened. "A mutual...acquaintance informed me of what had happened to Anita. They feared that it was causing Jean-Claude some difficulty in maintaining his control. I intend to ask him why HE didn't call me, but he may not be thinking very clearly right now. So, it *could* have been merely an oversight," Asher told me. "Do not fear, Tamara. I will proceed cautiously." "Well, did you at least call ahead and let SOMEBODY know that we're coming?" I asked. "Oui. I told the acquaintance to expect us. But I don't believe they passed the information on to Jean-Claude yet," he replied. At least the cab was a minivan...plenty of room for the four of us and our luggage. Asher left his travel coffin on board the plane. Since he had rooms here, he wouldn't be needing it. Once we had everything and everyone loaded, Asher gave the driver directions to Circus of the Damned. The cabbie seemed awfully nervous and kept glancing in his rearview mirror. If he hadn't already suspected what Asher was, our destination had been a definite indication. We just didn't *look* like tourists. Particularly not Tim. The cab driver was really spooked when we pulled up in front of the Circus. The fanged clowns *were* a bit creepy in my opinion. He seemed visibly relieved that Asher didn't ask him to carry the luggage inside. Asher paid the fare as well as a sizable tip, then the cabbie practically fled the parking lot. We waited by the luggage as Asher went inside, presumably to clear the way. He came back out followed by a couple of vamps. They both grinned at our group, flashing fangs. New dead, I was guessing. One was sniggering a bit as he eyed Tim, with his pink hair and cupid costume. Asher let us know that they would be guarding our stuff while we presented ourselves to Jean-Claude. I had a feeling he wasn't entirely sure of our welcome. Kimmy insisted that Tim shift before we went in. He looked ready to argue, so I gave him a meaningful glare. He paled and swallowed hard, then did as he was told. Soon he stood there in his man-bear form. Kimmy had used some kind of stretch fabric to make the costume so it would survive the shape shifting. A fine coat of cotton-candy pink fur covered Tim from head to toe. Kimmy giggled and added the coup de grace to the costume, a pink plastic heart-shaped barrette for his chin fur. We followed Asher in through the front doors, through the crowds and into one of the tents. The place had that distinctive carnival midway stink to it with some slight variations. There was the musk of several lycanthropes in furred form instead of the more familiar livestock smells, and the underlying metallic tang of blood replaced the sweet scent of sawdust and wood chips. No one even spared Tim a second glance. Considering the sensory overload of the show displays and some of what was wandering around the place, I could understand Tim's failure to draw attention. I actually had to give Kimmy's arm a light tug when she got distracted by one of the show barkers. The bronzed young lycanthrope *was* quite the eye candy...well-muscled and in a skimpy outfit designed to draw attention to the fact that he was very well endowed. (Let's hear it for spandex and sequins!) She kept looking back at him as I pulled her along with us. Inside the tent were some stacks of supplies for the food vendors and a door marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY." Asher opened the door and ushered us through. We found ourselves in a small storage room that didn't store anything. A bare bulb dangled on a cord from the ceiling. Two other doors, one a non-descript grey metal, the other a heavy wood, led out. Asher went to the wooden one and led us through it and down the winding, oddly spaced stone steps beyond it. At the bottom, we stopped at a heavy oak door bound with iron. It looked like something straight out of Dungeons & Dragons. Rather than open it like the others, Asher knocked. A tall vampire with crimson hair and the greenest eyes I'd ever seen answered the knock. He recognized Asher, sparing the rest of us only a glance. His statement was a mixture of relief, surprise, and apprehension. I'd never seen a vampire look so agitated. "Damien, I heard of Anita's condition. I came to offer Jean-Claude any help I could," Asher addressed the redhead. "May my people and I enter?" It seemed like awfully formal behavior, considering how close Asher and Jean-Claude were. Damien nodded and stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. Asher offered me his arm. I took it, placing my fingers over the pulse in his wrist. I knew he wanted a show of solidarity and to send the message of my importance to him. The gesture gave me his protection and allowed me the freedom and authority to deal directly with anyone necessary. Kimmy followed behind with Tim looming in his role as bodyguard. As we passed him, Asher stopped briefly and placed a hand on Damien's shoulder. I caught the slight flinch from the other vampire and knew in that moment that he feared Asher. "How are you holding up, mon ami?" Asher whispered. Damien relaxed, but only a little. "I am fighting very hard to maintain control of myself, Asher," came his low reply. "I have no wish to be returned to that box." I remembered Asher telling me that Damien had a very strong bond to Anita and had gone feral once during a prolonged absence on her part. Asher and Jean-Claude had been forced to "box" Damien up. No wonder he was afraid of Asher. Asher nodded his understanding, and we continued into the room. There was quite a crowd gathered. Power rode the air like the prelude to a lightning strike. The majority of them *had* to be lycanthropes of some kind or another. The only ones I recognized were Stephen and Vivian, who sat cuddled together on the couch. I was mildly surprised that Jason wasn't there. A petite blonde vampire was ensconced in one of the armchairs like she owned the place. There was an arrogance about her that made me dislike her instantly. There was something else as well, I couldn't put my finger on it, but something not quite *right* about her. "Gretchen," Asher acknowledged her presence with a neutral voice. Gretchen? I had heard things about *her* that made my tension level climb a few notches. This did NOT look good. "Asher," her voice dripped icicles. She gave my master a look that most women reserved for their rivals for someone's affections. Nope, definitely not good. Then I spotted the portrait over the fireplace. Asher, Jean-Claude, and Julianna...my predecessor. Other than the clothes, Jean-Claude looked like...well, Jean-Claude. Darkly beautiful in an almost surreal way. Asher's image was breathtaking. My heart ached to see him unmarked and looking so happy. At that moment, I would've given anything to restore that look to his face...to erase the pain and betrayal along with the scars, but more than anything, to give him the happiness he deserved. Even in the painting, his gaze was mesmerizing, the eyes seeming to follow and find you regardless of where you were standing. The knowing smile combined with the mustache and Vandyke beard were EXTREMELY sexy. My body gave a little quiver just thinking about it. Julianna was exquisitely beautiful and delicate. Her hair was a few shades darker than my own. Her eyes were a rich brown and held the promise of laughter. Her smile was both sweet and impish. I felt like I was a peasant comparing myself to a princess. I wondered yet again, why Asher found me attractive. He had apparently picked up on my self-doubts. 'It is true that your beauty and Julianna'a are not the same, Tamara. But you *are* beautiful. And I love you...never doubt that, ma rose d'acier,' he told me through the marks. I changed the subject. 'Why'd you lose the face fuzz?' He gave a mental chuckle. 'If it pleases you that much, I shall grow it back,' he replied. 'It *is* rather sexy looking,' I hinted. He sent me an image of a little trick he used to do with that beard, and I barely managed to keep from blushing. And I thought he was versatile with his *tongue*! My breath caught in my throat as a wave of power peaked in the room. "What was THAT?" Kimmy asked. A small dark-haired man with green-gold eyes answered. "Jean-Claude and some others are trying out a theory of his that might enable them to revive Anita." "Micah, are you saying that Jean-Claude brought Anita *here*? Why?" Asher asked him. Micah, huh. So *this* was the Nimir-Raj I'd heard about. He almost looked like a girl. Good camouflage if he was as powerful as rumors had him. Of course, Anita *looked* pretty harmless, herself...if you didn't know better. "Yes. Her coma is a psychic one. The doctors at the hospital were unable to explain it or treat it," Micah replied. "So Jean-Claude brought her here, where the power that needed to be called to help her wouldn't cause so many problems." He had a good point. If that power surge we'd just felt had been loosed in a hospital setting, all hell would have broken loose. "I am going to see just exactly what they are trying to do," Asher stated firmly. "That burst tasted very much like Anita's necromancy to me." He left through a part> in the cloth that was draped over the walls...or formed the walls, I wasn't sure which. A few moments later, we heard a woman's blood-curdling scream. I felt a pang of regretful alarm from Asher. I nearly *flew* to where I sensed him to be. I arrived just in time to see an unconscious, nude woman collapse into his arms. Two male voices cried out simultaneously. "Kylie!" "Princess!" I looked past Asher and the woman into the room and saw a tall, dark-haired, bearded vampire I didn't recognize. Jason was there as well. His gaze was fixed on the young woman Asher was supporting, his eyes filled with fearful worry. I knew love when I saw it. "Kylie?" he repeated. "Come on Little Red, answer me!" Looking beyond them further into the room, I made out Jean-Claude's and Richard's shadowy forms next to a bed. Richard had no shirt on and Jean-Claude's clothes seemed to be uncharacteristically disarrayed. They were arguing...what else is new? Anita lay comatose on the bed. An older woman was shining a pen light into her unresponsive eyes and checking vital signs. At least they'd kept a medical person on hand. I guessed that whatever they had tried to do hadn't worked. I returned my attention to Asher and Kylie. He had lifted her in his arms. Her head drooped forward and rested against his chest just below his shoulder. Her curly red hair hung down, obscuring her face. Asilver heart-shaped locket peeked out from under the trailing edge of her hair. A couple of what looked like power-bead bracelets rode one of her wrists. I recognized the aplle green of jade and the golden irridescence of tiger-eye. Luck and courage, if I remembered right. Blood dripped from the same dangling hand. Should have added hematite for strength to the mix. What the hell had we walked in on? Asher was looking at her with tender concern bordering on adoration. My heart contracted with the pain of the sudden knowledge that he wanted *her*, maybe even loved her, from what I was picking up from him. I looked a little closer at her form as he carried her into the room. I still couldn't see her face. Her body looked about ten years younger than mine, at *least*. Natural redhead, too. Well proportioned. Slender. I could see why he would prefer her. Asher stopped in front of the strange vampire. The space between them fairly crackled with unspoken hostility as they glared at each other over the woman's body. you could almost *smell* the testosterone level skyrocket. Asher *knew* this guy. And, apparently they did NOT like each other. The other vamp took the unconscious woman from Asher's arms and stepped back a few paces. Neither broke the eye contact. Asher's statement had changed from one of animosity to his more familiar "come hither" stare, complete with a cute, sexy little smile and a. I think he even *winked* at the other vampire. The stranger's glare grew even harder, if possible, with a touch of disgust creeping into it. Asher's features softened to wistfulness and a small sigh escaped his lips. 'Ooookay...wonder what all *that* was about,' I thought. 'It's a long story, sister,' a strange woman's voice answered in my head. In my head? What *was* going on here? HAD they managed to reach Anita? No, she was still out of it. The voice *did* sound vaguely familiar...like I *should* recognize it...though why I was hearing it in my *head* was beyond me. Asher actually jumped a little, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been. 'Julianna,' his mental tone made it a statement. JULIANNA? But that was impossible! His former servant had been burned at the stake over two centuries ago. She couldn't possibly be talking to *me*...NOW. I flashed back on the look Asher had given the redheaded woman now being held by the other vampire. Surely he hadn't mistaken *her* for Julianna...she looked even less like the woman in the painting than I did. 'I've been curious to meet the woman Chardonneret chose as his new servant,' the voice spoke again. 'I approve of his choice. I believe you will be good for him...He deserves some happiness. By the way, Mrs. Lowery, you look good in my sapphires. They suit you.' That last comment was accompanied by a warm alto chuckle that held the same wry humor that the eyes of Julianna's image in the painting promised. *Could* I really be talking to Julianna? 'Well, Kylie calls me Jules, but I once inhabited Julianna's form as I now inhabit Kylie's, although she was not my original host. We were hoping that the news Asher had taken a new servant would mean he would relinquish his bond with *us*,' she told me. 'But it seems that won't happen.' 'Bond with you? Just exactly what *kind* of bond with you? How long has *this* been going on?' I asked, a faint twinge of jealousy in my mental voice. I sensed that Asher was a bit amused by that and clamped down on the emotion immediately. 'Don't push it, fang-boy,' I warned him. That got another laugh from Jules. 'We were first reunited with Chardonneret around six months ago,' she replied. Six months ago...about a month before Asher took control of Orlando and made me his servant. 'Kylie told him of Anita's plight when he entered her dreams at the start of this evening,' Jules continued. "You shared a dream with her?" I rounded on Asher angrily. "Was THAT why you shut me out when you rose tonight?" "Oui," he answered me, his face a neutral mask. But the marks were wide open at the moment. I *knew* he was delighted that I was jealous and exhibiting possessiveness over him. The urge to slap that careful mask off his face was almost overwhelming. Instead, I turned back to see what was going on. Jason had grabbed a blanket and draped it over Kylie's shivering form. Her tremors weren't lessening, though. The medical woman ('Dr. Lillian,' Jules' voice provided her name) came over and checked her out. "She's responding to Anita's power like she would to a severe case of hypothermia," the doctor pronounced. "Ramses, hand her over to Jason to hold. His body heat will help her. Jason, remove your shirt first, then hold her next to your skin." They did as the doctor instructed. Even unconscious, Kylie burrowed her face into Jason's chest. Ramses rearranged the blanket to drape around both of them, sealing Jason's lycanthropic heat in. Yet, still she trembled. I was beginning to get a headache from the noise level in the room. Richard and Jean-Claude were bickering over who's fault all this was and whether or not it was even worth trying again to reach Anita. Asher and Ramses (at least I assumed the rich masculine voice with the slight Arabic-sounding accent belonged to him) were both trying to get Kylie to respond to them, asking over and over if she could hear them and was she all right. I was beginning to realize that Ramses must be Kylie's master. 'Actually, they prefer the term *partners* to master & servant,' Jules told me. 'She's bound to Chardonneret as well, because of me.' She sounded apologetic about that, though whether she was sorry for me or for Kylie I wasn't sure. 'She has *two* masters? I didn't think that was possible,' I stated. "Too many too many too many too many," Kylie was repeating in a small, painfully desperate sounding voice . "Please make them stop, PLEASE!" "Too many what?" I asked. 'Voices,' Jules answered. 'Kylie used our abilities as an absorber of magic to draw from Anita's necromancy and the power of the triumverate to blast down the shielding that was holding Anita prisoner inside herself. Now, not only does she *hear* Ramses, Asher and myself, but Richard and Jean-Claude as well.' 'Good Lord!' I exclaimed silently. 'Having THOSE two inside one's head would be enough to drive *anyone* bug shit...the way they always carry on at each other!' Jules decided to make use of the conference call telepathy that was going on. 'Asher, Ramses, be quiet please,' she said. I saw from their expressions that they'd heard her. Their voices stilled. 'Kylie will be fine once the necromancy wears off. She just needs warmth and quiet right now...Jean-Claude! Richard! Stop it right this minute!' They both brought their heads up and looked in our direction. Richard looked puzzled. "Who...?" Jean-Claude looked stunned. "Julianna?" Both had been so wrapped up in their little tiff that they'd been oblivious to all that had been going on around them. 'Yes, mon etelon noir. It is me. Now be quiet.' Now that she had their attention, Jules continued. 'Kylie cannot handle all of your voices at once. She needs quiet, so that she can focus on recovering from this experiment. Your arguing on where to place blame serves no purpose and does neither Anita nor Kylie...nor yourselves any good. So stop it!' I felt a tingling heat from Asher's mental presence that usually presaged his anger. He was angry with Jean-Claude. "You!" he seethed. "You just *have* to meddle with others, Jean-Claude. You called Kylie here and endangered her for a plan that might not even work...you *know* Anita's magic doesn't always respond they way you'd expect it to! What if Raina had decided to pop up and play with the new 'toy'? Did you think of *that*? No, all you thought of was your own selfish desires. And apparently you had no *intention* of calling me to at least let me know what had happened and what you were planning if you weren't going to ask for my help." "Miss Everett was never in any danger, mon ami. Her chosen master was here to aide her," Jean-Claude sounded tired but also a bit angry. Asher wasn't about to quit, though. "And what if the magi had *not* been able to get here tonight. Would you still have gone ahead with this, with neither of us here as support for Kylie? Knowing that there might be a chance that she *couldn't* handle this?" "Oui," Jean-Claude was definitely mad now. "I intend no harm to Miss Everett, but I will try everything possible to bring Anita back...no matter the cost! We *cannot* loose her, Asher. If we are not prepared when the council comes, we are ALL done for...Kylie included." I thought I heard a touch of fear and desperation in his words. "You *should* have called me, mon ami," Asher said, his tone a bit calmer. Jean-Claude sullenly muttered something in French and Asher's temper flared again. Soon they were right up in each other's face, their wild gesticulations almost as hard to follow as their rapid-fire French. 'Oh, Chardonerret, don't *you* start now!' Jules sounded exasperated. I doubted he had even heard her. I could sense that they were both mainly venting and wouldn't bring this to blows or a challenge. I decided to try to do my best to ignore their little lovers' spat. Ramses strode towards Asher and Jean-Claude. There was grace and power to his movements...a terrible beauty, like watching a massive thunderstorm that builds rapidly readying to unleash its fury. I found it hard to tear my gaze away from him, so I didn't really try to. It was a mesmerizing view. At first, I thought he was going to try to seperate them, but he stopped a few feet short of them. He stooped and gathered up a bundle of green velvet then walked back over to Jason and Kylie. "Help me get what's salvagable of this back on her, Jason," he told the werewolf. "It will help her retain some heat." Jason lowered Kylie's feet to the floor and supported her weight with his hands under her arms. Ramses stooped down with the bundle of cloth and lifted her feet into part of it, one at a time. As he stood, I saw that it was a long skirt with satin trim. I stepped over to them. "May I help?" I asked. Jason nodded, but Ramses turned to look at me like he was studying me under a microscope. For the second time since we'd arrived, my breath caught in my throat. He had the most gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. I was close enough now that I could detect a spicy scent, like herbs with an undertone of myrrh. It evoked a mental image of the desert just after twilight, when the sands are still warm, but the air has begun to cool. "Who are you?" he asked me. I was too caught up in his eyes and scent to answer. Jason giggled at me and answered him for me. "She's Asher's new servant, Tamara." A gentle smile curved Ramses' lips as humorous pity crept into his eyes. If it had only been the smile, I think I would've melted where I stood. But, the pity brought me to my senses. I'd a feeling that Ramses didn't have a very high opinion of my master. I wondered briefly if Asher's flirting had been just to goad Kylie's partner or was he genuinely attracted to the man...I knew I was. 'Oh, he's attracted, all right,' Jules supplied. 'It drove him crazy that Ramses always rebuffed his advances, even before our death.' "If you could hold Kylie's hair out of the way, while I see if this thing can be saved," he agreed to my offer of help. I did as he requested. Gathering her hair back into a loose twist, I held it with one hand, using the other to remove the scrunchie from my own hair. I secured the twist with it in a kind of loose bun. It was then that I noticed a tattoo of twining rose stems starting just below her ear and following a scar down and part-way around her throat. The tattoo ended in red and yellow roses just a little above the locket. The ends of the stems were camouflaging fang punctures. Two fresh puncture marks trickled a thin line of blood just to the side of the tattoo. Having designed a few tattoos for commissions in the past, I could appreciate the craftsmanship of her body art. Kylie's eyes were open, but unfocused. She looked like she was still in some sort of shock to me. The scrap of green velvet that Ramses was trying to position over her bare breasts looked like it had been shredded. "That looks like it's beyond repair," I stated. "She can use my blouse until you can get her changed into something warmer," I offered, and began removing the black silk blouse I had on under a black velvet and rayon jumper-dress. It left my bra slightly exposed under my arms, but it was black, too, so no biggie. Ramses accepted the loan without comment and began pulling the blouse over Kylie's head, working her arms into the sleeves. "Won't you be cold?" Jason asked. "I *like* the cold," I said. "Besides, it seems kind of *hot* in here to me." I gave a flick of my eyes in Ramses' direction. He ignored it. 'Is it because I'm Asher's servant?' I asked Jules about Ramses' unresponsiveness. 'No, sweetie, it's not that and it's not YOU,' she answered. 'He hasn't *been* with ANYONE in over a millenium.' 'You're *joking*! He's that drop-dead gorgeous and he hasn't had sex in a thousand years?' 'Nope.' 'Damn,' I thought, amazed. Asher and Jean-Claude were still going at it. I had learned just enough French from Asher to tell that it had degenerated to name-calling. Jason had picked Kylie back up into a carrying position, and Ramses had wrapped the blanket back around her. It was obvious that the arguing was distressing her. The storm burst. Ramses drew himself up and, in a voice like the Crack of Doom, shouted, "ENOUGH!" and the psychic blast emanating from it knocked the other two vampires off their feet. I tried my best to stifle a giggle. They had landed with Asher sprawled on top of Jean-Claude. I caught a quick image from him, and knew he was fighting the sudden urge to steal a quick kiss from the Master of the City. Talk about rapid mood swings! Jason had headed for the door with Kylie, when she stopped him. She was still shaking pretty bad. I hoped for her sake that the magic wore off soon. "You...you...you said...they...wo...woul...woouldn'...comme...comeback," she managed to stutter out between chattering teeth. "What wouldn't come back?" I asked. "Th...th...the...s...s...scarrrss," she chattered. "They didn't come back, Belle," Asher said as he picked himself up in one fluid motion. (HOW did vamps DO that?) "What you saw was only a glamour." WHAT? "B..bb...but...w..why?" "To protect you, cherie," he answered. He was facing us now without a single mark on his face. Even the cut I had given him was faded away.