down the bank, disappearing from view. Vampire territory.
She froze for an instant, uncertain of her decision to be there. “Do you know where this ends?” she asked.
Andreas just looked at her. She climbed over the edge.
They reached the bottom and stepped onto a rocky area with pathways branching in four directions. A strong fishy smell saturated the air. The soft lapping of the river murmured nearby. Andreas chose a trail on the right, and they began walking again. Dusk had deepened into dark, and the path was becoming hard to see. Vines and brush encroached from both sides and grabbed at her jeans.
Andreas stopped. “Wait here.”
When he disappeared into the shadows ahead, Ari glanced around, wondering what spiders or other creepy crawlies might lurk in the brush. She didn’t like bugs. Brando had ruined their charm at age ten when he dropped a grasshopper in her shorts.
She shifted from one foot to the other, tired of waiting already. She almost decided to explore on her own when she felt Andreas return.
He held out a white bandanna. “You must wear this. Only vampires are allowed to see the paths beyond this point. Our friends are very nervous about this.”
“It’s fine,” she said. It wasn’t fine, but she knew her objections wouldn’t change things and might be viewed as a sign of weakness. She didn’t want to say anything that could be overheard by the wrong ears.
Andreas must have had similar concerns. He placed a finger against her lips. After tying the blindfold securely, he grabbed her hand, wrapping it with his long fingers. Ari braced for a flood of awareness at the physical contact, but it didn’t happen. Andreas was blocking her out. He tugged on her hand, and she crept forward.
It was a long four or five minutes before they stopped. Ari tensed as her skin prickled with the Otherworld energy of other vampires. She battled an urge to rip off the blindfold when she heard movement around her. Andreas spoke softly with someone then took her elbow, and they moved forward.
“Watch your step,” he cautioned. “The ground is uneven.”
The surface sloped under her feet. Harder now, broken stone at first, and then smooth. A cool dampness coated her skin. The breeze was gone, the air stale. Ari suspected they’d entered a cave. The cliffs were riddled with hidden fissures. They navigated a series of turns, more voices, then Andreas pulled the blindfold away.
Ari blinked in the sudden light. Two hanging lanterns revealed a rocky passage with protruding surfaces, moist walls, and six unknown vampires.
Three vamps stood before them, three behind. A male vamp in casual blue jeans and a muscle shirt, transformed in his late thirties, looked Ari over. He didn’t look friendly. Two female vamps, skimpily attired, one in red, the other in black, flanked him on either side. Neither woman looked at her or spoke. Maybe they were only eye candy.
The guy in jeans spoke to Andreas. “Why are you here? And with this female?”
“You appear to have misplaced your hospitality, my friend.” Andreas’s voice was cool but without censure. “Perhaps it will return if I introduce the Guardian, Arianna Calin.”
“Her status doesn’t explain the intrusion. Why are you here without an invitation?” The other vamp wasn’t backing down.
Andreas ignored the challenging tone. “A vampire of yours is missing. A young man named Gordon.”
The nest leader’s jaw tightened. “What do you know of this? Is he being held by the court?”
Well, this wasn’t off to a good start, Ari thought.
“Absolutely not.” Andreas appeared unruffled. “A young employee of mine is also missing. I hope to locate both of them after talking with your nest members.”
The other vampire snorted. “If we knew where he was, we’d have retrieved him. What information do you think we have?”
“I will know that when I’ve spoken with them. Two of your young men are acquainted with my missing friend. I will share everything with you once I have the facts.”
The leader frowned and digested this. Clearly Andreas held some position that made the other vamp reluctant to disregard him. “Who do you want to talk to?”
Now that was a good question. Knowing Andreas didn’t have the names, Ari waited to see how he would field this one.
“Young friends of Marcus, my missing vampire. They were with him the night he disappeared.”
“These two have names?”
A little sarcasm always helps. Ari wondered when Andreas would lose patience. He never showed this restraint with her.
“I presume they do,” he said pleasantly. “But I don’t know