Sarah forced a smile as she nodded at each one in turn. The boy smiled uncertainly; the woman's gaze was dark and unfriendly. And hungry.
Delano. A name that meant "of the night." A fitting name for a vampire, Gabriel mused as he led the way into the parlor and invited his guests to sit down.
"In your letter, you asked about the existence of a cure," Quillan said, getting right to the point.
"Yes."
"You are serious about this, Giovanni?"
"Yes."
Quillan glanced at Sarah. "I presume your desire to be transformed into a mortal is because of this woman."
Gabriel nodded. "Can it be done?"
"There is a formula that is rumored to be effective, but I know of no vampire who has survived. Those who have tried it have all suffered long and painful deaths."
"What is it? How does it work?"
"It consists of rare herbs and spices. They must be gathered by the light of a full moon, mixed by a white witch on All Hallow's Eve, and consumed by the vampire at dawn's first light."
Gabriel shuddered. He had felt the sting of the sun once before. Its touch, while brief, had been excruciating. He could scarcely bear to think of the agony those other vampires must have suffered before death claimed them.
"Do you have a list of the necessary ingredients?" he asked.
Quillan nodded. "But I would admonish you to think carefully before you partake of it, Giovanni. The passage from life to death to life is perilous. The journey back to mortality has always been fatal."
"Why would you want to give up the Dark Gift?" Sydelle asked impudently, her black eyes bold with challenge. "Why would you want to spend a few years with this puny mortal, and then die, when all the women of the earth are within your power?"
"Sydelle!" Quillan's voice was filled with quiet authority. "I would remind you that we are guests here. I will not tolerate your insolence."
The woman stared at Gabriel for a moment, her dark eyes glowing with lust, and then she lowered her gaze.
She wants Gabriel, Sarah thought. Not his blood, but his body...
"If you cannot bear to be parted from this mortal, would it not be easier to bring her over?" Quillan asked.
"She doesn't wish it," Gabriel replied.
Surprise flickered in Quillan's eyes. "It isn't necessary that she agree."
Sarah gasped, alarmed by the predatory expression in the vampire's eyes, by the coldness in his voice.
Sydelle leaned forward in her chair. "Tell me, Giovanni," she purred, "have you ever made anyone vampire?"
"No."
"Never?" Quillan's voice betrayed his surprise. "Surely, in four hundred years, you've wondered what it would be like."
"I've wondered." Gabriel took Sarah's hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "But I would not bring her over against her will."
"That is your choice, of course."
"No," Gabriel replied. "It is her choice."
"I admire your restraint."
"Have you never wanted her blood?" Sydelle asked, genuinely curious now.
"Of course," Gabriel admitted gruffly.
Sydelle looked at Sarah, her expression filled with disdain. "Won't she give it to you?"
Sarah stood up, her hands clenched at her sides, her eyes narrowed as she glared at the other woman. "Get out of my house!"
Sydelle sprang to her feet. "How dare you speak to me in that tone!"
"Get out!"
"Sarah." Gabriel rose to his feet and placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Calm down."
"I will not calm down. And I won't sit here and watch that creature look at you as if you were a plum ripe for the picking!"
"Sarah." His voice was low and filled with warning.
Quillan rose effortlessly to his feet. "We will take our leave, Giovanni," he said. "When next we meet, I think it would be wise for us to meet elsewhere."
Gabriel thought for a moment. "The house at the bottom of the hill is vacant. I'll meet you there tomorrow night."
Quillan nodded. "Midnight?"
"The witching hour," Gabriel mused. "An appropriate time for a meeting such as this."
Quillan sketched a courtly bow in Sarah's direction. "I apologize for Sydelle's rudeness. Au revoir, mademoiselle. Giovanni." He sent a sharp look at his two fledglings, then turned and left the room. Delano followed close on his heels.
Sydelle followed more slowly. At the door, she glanced over her shoulder at Gabriel, her gaze blatantly sensual and inviting.
" Au revoir, cherie," she called softly. She glanced briefly, scornfully, at Sarah, then followed Quillan out the door, her hips swaying provocatively.
"The nerve!" Sarah exclaimed. "I'd like to scratch her eyes out!"
"It isn't wise for a mortal to anger a vampire, Sarah," Gabriel said dryly.