Kendrick frowned. "Ask him about what?"
Anne stared down at the bedding. "I asked Keelan about matings; that's when he told me to ask Darian."
Kendrick put a finger under her chin and gently tilted her head up. "This is important. Did he say anything else?"
"That all the confusion was his fault."
Kendrick leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead exactly as Keelan had. "Get some rest, I'll speak with Darian in the morning."
Anne was too afraid to ask him about the children; she nodded and lay back down. "Keelan? He's out there somewhere, isn't he?"
Kendrick's expression was sad as he nodded. "Yes, but don't worry. I'll find him, I swear it." He stood and quietly left the room, leaving her with more questions and mixed emotions. Did she want it to be Kendrick because he was here and able to comfort her?
"Dammit it all!" she muttered, turning on her side. She hugged a pillow close and closed her eyes. When she slept this time, there were no dreams to haunt her.
*****
Anne lingered in the hallway upstairs. She heard the other couples walk by on their way downstairs and had waited until they had gone before she left her room to wait by Kendrick's door. She didn't feel quite like an outsider; it was more like she and Kendrick were a team, and it felt wrong to go downstairs without him.
When Kendrick opened the door and stepped into the hall, she felt a wave of relief. He saw her expression and frowned. "Were you waiting for me?"
"Yeah."
"Kendrick!" a male voice called.
They turned to see a blond young man jogging toward them with a package in his hands.
"Yes?" Kendrick asked, stepping forward.
"My name is Noah Calloway. I work with Meryn. This package just arrived for you from a vampire courier." Noah held out a small box wrapped in brown paper.
"Thank you, Noah."
"No problem. Well, I better get back to work. Meryn will be finished with breakfast soon, and she'll want to look over my coding." Noah crossed his eyes and made a face.
Anne laughed. "Good luck."
"Thanks!" He waved and ran back the way he came.
Anne looked down at the package. "What do you think it is?"
"Only one way to find out." He held his door open, and they walked inside. Kendrick immediately went to his table. Carefully, he cut the twine that held the wrapping in place. When he opened the box, his eyebrows shot up. "I must have done something right." He reached into the box and pulled out six black necklaces. The faint stench of death made Anne take a step back.
Eager and smiling like a child, Kendrick began placing the necklaces onto individual stone crystal plates. As each necklace touched the respective plates, it began to glow in different colors.
Kendrick stood back, a satisfied look on his face. "We should get preliminary results by tomorrow."
They walked back out into the hallway and Kendrick closed the door behind them. He whispered a spell then turned to Anne. "Place your hand on the doorknob."
She reached forward and grasped the metal knob. "What am I doing?"
"These necklaces are probably the most important things in the city. If I had a separate room for study I would lock them in there. Since they are in the same room as my unconscious little brother, I'm not taking any chances. I've bespelled the door so that only you and I can enter."
"What would happen if someone other than you or I tried to enter the room?" she asked curiously.
He gave her a wolfish grin. "It would not be pleasant."
He straightened beside her and offered her his arm. She blinked at his elbow and looked up at him. Smiling, he reached down, took her hand, and placed it on his arm.
"It would be an honor to escort you downstairs." He turned and walked them down the stairs and into the dining room. When they walked in, the other men stood, and Kendrick pulled her chair out for her. She smiled at him and sat down. The men took their seats, and Ryuu began going around the table with his serving cart handing out cups of coffee.
"Ryuu! Come back here and let me sniff Kendrick's drink some more," Meryn pleaded.
Ryuu sighed and looked at his charge. "Why torture yourself?"
Meryn dropped her head to the table. "I want coffee." She sounded so pitiful, Anne thought for a moment Ryuu would relent; instead, he reached down to the second shelf of the cart and pulled out a small bowl of coffee beans. He walked over and set this in front of Meryn "You can smell these to your heart's content."
Meryn scowled at the squire fiercely. Anne realized that the small woman had been planning to sneak sips all along.
Ryuu rounded the table and passed Kendrick a cup that smelled faintly of chocolate before turning to her. "I wasn't sure what would be to your taste, so I waited to see what you might like this morning."
Anne turned to Kendrick. "May I try some?"
He nodded and carefully handed her his hot cup. She blew on the liquid and took a tentative sip. The mixture of chocolate and coffee was perfect.
"Oh my goodness."
When she went to hand the cup back to Kendrick, he smiled and shook his head. "You keep that one. Ryuu, one more please."
Ryuu bowed. "Of course."
Kendrick raised a hand. "Ryuu, before you go, since everyone is here, I have a small announcement. I received the necklaces from the council this morning for testing. To keep them and my brother safe, I've placed a warding spell on the door, if anyone other than myself or Anne tries to enter the room, they will be severely injured."