Chapter 6

Collinsport Woods near the old house

The tall frail figure of the old man accompanied by a huge white wolf tread away from the front of the old house and walked into woods following the old man. "I know Tasha, you wanted to eat them. But we do not eat everyone we see because we cannot explain why there are so many of them dead. I know you want to hunt and you are hungry." The boney fingers went out to stroke the wolf's head. "Don't you think it is time to come to your truest form my dear?'

The wolf padded along next to the old man and as she took her steps her body began to shift and reform and now walking next to the old man was an exotic beauty of some note. She wore her long white hair, that trailed down her back to brush softly over her butt, covering her front and back in her near naked form. Wide expressive blue eyes that searched the area she spoke softly having not used her voice for a while. "I don't like this form poppa."

"It matters not what you like my dear one. It is what is proper for now. You eat too many when you go wild. Now run ahead and dress, I am sure we are close to Gregor, he has to be nearby and once we find him he will tell us what we want to know." The old man watched her turn, her body young and nubile as she danced backwards watching him with an excitement building in her eyes.

"You promise poppa? I am hungry I need to eat." She smiled her teeth perfectly formed and white as snow. She lifted her head and sniffed the air and smiled. "He is not far poppa I can smell him!" She turned and ran forward turning back into the white wolf she had been earlier. The old man shook his head and sighed deeply.

"Children, they never learn." He continued to move at the pace that was comfortable for him. Approaching their campsite he paused and saw the figure standing in the center of the camp. He would know that stance and mode of dress anywhere. Tasha had paused waiting for her father to catch up with her and then she too saw the figure in the center of the camp. Watching intently, she sat back on her haunches, and as the figure reached for the ladle in the stew, she growled. The figure straightened and looked at the white wolf, then watched the old man approach the encampment.

"Gregor." He spoke the name softly with a hint of irritation. Tasha looked up at her father then bounded towards the man throwing her body at his chest. "NO, Tasha! Wait!" The old man shot forward and stopped watching what was about to happened Gregor caught the wolf, held her close and whispered in her ear.

"You never change little sister, quick to jump and always full of happiness to see your older brother." The wolf began to lick his face furiously, which caused a soft chuckle to burst forth from Gregor. "Go change and come back with cloths while I speak to poppa we have a lot to undo before this assignment is done." He gently lowered the white wolf to the ground. "And I brought you something it is in the vardo. Now go." He playfully slapped her hindquarters watching her pad off to the wagon.

"Father, it is good to see you. How have you been?" The old man walked more fully into the camp and smiled at his long absent son.

"I have been tracking you for three days now. I take it you have information for us?" With a wave of his hand more figures emerged from the depths of the hidden shadows to stand in a semi circle around the fire and Gregor.

"Yes, the heart of the people is now encased in a ring that has been given to King Johnny's great, great, granddaughter by her father George Patterson. The eye of Pandora is in Quentin Collin's room and it will be easy enough to get it." Gregor waited for his father to nod his permission to sit and eat.

Paulo was not much longer for this world but he knew before he passed on he needed to have the story finished so that Victoria would know how to defend against Petofi. "We must move quickly to protect one of our own, to wait will place her in terrible danger. We cannot give control over to Petofi." Paulo watched the other figures slowly fade and disappear with the arrival of Tasha.

"The spectrals are always around huh poppa?" Gregor asked as he dipped him a healthy portion of stew into a bowl and looked at Tasha. "Who made the soup?" He frowned and looked from his father to his sister. Tasha sat with a clank and clink of the bracelets she wore and smiled.

"Poppa of course he is the only one that can make the best campfire stew. I made the bread a bit hard but I like it, keeps my teeth sharp." She teased and broke him off a piece of the roll that lay on a table. Taking the bread he sopped it into the stew then looked up at his sister. She was growing up into a beautiful woman. Taking a bite of the stew soaked bread and his voice was muffled as he spoke while chewing. "At least the bread is soft with the stew juice."

To which he received a light slap on the back of his head. "Be nice it has been too long since last we saw you and I was in a good mood, don't make me go white leopard on you." She smiled watching him cringe and then he swallowed.

"The least you could do is offer me something to drink with this dry hard bread so it will go down." Tasha laughed and turned to pour him a glass of water. Handing it to him she turned to her father and smiled.

"Our family is back together again. Oh, poppa look at what Gregor brought me!" She lifted up the scarf she had tied prettily around her neck. The various jewel tones of the scarf accented the dark skin and her white hair. She preened for her father's benefit and placed a light kiss on her brother's cheek.

"So from Max Grogan what did you learn?" Paulo creaked his body down on a campstool and leaned over to rest his arms on his legs.

"The tender?" Gregor asked as he chewed a large piece of meat, spit out the gristle then dabbed his bread back in the bowl. Glancing up to peer at his father to see if that was of whom he had spoken.

"Yes, the bartender your sister wanted to eat because he annoyed her. But then he gave her a nice lamb shank and that made her happy."

Gregor balanced the stew on his knee reached into the pocket of his coat and withdrew the newspaper he had taken from the bar. Handing it to his sister, she unfurled it and looked at the picture. "She is pretty. Delicate looking with the same eyes Julianka had." She walked to her father's side and handed him the newspaper. "What do you think poppa?"

The old man took the paper in his boney fingers and studied the picture. "He has lived a long time, I don't know how he did it but he was one of the strigoi at one time. Now he is daywalker." He then shifted the picture so he could look at Victoria and a softness spread across his face and his cold eyes soften to have a flicker of warmth. "She does have Julianka's eyes, they are like the storm tossed seas." He sighed and handed the paper back to Tasha. "Put it with the other items we have collected."

Lookout Pointe Restaurant

Willie leaned into Beth and nuzzled her neck. "You know babe, I didn't tell you tonight how beautiful you look." He smiled and then let his gaze go to the couples on the small dance floor of the private dining room. The restaurant had brought in a small band to play exclusively for the Collins party for this special night. He noted that Henri was now tapping Barnabas' shoulder to break in for the rest of the dance with Victoria. "I wonder what it is like." He mused softly with his lips close to Beth's earlobe.

She smiled and felt the chill of his actions against her skin then turned her cheek and kissed his lips lightly. "What being engaged and in love is like? I thought you told me you loved me?" She wrinkled her nose and peered into his eyes and at this moment in her life she had to admit she knew what love was and it was nuzzled up close to her chair and practically in her lap.

"No goofball, not love and of course I love you. Hell who could not love you, you are smart, beautiful and perfect." He kissed her lips and closed his eyes relishing the moment with this woman. "I want to marry you Beth Chavez, I want you to be my missing part of my life." He whispered against her lips and felt her stiffen move her neck back away so she could look into his gaze.

"What did you just say?" She was not sure she heard him right.

"I want to marry you, will you marry me?" He asked and smiled his baby blue eyes looking for a moment filled with uncertainty that he had insulted her instead of proposing to her. He held that worried look until he saw the light in her eyes light up and the smile spread across her face and she whispered.

"Yes, I will marry you William Loomis, I will be your missing piece of your life if you will be mine." She leaned back and this time the kiss was more passionate and filled with promises.

Vicki had been contented in the arms of her lover; her soon to be husband and she had closed her eyes to imagine their life together as man and wife. When she felt another come and interrupt. Being separated from her dance partner she glanced up into the eyes of Cousin Henri who smiled with charm oozing from every pour. "Come now cousin Barnabas, time to switch partners." He extended his hand to his wife and she took his hand and let him place her hand into Barnabas' hand and took Vicki's hand and stepped smoothly into the waltz that was now playing.

"You could not expect us not to wish to dance with the lady of the hour now could you?" He teased her and captured the look of uncertainty in her gaze as she returned his look. "It is only fair that he shares you before he takes you forever at his side." He chuckled softly seeing the soft flush take and tint her cheeks.

"We did not intend to just be partnered together with each other tonight. I did dance with my father and my two brothers and my uncle if you had noticed Cousin Henri." She smiled and looked over his shoulder at Barnabas now engaged with Josephine and noted he was politely formal to her as they spoke during the dance.

Seeing she was distracted, Henri made a dramatic turn with her and spun her around and dipped her back then swept her up in his arms to glide her around the dance floor. The action caused the onlookers to applaud the step seeing it as a perfectly executed movement of the dance. Vicki was quick to respond and allowed him to make the more dramatic exhibition of the simple waltz. Though the movements were fluid and graceful, Henri was determined to take it to the next level of lifting her up and spinning her around holding her up and smiling into her surprised but delighted gaze.

She slid down his body to come to a slide only to be picked up again and held next to his body as he extended his arm and spun around with her once again to bring her to a standing position and take her into another glide around the dance floor. Vicki chuckled softly, "You are quiet the accomplished dancer cousin Henri is ballroom dancing a part of your repartee?"

"It was required what with all the balls we are suppose to have for our state dinners and the such. I am sure you would understand that we are a lot of pomp and circumstance in my country. Which reminds me, I would like to invite you and Barnabas to come to our little castle in the mountains and stay for your honeymoon. The mountains are beautiful this time of the year."

Vicki glanced to Barnabas who was keeping his steps simple for Josephine and following her around the floor as was required for this type of dance and when she and Henri had done their dramatic steps they had stepped back to observe then began to dance again when Henri and Vicki went back to the normal steps of the waltz. Vicki was speechless over the invitation and she smiled looking at Barnabas making polite conversation with the now flirting Josephine.

Vicki knew all the subtle signs of a flirtation in process she was not stupid and she also recognized the stiff formal look and responses that must be forthcoming from her fiancé. "Victoria did you hear me?" He glanced over his shoulder and then chuckled but somehow that chuckle did not hold humor it sounded more like a snort interrupted by short breaths to break it up.

She glanced back at Henri and she flushed softly, "I am so sorry Cousin Henri I was distracted for a moment what did you say?" Her apology was issued with such a sincerity that he could not be angry with her.

"I see the distraction is one well worth your attention. What I asked was how long have you lived in Collinwood?" He was making polite conversation just to be allowed to keep her in his arms for a little longer.

Vicki tightened her smile and then said softly, "Since 1966 when my mother hired me as governess for David. It was not until recently that I learned who my employer really was and what she was to me." She had gotten very quiet for a moment and then heard the tender apology of her partner.

"I see I have brought you some distress, I am so sorry my dear, please say you will forgive an old man for his awkward way at small talk." He smiled and she could see why Quentin had caught so many women's attention through the centuries, and why now he held Daphne in his heart and arms. That smile was disarming and that twinkle in the eyes was nothing less than an invitation to the darkness that must lay beneath the surface and what many women had gladly took the invitation and found what lay below that surface charm.

"It is not that I am unhappy Cousin Henri, it is just that it was a difficult period for me, there had been obstacles that had fallen before me of which I never thought I would return or live through and once I was able to find my ground and stand I was given information I had searched my whole life and only discovered it had been kept from me on purpose." She had hoped that it would explain her reticence in wishing to respond to his question.

"Ahh, so you felt betrayed, I understand fully. I myself have experienced such occasions and found that once the whole situation was thought through I was not harmed by it other than my feelings. Is that where you finally arrived after discovering your employer was your mother?"

Vicki had to think for only a moment and before she could respond the music stopped and they were still on the dance floor with him holding her in his arms. "I . . ." she glanced at the approach of Josephine who was trying desperately to keep Barnabas for herself with a soft pouty plea for another dance.

"Oh surely Cousin Barnabas you can afford me another dance before we return to the table?" She had batted her eyes and smiled trying to gain his attention back to her instead of the couple in the center of the dance floor.

"I beg your pardon Cousin Josephine but you must understand the woman that will be with me the rest of my life draws my immediate attention." He turned and smiled then the music began again and once again, Henri swept Victoria up in another dance gliding her away from Josephine and Barnabas. He swept her out onto the balcony and then laughed.

"Oh forgive me my dear, I thought you appeared like you could use s breath of fresh air and the view from here is so lovely but not as lovely as you by comparison." Once again he watched the color rise to her cheeks. "See, I have embarrassed you." He gently cupped her cheek in his hand and caught her gaze to his. "That is right look into my eyes Victoria, see your future in my eyes."

She frowned and backed up from him. Which startled him, never had he before not been able to control someone by a touch and the deep hypnotic gaze that was his trade. Turning her back on him she closed her eyes and shook her head. What was wrong with her, she needed Barnabas, yes that is what she needed was to see Barnabas. Stepping away from him she spoke softly. "Excuse me, I am not feeling well." She walked hurriedly away from him leaving him on the veranda.

Rage, anger and hatred filled him and he clinched his hand and closed his eye forcing himself to release his anger. Why had the touch not worked? From the shadows a soft feminine chuckle filtered around him then a spirit began to materialize over the ocean and he saw her face and stepped back afraid of what he was seeing. "Julianka!" He gasped seeing her glare at Petofi and then she lifted her chin and she began to laugh and her laughter echoed around him and her eyes fixed to him.

Her words filtered around him as she spoke in her native tongue. "Tu cine crezi că poți fermeca un Romano, Petofi, ești nimic și chiar și acum ea stie ca sunt un șarlatan și o amenințare pentru familia ei. Ea va fi cea care să te distrugă pentru totdeauna. Marca cuvintele mele vei muri de mâna, mâna unui Romano. "

He knew the words only to well and translated them in his mind, "You who think you can charm a Romano, Petofi, you are nothing and even now she knows you are a charlatan and a threat to her family. She will be the one to destroy you for good. Mark my words you will die by her hand, the hand of a Romano"

He growled low and spoke harshly, "No you are wrong witch, I will have her heart and I will have the heart of the Gypsies when I take her heart on her wedding night!" He clinched his hand and frowned, he knew as he stood there she would be his and he would in the ceremony that required the heart of the Romano's he would take the heart of one of the living Romano females before this was done.

The thought of such an act did trouble him somewhat she was very lovely and would make a nice addition to his bed. He however with his title could bed any number of beautiful women and had bedded them since taking the body of his new host. "Henri." Her voice was there and he knew she had not succeeded in seducing Barnabas to her bed for the night. Letting out a shuddering breath he looked back to where he last say Julianka's image. Turning slowly he looked at the woman pretending to be his wife.

"Yes, Josephine?" locking that ice cold gaze on her he waited to hear what excuse she had to offer this time.

She knew as soon as she had seen Vicki leave him alone on the veranda that he had failed much as she had. With the arrival of Vicki back in the room, she had lost his interest immediately and he had taken his her back to her seat to turn and go to his Victoria. She watched as he gathered her into his arms and kissed her cheek and then he lay his cheek against her forehead. Glancing away she was seething with anger and rage, why could he have love when hers was lost somewhere that only Petofi knew where?

Rising quickly she walked to the veranda and saw him standing and staring with what anger, no it was not anger he was afraid of something. Something had spooked him and now he was mad because he had given into his fear. "I lost his attention when you lost the attention of the one you tried to seduce on this very veranda. So what do you plan now?"

She stepped next to him and rested her back against the railing. "Do you know how tempted I am to just shove you over that rail?" His words were clipped and held more malice than she had ever heard from him before. She laughed at him, she knew he could not throw her off the balcony it would be too obvious.

"I would say why be tempted go ahead and throw me off the rail then who will seduce your Mr. Collins allowing you into that pious woman's bed?" She turned to lean over the rail and saw she would probably break a leg or arm but nothing more serious and that she could easily heal.

Petofi clinched his hand into a fist then open palmed slapped her across the face causing her to gasp and step back from him. "Spiteful? I thought you above such petty emotions. Why is this so important to you? She is not the only Romano in the room you know. Patterson has another daughter she carries the same blood in her veins as the one that just got away."

The inkling of an idea filtered into his rage filled mind and he smiled. "Yes, there are two hearts to the Romano clan. I could easily take them both. Keep Victoria as my slave and take the heart of the other to hold the Romano's at bay to never harm me again." He turned leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You have your uses after all my dear. Come let us join the party again and this time, use your wiles and your body if you have to but split them up."

Upon arriving in the room, both Duke and Duchess saw that Vicki and Barnabas were nowhere to be found. Not trying to be obvious, they walked to their seats and sat down and waited to hear what, where and when the honored couple had disappeared. Carolyn sitting next to Henri was the first to comment.

"Oh they are downstairs, it appears that someone dropped off a gift for them but it was too large to bring up here for them to open so they went downstairs." She lifted her water glass and looked around the room. Henri was struck that with her hair dressed the way it was and the gown she wore she did bear a striking resemblance to Millicent Collins that had married his host's great, great, grandfather.

Eve and Adam were on the dance floor moving to a slow playing dance. Eve looked over Adam's shoulder and smiled seeing Daphne and Quentin dancing the same dance slow and easy next to them. "Do you think we will be as happy as they are?" She whispered in Adam's ear, who turned and looked at the two on the dance floor.

"I am already happy with you Eve, I am I think as happy as I could ever be because I have you in my life." She smiled into his eyes then lightly kissed him on his lips. This startled him and he blinked then blushed. "Excuse me a moment Eve, I need to ask Professor Stokes something." He broke his hold on her and left her on the dance floor to make a beeline right for Elliott.

Eve chuckled and knew she was dealing with a shy virgin and was going to be patient, she knew he just needed time to reconcile his feelings. So she walked back to her table and sat. "I hope Vicki and Barnabas like their new wedding gift from her mother."

Henri turned and looked at the lovely red head at his right. "Oh and what would that be?"

Eve smiled, "A new town car for their use." She sighed softly and shook her head. "It had to cost a fortune but it was something she wanted to surprise the happy couple with before they married."

Petofi smiled, so that was the surprise Elizabeth had been speaking of while they were all getting ready. Relaxing he knew that he had the rest of the night for Josephine to do what she did best the art of seduction and he had time to try and break down the barriers that blocked his magic on Vicki. With that in mind he sat back to enjoy the rest of the evening.