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“No. ”

“Boyfriend?”

“Would that make you happy?”

She rolled her eyes and stomped off again.

Roberto opened the window and finished typing.

Sleazydino: I LOVE THE CHALLENGE BUT NO ONE EVER COMES BACK FROM HUNTING HIM. I HAVE A WIFE AND KID NOW. IF YOU NEED THAT TAKEN CARE OF, YOU'LL NEED TO GO TO SOMEONE ELSE.

With a sigh, Roberto typed in a few terse comments, then logged off. The Summoner's power was well known in the underworld. The damn creature walked through other's territories with ease and without fear of reprisals. And if he was once more in the States and in Texas, that mean Cian could possibly be in danger.

Samantha banged around in the kitchen, mumbling to herself as she waited for the slowly sinking sun to make its final exist for the evening. Outside the massive windows of the loft, the sky was a glorious mix of gold, purple and pink.

“Do you think you'll ever like me?” Samantha asked loudly.

“No,” Roberto answered truthfully. “But Cian loves you so that is enough for me. ” That was a lie.

Frowning, she waved a knife covered in bits of onion at him. “I'm good for him. I make him feel human. ”

“But he's not human,” Roberto answered, and fixed his cuffs. It was an old argument.

“But he was human. It's at his core. ” She gave him a fierce look and turned on the radio.

With a weary sigh, Roberto stood and moved to the far end of the apartment. Cian kept an extensive library of books and Roberto looked over them thoughtfully. How could Cian, a man of such great wealth and intelligence, love such a simple, country bumpkin? She was hopelessly lower middle class and annoying.

He caught sight of what he was looking for and pulled an old journal from the top shelf. It was Cian's own recollection of The Summoner. It was time to reacquaint himself with the creature they had not encountered in nearly forty years.

Outside the tall windows, the sun slipped behind the wooded hills and the last vestiges of the purple and pink sunset lingered on the horizon.

There was a loud metallic sound, then the steady hum of a motor as the thick walls around Cian's sleeping chamber ro

se into the ceiling above. Roberto didn't even look up as he heard the quick, steady footfalls of Samantha running across the long loft to throw herself into Cian's arms. Her laughter and their soft voices made him scowl even more. Snapping the book shut, he calmly ascended the spiral staircase to the floor above, grateful that Cian had two of the lofts remodeled as one.

It gave him a safe place away from the annoying lovers.

***

Reaching Austin had been a huge relief. Amaliya had made it just an hour before sunrise. Seeing the familiar landmarks of the city had made her feel more hopeful than she had in a long while.

Austin was still suffering growing pains as it evolved from a college town to a full blown city. The capital city of Texas was finally stepping fully into its role. The downtown was growing rapidly with new high rises being built and the suburbs and surrounding towns were expanding rapidly. Its high tech industries were still a huge draw to countless people looking not only for a good place to live, but a high paying job. And yet, it was still a music capital, college town, and magnet for the artistic and wild at heart.

As she had driven past the University of Texas, she had felt a pang of remorse as she remembered her short time there as a student. If any time in her life had actually seemed good, it was the year she had spent in Austin attending the university.

She loved Austin and the old landmarks welcomed her. The UT Tower was illuminated orange and the dome of the Capitol Building glowed white in the darkness.

Just as early morning traffic had started up, she had found a hotel near downtown and paid for three nights in advance. As she had before, she duct taped the curtains to the wall, then hung up another blanket over it. This time she remembered the sunlight creeping in under the door and laid a rolled up towel up against the bottom of it. She had slept soundly and without interruption.

Tonight, when she had woken up, she had known she needed to feed soon. Her heart was sluggishly beating and she felt the growing need in the core of her. Rolling out of bed, she had wandered past the covered mirror into the bathroom for a shower. Staring at the toilet, she realized she hadn't used one in days and it appeared she never would. With a shrug, she closed it and sat down on the cold lid. She contemplated her plans for the night.

Get something. . . err. . . someone to eat.

Go to the Goth club.

Find a vampire.

See, Sergio, she thought. I can make a plan.