Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,8

"Lady Dorothea, could you tell me where Yvette is right now?"

"What?"

"Just see if you can feel her like you did me."

I hated parlor tricks, but I did as he asked, rolling my eyes as I closed them and felt around for Amir's sister. She was gone. A scene flashed through my mind of the battle between Lord Abernathy and me. Yuki's father had kidnapped her to marry her off to another clan of vampires. It had turned into an all-out war between me and the vampires. Amir had refused to fight out of loyalty to me, but his sister chose Lord Abernathy's side. Evidently, she had been torn to shreds by the undead, wounds grave enough that even a vampire could not have survived. I hadn't even known. "Oh, Amir. I'm so sorry."

I blinked up at him through the tears.

"You saw her death?"

"Yes. Not a way to go."

"Do not worry. She chose to follow him into his insanity. Those who followed their own hearts are alive to this day. She put too much faith in a man who did not deserve it. If only he could have been more like his daughter."

I smiled at Yuki, but she was staring at me nervously. "What?"

George stopped her from answering. "How many vampires are in the diner at this moment?"

Without closing my eyes, I knew the answer. "Three at this table, twelve in the back and one in the bathroom?"

"Count the number of people at the other table."

Lifting my gaze, I did as he asked. There were fourteen heads. "Fourteen. But only twelve vampires."

"Are you sure?"

I knew without a doubt that I was. "Positive."

"How can you tell?"

"Beats the hell out of me, George. I just can. The blonde girl on the end and the guy in the middle closest to the wall. They're human."

George turned to his cousin and nodded. "You were right."

"Yuki?"

"I'm sorry, Master."

"For what?"

"Before I answer, can you do something else?"

"Depends on what that is," I answered her honestly, narrowing my eyes at my familiar.

"Tell me how many vampires are in town?"

"What? Come on, Yuke, I can't do that."

"Try? Please?"

Sighing, I rolled my eyes again before closing them, picturing Cedar Falls in my head. One by one, little red dots appeared on the map in my head. I counted each one as they appeared. Three of them appeared outside of the city limits. "Forty-eight in town and three just outside of town," I answered, surprised at myself.

"Holy shit." George's forehead hit the table. "It's not possible."

"What isn't?"

"One more thing?" Yuki nervously tore the napkin apart that had been beside her hand. Marge was gonna smack her.

"What? No more parlor tricks, Yuke. Tell me what's going on."

"I will. Can you feel the vampires in Amersville?"

Wanting the weird conversation to end, I did as she asked and closed my eyes. "None that I can see."

"So, it is just the local vampires you can feel?' George lifted his head from the table.

"Yes? Wait. No." There was a tugging on my consciousness. Closing my eyes, I followed the pull to the southeast. "No. I can see them in Ashville, too. Eighty-seven of them. Yuki, call your mother. She is worried about you and angry at herself that she didn't warn you about your father. George, your father misses you and regrets what he said to you about your sexual preferences." I opened my eyes and stared at the two of them with their mouths hanging open. Amir chuckled beside me.

"And the two of you doubted me."

Yuki looked at Amir. "How did you know?"

"Since I wasn't at the graveyard and had already sworn my loyalty to Lady Dorothea, I felt it as soon as he died."

"Who?" I was behind on the conversation, but I had a feeling I knew who he was talking about. I just wanted him to say it.

"Lord Abernathy. When you sent him to the earth, you took his power."

"No, I didn't. I had a vampire side before that. It's what got those sweet kids killed."

"You had vampire powers beyond belief," he answered. "Almost on par with a vampire lord."

"Yes. They thought I was one. Abernathy didn't like his power being questioned."

"Exactement. But when you killed him, you tied all of his line to you."

"Huh?"

"You're not just my master, Master." She motioned to the vampires behind us and then spread her hands and included the rest of Cedar Falls into her quantification. "Ashville, too. Apparently. It's how you know what my mother and uncle are feeling."

"No. Not possible. I'm not a vampire, I'm