With all that's been going on with Lance, I wanted to catch up on our other vampires. But don't worry, there is still more trouble to come. Thanks for reading ~~~~

Chapter 17

Sonora Vargas looked into the microscope again, frowning. Josef Kostan had engaged her to develop the formula to allow vampires to remain in the sun without danger. Josef had taken it from the doctor that tortured and tried to kill them when they were on their trip to Switzerland. Sonora had done botanical research some years ago, and it sounded like an interesting project.

She had the Swiss vampire's research, but she found it was incomplete. She stood up, stretching her back. The vampire in Geneva only thought he'd found the answer. There were problems he hadn't considered, and Sonora was determined to make it work.

She had taken the job originally to stay in Los Angeles to be near Gerald Stofsky. She figured it would be a few months and then she would complete it with a successful outcome. But once she reviewed the research, she noticed there were gaps, and she wasn't about to risk any vampire's life.

Josef had given her a huge suite on one floor of his building, and told her to equip it with whatever she needed. She looked around with satisfaction at all the newest and up-to-date technology. Sonora liked the Benefit of working for a multi-billionaire who had enough money to fund a research project like this. It was wonderful to concentrate on the problem, rather than academic reports or having to worry if a grant would come through. MIT was prestigious, but now she could focus on real science without worrying about funding.

She settled back down on her chair to write up her notes when her cell rang. Looking, she saw it was Gerald. "Hi, Gerry," she said, smiling.

"Hi, how are you doing?" he asked. Gerald had come into his own as a vampire, and was much more confident. Sonora thought he was brilliant and more than a match for her. She hadn't involved with a vampire since she was turned, but Gerald challenged her mind. She helped him conquer his shyness, and they were building a solid relationship.

"It's rough going," she replied, frowning at her notes.

"Why, querida?" he asked.

"This formula isn't complete. It's a good thing it wasn't given to any vampire, it would have killed them."

Gerald was surprised. "But Josef said that the doctor had perfected the formula."

"Ha!" Sonora snorted. "That fraud was telling tales to his sponsor. As it stands, the chemical compound is dangerous to vampires."

"Can you fix it?"

Sonora sat back, rubbing her eyes. "I don't know. I need to work with some botanicals that might mitigate the side effects."

"I'm sure you'll find the answer," Gerald said, encouragingly.

"I just hope Josef doesn't expect an answer right away.

"I'm sure he'll be patient, he seems to take the long view. From what I've heard, he's been distracted by a threat to our region."

"Oh, what's happened?"

"Just something I heard at the club." Sonora insisted that Gerald attend some male vampire functions so he could be more involved in the community.

"You heard this when you went last night?"

"Yes, but you were in the freezer when I got back and I didn't want to disturb your rest. I'll tell you about it later." Sonora had been working twelve-hour nights at the lab. A workaholic himself, he was concerned about her taking care of herself. "Do you think you'll be able to break away tonight?"

"Yes, I have to think about the next step in the formula for a bit."

"Good," he said with satisfaction. "I thought we could spend a quiet evening. I have a DVD and I'll stop and pick up some fresh blood for us."

Sonora smiled. Her vampire was always considerate of her well-being. "What video?"

"It's an old movie, 'To Have and Have Not.' Bogey and Bacall, 1944."

"Oh, I've not heard of it." Sonora had spent most of World War II in South America, and missed most of the movies being made in the US. "Is it famous?"

"Not as well-known as some, but I'm sure you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will, mi amor. I'll plan to be home by 10 pm."

"I'll be there."

Sonora had moved in with Gerald, and she enjoyed his downtown loft. He took her to the local bars, both human and vampire, and they loved to watch old movies together. Gerald was the perfect match, Sonora thought. She was raised in the traditional Castilian way, and Gerald was nothing if not old fashioned.

Sighing, she resumed working on her notes, looking forward to the evening.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beth St. John was in her office, reviewing the recent media releases. She was always on the lookout for anything related to vampires. Since the last Twilight movie, the blogs and tweets had quieted down, and there was no mainstream media interest in vampires. That was satisfying to her, because it allowed her to concentrate on trying to consolidate a directory of vampires in the Los Angeles metro area. She knew vampires were secretive, but they needed to trust that Josef had their best interests at heart when he wanted a complete list of who was living in his region. This required Beth to use her investigative skills to track down the vampires and convince them to allow her to have their addresses and emails. She was successful for the most part, persuading them that their personal information would only be used in case of emergency. She enjoyed the detective work, it reminded her of working for Buzzwire, and she relished the chance to make a difference for her new community.

She got a call from reception in the main lobby that Sofia Harrison was here to see her.

Sofia entered her office, looking flushed and excited. Beth could smell Ewan on the human, and knew he had bitten her recently.

"Hi, Beth. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Beth smiled, "No, not at all."

Sofia sat down across from Beth's desk. "I just wanted to tell you that Ewan is going to turn me this weekend."

Beth wasn't surprised, and said, "I'm so happy for you."

Sofia was nearly bouncing off the chair in excitement. "I'm happy, too." Then she settled down and looked at Beth seriously. "I hope I'm not intruding, but I wanted to ask you some questions. I—I'd ask Simone, but I don't know her as well as you and…"

"You want to know what to expect," Beth answered for her.

"Yes."

"Well, my turning wasn't exactly planned, but—"

Sofia put her hand to her mouth. "Oh no, I forgot. Please forgive me," she said, turning red with embarrassment.

Beth smiled, "Its okay."

"It's just that you and Mick seem so perfectly suited for each other, and…"

For the first time, Beth reached out with her vampire power to try to calm the woman, and was pleased that it seemed to work. "My turning wasn't planned, but it worked out all right in the end. I think that's because Mick and I were heading in that direction and it would have happened eventually."

Sofia sat back, relived, and feeling calmer. "I don't want to bring back bad memories."

"Nothing with Mick is a bad memory," Beth grinned. "I'm happy and so is he, at least when I stay out of trouble." She looked at Sofia shrewdly, "You wanted to know about turnings?"

"Yes. Ewan told me a little, but I wanted to know what will happen."

"Hasn't Ewan explained everything?"

"Yes, but I wanted to know from someone who was recently turned."

"Oh, well." Beth paused a moment to collect her thoughts. Sofia was much like her, wanting information to be prepared.

"When Ewan bites you during sex," Beth looked at Sofia, and the human nodded. "He stops then, right?"

"Yes," she said, blushing.

"When he turns you, he won't stop. You'll feel like you're fading away, even though it's sexual and thrilling."

Sofia was rapt in her attention to Beth's words. "Then what?"

"You will feel satiated and willing to die, but you must do what he commands and take his blood."

"He told me I had to drink his blood, but will I be able to?" she asked, slightly anxious.

"Listen to what he tells you, that's the important thing. That's your lifeline. No matter what happens, listen to Ewan, and he will make sure you pass over."

"What happens then? Does it hurt?" Sofia asked in a whisper.

"No, it's painless. While the vampire virus forms in your system you become unconscious, and when you wake, you'll be vampire."

"He told me that, but I needed to hear it from someone who's gone through it."

"You'll be very attached to him," Beth smiled remembering ripping off Mick's clothes at Josef's house. "There will be lots of sex," Beth allowed her fangs to come out. "And that's okay."

Sofia looked at her, then smiled. "I think I'll like that."

"It's totally natural," Beth nodded. "He'll teach you how to be around humans and work with your new abilities."

"I've known about vampires since I was a teenager when my mother thought I could handle the information. I never thought I'd want to become one. But being with Ewan has shown me that having an immortal life can give you opportunities to help people and continue to learn."

Beth felt Sofia's sincerely, but had to say what she was thinking. "Do you only want to be a vampire because of Ewan?"

Sofia knew what was behind Beth's question. "I've thought about that. Yes, I want to be with Ewan, but I also know about the possibilities of an extended life and what I would do with it. I want, I've always wanted to make a difference. My father was a fireman and died trying to save people from a fire. He wanted to help people and so do I. The opportunity to live forever gives me the chance to learn new things, technology, maybe medicine, who knows? My mother was a nurse for a long time and perhaps I could study medicine for vampires."

"Then I think you're making the right decision. Remember, you'll feel out of control for a while, and some things will frustrate you, but you have a sire that will make sure you get the training you need. Don't be afraid, just trust in Ewan. He's a good man."

Sofia's eyes sparkled with tears. "Thank you, Beth. I know he'll take care of me."

"I know he will, too. After your turning, we'll come and visit. You won't be able to be around humans for a while and you're a social person, you'll want to see people." Beth smiled, "We'll get a vampire party set up so you can get acclimated to the community."

"Thank you. I know Ewan will appreciate the help. I'm not perfect and I hope he doesn't get annoyed with me."

"Not a chance," Beth responded, standing up. "Have him call us if there's anything we can do to help."

"Okay," Sofia said, and sighed. "The next time I see you, I'll be a vampire."

"You'll be great," Beth said. Sofia left and Beth had a little bit of regret that her own turning hadn't been romantic or planned. Then she thought of Mick and she pulled out her phone.

"Hi, baby," he said in his sexy voice.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Just some paperwork, why?"

"I was missing you and wondered if I should get off work early," Beth said in a low voice.

"Oh yeah?" Mick heard the undertone in her voice, and his desire swelled. "Why don't you come up to the roof? I'll have some blood and champagne waiting."

Beth smiled to herself. They hadn't been on the roof of his building since the night he kissed her, really kissed her for the first time. "I'll be home as soon as I can," she said.

"Good," he growled.

She hung up and started packing up her things, she could hardly wait to get home to her vampire.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ewan had everything in place. He had extra blood in the fridge, and had told the concierge at his condo that he wasn't to be disturbed for at least a week. He'd told Josef about the turning and promised to call once Sofia was safely a vampire. She'd brought over clothes, and he'd had a double-wide freezer installed the day before. It took up most of the space in his small freezer room, but it would have to do. He was thinking after Sofia was turned, they should look into moving to a larger place. He had hundreds of years of investments, so money wasn't a problem and he knew Josef would assist them to find a suitable residence. But before he made a decision, he'd have to talk to Sofia.

Just that thought warmed his vampire heart. For the first time in his seven hundred years, he would have someone else to worry about, and he wanted Sofia to be a full partner in their relationship.

Sofia had spent yesterday with her mother, and they went out and had lunch and talked. Maureen was supportive, because Ewan and assured her that he loved Sofia and would take care of her daughter. Sofia had arranged with Ben and Simone to take a leave of absence from her job, and they'd hired a former freshie to take over for the time Sofia wouldn't be able to be around humans. Ewan admired Sofia's concern about her job, and he wanted her to keep working for the law firm as long as she liked.

The night before, they'd spent some time with Megan and Ben, and Ben was also encouraging. Even though his turning had been emergent, he related how he had settled in as a vampire and how it had changed his thinking and goals. He mentioned that he was going to talk to Josef about a more formal way of dispensing justice in the vampire community.

Ewan and Sofia thought that could be a good thing, since the only law was established by the Cleaners. Ben knew Megan appreciated his viewpoint, and was pleased that Ewan thought it a good idea also. They'd spent the rest of the time talking about what Sofia might want to do after she was a vampire.

Ewan heard the key in the lock. His mouth went dry as he thought of what the evening would bring. He hoped he wouldn't let her down.

He went into the living room, and saw his dark-haired angel smiling at him.

"I'm here," she said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The plane ride seemed to take forever. Coraline had chartered a jet to take her and Lance's body back to France. They had to stop in New York to refuel, but then they were off across the Atlantic. She'd replenished her blood supply and was the only passenger on the plane. There were no attendants which was both good and bad, as there were no distractions. There was also no freezer, and Coraline had to consume more blood than normal to offset the absence of sleep. Unfortunately, the lack of diversion allowed her to focus on Lance and all the memories that brought.

She'd spoken to Henri again, and she told him as much as she knew about their brother's death. Henri said he would find out what he could before she arrived. There would be a ceremony at the tomb where all the human and vampire Duvalls were interred. She knew Henri would want justice for Lance, but what could he do? The family was blocked from entering the United States without written permission from the Council. It seemed unlikely that the Council would allow any of her brothers' permission. That left only her, as she was the only one that was not named in the edict.

A cold chill entered her soul. She had no compunction about killing Josef Kostan. She'd met him many years ago, but he meant nothing to her. It was Mick that slashed at her heart. Mick had been there at her old house—did he bring Beth with him to destroy Lance? The pain of Mick's rejection tore at her, and her love for him warred with her desire for vengeance.

The pilot announced their descent into the Orly, and she knew her brothers would be there to welcome her. She wanted her family now. She needed to talk to Henri and mourn her dead.

She came down the steps of the plane and saw her five brothers waiting, all in somber black. The cargo hold opened and the coffin slid noiselessly onto a cart. A hearse was ready to receive the body, and the door slammed shut when it was in place.

Henri came up to Coraline, and kissed her on both cheeks. "Welcome home, sister. I'm sorry you have had such a sorrowful burden to bear. But you are home now, and it's been too long."

Coraline's anguish caused her to put her arms around her favorite brother, and he hugged her to him.

"Come," Henri said. "We will see Lance given his due by the family, then we will talk. We have much to discuss."

He led her to a large limonene and silently, the Duvall family left, with the hearse following.

TBC

I hope this chapter didn't bounce around too much, but I wanted to get in some other things before Coraline got to France. Next, what will the Duvalls do about Lance's death.