Jessie felt as though she was floating in a dream.  The moment the Count took her hand into his strong arm, the world was surreal and bent around just the two of them.

     'Focus Jessie!' She looked across her dinner and into Marcus' soft eyes. She had planned to use this opportunity to find out about his relationship with Alleyah, but Marcus was extremely elegant in words and always managed to sway the conversation back onto her.

     "Tell me," Marcus began softly. " What do you plan to do with yourself this next year?"

     "I'm going to spend the rest of my summer with my mother." Jessie began.  " I thought about college but I've decided to take a year off and do an expedition in Australia with Dr. Quest."

     "You're quite ambitious.  That's very attractive," Marcus smiled slyly and melted Jessie's insides in the process. " I sense there's another reason you wish to be so far from your home.  Is there?"

     "I don't know. . ."  Jessie bit her lip and suddenly felt small.

     "There's a sadness in you that runs deep."  He leaned in and drank in her dark secret as though he was sipping wine.

     "Well," Jessie caught her hand shaking and quickly slid her hands under the table and rested them in her lap.

"I'd like to hear your story."  His voice was seductive and circled her ears as a hot soft whisper.

 

     "I had a really good friend in high school.  Her name was Claire." Jessie smiled as she said her friends name.  Smiled because the mention of the name brought up images of Claire smiling. "She was murdered."

    

"I'm sorry to hear," he replied gently.

     "It happened just before senior year." Jessie found herself wiping tears away.  Tears she thought she'd run out of a year ago. "She was strangled to death.  They never found the killer."

     "Horrid," Marcus reached his hand across the table and Jessie took it. "I'm so sorry."

     "It was the only time in my life I ever felt defeated," Jessie admitted. "With all are gadgets and resources, we couldn't find Claire's killer."

    "Shhh. . ." Marcus squeezed her hand and closed his eyes. "I will give you something."

     Jessie's lips parted and she felt a warmth run through her hand.  A warm sensation climbed her insides and raised the hair on her skin.  A foreign entity melded with her own and for a brief moment passed over her heart.

'You can't have her. '

     Marcus let go clearly stunned and surprised by what had happened.

    Jessie sat puzzled and dazed.  The voice had come from in her by another person?

    'I'm losing my mind.'  Jessie closed her eyes and felt swept away by the sudden pull of the warmth that had entered her.  It was now decaying and turned her cold.  She had been deceived somehow but wasn't sure.

     The room went black.

     "Jessie?"  Marcus voice reached her and she slowly opened her eyes.

     "What happened?" Jessie asked as Marcus helped her to sit up.

     "You passed out," he replied breathless.  "I'm sorry I pushed about your friend."

     "I'm okay," Jessie replied as she felt her head.  She felt as though she had been freed from a trance.  Marcus was no longer as she had seen him before.  She couldn't explain it but she did know she wanted to go home. The worst part was she didn't want to admit it but Jonny may have been right. 

    "I'm so sorry."  Marcus steadied Jessie as he escorted her to a vacant balcony for air.

     "I'm feeling better, really."  Jessie welcomed the cool evening air on her warm cheeks.  She could already feel her head becoming clearer.  They sat at a table and looked over the city in a brief silence.

     "Do you enjoy India?"  Marcus asked changing the subject, much to Jessie's relief.

     "It's different." Jessie took a deep breath and felt as though what happened moments ago was a dream.  "I haven't had much opportunity to see the sites."

     Jessie laughed slightly and Marcus covered her fingers that still rested in the crook of his arm with his hand, as his cool calm eyes rested into hers.

     "What is it?"  he asked curiously. 

     "The 'opportunity' part.  I've been to India several times, especially in the last year but I've never been able to just see the sites." Jessie noticed how close they were to each other and realized she didn't mind

"What would you like to see?" Marcus turned his handsome face upto the clear velvet night sky that was filled with meek stars as they touched the fine darkness.  None of them seemed brighter then Marcus' eyes that glowed in a light different then Alleyah's.

     "I suppose the Taj Mahal."  Jessie bit her lower lip and rememberedthe pictures Dr. Quest had shown her when he had visited the Taj Mahal over twenty years ago.

     "Jessica?" Marcus' voice melted away her thoughts. " Are you a romantic?"

     "Maybe." Jessie blushed slightly.

     "The Taj Mahal was built by a prince for his wife.  He thought she was so beautiful that he wanted the world to know of her after she died in childbirth." Marcus smiled at Jessie and she watched his lips as he spoke.  "A love so strong that it inspired one of the most beautiful buildings ever to be made."

     "Yes," Jessie turned suddenly. It wasn't like she wanted him to kiss her.'Do I?' Jessie's heart sank.  This wasn't the person she imagined herself kissing.  'Focus Bannon!' Try and find out about Alleyah and Marcus! " I've heard the story.  She must have been extraordinary."

     "She was a jewel of her time, no doubt." Marcus replied.

     "I've settled for the immediate area." Jessie added.  "Jonny and I were planning to go out tomorrow.  I tried to talk Alleyah into joining us but she declined. I'm afraid I might have pushed my luck with her."

     "What do you mean?" Marcus looked at her with a curious expression.  Jessie felt herself become uneasy.

     "We ended up briefly discussing her mother."  Jessie smiled. "I know now that, that isn't a good topic."

     "No," Marcus agreed.  "Her mother tried to kill her."