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I zabela smiled as she transformed into her younger self before she opened the door for Romar. “Have you found anything?”

“Perhaps. There is some doubt that the artifact actually exists, but I know someone who has seen it. It is purported to have remarkable powers.”

“What ancient relic are you talking about?” Izabela frowned at the twinkle in his eye. “Not the so-called Methuselah Stone?”

“The very same. Unfortunately, the Stone’s whereabouts are currently unknown.”

Izabela shook her head. “I heard it had been destroyed.”

“Merely a rumor. If Saintcrow can find it, it may very well be the answer to what ails the vampires.” Romar made himself comfortable on the sofa, pulled her down beside him, and slid his arm around her shoulders.

“I have spent the last week researching all there is to know about the Stone. Every ancient text extols its power to heal, to raise the dead, to restore that which has been lost. To destroy evil.”

Izabela’s eyes widened. “So, it’s possible the Stone could heal Saintcrow’s woman and put an end to Luca and the curse once and for all?”

“Possibly,” he remarked, “but no one has seen it for at least six hundred years.”

“And I suppose only the pure in heart can find it,” she said dryly. “Which surely disqualifies Saintcrow and Kincaid.”

Romar laughed. “Perhaps a pure heart is not necessary if one’s desire is righteous.”

“ Humph . How do you suggest they find it?”

“I have no idea. But that is a problem for another day.” His fingertips caressed her cheek. “Right now, all I can think about is you.”

“I should call Kincaid …”

“Later.”

Izabela felt a rush of anticipation as he held her in his arms. Since no one knew where the Stone was, there was no real hurry to go looking for it, she decided, as Romar began caressing her. What was another hour? Or another day?

“Where have you been the last couple of days?” Kincaid asked when Saintcrow answered the door.

“No place I wanted to be,” Saintcrow muttered. “Come on in and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Not now. Izabela called me last night. She wants to see us.”

“What about?”

Kincaid shrugged. “She didn’t say.”

“Well, hell, let’s go find out.”

“I expected you last night,” Izabela said as she invited the vampires inside. “Perhaps things aren’t as urgent as you led us to believe.”

“I got tied up with my sire,” Saintcrow explained, trying not to stare at the witch. “What have you got for us?”

“Romar may have found something. He will expect the same payment that I require.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kincaid muttered. “What’s the big news?”

“He’s unearthed information about something called the Methuselah Stone. Have you heard of it?”

“I have,” Saintcrow said. “There’s some confusion about whether it actually exists or if it’s just a legend.”

“It exists,” Romar said.

“You have proof?” Kincaid asked.

“I know of a young warlock who stumbled upon it quite by accident,” the wizard said. “When he tried to access its powers, he made an error in the spell he was trying to use. It robbed him of his magic and then the Stone disappeared.”

Saintcrow snorted. “Fat lot of help that is.”

“I contacted all the witches I know,” the wizard said. “Several of them believe the artifact to be in Egypt.”

“Egypt!” Kincaid exclaimed.

“Others believe it has fallen into the hands of a human male. Some say a vampire has it. But whoever has it, wherever it is, it is worth looking for, is it not?” Romar asked.

Saintcrow and Kincaid exchanged glances. And nodded in unison.

“If I hear anything else,” the wizard said. “I will surely let you know.”

Saintcrow blew out a sigh of resignation when Izabela reached into her voluminous skirt pockets and withdrew four glass vials, larger than usual.

Kincaid grimaced. “Dammit, woman,” he growled, then fell silent at a warning glance from Romar. Mouth set in a tight line, Kincaid bit into his right wrist and held it over the first vial.

“Did you notice anything different about Izabela today?” Saintcrow asked when they left the witch’s house.

“Of course I did. I’m not blind. She looks about thirty years younger. It was all I could do not to ask her what the hell she’d done.”

“Yeah. Took me by surprise, too. Either she’s using our blood to keep herself looking young, as I suspected, or she’s actually a lot younger than we thought.”

Kincaid snorted. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Probably.”

“Why would she want us to believe she’s older?”

Saintcrow shrugged. “When you figure out how to understand a woman’s mind, you let me know.”

“You told Izabela you’d been with Eleni. I guess you couldn’t weasel out of it.”

Saintcrow grimaced. “I didn’t even try. There’s not a doubt in my mind that she’ll destroy Kadie if I don’t do what she wants.”

“Damn, that doesn’t give you much choice, does it?”

“Tell me about it,” Saintcrow said ruefully. “The other night, when I refused to do what she wanted, she unleashed her power on me. The week she demanded is up in three days and I have a nasty suspicion she’s going to want three more. And three more after that.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know. Eleni is unpredictable, but she’s more than capable of killing Kadie if I don’t do what she says.”

“Well, damn,” Kincaid muttered. “Talk about a rock and hard place.”

“Yeah. Let me know if Izabela gets in touch with you again.”

“Right. Do you think that Methuselah Stone really exists?”

“I sure as hell hope so.”

“Good luck with your sire,” Kincaid said, with a wry grin.

Saintcrow snorted. “I’ll need a hell of a lot more than luck.”

“Yeah.” Kincaid agreed. “Just like we’ll need more than luck to find that Stone, if it even exists.”