These lovely characters and the world they inhabit are the brilliant creation of the incredibly talented Jeaniene Frost.

Malia, Candace, Van, Ash, Leanna, Jasper, Johanna, Sam, and the Pizza Guy are ours.

Thanks to our amazing betas, the lovely Kristin Elizabeth and A Redhead Thing. You always make our chaps better!

Any mistakes are all ours.

Chapter 26

Mencheres reached out to take Kira into his arms, but she stepped away, holding up her hand to stop him from coming toward her. Space. She needed some space. She turned her back on all of them and walked over to the window and looked out, wrapping her arms around herself. How could this be happening again? Would nothing stop this evil woman? And Van? Had Van been working with Candace all along? Kira felt like she couldn't think; there were too many questions flying through her head, every one fueling the burning anger inside. She wanted to kill that psycho bitch Candace with her bare hands. How could she have let this happen? Kira felt like she was going to explode. This was all too much. Is this what her life was going to be like now, living from one crisis to the next?

She felt tendrils of Mencheres' troubled emotions wash over her, and her hand was drawn to the amulet he had given her. Kira wrapped her hand around the stone and lost herself for a moment as its calming heat spread throughout her body. Her mind slowed down, no longer bombarding unanswerable questions at her, and the rage she felt gradually subsided. She clutched the amulet like a life line, needing its soothing effects.

Mencheres' voice directing the others brought her back to the present. "Find the car and call me when it is done. You know what to do." He paused, and his voice softened. "Gorgon will show you to your room, and I will speak with you later."

She heard the soft closing of the library door but still didn't turn around. Kira knew if she did, one look at him, and she would melt into his arms, which was exactly what she didn't want. She wanted to stay focused on finding her sister. She was relieved when he kept some distance, as though he sensed she needed it. Then, Kira felt his shields move into place, the ones he put around his emotions.

"You know I hate it when you do that, Mencheres."

"I think you are feeling enough of your own emotions at the moment, Kira. You don't need to add mine to it. Yes, this is terrible news, but we will find your sister." Mencheres stood behind her, but Kira still didn't turn around.

"Tina asked me what I thought about her becoming a vampire. She and Gorgon have been talking. I didn't know what to say."

"I thought there would be some discussion regarding that at some point. I've never seen Gorgon so enamored." He paused for a moment. "You don't want this? I can forbid Gorgon to do it."

"I don't see how what I want is relevant here. It's Tina's decision. But what would you have said if Gorgon asked you?"

"I would have counseled him to have Tina drink more blood gradually before they did anything, and I would have suggested he wait until this Candace issue is settled. But if this is something they want, I will not stop them. I would like Gorgon to be happy."

At that, she turned around and gave him a small smile. "Well, the point is that I wish I had said go ahead. She'd be safe. It's a moot point now, if Candace has her. She's already threatened to turn her, and now there is a good chance she'll do it in retaliation for you and I being back together." She said it as if she was reciting case clues, without emotion or blame.

"First of all, we don't know for certain whether Tina is with Candace. You mustn't blame yourself, Kira. You were right to tell Tina to wait. If Candace has her, I doubt that she will turn her right away. What would she gain by that? She will have lost her leverage over us. Bones is going to be looking for them, and we will find her, but it's close to dawn. You need to rest. Let me take you upstairs. I'll stay awake in case there is news."

Kira turned back to look out the window, not ready to go back to sleep. It wasn't long before she felt him move closer, his movements tentative as he put his strong arms around her from behind. When she leaned back into his embrace, he nuzzled her hair and held her close, the silence between them somehow comforting.

When she let her head rest on his shoulder, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I am sorry. Forgive me."

All at once that first vision came roaring back into her mind, images of her pushing Mencheres away as he spoke those two words. With a shiver, she turned around in his arms and looped her arms around his neck.

"There's nothing to forgive. This is all my fault. I should have listened to you. And if Candace has Tina, I'm going to kill her myself."

Mencheres tilted her head back so he could look her directly in the eyes. "I should not have gotten on that plane, and Van should never have left you alone at that warehouse."

"It was my decision, and you let me make it. So not your fault. But I can't believe you suspect Van. I'm the one who made him stay out front. Why would he betray you?

"I don't know. I do not understand why he ran off after the girl, instead of staying with you. He should have known better."

"But now you have her in custody. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, Leanna and Ash are in holding cells at Bones'. It seems they are married to each other."

"Married? Leanna and Ash? Wasn't she dating my brother?" Kira shook her head trying to make sense of it all, and then she gripped his arms tightly. "So Leanna can take us to Candace! What are we waiting for?

He brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek. "She knows little of Candace's inner workings and has not been useful to us. And you need to regain your strength before we go running off after Candace, my darling. Let Bones handle this tonight. If there is anything to find, he will find it. He is very good at what he does. Cat too. We will find her. Ian and Vlad will most likely question Leanna and Ash again, and once we know all we can, then we will go after Candace. I promise you." Mencheres paused. "I haven't had a chance to ask you this, but have you had any more dreams or visions?"

"I dreamed of you in the waterfall," Kira said softly.

"You did?"

"It was right after you left. I had no idea what it meant. I didn't realize that's what it was until you asked me just now. But I saw you in the waterfall before you came home and told me about it." The waterfall had taken him under. She shuddered when she remembered that part.

"What else was there, Kira? I can tell there was more to what you saw. You need to tell me."

"You were swept away by the water, and I never saw you again."

He tightened his arms around her. "Well, I did have to go through a wall of water, so that part was true enough. But I am here now; the water did not take me." He kissed the top of her head.

Kira pulled back and looked at his face. "I found Tina in that first warehouse from a vision I had though. I had the note Candace left in my hand, and I was leaving Tina's apartment when I had a vision of the warehouse...and you, and Radje. Could I do that again? Can I make a vision come to me so I can find her now?"

When he had his power, he could do such a thing. Call forth a vision of the future at will. What if Kira could now do the same? It was worth trying.

"That is a very good idea. I think the best time to attempt it is when you rise. If only my visions hadn't—"

She put her fingers on his lips. "Hush now. None of that. You are going to help me try to see where Tina is tomorrow, and I'm going to start thinking more like a vampire. And we are going to stop Candace and whoever else we have to, whether we have visions or not." Then she took her fingers away and kissed him. Her lips curled into a smile when she felt him drop his shields completely, and his love enveloped her like a blanket. Dawn was coming; she could feel it, and so could he, as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

^V^

Kira's eyes flew open right before sundown. For just a second, she thought she was back at her apartment, until she felt Mencheres arms around her. And then she remembered Tina. She looked up at him and saw that he was awake.

"Is there any news?"

"Nothing yet."

"Where is everyone?"

"Cat and Bones are still looking for the car, Veritas is resting, and Ian and Vlad took Leanna and Ash to the tunnels to look for more clues."

"What about Gorgon? Is he okay?"

"He is upset, more than I have ever seen him. It seems Tina had asked him to take her back to your apartment for her medications earlier. He was busy preparing the rooms for everyone and promised to take her later, but Van somehow ended up taking her. He is blaming himself for all of this. I need to get him focused on something other than that."

Kira snuggled into him, finding a comfortable spot to rest her head on his shoulder, and sighed. "Seems to me there is a lot of self-blaming going on around here. Why don't you tell me how you go about seeing into the future so maybe we can do something about this."

Mencheres brushed her hair back and trailed his hand down the curve of her neck. "It's been a while since I have been successful with seeing into the future, Kira. There are no guarantees that what worked for me in the past will work for you, even if your power came from me."

"It's a place to start though. I have to do something. I can't just sit around waiting for someone else to find her."

Mencheres rolled from his back to his side so he could face her. "All right then. If I wanted to see the future of a specific person, I focused on something representative of the person or the situation I wanted to know about. Then I would block out everything else and wait for the images to come to me. The bottom of the pool or the bath worked nicely for that purpose."

"And that worked? I mean, before—"

"Before I lost my visions and the ability to help my line?" He said quietly.

She placed her palm on his cheek and answered in what she hoped was a soothing voice. "You know I didn't mean it that way. I have faith you have not lost them completely, and I know you would do anything to help find my sister. Your loss is only temporary, and maybe it's that way so you can teach me. I don't know, but we need to use what we have. Anything else you can tell me?"

"Well, another technique is completely clearing your mind and letting the images form at will. But I think in this case the first method might be more appropriate."

"I want to try it."

"Shall I prepare a bath for you?"

"I was thinking that maybe you should go downstairs with everyone else and give me some time to get myself in the right frame of mind for this." She stroked her hand across his bare chest. "You know how easily we get distracted."

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm. Then he stretched her arm over her head and rolled on top of her. "I haven't had you in my bed for two weeks, and I thought I'd lost you. I think a little distraction is in order." He kissed her lips, lingering there for a while, tasting her.

Kira giggled. "You are so bad."

He took her other hand and held it over her head as well, effectively pinning her underneath him. "Mmmmm, I thought you liked it when I'm bad." He ground his hips into hers, and she could feel his erection pressed against her.

Her head rolled back as he began to stretch her in the most delicious way. "Mencheres..."

After she was thoroughly distracted, he rolled off of her, got out of bed and began to dress.

She propped herself up on her elbows. "You're leaving?"

"Yes. Your mind should be completely clear now. It is the perfect time to try and call forth a vision." He leaned down and kissed her quickly. Pulling back, he winked at her and then turned to walk out the door.

Kira looked at him, stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter as she sank back into the pillows.

She stretched out in the bed, getting comfortable as she tried to calm her body and clear her mind. Kira closed her eyes, and visualized Tina in her mind, thinking about the last time she saw her as they were leaving her apartment. She lay in bed for an hour this way but no vision or images came to her that she didn't put there herself.

Growling in frustration she sat up and grabbed her cell phone.

"It's not working."

"Shall I come up and distract you again?"

"Yes. No, maybe? Why is this so hard? The others came to me, why not this?"

Mencheres understood well her frustration and disappointment. "Have you tried the bath?"

Kira sighed. "No, that's a good idea. Maybe come check on me in an hour to make sure I'm not a prune?"

Mencheres laughed. "Go relax and let your mind drift. Something will come to you."

An hour later Mencheres knocked on the bathroom door. "Kira?" When there was no answer he opened the door and peeked in. Sure enough there she was on the bottom of the tub. He didn't disturb her but sent out tendrils of his power to her.

Kira abruptly sat up in the tub, using her hand to wipe the water from her eyes.

"Crap, it's not working. Has there been any word?"

Mencheres handed her a towel as she started to stand. "Nothing I'm afraid. Come, let's dry you off and get some blood in you. That should help."

Kira squeezed the water out of her hair and wrapped the towel around herself, holding onto his hand as she stepped out of the tub.

"Do you really think I can do this?"

Mencheres grabbed another towel and handed it to Kira, who used it start drying her hair. "Yes, I think you have the ability within you to do this. It is not easy to call visions to you when you want them however. That is a skill you will develop over time."

Kira thought about how she wanted no part of them when the visions first came to her. Now she'd give anything to be able to call one forth about Tina. Just as she was about to ask Mencheres how long it took him to develop his abilities, his cell phone rang out in the bedroom. She could tell from the ringtone it was Bones. Mencheres left to answer it, and Kira stood at the bathroom door listening, not caring at all that she was eavesdropping on his side of the conversation.

"Yes?"

"Good. Where did you find it?"

"I see. Any sign of Tina or Van?"

"Where are you now?"

"Just a moment, let me tell Kira what is going on."

Mencheres held the phone away from him. "Cat and Bones found the car near the warehouse on Kinzie. There are no signs of a struggle or any clues in it. They are going to check out the apartment now; if that is all right with you."

"Yes, but tell them not to touch anything, and we'll meet them there soon." Kira started to pull her clothes on.

Mencheres spoke into the phone. "We will be there shortly, and Kira wants to see the apartment as you have found it. She will know if anything is out of place." Mencheres made one more call before he closed the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

Oooohhhh, a shortie. So where the heck are Tina and Van?

We were torn as to what to do here – this chapter was about to get ridiculously long. We have much planned! So dear readers, tell us. Would you have preferred a really, really long chapter this week, or are you okay with the length?

And the good news is we have every intention of posting next Friday. So you won't have to wait too long to see what happens next.