Arjun met Davinder at the club for a game of pool, hoping to forget the mysterious singer. He was in a foul mood, taking it out on the game. Even when he missed on purpose, he didn't set up a shot for Dave or answer the challenge to bet against himself. His face remained grim and lifeless until Dave rapped his queue sharply on the table.

"I thought you would be in a better mood, Arjun. After all, you are the one who got lucky last night." Dave winced away from the look on his friend's face. "What happened to the girl in the green dress?" He pursed his lips. "From the look of things, and when you didn't come back, we thought you were having a good time."

"I was, but I guess she wasn't interested." He grated. Of course that wasn't true. He had seen a very convincing look of longing in her eyes before he let her go. He dragged a hand through his ruffled hair and released a sub-base growl that blended into the club music. Any other immortal would feel overjoyed to have her gone. The invasive stalking set him on edge but he missed her more than he wanted to admit. She had not picked up his last three notes. Arjun stopped writing them. The facts were clear enough. N already had a traveling companion; she had said as much when they spoke. She implied that her companion was dangerous to both herself and Arjun. His jaw clenched at the thought that anyone could harm such a lady. She left no means of contacting the embodied fantasy and forbidden love outside of the imaginary stage in his fevered brain. It was for the best, he kept telling himself. The secrets she hid could destroy him. "We spent some time together, but she left and didn't leave her phone number." He tried to shrug indifferently.

"Bhagavan!" Davinder spat. "I'm sorry, man."

"I'll never forget her."

"I know how you feel." Dave agreed. Arjun resisted the urge to break his nose with the eight ball. How could an infant know how anything about an immortals feelings? Arjun thought, snidely. Dave continued. "I can't live without Missy. It would crush me if she just disappeared. You will understand once you meet her tonight."

They rode to meet Missy at one of the restaurants where she danced. Davinder rode in silence. One moment he was high as a cloud, confident she would come to her senses and marry him. Maybe the trip would go so badly that she would come running to home to him. The next he could think of nothing but the dangers she faced on her trip. She was so innocent and beautiful. Her date of departure loomed closer. In only three days she and her troop were scheduled to depart, and Dave was so distracted he almost ran a few red lights on the road.

Missy seemed like a good enough person, Arjun admitted. She sat on a cushioned pillow in a corner of the restaurant, right next to a low table. Her long legs where tucked under the chair, knees together, in a lady like fashion. In front of her was a half finished drink that smelled like a pinacolada. Her inviting peach skin lips turned up in an honest smile when they entered. Dave sat close to her, but Arjun sat as far away as the padded bench would allow. Her young eyes held no secret thoughts that her tongue did not speak, and her refreshingly open face provided the perfect distraction to her inticing smell. Her gold and copper hair was done up tonight with jeweled pins, revealing the soft ripe neck and shoulders. Davinder tried to talk her out of the tour one last time while Arjun avoided looking at her and tried not to breath too often.

"Seriously, Dave, what girl would pass this up? Expense paid travel to places I've only read about?" Dave offered to take her on a tour after he finished college, as his wife, and she laughed. "Why don't you join the show? You are a pretty good drummer. You could play for me." She pleaded jokingly. "The troupe needs me and you know it."

"Have you at least demanded a return ticket as part of the deal?"

"I have bought a return ticket, just in case, but the manager says he has everything worked out." She nodded confidently. "I can't understand why you are being so silly about this. Dance is so popular in India, we can't fail."

Dave groaned. "This is India we are talking about. Some dancers study for 10 years before stepping onto a stage. It would be like me entering a motocross on a tricycle." He immediately regretted those words when he saw the hurt on Missy's face. "Of course you are a wonderful dancer. That isn't how I meant it."

Missy sniffed. "And you are not a dancer. I can't expect you to understand. It's a good thing you can play a drum," she shot angrily. "You don't have a brain in your head!" She turned pleading again. "Why can't you just be happy for me and wait for me?"

"You go into enemy territory, sweet heart." Dave frowned. "I worry. Another world waits for you out there." He placed a protective arm around her shoulders. "Corruption, red tape, changing rules, bribes, tips, fees, and bad drivers! I hope your manager is Punjabi, at least."

"I go into shopping territory. I've been saving every penny for this trip so I can splurge in European stores. I'm hardly packing anything but a few costumes and money. I plan on buying everything new, even my nightgowns and shoes." A happy shudder coursed through her at the thought of Italian shoes. "I think my luggage must weigh about ten pounds altogether, more money I'm saving since I won't have to check bags. I'll have my hands full on the way back, though. And one more thing, our manager is just fine and none of your business. I can handle this. Look, I've been studying languages and maps. Hamburg, Strasbourg, London, Delhi, it's like a dream come true. Mom bought me this great little pocket computer with global positioning, wire-less Internet, and five language dictionaries built in. Watch." She tapped out the word 'bathroom' on the screen and translated it. "Badenzimmer. Banos." She spoke clearly. "I have loads of travel books and plenty of music to keep me busy enough to hardly miss you at all." She gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll be fine. It's not about whether I can fly; it's about spreading my wings. Even ostriches flap, Dave. Don't tell them to stop flapping because you know they will never get off the ground."

"Fine, fine," Dave smiled wryly. "I can't hold you back, I can't go with you, I can only cross my fingers and beg forgiveness. A toast!" He raised his wine glass. "To the Desert Flame Dance Troupe!" Arjun watched the couple together. They did seem to have a spark. They were happy, light hearted and spoke on many different subjects including cooking and music. In many ways Arjun was surprised how talented and intelligent Missy turned out to be. She was good for Dave.

"Dave has been telling me stories about you," said Missy. She looked curiously at him over the edge of her glass.

"All bad, I hope," he replied smoothly.

"Some good, some bad," she mused. "He says you drink too much, gamble, play pool badly and darts worse, and that you can't dance." She giggled and set the drink down to get a better look at him. "I think he has been looking at the mirror, and not at you." She glanced at Arjun's full glass of wine. "You haven't touched a drop, and a dancer knows when a person is clumsy or not. You are the most not clumsy person I have ever seen outside a Kung Fu school. I just can't picture you losing at darts." She shook her head in disbelief. "He also says you are a musician, a mechanic, and a psychic. Don't worry," she winked, "I don't believe any of it except the mechanic part."

"Well sweetie," Dave interrupted, "If I send you away, I send you prepared." He pulled her closer and patted her shoulder possessively. "Let me tell you about my European tour." He told stories for an hour while Arjun pretended to drink coffee. Normally he would have found some excuse to leave and give them privacy, but he wanted company tonight. The burn of thirst in his throat helped take his thoughts off the ache in his heart, though neither was safe to focus on for very long.

Signs of impending insanity, he thought.

I know what you are! A voice hissed in his ear. Normally that might be another sign of crazy, but for Arjun simply rolled his eyes, and sighed. Get away from my granddaughter!

Oh great. Dear old Grandma is coming completely unglued, he thought. I'm not going to eat her, I promise. He replied as politely as possible to the old woman. This ancestor had a good reason for interrupting dinner. Her little one was eating next to a vampire, and that tends to make guardian angels nervous. Arjun didn't feel like being rude. It's all right, he thought soothingly. But you might want to go somewhere else for a while. He dug just a pinch of crushed lavender and sage out of his emergency pouch and sprinkled it into the mood lighting candle in front of him. Never leave home without it. He smirked. I'll see you later. Or not. She blinked out of sight and out of mind the moment a whiff of acrid smoke hit her ghostly form. That never failed to bring a smile to his face.

Completely absorbed, he drummed a complex rhythm on the table top that caused ice to rattle in his water glass and a spoon to dance on Missy's plate. The girl caught her breath. Her eyes flashed to Arjuna's face, then hands, as if seeing him clearly for the first time. Good amateur drummers were rare in Arizona. Almost all those that claimed to be great drummers easily impressed other guys by banging randomly on expensive drums. Those that could tell the difference between a beat and a beating did well to learn one or two Middle Eastern rhythms and switch back and forth between them. One in a thousand or more could play what Arjun casually thumped on the table. Excitement painted her cheeks. Impressed but trying to hide it, she lowered her eyes and snuggled into Davinder's shoulder as he continued his stories.

Chapter 5

Davinder made a horrible shot. It could have been the worst shot of his life, but he didn't really notice. He didn't really care. He was very close to winning the round of darts. Money was on the line and he only needed one more bulls eye. He just could not make himself care. He scowled and replaced the tip on one of his personal darts. "They must be dull. They are bouncing off the dartboard," he grumbled. For the last two days, everything seemed to start out fine and then went sour. He was losing everything at the last moment. Pool, darts, love. He sighed dully. Ronit aced his shot on the bulls eye and made Dave pay up.

"Looks like I am the new darts champion," he bragged.

"Oh, come on. You aren't even close to a match for me in darts and you know it, Ronit. You got lucky," Dave complained. "I'm just not interested in anything right now."

"Not interested? Any less interested and you would be dead. What's wrong with you?" Ronit looked peered at Dave to see if he looked sick. "You lost twenty dollars last night at pool, and now you can't throw straight. Have you lost your mind?"

"Maybe I have. Maybe it got on a plane and left." He slumped on the barstool.

"Terrible. I'm surrounded by lovesick Mama's boys." Ronit pocketed the cash winnings and gestured toward Arjun. "Here is what we are going to do. We have a week off at college and I propose we go for a road trip. Ride up to Flagstaff, then see the Grand Canyon and the painted desert. Check out the club scene near NAU. Cute college girls in Flagstaff. We've been talking about this for months. It's time." He raised one eyebrow. "Don't shake your head at me, Arjun. You are as bad as Dave. Get some wind in your hair and bugs in your teeth. Throw french-fries at the ravens and watch them catch in the air. Best cure for a woman I ever saw."

"I guess some fresh air could clear my head," Davinder shrugged.

"What you need is a new spirit to replace that old, tired one. If you don't shape up I'm shipping you after Missy on the next plane," Ronit said. "It's just no fun beating you when you don't fight back."

Arjun was about to leave for the shop when Leareth stopped him. He'd been sulking at the bar betting against Dave for over an hour but he couldn't stop searching for a note that wasn't there. Not one molecule of the lady's scent remained in the bar. She was really gone. Arjuna watched Dave mope and realized he felt the same way. Life didn't have the interest it had before. All the silver figures he cast looked unfinished. He felt like he had just broken up with a lover, and couldn't stand to be in the places they shared together. Leaving the city for a few days might not be such a bad idea.

He could not stop thinking. Who was she? What danger was she protecting him from? Why did she need to hide herself? Why won't she call me? He imagined what she looked like. He knew her eyes pretty well. She could not hide them when she was startled. They were shaped like flower petals from a divine lotus blossom and colored like blood garnets. The long and dark lashes reached out to brush his cheek when they kissed. He knew her real skin tone as her body changed color when he gripped her close to him. The color of chai tea with lots of cream, like butterscotch fudge, evenly glowed from her arms and legs. Her subtle velvet voice and scent were absolutely fixed in his mind. Arjun felt confident he would know her in an instant whether he stumbled across her tomorrow or a century from tomorrow. She would not escape a second time.

Why don't you have a talk with Davinder alone tonight? The message surprised him not because it was vague but because Leareth only gave suggestions if they were somehow important. Talking to Dave tonight must cause some change to come into Arjun's life. Since any change would be good at this point, he made sure that conversation would happen.

"Hey Dave," he spoke up, "Why don't we go get something to eat? I know a great place that is open late. Let's have some calamari. That always cheers you up."

Dave realized this was a perfect excuse to escape the Ronit's bragging. "I'll go. I am hungry. I hope you don't expect me to pay because Ronit took all my cash for tonight."

Arjun called a taxi to shuttle them from the bar to the restaurant because Dave was a little intoxicated. Arjun did not feel like having this conversation in a hospital, so he insisted. "Friends don't let friends ride drunk," he bullied. "Just get in the car." He hoped that Dave and Missy had never been to the Golden Reef together. Arjun himself had never been there. The fried fish and squid smelled disgusting to him but the waitress smelled good enough to eat. She tried getting his attention the way most pretty girls do, smiling and looking straight at him until he made it clear he was done ordering. Arjun could not feel the same way about human girls. A pretty face isn't enough to get an immortal's attention because the hunter's instinct is triggered by scent, posture, and movement. If the waitress knew how to get Arjun interested, she would take a bath, stand up straight, and throw out that awful perfume that was wearing her. Then she would scream and run in fear. He noticed at the same time Dave groaned that she had eyes the same color of green as Missy's.

"Dave, this is bad." His eyebrows came together in a frown. "You look miserable."

"I am miserable. And so are you. You are acting just like me. Moping around, sighing, staring off into space." He chewed on something deep fried for a while before continuing. "WE are a mess. Maybe we should just get out on the road and drive until we forget our own names."

"Do you think that would help?" Arjun looked skeptical. There was always one problem when it came to the subject of long road trips with humans. Well, two problems. Sun and blood. Sun on Arjun's skin, that might not be such a problem with the right riding outfit and tinted helmet. Blood in the humans veins, a problem waiting to happen the moment Arjun lost control of his addiction to take another hit. Dave's drinking helped there. Arjun hated the smell of alcohol tainted blood.

"Absolutely!" He tried pounding on the table, but drinking made Dave miss the table and slap his own knee. "You heard Ronit. We ride up to the high desert plateau and see the very bones of the earth exposed before out eyes. Into the pines on winding mountain roads. See deer and rabbits. Commune with nature. See our troubles tumble into the Grand Canyon. Everything is smaller when you are standing at the edge of it." His eyes drifted far away. "I've been there once. Something was bothering me but I can't remember now what it was. I looked into the canyon and suddenly nothing mattered anymore. In the layers of rock I saw years laid out before me. Normally you can't see centuries, you can't imagine them, but there they were carved in stone. Not one tiny human thing mattered." He sighed. "I want to feel that way again."

Arjun listened to his friend's speech in awe. He had not seen this side of Davinder before. Suddenly he needed to share this very human experience of being dumped by a woman. He decided to be as honest as possible about Lady N. "I want to tell you something," he began intently. "About the girl I left the bar with last week, the one in the green skirt." Dave sat up in his chair.

"Has she called you back?"

"No," he shook his head. "Not even close. The truth is, I can't stop thinking about her. We met one night in a dust storm because I heard her singing, but she ran from me before I saw her face. I left her a letter where I saw her the first time, and we have been exchanging notes. That night she came into the bar, it was like setting me on fire. You might not have noticed, but her face was disguised by makeup and she wore a wig. I have no idea what she really looks like. We kissed a few times, but she made it clear that we weren't going to happen that way. I think she might even be married. She would not tell me her name. Then she left and I'm in a bad mood." He smiled a little half smile. "That's pretty much what happened to both of us, I think." Dave nodded. He felt better now that Arjun was being honest about how messed up they both were, instead of pointing all the love sick remarks at him like Ronit had.

"A disguise?" Dave looked shocked. "I thought girls wanted commitment, marriage, babies, a faithful man. All these ladies want is a couple of boy toys," he shredded an onion ring onto his plate. "That is the worst part, she ran when I said I loved her."

"Don't ask me what women want, Dave. I can't keep one in the same room with me. She sings like an angel and dances like the devil. I could probably forget her if she wasn't so secretive, but that disguise pulls on me. I can't stand unsolved mysteries and If I don't get out of here, I'll go insane." He felt the press board of the table start to give way under his fingers, just in time to keep himself from breaking it. A plan suddenly formed in Arjun's mind. "Let's do both of us a favor. Your parents said it was OK for you to take a break from school if you wanted to track a wife down. Let's follow her to Europe, then India. You can be her biggest fan." He felt very impulsive, but there were ways to avoid the sun. It would not be extremely difficult in the middle of September under heavy rain clouds. He could almost act human. "I may never see my mystery woman's face, but you have a chance at a happy ending. Maybe seeing you happy will make me feel better, maybe not. Anything is better than watching you waste away like this. You will be dead before she comes back at this rate," Arjun teased.

"This is so sudden," Dave paused. "Like a dream or a movie. I feel like a romantic jerk. This stuff doesn't really happen to people."

"Sure it does!" Arjun insisted. "Haven't you watched any American movies? Men are always chasing women to get their attention. I'll bet she is waiting you to show up any day now. You are a sick man, Dave. I can't take the risk that you will simply walk over the edge of the Grand Canyon. This is for your own good." Taking care of a depressed human was starting to feel like fun.

"I'm starting to feel tempted, but why now? Shouldn't we wait until she has a chance to miss me?"

"Of course not. Out of sight, out of mind. She might forget you if she spends too long away. All those men watching her dance." He broke off and looked at Dave closely to monitor his reaction. "You never told me, what is it like, watching her dance?" The other man groaned. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and Arjun could almost see his face go pale. That is, if it is possible for a chocolate colored cheek to blanch.

"You can't imagine it. She walks onto a stage with pure sin in her eyes. Like she knows exactly how to drive every man in the room crazy. Her hair flows like a river of gold. And then..." He looked away, embarrassed. "What she does with her body is illegal in several countries. And Utah."

"I and the populace of all those countries can't wait to see it." Arjun grinned evilly when Dave flinched. "Can you?"

"Dear God no! Only one problem. She promised to email me to tell me all her scheduled stops. She is being vague. I only what city she is starting in, London, and a few of the stops. They are doing a tour of all the fall and winter reenactment fairs they can fit in through Europe before finishing in India. I hope we can catch her before she gets too far."

"Don't worry. I'm sure she will send more emails once she gets a chance. Travel is very tiring. She probably has jet lag. We will check for updates as soon as we get off the plane. How long is she staying in London?"

"One week to rest and practice, another to perform. She said another girl is joining the troupe and they need to practice some routines with her before getting serious. It's a big mystery, last thing she told me was the manager refused to show the rest of the dancers any pictures of the new girl, or tell them what her name was. It really seemed to worry Missy. Wish I knew why." He shrugged. Arjun didn't have any ideas about the new mystery dancer. His mind was busy thinking of ways to pay for the trip, and a good lie to cover it up. Dave didn't need to worry about exactly where the money was coming from. "What about your own mystery lady, Arjun? Do I get my happy ending and leave you in the mud? I don't know if I can feel good about that," he frowned, a little less intoxicated than earlier. Dave was sobering up rapidly.

"I'm going to forget her." Arjun nodded firmly.

"You can't forget anything, remember?" Dave rolled his eyes. "I bet you can repeat every word on that sound track I let you borrow. I've been your friend long enough to know that you have perfect recall."

"That's right, I can't forget. But I can try not to remember." He looked down, frowning. "Are you sobered up now?" He asked. Dave nodded. "Well it's time for you to go pack. I have to get some things before we leave." Like money, he thought. Boss, Shalima answered, I thought we were being good. The dragon seemed worried for no reason. Arjun did plan to be good. There was no reason to get moral over stealing from the minor drug lord that lived down the street from his book store. Especially since Arjun could slip in and out like a ghost. A fast ghost.

"Wait, Arjun, I just thought of something. We aren't exactly swimming in cash here." He blinked his eyes and frowned tragically. Yes, definitely sobered up. "How are we doing this?"

Arjun looked embarrassed. "I don't want to get into a lot of details, but I'm currently renting out a little property that's been in my family for a while. I have been planning this for a while, to raise money for my investments. It was gathering dust for when I found it buried in a pile of things from my great grandmother. We might even get to visit it at the Museum in London before it moves on to the next site. People all over the world get to see my family's diamond necklace. The first rent payment on it came today, and I want to spend it on this." Dave started shaking his head. He didn't like the thought of taking so much money for what was, essentially, a wife gathering trip. In centuries past, he and Arjun would have mounted horses and galloped off to kidnap Missy. Simple, efficient, and straightforward, the whole process would take a few days. Thoughts of Missy's face and the fading buzz of vodka won over his common sense at last, and he agreed.

"It's just a loan, though. I'll pay you back when I'm a big shot software engineer after graduation," Dave held out his hand to shake on the deal, and Arjun accepted. The whole thing made him feel a little dirty. Now he had to go dig up that sparkling antique and loan it around to museums just to get out of lying to his best friend. One of the best investments for an immortal to make is real estate, followed by jewels and antiques. The problem is, the moment an antique is sold, it's future investment value is lost. House property can by rented, fixed, renovated, and rented again. Arjun was planning his move up in the world in a perfectly ordinary human way. He planned to use all his extra cash to buy foreclosed houses, fix them up himself, and then rent them out. When you don't eat, drink, or have a family, cash builds up. In ten years he would be comfortably wealthy. Now he was as broke as a joke. "What should I pack?" Dave asked.

"Warm clothes. Of course we will probably need to buy new coats as soon as we get to London. It's fall there, and we'll be lucky to see sun at all. I predict plenty of rain. Make sure get a rain proof bike outfit. We will be renting bikes for the trip. I hope you don't mind."

"I've wanted to bike across Europe since I got my first tricycle," Dave confessed. "I think I have the best friend in the whole world!" He clapped Arjun on the back. His hand stung for a moment at the impact of soft flesh on marble immortal shoulder. The look in Dave's eyes was bewildered. "You must work out," he muttered and let his hand drop.

Arjun dropped Dave off at the bar, and took his own bike back to his shop. He looked forward to rain and clouds, as well as the skin-hiding riding outfits with tinted helmets that would allow him to move about even on a sunny day. Being trapped inside his shop for ten or more hours a day was good for making jewelry, selling books, and learning not to eat the customers, but Arjun felt ready for a vacation. A few months resisting the pull of human blood let Arjun know what to expect in crowded airports and festivals. He had to hunt right away. Tonight he hunted money, and blood.

Of all the things an immortal can do, stealing was the easiest. Like any good predator, they are designed by nature to take whatever they want without asking. Because it is so easy to do, it gets boring. As Arjun perched high in a tree and watched the house, boredom swept over him like a sucking black fog. Drug lords, at least the minor ones in charge of selling the product and laundering the cash through a business front, lived in normal houses on normal streets. They avoided looking too rich, driving fast cars, and being rude to the neighbors. In movies, guards strolled the grounds with guns. In reality, tall oleanders with flowers guarded this tiny old house in the historical district. This is just too easy. He thought. He smelled and heard the three people inside. The rust and cleaner scent of gun cleaning supplies indicated guns on the property. Arjun focused carefully and searched through the catalog of smells coming from the house until he found what he wanted. Money. Great smelly army surplus duffel bags of it. Why do people never wash those duffels? More drug sniffing dogs arrests are triggered by the scents trapped in the fabric of those filthy sacks than by actual drugs. To Arjun, the bags smelled like cotton, dirt, feet, marijuana, printed linen bills, and dog. The humans smelled delicious. He remembered the taste. Teeth cutting like a hot knife through butter into the necks of his prey, strong fingers holding them motionless to his chest.

Only the thin layer of glass and an iron grill separated him from the feast. He would remove that barrier as easily as a child unwraps a chocolate bar. He would enjoy the treat much, much more.

He stopped outside a barred window and shook himself out of the hunting trance. Arjun did not remember deciding to move at all, just the scent of the humans pulling on him toward the house and a meal. His mind lost control for a moment to the senseless addiction to human life. Arjun shook under the demands of the beast inside, but a warrior's will goes far beyond the mind. Deep in the tiny part of his brain that watched this event with clinical detachment, Arjun stopped breathing and began chanting. Mara Mara Mara Mara Mara Mara Mara maramaramaramaramara... An uninterrupted plea for control over the death god that lived in his body. The chant swelled and gave control of his demon body back to Arjun's mind. The stupid mistake had Arjun angry enough at himself to destroy the whole house brick by brick. As fast as a blink, he smashed the window, bent the bars aside, grabbed two money bags, and ran away. He ran faster to get away from those three large men than he had ever ran before. He certainly wasn't afraid of their weapons. Even video cameras missed him as Arjun tried to outrun his own shame. The the drug lord had been robbed by a coffee and caramel colored blur.

By the time Arjun arrived at his shop with the cash, all trace of the money's origin was gone. The sun's light peaked over the horizon. The disgusting bags floated in a canal miles away, replaced by a normal leather suitcase. Two first-class plane tickets to London rested safely in the internal pocket of Arjun's new leather backpack, one less javelina roamed the rocky piles north of Phoenix, and his eyes glowed a comfortable wolfish color. He sent Davinder a text message, then got to work mothballing the shop for a month.

"We leave at 9pm from Sky Harbor. Hope you are packed. If you are not ready to go, get ready. See you at the my place, 7pm"

Davinder's bike pulled into the parking lot just as Arjun locked up the shop. A cheerful "On vacation, will reopen mid October" sign hung in the door window, giving them about five weeks to find the lovely Miss Carmelle and make her Misses Davinder Balla. He made one last check of the store's mailbox at the bank of boxes on the corner. Stuffed in there was the usual collection of bills for rent and supplies, inventory orders, catalogs of Wholesale Metaphysical supplies and a large, crumpled manila envelope post marked London, two day airmail. After he opened it he froze in place for a long moment.

This envelope left London two days ago.

"Dave?" Arjun whispered when he recovered a little from the shock.

"What is it?"

"Look at this!"

"Dear God," Davinder gasped. "What does this mean?"

Arjun held in his hand a painted and feathered mask.

Chapter 6

When Missy heard that the first performance for the Daughters of Flame was a literary festival, this was not what she was expecting. The inside of the old former church building was stifling from the people packed into the festival. Hundreds of people in elaborate costumes filled the building with sound and color. Under the lofty cathedral dome, rows of tents were erected in all the colors of the rainbow, streaming flags and pennants as if they were out in the open air. A giddy energy gripped Missy as she peaked at the audience in front of the main stage. Some of them were dressed as ors, hobbit, elves, and other characters from fantasy novels. The tall and beautiful elves looked almost as unearthly as the new dancer that Missy would be performing with today, even though none of them came close to her perfection.

Narayani could dance well, but she was difficult to accept. Her moves seemed more old-school Indian than modern fusion belly dance. She never shopped or ate with the three original troupe members and she stayed in a different floor of the hotel. Jasmine thought she was simply conceited, some kind of diva. She picked new live musicians to join the troupe in London and sent the first three musicians back to America, where she said they belonged. The new players sounded really amazing, but taking charge and giving orders like that was more than a little cold hearted.

The old players were Missy's friends, the best of the best live belly dance musicians in the valley of the sun. Narayani simply came on board and acted like she was the sun and the moon. Missy suspected that money was involved. If the new girl wasn't the money behind this tour, Missy would eat her own coined bra.

Missy moved onto the stage in a slow, sensual strut and a familiar sin-worthy look on her peaches and cream face. Everything else she wore was unfamiliar. Another casualty of Narayani's meddling, Missy's favorite costumes packed from home were packed again and back on the plane on the way back to Phoenix with the drummer. Staying with the troupe and not going home in protest made Missy feel a little like a traitor. Jasmine, Raven and Missy had a long talk about the new girl and decided to continue on. It didn't help her feel better that the new costumes were tailored, fitted, and about five hundred times better than anything she owned before. The matching jewelry didn't help either. Narayani needed to learn that she couldn't buy friendship. When she changed the contract to make all the new costumes into part of the deal for the the dancers, Missy suddenly started to feel pretty friendly. She wasn't made out of stone. One look at her body proved that.

She worked the pink silk with her body, increasing in speed and intensity in perfect harmony with the music. The gossamer veils clung enticingly to her when she spun or moved forward, then hid her shape teasingly when she moved backwards. Her waterfall of spun copper and gold hair flared out and around her like the aura of an angel, while men even far back from the stage strained forward in awe. The long skirts sighed and whispered around her ankles. The fabric was so weightless it lifted often to show her shapely calves, and drifted even higher when she spun to reveal well muscled thighs.

Every movement was fluid and confident. She danced with the veil now like the length of spiderweb silk was a lover, a dance partner, and a supernatural force all in one. Her arms wove patterns in the air, causing the veil to slip over her glowing skin like a caress as it concealed, then revealed her face, her hips, or her belly. The beat reached a climax of speed while Missy's entire body, especially her now exposed midsection, shook and rippled in pure ecstasy of dance. A few grown men looked ready to beg for mercy by the time one in the back blushed and mumbled something about marriage. Missy Carmelle was a little jaded by it. On the one hand, she simply loved bringing men to their knees. On the other, she was tired of being proposed to. She had not said yes to him, but Davinder seemed like a good enough fiancé. She had not wanted to seem like an easy catch, but now she regretted not having his ring on her finger. As impossible as love at first sight sounded, she missed Dave and hoped that he missed her. Her dance ended. On cue, Jasmine blew a large ball of fire in front of the stage, and Missy vanished behind the curtain.

Arjun turned the mask over in his hands, as if staring at it's painted features would reveal some clue to the lady's thoughts. His long, sure fingers caressed the porcelain face. The cold, red lips curved up in a secretive, permanent smile. The smooth, white cheeks and bright glitter designs revealed nothing. No secret message hid, waiting patiently in the brush stroke eyelashes.

Feeling a little silly, he held the mask up to his own face and looked through it's eyes. The taste of her lips lingered in the mask. Ah, he sighed, "She left me a kiss."

Stirrings of desire turned sharp and jagged, tearing him up inside. Lady N was in London. The mask teased him and sent his mind spinning with fantasies. He longed to grip her tightly to his body and feel every inch of her satin skin. Davinder's loud curse interrupted Arjuna's thoughts.

"She doesn't know the agenda, Arjuna! None of them do. This new dancer has taken over the troupe and she keeps the schedule a secret." He folded up his computer and shoved it into his pack. His mind went over Missy's email again and again, half frustrated at the lack of detail, half thrilled to hear anything at all from her.

"My dear Dave,

I miss you more every day, but I wouldn't give this up for anyone. You can't imagine how much fun I'm having. Narayani, the new dancer, has taken charge of everything. I think she must be rich and connected because everything is the best!

Our costumes, hotels, the places we dance, all are more fantastic than I've ever seen in my life. It is like performing in palaces and eating with the queen. I think of you whenever I get the chance, but Narayani keeps us on the move and doesn't tell anyone where we are going next. I think she likes keeping us on our toes. I can't send you a schedule like you asked, so I sure hope you aren't thinking of following me on tour as a surprise. What a mess!

We plan to perform three nights a week during the tour at fairs and conventions, so you would never find us.

I wish you could meet Narayani. She is from South India like you, and she tells us great stories about the places she has been. I would have to live a hundred years to see so many cities!

Well I have to go. I really hate telling you like this, when I can't see your face. I feel like a coward but I'll say it anyway. I love you. I'll see you soon.

Yours, Missy"

Dave slumped on the hotel bed looking devastated. "She has no idea where the show is headed next. We spent two days searching newspapers and collecting event fliers looking for her troupe and found nothing. This is hopeless. It's as if London has swallowed them whole." He grabbed a handful of colorful advertisements and started tearing them to shreds absentmindedly.

"Wait." Fingers like lightning grabbed one of the fliers before Dave could destroy it. The full page advertisement for the annual Kingston Carnival included a picture of a painted and feathered mask, identical to the mask Arjun still held in his left hand. "We might have found something after all," he murmured. Excitement like being on the hunt thrilled through him. He felt completely fascinated, absorbed by the mystery. Did it matter that Dave's mortal quarry evaded him, when his own lady might be only miles away? Arjun came to London to overcome his obsession, only to find it deepening. She allured him with hidden kisses, angered him with cryptic clues, brought his cooled blood to boiling and drove his reason into blindness.

He looked down again at the flier to see his own hand crushing the paper into a tiny wad and pocketed it before Davinder noticed. His voice sounded perfectly calm and off hand, hiding the excitement. "I'm going to check out the Kingston Carnival. You coming?"

"Go on without me. I'll be at the pub."

He rode through the heart of London, following the course of the river Thames. Here the river did not wind like wild rivers in America. She flowed between tall, stone walls as orderly as teatime. White sails flitted across the gray waters, while motor boats and ferries chugged patiently upstream. The water sparkled dully under the clouded afternoon sky and reflected on it's surface a city that generations of tourists would find familiar even decades after they went home with their memories. Many of the buildings, streets, and landmarks stood unchanged by the passage of time. Dirtied by smog and washed by rains, dark streaks of grime marred the proud mansions and museums. Mobs of gray doves owned the roof peaks. Clouds of the birds soared over the busy street. Their wings clapped together in joyfully in the sky.

Arjun sat his bike with confidence, guiding it through traffic, dodging buses and vans in the crowded lot. One glance at the map on the crumpled flier was enough to lead him to the festival. Shalima's tinkling laugh came to him with a welcome message.

I sense it, she has been here. Arjun felt instant relief. He was prepared to search the entire city for traces of the other immortals trail if he had to, but she led him right to her. His nostrils flared as he opened himself up to the wash of scents and sounds around him. Strong odors of deep fried fish and chips, sausage, corn dogs, and onion rings warred with sweet incense and perfumes. Searching for the lady's amrita scent in the mix was like searching for a vase of flowers on a dairy farm while wearing a blindfold. He cringed away from sweet human blood and acrid used cooking oil alike, thankful that instinctive mortal caution left a bubble of space around him in the crowd. Arjun moved freely among tourists and revelers. Some were dressed in costumes that bared more flesh than a belly dancer. They exposed tanned legs, muscled stomaches, and smooth arms to the moist air of the cloudy day, while beaded strings of fringe accented every movement. A fresh wave of desire crushed into Arjun with every passing breeze.

The girls wanted to be desirable, but they could not know how delicious their skin smelled. The costumes were little more than sprigs of parsley decorating a steak. Less than a second away from pouncing on a slim Brazilian dancer, already planning some lines to lure her into a nearby tent, a new scent pulled him back. Immortal. Not his lady N, but at this point any vampire might have news or information to shed light on his mystery. Wary and alert, he followed the trail until it grew strong enough for him to recognize as a friend. He had once used this female as a traveling companion, but interest wore off when he discovered her talent.

Kailey's talent was to change her physical age appearance. Very useful, since she happened to be frozen at the physical age of thirteen for the last two decades. Arjun swore not to tell anyone else exactly how young she was, so Kailey owed him a favor. He watched the girl, who looked about fifteen years old at the moment, from a distance as she played with some other children on skateboards. Except for her hair, Kailey looked exactly like Snow White. Skin white like snow, lips red as wine, delicately small limbs, large eyes hidden behind mirrored sunglasses. She wore her straight black hair in the latest teenage fashion, now brushed over one eye with pink and blue streaks woven into it with fake hair falls. She look on her face as she flew through the skate park was a perfect mix of fashionable depression and boredom. It looked like she was chewing gum and he could see a pair of expensive brand name ear bud speakers in her ears.

In about five minutes, one of those children will be bleeding. Leareth warned. You don't want to be here. Kailey's unearthly skill at performing skateboard stunts was pushing the others into trying things they really shouldn't. It was clear to Arjun that a hasty retreat would be in order if blood was spilled, since the younger vampire wasn't known for her self control.

"Kailey, my sweet, how good it is to see you here," he spoke quietly, confident she would hear. First her head, then her entire body turned quickly in his direction, as she adjusted the trajectory of her skateboard like a guided missile in mid air. Instead of landing in front of her friends and stopping, she landed on the sidewalk, coasted directly to Arjun, and popped her gum. "Tsk Tsk Baby, humans can't fly. Can we talk without..." He rolled his eyes and pointed at his ear.

"RJ!," She squealed and pulled out the ear buds, squeezing him in a hug. It was like being clamped with small titanium bars still, even though her newborn strength had long since worn off. "It's been forever! I could feel in my bones I was about to meet a familiar face. I'm just glad it was you." She smiled and stepped back.

"Why don't we go somewhere a little less accident prone? Leareth tells me we have three minutes before one of your friends does something stupid, like bleeding." He prompted.

"Oh ugh." She grimaced. "Let's go. I'm not thirsty but the last time that happened I had a hard time carrying him to the 'hospital' without witnesses." She laughed. Arjun knew enough of Kailey's little code words to know this wasn't funny. For her, hospital meant dark alley. He never approved of her instant gratification attitude, but in the case of nomadic predators it was easier to be friends than enemies. After ten years of being apart, even a passing acquaintance becomes a long lost sister; and people who once were considered annoying then can now be remembered as companions. So after twenty years of being apart, when Arjun looked down on his tiny hunting partner in her outlandish skateboard gear, the brand name t-shirt and the long shorts with way too many buckles and zippers, he could not help himself. Arjun smiled his widest smile and swept her up in his arms in another hug. She weighed almost nothing to him, so he spun her around onto his back and started walking her away from temptation.

Her snow white arms wrapped around his neck and she whispered in his ear. "Tell you what, I'll go hunt, and we'll meet later tonight. You can introduce me to this meat puppy of yours and tell me why you came to London."

"So you smelled Dave on my clothes," He shrugged. "He's a friend, and you aren't allowed to eat him, and neither am I." Arjun could imagine Kailey wrinkling her nose at him.

"Friend? That's weird. I heard about the massive territory battle and I was worried about you. Did anyone you know get killed? I stayed as far away as possible." He felt her shudder through his shirt. Of course Kailey would stay on the other side of the planet from any sort of cleansing campaign. She jumped down from his back but continued walking with him, holding his much larger hand in hers.

"I'll tell you about it some other time. Right now I'd like to ask you about this." He pulled the porcelain mask out of his leather shoulder bag and held it up for her to see. A few feathers from the side were a little crushed, some glitter had fallen off, but the perfect lips still smiled.

Kailey's reaction was unusual. She took two steps back, raised her sunglasses to reveal her half red, half black eyes, then slowly dropped one perfect eyelid in an obvious wink. She knew something, that was clear, and his heart burned to take up the thread of the hunt again. His lips burned to kiss the singer again. "Come see me tonight at Our Place. Cover charge went up though, you'll need more than a dollar this time. I'll talk then, I promise!" Then she walked away into the crowd, abandoning the skateboard somewhere behind them in the park.

On his way out of the carnival grounds, he picked up an entertainment schedule. Arjun wasn't expecting to find any clues to Dave's personal hunt but looked for Missy's troupe out of a sense of loyalty. He didn't want to face his friend and admit he'd ridden all the way out to Kingston and didn't even check. So there it was. One day ago, the Desert Flame Dancers featuring Jasmine, Ravena, Missy, and Narayani, performed on the main stage three times. He asked a few questions of the stage managers and entertainment directors, using his most persuasive tones, but they had no idea where the troupe was off too next. The trail was found and lost in the same breath.

Dave noticed Arjun's brighter mood as soon as he sat down in the pub. Even his mood turned after a good dark beer, so he was full of confidence that Missy could be found. She had confessed her love for him, and that knowledge could carry him through fire and across broken glass. Or at least through an extended European pub crawl.

"I met an old friend at the carnival, and I picked up some clues. "She invited us to an exclusive club to talk. We'll find out all about her tonight."

"Her?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Which one?"

"I found a lead on my masquerading lady as well as on Missy," he admitted.

"So here we are, both hot on the trail of vanishing women." His lips flatted into a grim line.

"Stay positive, Dave. Missy told you she loves you, what else do you need?"

"Maybe that is why I should give up. Let her have some space."

"We are going to Our Place and that's it. I've already called a cab. The place we are going has no parking nearby."

As they neared the warehouses and docks, Arjun worried. Not about his friend's safety, which was guaranteed as long as he stayed in the human side of the bar, but about the lady N. He wondered what sort of trouble she ran from. Did she break some kind of rule, or anger an ancient immortal? His mind teased at the mystery, replaying every moment they had together and every note she had written until the cab stopped at a lifeless storage facility. Giant cranes and equipment yards rusted silently in the dark.

"You sure this is the place?" The driver asked doubtfully. Arjun nodded, gave him a large tip, and asked him to pick them up in two hours.

There were no signs on the street to announce the club "Our Place", no lights or windows, no trace of sound gave the club away. Even the door did not open out to the street, but hid, unmarked, in a narrow alley. Davinder moved cautiously, afraid to disturb private property, but Arjun followed his nose. He strode confidently to the door, knocked, and let himself into possibly the most breathtakingly appointed club in London. People, candles, and even the food smelled delicious. As Kailey had warned, the cover charge was outrageous, but the live electronic musical rave filling the warehouse was exactly her style. Deep bass thumps vibrated his entire body. A group of dancers spun glow sticks and flags at fantastic speeds. The whole scene dazzled his senses with flickering lights and overpowering noise. Vibrations massaged his feet through the floor as he wound his way through the club, avoiding pods of seated humans on the floor and flying glow sticks.

Arjun made certain that Dave was comfortably settled at a table, then made his way to the VIP lounge to find the immortal child alone. She looked his age, for once, a small but mature looking woman still dressed in the finest London grunge available. Looking perfectly at home, she motioned for him to sit down on the velvet couch.

"So have you been enjoying Arizona? I hear it is really sunny." She smirked.

"I didn't tell you I was in Arizona," he hedged.

"Let's both go! I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. Great place to meet new friends and see giant pine nuts."

"I didn't come here to discuss the view." He leaned forward. "It's time for you to meet me half way."

"I promise," she paused. "I promise to tell you all that I dare."

"Is there anything in this mystery that you don't dare?"

"Yes, much more. But first, show me the mask." She grinned. "And tell me how you got it."

Arjun carefully lifted the mask out of his shoulder bag. A few of the feathers were broken and limp, but the perfect porcelain face still smiled at him. "This came in the mail, post marked London. She sent it to me. I think she bought it at the carnival." Kailey nodded.

"Go on, I want to hear everything the way you saw it. Your side of the story." She settled farther into the soft cushions and did her best to look attentive.

Arjun held nothing back in his story. He started with his impressions of the territory conflict, and how it made him rethink the self destructive nature of vampire life. He described his new store, and the voice in the dust storm. He moved closer to his tiny audience, stroked her black hair, and laid her head against his chest like a child listening to a bed time fantasy. He quoted the notes they shared, and honestly revealed his attraction to the lady. He loved the way she danced, sang, and kissed. The way she felt in his arms, the taste of her lips. He explained about Davinder's quest for a wife, and how Arjun had joined at first as a distraction to his obsession with the mystery lady.

She drank in every word with rapt attention. When she finally sat up her bright eyes were filled with knowledge and mischief. "That was great! You always could tell a good story. You tell it exactly the way it happened, so many details!"

"Of course you already knew," he whispered.

"Read, actually. I have a few letters from your lady. How much of her did you see?"

"Only her eyes, and her hair." He touched Kailey's hair again, running one long finger down a bubble gum pink stripe.

"Are you sure?" Her eyes glittered. "She can fool anyone. She is almost always in disguise these days. I might not recognize her if I saw her again." She wormed her way back into his arms and claimed one of his hands for her own. "She doesn't show herself, she only writes." A small frown creased her forehead between her red eyes.

"She slips up when I startle her. I have glimpsed her true self."

"Really? That could be a trick. Illusion under illusion. She has you fooled." Kailey shook her head sadly.

"Of course I would know her hair!" He exclaimed, but reality came crashing hard on the heels of exultation. Arjun caressed Kailey's back and groaned in disappointment. "Half the women in the world have black hair, almond shaped eyes, and butterscotch skin. I really know nothing about her, but her voice. And her taste."

Chapter 7

"The voice is better. Our ears lie to us less often than our eyes." Kailey murmured.

"Is she beautiful?"

"More lovely than an angel, of course. Prettier than me. More attractive than you." She pinched his leg playfully. "I think any man would remember her. Maybe any man would hunt the entire planet for her once they saw her, just to see her again. Maybe that is why she hides her face."

"I am willing to hunt her, anxious to begin."

"If I were a man, I would fall in love with her." Kailey sighed.

"I think I have," he agreed.

"And I would want her all to myself. I would marry her."

"Even so." He nodded seriously, but Kailey giggled and clapped her hands.

"Oh, Arjun, this is bad. I was fooling. You could not be in love! You are too old, too experienced to fall in love with a voice or a shadow. Me, I'm not surprised that I love her, I'm just a dumb kid, but you? You are fascinated, bored, curious, but not in love."

"Deep inside maybe I have a dumb kid, too." His gaze softened as he touched her cheek, and the look in his golden eyes grew warm and tender.

"Only if you ate him, Arjun!"

"So are you ready to tell me the name of our shared love?"

"Nope." She popped her bubble gum at the end of the word.

"She has a mate?"

"I did not say so."

Arjun's growing frustration with female immortals allowed a growl to escape from his teeth. Why is this so hard, Leareth? Why won't you tell me, then?

Sorry boss, it's better if you find all this out on your own. If we help, it won't end right. It won't end well at all. Leareth's mental voice faded quickly, and Arjun had the sense that the spirit was avoiding him. Arjun had never felt left so far in the dark. He played his fingers above the flame of a candle on the table, warming them.

"You have letters from the lady?" He tried to make the question sound offhand.

"I'll show you one of them." She gave Arjun a quick squeeze before reaching for one of the many pockets in her confusing pants. "I came prepared."

"Why not both?"

"You don't need to read both. The first just tells what you already told me, how you met. The one you want is the second letter, that tells what she is doing in London. She left America the very next night after you kissed her." Kailey looked up slyly, as though wondering what it would be like to kiss Arjun. She had made her play to be his lover when they met, but that came to an abrupt halt when the spirit, Leareth, revealed her secret true age.

"In that letter you won't show me, she writes about me. Did she say anything interesting?" He tried to look uninterested. Acting bored was the best way he knew to keep Kailey talking. She gave him a sly sidelong glance.

"She did write about you, and she said you seemed like a nice guy. She didn't say she fell instantly in love with you and would follow you everywhere, or that she liked your eyes, which are very pretty with that gold color. She did not say that she wished she had met you years ago, under better circumstances."

"I could always trust you to be cruel, Kailey." He joined in her laughter. "Come on, let me see the letter and judge for myself."

"I surrender. Let me have it, tell me what you dare to tell and I'll be satisfied."

Kailey looked carefully up at the strong, intent features of his face. He held her gently, like a father, and touched his lips to her hair. He smelled her bubble gum and spice scent and hummed under his breath, "Sugar and spice and everything nice."

This touching was the only thing she wanted in a lover. Soft caresses, gentle kisses, were enough. Her child's body would never grow to want other things. She sighed softly, wondering what it was like to grow older. An immortal mind is perfected, not easily confused or forgetful like that of a human. Her mind was frozen at the age of twelve, but not all children are created equal. Some read college textbooks, composed sonatas, and beat everyone on the planet at chess. While Kailey could never be Arjun's physical equal, she could fill her immortal brain with knowledge. She read constantly, spending days at a time devouring piles of books, intent on becoming wise beyond her years. She could see in his eyes that he loved her, but that would not be enough to make him hers.

"This letter was handed to me by one of the stage managers at the carnival. I spend cloudy days in that park sometimes, since it is near the Kingston college library. I am certain she was there, but I never saw her. Like everything about her, it is only a glimpse."

He opened the fancy paper envelope eagerly. She used formal stationary for almost everything. The lovely texture of the thick paper invited his fingers to trace over the letters. She wrote gracefully, with little pressure on the pen, and formed each word with the beauty of an ancient manuscript. Her delightful amrita aroma drenched the paper all the way to her signature, where she had at last revealed her name. Narayani.

Arjun gasped, but Kailey waived her delicate hand. "It's just a nickname. Read the letter."

Oh my dear one,

I am so sorry that I cannot see you. The wolf snaps too hard on my heels and I dare not lead him to my loved ones again. Remember instead the happy times we shared in Paris for the years we were together.

I have so much to say to you that cannot be written. The little adventure I told you of before met with great success, for a time. You should see my little pets on the stage, dancing and playing with fire, so fierce and lovely. They are like carnivorous flowers in the jungle, hanging hot and ripe in the steamy air. My plan to play human in a group of humans, to blend in and be just another flower, is working. The audiences go wild for my pets.

Before you read this we will be on the ferry to France, moving on to Munich Germany, playing in various cities along the way. I expect we will end the tour in Naples, Italy in three weeks. Then I will send them home happy and alive with a year's worth of pay each for a month of work. Think of how happy they will be. I never realized what a soft heart hid inside me, before I met Arjun.

My pets haven't the least idea of what I am. To them I am simply a human woman. There are people moving heaven and earth to find me, and here I am playing belly dancer.

It seems strange to you, but the wisdom of not killing is very true. In such a short time, I've become jealous of their frailty, their human ripeness, and their ability to love. I promised to take one of them with me to India for a final treat before sending her home. She had her heart set on it and was devastated when I canceled that portion of the tour. Missy is a sensitive and sweet girl that is having the most marvelous effect on me, I cannot refuse her anything.

I will take her to Tirupati, the most marvelous gem of Andhra Pradesh, and show her the temples and universities there. Meet me at Tirupati, my sweet; we will stay near the Temple of Lord Venkateshwara. It is nonsense that you would miss out on the great schools of learning. I know how you love books!

I am so tired of running. I can't explain it, but I feel in my soul I shall soon be free. Come to Tirupati.

Eternally Yours,

Narayani.

Arjun stood frozen in the pose of deep shock. In one letter the mystery became more twisted and fascinating. Narayani. Missy Carmelle's new dancer and his disappearing voice were one and the same. A thousand thoughts, like a cloud of butterflies, fluttered around his still head. They might catch up with Narayani in a few days. He appeared like a teak wood statue, his head bent and eyes riveted to the page.

Kailey refused to watch his face or eyes, reading into the stillness the yawning gulf between their feelings for one another. Why couldn't Arjun be fascinated by her; in love with her? It was the blackest kind of unfair. Arjun did not know this lady, this chameleon, with her bad luck and teasing ways. He did not know she carried an eternally broken heart, or a dangerous enemy. And Kailey would not tell him.

"Narayani," he said out loud, moving at last. "A beautiful name. But not her real name." He tugged on a lock of Kailey's hair.

"I will not tell you," she pouted.

"Come on now, I practically raised you!"

"Sure you did, but you won't hear it from me."

"I'll buy you a new pair of those horrible pants," he swore.

"It is Neha, just Neha, I won't tell you the last name for all the pants in London."

"This letter smells grand. Can I keep it?"

"Of course not. She doesn't call you my sweet. Give it back." He folded the letter back into its dark blue envelope and returned it to her pocket.

"Would you go after her, if you were me?"

"Never. If you stalk her now, you stalk death herself. If you see her by chance, avoid her. Do not speak her real name aloud or write it down, ever. That is why I cannot tell you. It is too dangerous. Blood drinkers have died, Arjun." Her tiny face turned up to him and locked eyes. "I can't lose you again."

"What has she done that is so terrible?"

"She made a great, secret mistake."

"Did she break the law?"

"In a way." Her lips closed this time, to a thin line. He realized the flow of information was coming to an end, and sighed. "I should not have let you see that letter. She is as far away as the moon, as secretive as the stars. Forget her."

"I do not care what she is guilty of. I will fly to the moon if I must, but I will find her. I will make her mine," he vowed. She looked away, silent. "Sphinx!" He hissed and ran one hand through her hair, messing it up into a colorful hay stack. She ducked away from him to the far side of the couch and spent a full minute smoothing it back over one eye.

"Ugh, you don't touch a girl's hair like that!" She wrinkled her nose at him. "Maybe I should let you bang your heart against a brick wall. That would teach you a lesson."

"I'm already beaten. The attraction is to deep, I cannot forget her."

Suddenly Arjun was alone on the couch. I could not see where Kailey had vanished, but he could guess why. The concept of a 'vampire club' or 'haven' is a silly mortal fairytale. Our Place, for example, rarely hosted more than two or three immortals at a time. Territorial instincts between covens run too strong, and feuds can spring up from the slightest of insults. The man walking up the stairs to the VIP section boosted no heartbeat, frightened Kailey so badly she vanished with no explanation.

He was a little over six feet tall with broad shoulders. His dark brown, wavy hair was held back in a pony tail at the base of his neck. The dark blue dress shirt he wore shone like silk, a stark contrast to the very pale skin and gold rings on his large hands. Finishing his look, and seeming a little out of place, he wore a full length black velvet cloak. It swirled richly around his movements like a peacock would display it's tail, strutting through the lounge. Whoever he was, this Englishman had committed some unforgivable insult to Kailey. Arjun watched the new comer, appraising his weaknesses. Although he longed to put an end to any person who threatened her, the man moved like a trained duelist, and had the potential to be a lethal opponent. He would observe only, not catch his attention, and wait for the proper moment to settle things between his little treasure and this peacock.

The stranger walked quickly through the lobby, avoiding the couch on which Arjun sat, and exited through he opposite door. Kailey did not come back, the taxi was set to return at any moment, so Arjun reluctantly left the couch.

It was late Davinder and Arjun arrived back at the hotel. Arjun kept silent on the ride, wondering if the adventure had become too dangerous for his friend, after all. He could easily send Dave home and continue alone, but Dave had a stake in the danger as well. If Kailey and Narayani were in danger, Missy was an innocent, but very dead bystander, waiting to happen. Dave's curiosity exploded in the elevator as it climbed up to their rooms.

"You were in the lounge for a long time. What did you find out?"

"I found out that the first ferry for France leaves in the morning, Four AM, and we need to be on it." Arjun smirked.

"So you found the troupe in France? That's amazing!" His face lit up like he had just won the lottery. "I can't believe the luck!"

"Yes but I found more than that. Missy's Narayani, is my Lady N. If we find one, we find both."

Missy looked down on the bright city of Paris. It glittered and sparkled under the street lamps and light rain like a glass sculpture. The weather and the late hour didn't seem to dampen the spirit of celebration in the air as the city bustled with activity. Just as many lovers roamed the streets under shared umbrellas, as many flowers poured perfume into the heavy Parisian air, but the perfection of being young and alive in this fairy realm felt hollow. Jasmine and the other girls had already gone out to toast the dance troop's success, but music, love, and companionship seemed just out of Missy's reach on the street below. The distance she felt from the scene below was measured more in heartbeats than inches. Even though she sat protected behind the glass, warm in the window seat of the hotel, a drop of moisture appeared at the corner of her eye and betrayed the rain in her heart. She leaned against the window sill and sighed.

An ancient cathedral, a modern museum, and a forest of cafe shops shared the street with the hotel. Nothing in her life prepared Missy for this dazzling mix of old and new, or the sea of languages all of Europe threatened to drown her in. She missed the hot sun, the wide open skies from horizon to horizon, and a good glass of California wine. She missed Davinder. Even her dream of shopping for exotic treasures was crushed. Her tiny bank balance shrank beneath the weight of an unfair currency exchange rate and lack of bargaining experience. She saved what was left for an emergency, staying behind by herself instead of going out to party with the girls, and held back a flood of secret tears. The pathetic picture of a young dancer moping for love in Paris made her laugh out loud.

The hotel room door opened and swung slowly inward. Framed in the light of the hallway, as graceful and radiant as a statue of an angel, stood Narayani. She swiftly crossed the room and her chill fingers rested briefly on Missy's cheek to brush a tear away.

"Tell me you are not crying, dear one. Things are going so well for us, and you hide away here in the dark. Are you sick for home so soon?" Her musical voice was as soft as a sigh.

"It's nothing," She wiped more tears from her face. "I just can't forget about Dave. I think he really might be the one, I wish I could call him or talk to him somehow. I can't tell him how I feel in an email. It isn't romantic." Her peach lips quirked up in a lopsided smile.

"Of course it is romantic, any way of saying you love a man is romantic. Write him a letter and he will treasure it all his life if he knows what is good for him." Missy watched Narayani through half closed eyes.

"I am a little lonely," she admitted. "So I am watching the city lights in the rain."

"Life is too short for rain in Paris. If only I wasn't..." The beautiful woman sighed and seemed to drift far away. Her eyes looked toward the cathedral but her body froze into marble. Missy wondered often where the lady went when her face stilled and her perfect hands clenched into fists. Not even an ice sculpture could be so remote and cold. As quickly as a new thought, her hands unclenched and a smile reappeared on her dazzling face. "Please come out with me tonight. I am as lonely as you are, so we will make good company. Let's go to a show, get some chocolates, and do some shopping. My treat. I think you need some new earrings, after that last pair. I saw one get lost through a crack in the stage when it fell from your ear. It was your favorite." Missy nodded her agreement because she could not refuse this mysterious woman. Something about her reminded her of Arjun. Narayani was so flawless she was irresistible. Everything seemed to happen at just the wrong time. Narayani shook out her hair and sighed, so her dizzyingly sensuous aroma washed over Missy's face just when Missy breathed in to speak. Doubly powerful, it seized her like an exotic drug and squeezed her heart in a tight fist, pulling her forward. Want and need and a pure, animal attraction shoved her hard in the back toward the object of her desire.

Cold fingers on her chest held her back with the strength and immobility of a brick wall. Narayani gave her head a tiny shake, and a stoplight below reflected blazingly red from one eye. Something fleeting and unknowable, like a deadly crack in the surface of a frozen lake, skated across her breathtaking features and was gone.

"Sometimes, I am afraid of you." Missy smiled timidly. Her heartbeats stuttered back to a normal rhythm and her breaths slowed, but her mind could not grasp the meaning of her physical eruption.

"You should be. I am often afraid of myself. I am too easily convinced of my own immortality. It leads me into trouble. Always be afraid of me." She nodded seriously, then smiled like the rising sun. "Now lets have fun."

Missy thought about the other woman as they spent more time together during their week in Paris. Why choose Missy, out of all the girls, to go out with? For the entire stay in London she kept to herself and suddenly she came out of her shell starved for company. She said they would have great fun, and they did. The two laughed and bargained and walked together while Narayani taught her how to enjoy Europe. The older woman; Missy thought of her as older even though she appeared younger than herself; was a force of nature. She was the best tour guide and translator Missy could ask for at night, and nothing but an absent mystery during the day. The dancer seemed to fit in naturally as a bird takes to the air wherever they went, but she also seemed out of place. Her beauty, stillness, and poise set her apart from the imperfect world like something that was meant to be different. She was meant to stand out from the crowd like a swan in a cage full of chickens. She paid cash for everything, never once using credit or her full name for any reason. Missy didn't even know Narayani's last name.

On her advice, Missy began composing love letters to Davinder. She wrote out letter after letter on borrowed stationary but did not send them. She imagined handing them all to him in person to let him know how much she thought about him while she was gone. The secret letters brought a constant smile to her face, and her eyes sparkled so lively while she danced she captured hearts all over the city.

"My Dearest Dave,

I know I have said that I love you, but you have no idea how my feelings have deepened and changed. I think of you constantly, with the words I want to speak into your ears ringing back and forth in my head until I am forced to write it down just to have a moment of peace. I dream of your hands on me, touching me, feeling every inch of me and I go crazy wishing you were here. So crazy I have to touch myself and imagine it is you.

I dream of you lips trailing kisses along my jaw and down to my breasts, while your fingers roam lower and lower on my body. These dreams are so vivid, so real! Since I am never going to actually give you this letter, I am being brutally honest. Sometimes when I am dancing, or riding the train, or even eating dinner, I suddenly think of you in my dreams. It's an electric shock of heat, like a blush rising up from the middle of my body, and I tremble. It feels like flying. Narayani says I've never danced so beautifully. You are my secret, my muse, my starlit night, and as soon as I can I will walk through fire or broken glass to hold you in my arms. I want to kiss you until you beg to come up for air.

Love, Missy."

Missy smiled and folded up her latest fantasy letter to join the others. It was almost as good as having him here, carrying these letters around in her purse. One day she might give some or all of them to Dave. Or not. Her new stationary set made an excellent listener. The thoughts buzzing around in her head would drive her crazy if she kept them inside.

She finished packing her show bag for the night by adding the new silk dress and pumps to wear afterward. Italian shoes with a designer Italian dress. Narayani's generosity was spoiling her. Missy silently promised to work extra hard at her shows and dancing to make up for being the favorite, especially since tonight's show would be at the week long world famous Jazz and Music Festival of Paris. One stage this year was set aside for international styles of music and dance. Narayani's connections secured Daughters of Flame a coveted twenty minute slot and whenever Missy thought of the excitement she could barely feel her toes.

Overlooking the street on a café balcony, Narayani sat stiffly in a cushioned chair, gazing on the crowed jazz festival. Golden candle flames danced upon her face and hair, casting more shadow than light. She was at that moment the rarest thing that an eye can hope to see – a completely beautiful woman.

Missy stood quietly near the railing, staring at her, taking in all the details of the other woman with awe. Details she had never noticed consciously before. The lady seemed different tonight. Tiny flaws that made her seem human were absent, her smooth as marble cheek without a shadow of blemish or wrinkle. Her hair captured the glow of twinkling lights like a peacock's feathers, shimmering with iridescent highlights. Her eyes were dark and empty, staring far away, almost flat black with flashes of read in the depths.

Missy felt a stab of jealousy for the pure beauty that day dreamed in front of her. The graceful hands moved once, tense with passion. The lady clenched her hands and slapped them roughly on the arms of her chair. Missy forced herself to move, sitting in the nearest chair.

"Narayani?"

"Yes, Missy."

"Who and what are you?" Missy asked shyly.

Narayani's met hers, without surprise or anger. "What good would it do you to know? Would you love me less? Would my heart be any lighter, my hands warmer, if you knew? You already know that I am unhappy, often afraid, and alone, without me telling you. Are not all humans so?"

"Human?" Missy laughed scornfully. You wear 'human' like I wear makeup. Sometimes, it almost seems to wash off. You get whatever you want. Everyone loves you. But I wonder. You never eat or drink that I can see. Your hands are so cold, and your eyes…" She shuddered and looked away, her sudden bravery fading.

Narayani drew herself up like a queen in her chair, fixing Missy with an icy glare. "Maybe I am not hungry. Beautiful women make fools of the world all the time."

"I'm beautiful, but nobody notices me with you around. Won't you tell me the secret?"

"Have you been listening to this band? They really are fantastic!"

"You know everything about me." Missy sulked.

"It isn't my fault you talk to much. I never asked you a single question."

"You never talk about yourself at all." Missy pointed out.

"Why should I? Now Missy, what do you think of this band? I think it is the best one yet. I love being able to come here and dance and then enjoy this wonderful show, don't you?"

"Is it – Love?" Missy pressed again.

"Love?" The cold woman shrugged. "Are you trying to make a romance out of my life? What would I know of love? I don't read fairy tales or seduction novels like you must."

"I love you. I wish you could be happy. It makes me sad when you freeze in place, your eyes far away, your hands looking like you wish you could tear something apart." Missy's voice trembled.

Narayani clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, in the grip of a rage beyond Missy's understanding. "There is a man." She hissed. "But this is not a love story. Like most horror stories that start out normally enough before the screaming starts." She opened her eyes, blazing the brightest red yet, demonic with hatred. "I loathe him, I hate him, and if I had it in my power to kill he would be naught but ash in my mouth. I would crush him to powder, cremate his remains and throw him into the polluted waters of the Dead Sea." She tossed her head angrily. "Enough. If you ever ask me another question I will leave you. I insist that my secrets be my own burden."

"I'm sorry," Missy said, looking down at her own pale hands. "But I thought it was a man who broke your heart."

"Not my heart, just my pride."

"You are such a mystery." Missy stopped herself from asking again. She watched the lady's eyes fade from red to their usual warm topaz, aware of the true range of the color changing for the first time. Imperfections, large pores, and a recently absent dimple crept back onto the Lady's face. She appeared warmer and softer than before. More human.

"Let us talk of more pleasant things. I received a letter today." Missy leaned forward, excited that she was sharing something at last.

"From home?"

"I have no home, dear one. This letter is from an old...from a friend. Your friends Arjun and Davinder have been in Paris for the last week."

"Really? Do you know where they are?" Missy's eyes lit up with excitement and a blush spread across her cheeks. She looked out over the crowd as if hoping to see them appear, but tonight all the revelers wore colorful masks and hats. Any one of them could be her Dave. She would never know.

"No, I don't." The lady said coolly. "They came here to find us, and I do not want to be found. Arjun and I have met. It's best if we don't meet again." It was Missy's turn to be angry.

"What do you mean? Arjun is a great guy, and so is Davinder. Are you to good to hang out with my friends?"

"Believe me when I say that I think anyone you count as a friend must be wonderful, but for the rest of this night we must not take off our masks. If we see them here, you must not reveal yourself. You can wait until you get back home to see him again, can't you? I can see it will be hard for you, but if you want to stay with me you must obey."

"So if I see them, I can't talk to them?" Missy looked at Narayani's eyes, expecting to see them red, but they were still golden.

"No."

"Does everything you do end in running away? Why don't you just call the police on this stalker you are really hiding from instead of ruining my love life?" Missy bit her lip and felt a wave of shame at her thoughtless words. Narayani looked stern.

"Dear one, you are free to choose. Sometimes I need you near me, your spirit helps me. But you must make the choice to follow me or not." She placed her own mask, a grey wolf, over her face and waited several minutes. Her topaz eyes made the face of the beast frighteningly real. Missy knew that she could not leave this woman now any more than she could fly. She was held by curiosity, by sensuality, and romantic mystery. When would she have such a chance again in her life to tour across Europe with a creature from myth? She wasn't ready to give up the mystery or the center stage.

"Dave can wait," she let out a long breath. "I stay with you."

"Thanks, Missy. Now that you have promised I can tell you our next stop. We leave tomorrow for Amsterdam. Our troop has been asked to perform at the Amsterdam Dance Event for the last week of our tour. An electronic music band will pay us to dance a set of improvisational pieces to his music, so I'm paying the band in the morning and sending them off. I will have every one of the dancers fitted with professional custom molded earplugs before the first night, which means we must be ready to see the audiologist in Holland as soon as we get off the bus. I hope you didn't have your heart set on Hamburg because we simply won't have the time."

"We are going to the ADE?" She practically squealed and jumped up. "That's wall to wall parties for an entire week, every DJ a headliner, the world's best dance moves and laser light shows that give people strokes! Oh My God! I'm going to pack right now because I don't want to hold us up in the morning. I'll be right back." Without a backward glance, Missy pranced up the stairs to the hotel room.

Narayani sighed and sifted through her memories. That night in Phoenix, the hot air swirling around her, making her feel warm again, she sang. Such a small thing. The letter from Kailey warned her, but also glowed with admiration for Arjun. Did he think about her? Was it possible for either of them to ignore the passion that waited, like flash paper, ready to burst into flames? She had played with him, tempted him, with her notes and letters. He had done the same. From her hiding places she watched him for long hours. He was honest, hard working, gentle. He had a kind face and never uttered a hurtful word toward his fragile human friends. He inspired her. His folded animals made her smile, his hands and body guided hers in a carefree dances. His lips on her skin made lead into gold and diamonds out of coal. Arjun did the impossible. He reminded her soul it was alive.

She thought of his quest for nobility of the mind by not taking human lives. He must be right, had to be right. In the company of Missy she found herself softening. She smiled more often and felt the strange and unfamiliar emotion of hope. Life was good, no longer the nightmare of a wandering ghost but the rich tapestry of adventurers who search for their luck on the road and find it. She found luck in parties, in sharing her long useless wealth with friends, in clothing her troop in matching silk dresses and seeing the cities of Europe light up with smiles. Her eyes were starting to fade from red into topaz, even without her illusion.

Her determination hardened. She would not repay his gift with endangering him. Did she love him? Take care! A little dream like that could make her world crumble to pieces. On the surface, her eyes remained calm while her emotional state crashed one way and another like waves on the sea. To have met a man like this one in time! How electrically he had touched her cheek. More than this, she had seen open admiration for her in his eyes when he looked up at the lightning. At her mercy, defenseless, on his knees in front of her, she read the longing on his face. Why had she sent him that mask? Why had she kissed it's porcelain lips? Had it been a challenge, daring him to find her? She really could not answer. No normal immortal would have followed her on a whim. No, she must not see him again. Her heart, so tired of feeling pain that most days it felt nothing at all, had turned numb like an unused limb falls asleep. As feeling returned to it in pins and needles, the flow of emotion became an unbearable fire. She tried to wall it off again but life was returning to her heart on a river of pain. What would be left when the pain passed?

Too late to take back her one night of passionate kisses with her demon lover, now she admitted it was a mistake. She could make it a love story. A tragic love story. She would deny her love to save him. Romance. She scoffed. She was always looking for romance. She followed it down the rabbit hole into the pit of hell and only death could release her from his grasp. She shuddered away from thoughts of her nemesis. Arjun's death, she swore, would not be on her hands.

Missy returned from packing still giddy with excitement. She had combed out her long amber hair and donned a mask of silk flower petals. She took Narayani's hand in both of hers and urged her up from the chair, kissing her briefly on the cheek. "Do you realize you are the most beautiful woman in the world?"

"Little flatterer!"

"And if I were a man..." Missy paused seriously.

"Well, if you were a man?"

"I'd fall in love with you and never leave."