These characters belong to Jeaniene Frost. Thank you so very much for creating these wonderful characters and allowing us to play with them.

Thanks to the lovely co-betaing duo of Kristin Elizabeth and A Redhead Thing. You're the best!

Any remaining mistakes are all ours.

Chapter 10

The words from Kira's vision echoed in his head. You are not mine. I do not know you. They sliced through his heart just as surely as a blade of silver would. Then the words he was certain were meant for him. Someone must pay. Why had the ghosts of his past picked now to haunt him? And through Kira, no less? She had enough to deal with as a new vampire. She did not need this as well.

Mencheres had remained in the library until just before dawn trying to glean the meaning from Kira's vision. He had done this many times before throughout his long life. He would spend hours pondering a vision and its meaning, hoping his interpretation would be the right one. He was always willing to put his people and his line first before anything else. No matter the consequences. But this was different. Why had this vision appeared to Kira? And why now?

He smelled her coming closer before he actually heard her. She was becoming very good at masking her movements. He smiled and quietly went to the library door, opening it just as she was about to enter.

"Oh! You startled me!" Kira laughed, her hand raised as if she was about to knock.

Mencheres looked down at her, standing there in a short black silk robe. "You are up late my little vampire."

"I was just about to say the same to you. Except for the little vampire part."

Mencheres pulled her close to him, burying his nose along the soft skin of her neck, reveling in her lemony scent. He held her tightly, his hands roaming over her arms and back. He wound his fingers in her thick hair as his lips made a trail to her mouth. He kissed her lips softly, tenderly. When he was done tasting her mouth, he pressed his forehead against hers, eyes closed as he enjoyed the moment a while longer. He then gathered her up in his arms, bridal style, and carried her back to their bedroom.

^V^

Kira listened to the sound of the tires against the pavement as the limousine made its way to the private airport. She glanced over at Mencheres, feeling subtle twinges of emotions from him, even though his shields were firmly in place. She didn't like it when he closed himself off from her, but he had explained his need to cloak himself when they were out in public. As long as he didn't shut her out when they were alone, she wanted him to do whatever was the safest for both of them.

She glanced over at him and smiled, thinking about how he had carried her upstairs the night before, and his attentive manner. He had held her in his arms in the warmth of their bed and told her about his first visions. He had answered all her questions, too, even the ones she knew he would rather not talk about.

Kira loved those intimate moments with him, lying together in the predawn hours, when he would tell her stories of his long life, and the places he had been. Somehow it was comforting to learn that he hadn't realized the significance of the flashes of the future he had seen at first, brushing them off as dreams himself. It was only with time that he had realized what they were, and he hadn't wanted this power either. At first. But he had learned to use it to his advantage in mastership of his line. Just knowing that he had learned to control it put Kira at ease.

Mencheres had been so gentle with her all night. He had dropped his shields entirely, and the emotions she felt from him made her feel like she could handle this new power, if that's what it was. He had made love to her in the sweetest way, slowly, unhurried, before they fell into a dreamless, restful sleep in each other's arms. In spite of the ugly way the night had started, its ending had put everything to rights again. Remembering how he had made love to her made her want him again, and she turned to him and smiled flirtatiously.

Mencheres caught her changing scent and returned her smile. He leaned over, closing the distance between them and kissed her. He was going for a second kiss when Kira's cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, and with a quick flip of her wrist answered the call.

"Hello? Tina?"

"Kira? Is that you?" Tina couldn't say anymore because she was coughing and crying at the same time. Kira tensed in her seat.

"Yes T, it's me. Calm down and breathe. Are you okay?" Kira looked over at Mencheres, tilting the phone toward him.

"No, I'm not. Someone's broken into my apartment, and I tried calling Gorgon, but I couldn't get in touch with him, and then I tried Rick but he wasn't there either…and then Leanna from the halfway house stopped by and said he's been missing for a few days and..." Tina started coughing again and couldn't speak.

Mencheres moved closer to Kira. He cocked his head toward the phone and closed his eyes as he listened to not only the conversation but to the background sounds as well. When he heard Tina say Rick was missing, Kira's vision of Rick disintegrating in a room full of blood came to mind. This was trouble.

"Tina, sweetie, slow down. Where are you now?"

"I'm at my apartment. I came home from the store, and the door was open. At first I thought maybe you or Gorgon were here, but the place was trashed. Kira, I'm really scared right now."

"Is Leanna still there with you?" Kira gripped Mencheres arm as she waited for the answer.

"Yes." Tina lowered her voice to a whisper. "And she's creeping me out. She's just standing there, not moving, like she's waiting for me to do something. I don't like her. I need you, Kira, please."

Kira exchanged worried glances with Mencheres. Could Leanna be a part of this? All they knew about her was the little Rick had told them. Was Leanna the vampire they had smelled on Rick?

Mencheres got out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, checking to see who was close to Chicago. And where the hell was Gorgon? Why hadn't he answered when Tina called him? It wasn't like Gorgon to be inaccessible, unless he had gone into the tunnels looking for Ash. He tried his cell. No answer.

"I'm here, T, it's going to be okay. Tell me about Rick. What exactly did Leanna say?" Kira said, keeping her voice calm for her sister's benefit. She pushed away her own apprehension. There was no time to think about that.

"She said he hasn't been at the halfway house since the night he was here." Tina replied,

"Well maybe he just left town for a while, you know Rick. Why do you think he's in trouble?"

"Right before I called you, I got a phone call. It was a man's voice saying he had Rick, and if I didn't bring more vampire blood and money to the halfway house before midnight they were going to kill him." Tina's voice dropped to a whisper again. "I checked for the blood you left me. It's gone. I hid it in my bedroom, and now I can't find it."

"Crap. Hold on a minute, T."

Kira held the phone to her chest to muffle the sound and whispered to Mencheres. "I have to go to Tina. I can't go to Switzerland until I make sure she's okay. Can you delay the flight?"

A ghost of a frown crossed Mencheres' face. "Kira, tell your sister you will call her back in a moment."

"T, let me call you right back. Don't answer the phone unless it's me, okay?"

"Okay, Kira, but hurry, please." Tina punctuated the plea with a cough.

Kira closed her phone and turned to Mencheres.

"I cannot change the flight Kira. We are short on time as it is. I told Veritas we would appear. I'm trying Gorgon again."

Mencheres opened his phone and pressed a button. After many rings, there still was no answer. Why wasn't Gorgon answering his phone? He had a very bad feeling about all of this.

"Gorgon is not answering. I can call Ian. He's in British Columbia, I believe. He can be here in four hours."

"Four hours?" Kira raised her eyebrows, shocked by his suggestion. "You have got to be kidding, Mencheres. I can't do that to Tina. For one, she doesn't know Ian, and Ian doesn't know her. She's scared enough as it is, and you heard her, she's coughing, which means she's sick. She needs blood. I have to go to her, now."

"Kira, I cannot go with you. Ian will find Gorgon, and they will go to Tina. I do not want you going alone." He paused. "I need you with me."

"You let me go alone to Radje."

Mencheres face hardened with the memory. "Against my better judgment. And you know what it took to find you. I cannot go through that, no, I will not go through that again. I cannot lose you, Kira. Especially over something to do with that fool brother of yours. If someone does have Rick, they lose all leverage by killing him, don't you see?"

"I know, but this isn't about Rick, it's about Tina. She's freaking out, and that will only acerbate her condition. She's out of vampire blood. Rick must have stolen it. I saw him snooping around in Tina's things the night we were there."

The car arrived at the airport, parking on the tarmac next to Bones' black SUV. The driver got out of the car and walked around to Mencheres's door, opening it.

Mencheres turned to him. "One moment, Van. Take the luggage to the plane." Van nodded to Mencheres and closed the door.

"I do not want you to go, Kira." Mencheres said very pointedly.

"I have to go, Mencheres. I know you're not comfortable with this, but what else can I do? I'm not letting my sister... I can't let anything happen to her."

Mencheres stared at her. This felt wrong. All of it. He had to be in Switzerland in ten hours, and they needed to leave now in order to appear on time. He had no choice but to go, or the consequences would be severe. This much he understood from his phone call with Veritas. Just like Kira, he had no choice.

"Mencheres, I know this isn't what we had planned. Let me go check on Tina, make sure she's okay, get her settled someplace else. Then I'll hop on the next plane to Switzerland and join you. Okay?"

Mencheres continued to stare at her, her sweet words doing nothing to assuage his concerns. "Do what you must, Kira. Call your sister. I am sure she is worried."

He knew his voice was harsher than he meant it to be, but he could already see that she had her mind set on a course of action. Mencheres turned to look at his phone, punching in numbers in hopes of reaching Gorgon. When there was still no answer, he dialed Ian who picked up after two rings. "Get to Chicago, now." Mencheres closed his phone and waited for Kira to conclude her arrangements with Tina.

It wasn't long before she closed her phone. "I'll walk you to the plane," she said.

Mencheres opened the door, exiting the car and turned around to lend Kira a hand. She took it, and they started toward the plane. Abruptly, Mencheres stopped and faced her.

"There is something I do not understand, Kira. Why are you ignoring what you have seen already? The image of your brother, dead. Images of our estrangement. Yet here you stand, going right down that path to save your sister, when there are other measures we can take. You might not want this power, but ignoring it does not make it go away, nor does it change the outcome. Weren't you the one who spoke of self-fulfilling prophecy? Isn't that exactly what you are doing now?" He paused for a moment, collecting himself and his emotions. In a softer tone, he said, "Please don't go. I will find someone to aid your sister. Give me a little time."

Kira shook her head. "I can't, Mencheres. Tina needs me now. What if something happened in the time it took you to find someone to go to her. I'd never be able to forgive myself."

He touched her face. "And if something happens to you? You would be so cruel as to let me drown in regret for allowing you to go?"

Kira's whole body froze as her eyes welled with unshed tears. How could he think she could be cruel to him? Why was he making her choose between him and Tina? There was no choice for her; she loved them both. But she knew she had to go to Tina, in spite of his trying to convince her otherwise. "No, I would never want that for you. Mencheres, I love you. I love you more than anything, but I have to go to Tina. She's all alone. She's my responsibility."

"Then I cannot stop you. And what of the Enforcer position? What do you want me to tell Veritas? She inquired about your interest, and your absence will send a message."

Kira steeled herself, crossing her arms over her chest. "Please tell Veritas that I had a family emergency to attend to and that I am still interested and will be along directly."

Mencheres looked at Kira. She was so young, so idealistic, so determined in the way she squared her shoulders and set her jaw once she made up her mind. "As you wish, Kira. If you refuse to heed my advice, then I must insist you keep trying to reach Gorgon. Do not go to your sister's alone." Mencheres grabbed her beautiful jaw to make his point. "This you must promise me."

Kira looked at him, her stance softening. "I'm going to get Tina and have her stay at our house. That's all. Then I'm on the next plane. I promise."

He gave her a look; perfectly aware she had not promised what he wanted. The only thing he could do was to kiss her goodbye and hope the gods were not playing a cruel trick on him yet again. He bent down, enveloping her in his arms and placed his lips on hers, memorizing her taste, knowing it might be the last time he might have that pleasure. After a while, he pulled away from her and murmured "Be safe, my love," into her ear, just before he turned and walked onto the plane.

Hmmm, Tina moving in with Mench and Kira? Wonder what Gorgon will think of that...

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Thanks for reading!