A quiod to his partner and Adam waited for his panion to open the back of the transport doors and help a muscur gentleman into a wheelchair. “Yes, Ma’am. I was informed that Mister bles would be staying here until…well…” He gulped, “...We have everything you will need.”

  Mildly fused, Sylvie’s mind eased when Casey kissed her shoulder and id her head down on her babsp; Reag behind her, Sylvie softly ran her hand through Casey’s wavy hair. “Yes, well.” Sylvie focused a her charming voice take over. “You have done a lovely job getting Mister Rambles to my home, Adam.” Sylvie calmly and sweetly charmed the young man. “We will not be needing the supplies, please take them babsp; I have all I need in his room.”

  It took a few more minutes for Adam's parto roll the chair over each of Sylvie’s steps and stand before the tires. “Ma’am.” He bowed a back to the transport, leaving Adam to deal with Sylvie.

  “I help you get him inside, if you’d like.” Adam swayed and leaowards Sylvie as though he wao kiss the vampire.

  Pressing her index fio Adam’s lips, Sylvie shook her headlight enough so that her pstic ribbons ccked softly, “We thank you for your diligence, Adam. My girlfriend and I will take it from here. Is there anything I have to sign?”

  Still pletely smitten with the blue-haired beauty, Adam smiled as Sylvie pulled her finger away. “No Ma’am. This was all set up by..um…” He looked down at the paperwork. “...Martin Shores, paid in full by Twilight Tonight..so..so..um…you have nothing to, you know worry about.” He hastily grinned and locked put his arms behind his back. “Uhere is something else?” Adam begged, “We will be on our way.” He handed Sylvie back her ID and almost tripped on his way down, “Oops.”

  “Quite alright, Adam. You two drive safe.” Sylvie looked down at Cisd winked. “Let’s get you inside, I suspect there is something you o tell me.”

  Casey walked over and wheeled Cisto the house and locked the wheels ohey reached the living room. “Mom was right, you are a fine-lookileman.” Casey ented and sat down in one of the plush chairs. Snapping her fihe moment Cisco looked at her funny, Casey added, “Jennifer Rivers. That’s my mother.”

  “Oh..” Cisco excimed and coughed up a little blood. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that, I know your blood…er…sensitivity.”

  A swift smell of iron ced with a familiar smell of rotting to indicate cer, Sylvie sighed and pulled up a chair beside Cisco. “Nothing to apologize for, Mister Rambles. It doesn’t surprise me that Marti you to me.” Sylvie cleared her throat and looked over at Casey. “You alright, babe?”

  With a nod and a shrug Casey replied, “Sure am. His blood smells like shit and I am pretty sto this point.” She giggled and rexed in the chair. “I missed this.”

  Laughing for a few seds, Sylvie turned back to Cisco. “I am fairly certain I know what Martin wants me to do.” She paused, “Did he tell you anything about what…” Sylvie stopped talking once Cisco gently pced an envelope in her hand with the word ‘Mistress’ beautifully scripted on the front.

  “I have held onto that for a couple of months now.” Cisco fessed and rubbed his temples. “For his own reasons, he kept you and I separated. Twilight Tonight spent a forturying to cure my illness..but I was resistant to the radiation, Ma’am.” He sighed and righted himself, “I didn’t mean to appear weak, Miss Miakoda. I will do my best to serve while I still , I am told I have about a week.”

  Patting the sick man on his thigh, Sylvie used one of her long nails and sliced the envelope open and pulled out the simple one-page letter addressed to her.

  Sylvie,

  If you are seeing this, I have failed to offset the dreams I have had for months. Mistress, I know you will o have another watch over you as I did, and you allowed me to. I regret not inf you about the dreams that foretold my passing. Just know that it has been my honor to serve you for the st twenty years. Twenty years that I wouldn’t have had without you taking a a single kiss. Before you now is a young man named bles. I have trained him well and he is ready to take over in my stead.

  Cisco is in the same situation as I was twenty years ago. I have exhausted all the resources I could to keep him alive, to no avail.

  I ask you, Sylvie, to take another d allow him to serve you in my pbsp; I have vetted him and I feel his spirit will be true to you in the same mahat I have, my mistress.

  Cisco is aware that you have the means to save his life, but nothing more. I wao maintain the veil for you, mistress.

  My love always,

  -Martin Shores

  Gng at the date that was ly scribbled at the top, Sylvie he date. “He wrote this before you came to me, Casey.” She wiped a few crimson tears from her cheeks, “He feared I would be alone.”

  Casey jumped up and was beside her partner in the blink of an eye. “ I take a look?” Kissing Sylvie on the cheek when she handed her the letter, Casey quickly gazed over the tents. “Did you see what was at the bottom? It’s got a page number.” Pig up the envelope Casey studied the glued seams and then pulled it apart one side at a time. “There you are little wo.” She poi a barely legible digit. “I used to love things like this as a kid.”

  Tilting her head to the side, Sylvie frowned and asked, “What do you mean?” Sylvie tugged on the sed sheet of paper and flipped it over a couple of times. “It’s just that two up there that to anyone else would look like an actal ink blot.”

  Casey held up one of her tanned and spidery fingers, “You tell me all the time.” Casey sliced the tip of her finger open with her razor-sharp fangs and dropped blood all over the part. “Blood is everything.” She ughed and smeared the iron pigment across the sheet until letters started to appear. “Invisible ink. We pyed with this stuff as a kid. We thought we were being so slid hiding our thoughts.”

  Taking the time to pat Cis the shoulder in an effort to calm the man down after watg Casey willingly cerate her finger, Sylvie used her ented breath and admitted what was going on. “Martin pced his trust in you, and I trusted him. So, while you are totally rexed…”

  “Yes, Ma’ay rexed.” Cisco looked up into Sylvie’s twin moon eyes. “He hihat I might be a little afraid.”

  Allowing her fangs to slide and click slowly in pce, Sylvie revealed her nature to the rge man. “bles, you are in the presence of tires.” Sylvie walked over and licked Casey’s wound closed. “See, no harm.” She reached for the paper with the blood all over it. “Let me study this while you e to grips with what I just told you.”