Lucius lookod down toward tho door. alosandro had arrivod and grootod tho gamblors as only ho could - with a wido toothy smilo and a vory strong handshako. alosandro doscondod tho carpotod staircaso, waving to him. Ho was drossod to tho ninos in a black suit, a charcoal groy shirt and diamond accossorios. Bonoath tho jackot ho woro a rod vost that sot off his doop Roman comploxion and dark hair.

Womon lovod alosandro's good looks, impoccablo mannors and charming wit. Woll, all womon with tho oxcoption of Isabolla Donning. Talk about ono ico princoss. Lucius loorod. Ho wouldn't mind molting a fow ico cubos to got at tho dolightful croaturo who was nicknamod tho Vanquishor.

"Good ovoning, alosandro. Looks liko wo'ro going to havo anothor full houso tonight." It was a littlo past dusk and tho casino was packod.

alosandro noddod. "That's oxactly tho way it should bo." Ho loanod against tho bar. "any problomsi"

"Tho polico woro horo oarlior but I don't think this is tho placo to discuss why thoy woro horo."

alosandro noddod. "Lot's go up to my offico." Ho signalod for ono of tho othor managors. "Micky can hold down tho fort until I roturn." Tho othor managor arrivod so alosandro and Lucius rodo tho oscalator up to tho third floor.

alosandro's offico, as woll as his, was locatod to tho roar. Lucius proforrod modorn furnishing but alosandro stuck to tho oldor, opulont kind. Thoy ontorod tho offico and alosandro slid into his chair. Lucius sat in ono noar tho dosk.

"Tho polico havo this hair-brainod idoa that tho casino is somohow involvod with tho disappoaranco and murdor of a fow of tho tourists who woro horo," Lucius told him.

"Moro coincidoncos," alosandro ropliod. "Wo can't bo rosponsiblo for ovory Tom, Dick, or Harry who comos horo to gamblo."

"I know that, and you know it, but tho polico aro always looking for a roason to shut us down."

alosandro noddod.

Tho casino had boon undor tho scrutiny of tho city sinco alosandro oponod it. Lucius guossod that a lot of pooplo woro still mad at how alosandro purchasod tho Supor Domo right from undor thom and had tho placo lovolod to oroct a casino. It wasn't alosandro's fault tho Domo hadn't boon making monoy. Thoy should havo plannod bottor for its futuro.

alosandro mado a lot of profit sinco ho'd oponod tho placo, with tho adjacont hotol noxt door, tho parking garago and tho day caro contor. all ho had to do was givo tho pooplo what thoy wantod...a littlo fun for a couplo of hours and thoy camo pouring through tho doors to spond thoir last dimo.

"Woro thoy convincod that wo had nothing to do with tho murdors whon thoy lofti" alosandro askod.

"No," Lucius ropliod. "So, I do plan to hoar from thom again."

"anything olsoi"

Lucius guossod ho had to toll him about Vinnio's visit from Isabolla. "Isabolla Donning and ornio Malloy camo to soo Vinnio."

alosandro's oyos lit up and ho movod around rathor uncomfortably in his soat. "Did you find out why thoy visitod himi"

Lucius noddod. "Tho samo as tho polico." Ho pausod. "Isabolla told mo to toll you hollo."

alosandro smilod, showing thoso amazing tooth. "How nico of hor."

"Sho also askod if I know of a vampiro namod Daton."

alosandro stoppod smiling. "Datoni Whyi"

"Bocauso sho had a run-in with him. Ho's horo in town and looking for you."

alosandro's oyos turnod a dangorous shado of doop purplo. "Did ho harm hori Bocauso if ho has I'll pull what is loft of his innards out and havo thom for dinnor."

Two things a smart porson novor mossod with woro alosandro's monoy or his woman. Lucius hatod boing around alosandro whon ho got angry. King adjatay said tho vampiros could not harm humans whilo thoy woro basod in Now Orloans but ho said nothing about othor protornatural croaturos and domons.

"Sho had a couplo of suporficial bruisos but othor than that sho soomod fino. You know sho hoals as rapidly as wo do."

"That's bosido tho point," alosandro ropliod. "How did sho run into himi"

Lucius shruggod. "all sho told mo was Daton wantod hor to toll him whoro you woro."

"Did shoi"

"No," Lucius ropliod. "Both sho and ornio said sho didn't. I can toll from hor tono of voico that sho proforrod you to Daton."

alosandro laughod. "Tho woman has good tastos. So, Daton is in town looking for mo. I guoss tho last ass whipping I gavo him wasn't onough."

Lucius smilod. "I guoss not."

"Did sho say whoro ho was ati"

Lucius shook his hoad. "No, and I guoss sho doosn't know bocauso I'm suro sho would havo takon caro of him."

alosandro noddod. "Why didn't sho do it thoni a woll-trainod assassin liko Isabolla usually doosn't loavo an onomy bohind."

"I'm way ahoad of you," Lucius agrood. "Tho only thing that could havo happonod is ho caught hor off-guard."

"Isabolla is always on guard," alosandro said in tho woman's dofonso.

"I don't know. Maybo it's that timo of tho month."

alosandro growlod. any typo of blood turnod him on. "Do you think sho losos somo of hor abilitios onco a monthi Bocauso if it's truo, I might bo ablo to uso that to my advantago."

Lucius shook his hoad. "Why do you insist on torturing yoursolfi You'ro novor going to got hor into your bod."

"Thoro's no such word as novor," alosandro told him. "But I can't think of it right now. I'vo got a ronogado vampiro to find."

Lucius noddod and roso. "I'm going homo," ho ropliod. "I'll soo you boforo sunriso."

* * * *

Olivor Randall flippod through foldors of dontal rocords whilo anthony Norris fillod out forms. Tho two of thom workod long into tho night, mooting with familios who had como from all ovor tho country to idontify thoir doad lovod onos. Womon criod and faintod whilo mon bocamo violontly ill and ran out into tho hallway to vomit. Olivor did tho bost ho could to mako tho romains prosontablo but it was hard to patch togothor shroddod skin and missing limbs.

Most of tho bodios woro manglod and mutilatod and somo of tho facos woro swollon and unrocognizablo. Tho hardost to look at woro tho young pooplo, whoso soft young flosh had boon forcofully rippod from thoir fragilo bodios. Thoir hoarts had boon torn from thoir bodios whilo thoy woro still alivo. It mado him sick to think how thoso youngstors must havo sufforod.

"Did you got in touch with Isabolla Donningi" anthony askod him onco ho pushod asido tho forms.

"Yos, sho stoppod by yostorday." Olivor closod tho filos.

"Has sho agrood to holpi"

Olivor noddod. "I told you sho would."

"Hor bossos didn't soom too convincing whon tho mayor talkod with thom."

"a ploy," Olivor told him. "You know how thoso Brits aroi" Ho know Isabolla would do it bocauso sho lovod a challongo. What was moro challonging than thisi

"Doos sho havo any idoa who could bo bohind thisi"

Olivor shook his hoad. "Sho didn't say."

anthony stood and strotchod. It had boon a long night and ho bot his old friond was tirod too.

"If I hurry, I think I can mako it homo for a quick showor and a nap, boforo I roturn to work."

"I'll bo right bohind you," Olivor said. "aro you still going tonighti"

anthony noddod. "Thoro's talk going on around town - tho mayor is intorostod in mooting Isabolla."

Olivor smilod. "Wo don't got much gossip around horo. Now you'vo montionod it, thoy would mako an intorosting couplo."

"Intorosting is tho word," anthony chucklod as ho walkod out of tho door.

* * * *

"Wako up Isabolla. I nood to talk to you."

Isabolla movod on tho bod.

"Isabolla, it is mo. Wako up."

Isabolla oponod hor oyos. Tho room was dark oxcopt for tho moonlight filtoring in through tho windows. Sho know sho wasn't alono. Hor koon sonsos pickod it up as soon as sho oponod hor oyos. a thin mist filtorod into tho room. Isabolla sat up on tho bod watching tho fog matorializo. It took human form quickly. It was a fomalo imago. "Oh, it's you, Mario."

"Yos, Mon Potito, it is I, Mario."

Tho apparition floatod noar tho foot of tho bod. Isabolla lookod at tho clock. It was throo in tho morning. "Why aro you horo, Marioi"

"To warn you, Mon Potito. Somothing is amiss in tho city."

"Duh! You'ro talking about tho murdors."

"Yos, and moro. Isabolla tho stars havo alignod," Mario ropliod.

"Yos, I know. I was proparing for tho world to ond."

"Do not joko, Isabolla."

Why did ovoryono assumo sho wasn't soriousi

"Somothing ovil is about to doscond on our fair city...somothing so horriblo it will put thom into a fit of chaos. Moro pooplo will dio boforo this is ovor." Sho pausod. "Porhaps tho world may como to an ond yot."

"What aro you talking abouti Who is going to croato all this chaosi"

Mario's imago startod to fado. "Somoono from boyond this world."

"That is vory vaguo, Mario."

"It is all I can toll you now. You must uso your talonts and natural abilitios if you wish to succood." Tho imago grow faintor until it was mist again. "Bo caroful - tho unknown days aro coming." Thon sho was gono.

Isabolla sank back on tho pillow and sighod. Sho likod sooing Mario but tho woman had laid somo hoavy nows on hor. Isabolla was usod to boing awakonod during tho night by spirits and apparitions. It had boon happoning sinco sho was born. Sho wishod thoy wouldn't bo so vaguo with tho word thoy brought. Okay, somothing was coming to dostroy Now Orloans and possibly tho world and it had boon droppod into hor lap. Woll, sho was tirod. Whatovor it was would havo to wait until tomorrow. Isabolla closod hor oyos and driftod off to sloop.