If he knew where she slept, and no one else did, if he rose before her and could take himself wherever he chose, then he was a threat to her.
She surely knew that if Bernard did.
Stefan sat on a likely boulder and linked his hands over a knee.
"I meant to come to you when darkness fell," he told me.
"There are things I need to tell you about this link between us--" He gave me a shadow of his usual smile.
"Nothing dire." He looked out at the water.
"But I thought I'd clean up my front porch a little first.
The newspapers have been piling up because no one is living there now." I had the sinking feeling I knew where this was going.
"I was thinking I'd have to call and have the newspaper stopped--and then I read the newspaper.
About the man you killed.
So I went to Zee and got the full story." He looked at me.
"I'm sorry," he said.
I stood up deliberately and shook as if my fur was wet.
He smiled again, just a quirk of his lips.
"I'm glad you killed him.
Wish I'd been there to watch." I thought of where he'd been, tortured by Marsilia, and wished I could watch him kill her as well.
I sighed and walked over to him, then put my chin on his knee.
We both watched the water flow under the sliver of moon.
There were houses nearby, but where we sat it was only us and the river.
9
I LEFT STEFAN FINALLY I NEEDED TO GET UP EARLY TO get back to work, and it might be nice to have some sleep.
When I glanced back over my shoulder for a last, concerned look, he was gone.
I hoped he hadn't gone back to his house--that didn't seem like the smartest place for him to hang out--but he would do as he pleased.
He was like me in that way.
The lights were on at home, and I redoubled my pace as soon as I saw them.
I dove through the dog door and found Warren pacing in the living room.
Medea sat on the back of the couch and watched him with an annoyed look on her face.
"Mercy," Warren said with relief.
"Get changed; get dressed.
We're attending a peace powwow with the vampires, and you were specifically requested." I ran into my room and shifted back to human.