"Is it enchanted?"
The thin lips twisted. "In a manner of speaking. Now, I will have it."
Her hand clutched the amulet. "No."
"Fool." A savage anger twisted the elegant features and the vampire lifted his hands, as if to take the necklace by force. Then, to Amelia's vast relief, the sudden glow of approaching lanterns brought the stalker to a halt.
Covertly glancing out of the corner of her eye, she noted the small group of men determinedly headed down the alley. Their obvious lack of stealth and steady pace clearly indicated their identity at once.
"The Watch," she breathed in unsteady tones.
She heard the vampire growl, but his expression re mained one of evil intent. "You think I fear any mortal? They are mere fodder." He paused for a long moment. "Still, they do have their uses."
Amelia eyed him in wary terror. Could he possibly kill so many? Or was he simply attempting to keep her from calling out for help?
"What uses?"
Without warning, the monster reached beneath his coat to remove a long, blue scarf.
"A little memento I intend to leave upon my latest morsel."
"A scarf?"
His soft laughter was more horrifying than his earlier threats.
"A scarf quite exquisitely embroidered with your brother's name."
Amelia grasped the tree to keep herself from falling to the ground in fear. She, of course, now recognized the scarf. She had given it to William for his birthday only months ago. Gads, she had even been the one to embroider his name upon it.
"You beast," she hissed in fury.
"If you desire to save your brother from the hangman, you will bring me the amulet. You know where to find me."
Before Amelia could even form an answer there was a cold chill in the air and the man before her was suddenly cloaked in a heavy shadow.
"No..."
She stepped forward, but she already knew it was too late. Although she could make out no more than a fluid blackness as it moved toward the unmoving form on the ground, she knew beyond a doubt it was Mr. Ramone as he placed the scarf upon his victim. Even worse, the lanterns were far too close for her to have even a small chance of darting from behind the tree and retrieving the incriminating evidence without being seen.
Surely it would only make William appear even more guilty if she were seen taking the scarf away?
Dazed with shock, fear, and a blossoming dread, Amelia simply watched as the approaching men neared.
Dear lord, what was she to do?
Sebastian returned to his home in a dark fury.
He longed to indulge the passions that pulsed through his blood. To stalk the streets fiercely until he had his hands on Drake. Preferably about his neck.
Instead, he walked into the kitchen and restlessly paced the confines of the narrow kitchen.
He had been a fool, he acknowledged grimly. For all his concern for Amelia, and even for himself, he had never once thought that Drake would strike at him through his innocent housekeeper.
But then again, why should he? There was no obvious gain to be made by such a ruthless act.
The servant had been unaware of his true nature, as well as Drake's. And certainly she had no interest in the Medallion.
Bloody hell. Why would Drake have lured the elderly woman to the very midst of the stews?
And more to the point, why would he have left her hovering near death to suffer for hours as the last of the blood slowly drain from her body?
Was it a warning? If so, it had been utterly u necessary.
Or had it been an attempt to distract him? And it so, from what?
The question continued to gnaw at him as he paced from the heavy table to the rack of drying herbs. It was not until a sudden intuition about Amelia permeated his body that he came to an abrupt halt. Something was wrong. He could sense her sharp discomfort, as her presence grew ever closer.
With swift movements he was at the door and, pulling it open to watch as the maiden rushed through his narrow garden with her obviously reluctant brother in tow.
"Amelia," he called softly, instinctively searching, for any hint of Drake in the vicinity. There was a faint sense of him in the distance, but nothing that could threaten Amelia at the moment.
He stepped aside as she continued to bowl forward, not pausing until she was through the door and steering her sleepy brother toward the table. Even then she continued to fuss over her brother, pulling open a large bag she had set beside the chair and placing a battered blanket about his shoulders.
"William, I need you to stay here while I speak with Mr. St. Ives," she said in low tones.
"William tired," the boy muttered, laying his head upon the table.
Sebastian's heart gave an odd twitch as he watched Amelia reach out to softly stroke her brother's hair.
"I know, darling. Just rest here for a bit and I will soon be back."
Slowly straightening, Amelia turned to meet Sebastian's worried gaze. He had only to note the pallor of her complexion and the unmistakable glitter of fear in her beautiful eyes to have him abruptly striding forward to take her hands in his own.
"Amelia." A soft snore from William stirred the thick air and with an impatient glance at the sleeping young man, he pulled Amelia's arm through his own. "Come with me."
In silence they moved through the dark house, heading directly for the library. Once there, he pressed her into a chair and swiftly poured a large measure of handy. Returning with the filled glass, he pressed it Into her nerveless fingers and crouched beside the chair so he could closely watch her tense features.
"Tell me, my dear, what has happened?"
She sucked in a shuddering breath. "It was ... Mr. Ramone."
Sebastian bit back the curses that threatened to spill from his lips. "What has he done? Did he harm you?"
"No, I am well."
She did not sound as if she were well. It did not take the heightened senses of a vampire to hear the raw panic in her voice.
"Bloody hell." Sebastian shoved a hand through the hair that lay loose about his shoulders. "I should have known it was a trap from the beginning."
Surprisingly, a hint of sympathy touched the pale face. "Your housekeeper?"
"Yes. She is gone."
Amelia reached out a hand to lightly touch his arm. "Oh, Sebastian, I am sorry."
He shook his head. He would have to save his regrets for later. For now he had to concentrate upon Amelia.
"Tell me of Mr. Ramone. What did he do?"
There was a short pause as she took a deep drink of the brandy, coughing and sputtering as the fiery liquid slid down her throat. At last she lifted her haunted gaze.
"I was in bed when I heard a noise in the garden, went out to see what was occurring."
"Damn it all, Amelia," he burst out before he could stop the words. "When will you learn a measure of caution?"
Her lips thinned at his frustrated chiding. "It is very fortunate that I did go out to investigate.
Mr. Ramone was there and he ..."
The words stumbled to a halt and Sebastian's brief flare of annoyance faded at her barely hidden distress.
"What is it?"
"I think he had just murdered another young woman."
"Oh, Amelia." He reached up to cover the fingers that still lingered upon his arm. "I am sorry you had to witness such a ghastly thing."
"It was horrible." A shudder raced through her body. "I do not think I have ever been so frightened."
Sebastian frowned, struck by a pang of guilt. "I should have been there. What did he do?"
She shook her head, as if attempting to rid herself of the horrible memory.
"I was hidden behind the tree, but somehow he seemed to know I was there. He turned and came toward me and I could see the blood upon his lips. Ho was drinking her blood."
"Oh, my dear."
There was a wrenching silence before she met his steady gaze. "Did you know, Sebastian?"
He stiffened at the unexpected question. "Know?"
"That he is a vampire," she demanded, closely regarding his expression. Far too closely, he ruefully acknowledged, as her eyes slowly widened. "You did."
Sebastian grimaced, realizing it would be impossible to lie. Damn Drake. His revelation threatened to reveal the truth about himself. Just when she needed to trust in him the most.
"Yes."
"How?" Her fingers tightened upon his arm. "How did you know?"
"That is something we can discuss later," he forced himself to say in firm tones. "For now, I need to know what occurred."
She shivered as she pressed deeper into the soft leather of her seat. "He admitted that he was the one who had committed the murders. Then, he told me he wanted my amulet."
"Your amulet?"
Her brows furrowed together. "He claimed that it was a piece of some Medallion that belongs to the vampires."
His glance instinctively lowered to where the amulet glowed against her pale skin. Pale skin that was all too temptingly revealed by her thin nightrail.
"I note that you did not give it to him."
Her expression hardened abruptly. "I wish I had."