​
Chapter 7
 
Enoch watched from the airplane window as the pilot circled a wide meadow, surrounded by steep peaks.  A nearly full moon flooded the area, and he leaned closer to the glass to get a better look at the scenery below them.  He motioned to Caleb, seated across from him.  “Look in the shadows.  Are there movements from one end of the meadow to the other?”
Caleb finished his glass of champagne and nodded for the beautiful vampire stewardess to bring him another.  His private jet was stocked with every amenity to make travel comfortable.  “Somebody’s been busy.  Looks like construction work.” 
“In the dark?”
Caleb shook his head.  “We’re vampires, remember?  We can’t work in sunlight.”
“You’re a vampire.  But you’re an angel, too.  You can walk in daytime.  I’m thinking Samiel’s both by now, too.”
Caleb nodded.  “I changed him so that he could sip blood to keep up his strength.”
Enoch wasn’t sure that had been a good idea.  If Samiel faded and weakened on Earth, he’d have to return home.  Now, he didn’t have to.  Of course, Caleb had figured out that blood made a close substitute for the Light, and that’s why he’d bitten mortals when he first came here, infecting them with his immortality.  Samiel would have done the same, and Lord help the poor mortals he chose.
The plane flew over the length of the meadow, and Enoch spotted a large lodge sitting near a lake, light spilling from its windows.  Moonbeams reflected across the lake’s smooth waters.  A serene picture, but Enoch knew better.
“No good place to land,” Caleb said, studying the terrain.
The pilot called back to them.  “Near the top of the ridge, there’s a road that’s wide enough for me to set the plane down.  You’ll have to take the all-terrain vehicles from there.”
“All terrain vehicles?”  Enoch frowned, looking around the plane.
            Caleb grinned.  “Below decks.  I should have known.  Ace thinks of everything.  I can always count on him.”
            Ace had piloted for Caleb ever since a vampire attacked him on a bombing mission during World War I.  When Enoch battled rogues with Caleb’s generals, Ace usually flew them to where they needed to be.  Tall with a rangy build, Ace looked the part of an airman in khaki pants and a bomber jacket.          “Thanks, Ace!” Enoch called to him.
            “Anything for you, Glowstick!”  Ace’s nickname for him.
            The plane banked and began to descend.  Once it came to a stop on a lonely road that circled the brim of the valley, Ace ferried it to a turn-off and parked.  Then he came back to check on them.  He led them to a lower level that contained a half-dozen, four-wheel utility vehicles, meant to travel over rugged environments.   They reminded Enoch of Dune buggies with roll bars, big tires, and monster engines.        
            Enoch smiled his pleasure.  “I’ve never driven one of these before.”
            Caleb pushed a button, and the tail of the plane yawned open and a ramp sloped to the ground.  Then he folded his long frame into one of the open-air buggies and started the engine.  “Try to keep up, brother.  This is going to be fun.”
            Enoch began his usual protest—“I’m not your brother,”—but gave it up.  He was here, wasn’t he?  Siding with Caleb?  He felt a stab of guilt.  “I bullied you into coming with me, but it might not be safe.  You can feel pain.  I don’t.  Why don’t you go back to the casino and send your generals to help me?”
            Caleb barked a laugh.  “You only think you’re my nanny, but you’re not.  Samiel came to me, not you.  He’s my problem.  Are you with me, or would you rather sit here with Ace and play cards?”
            “Right behind you.”  Enoch started his buggy, too.
            Ace shook his head.  “It’s always fun and games until the enemy attacks.  Try to stay safe, you two.  I’ll be here if you need me.”
            Caleb flicked him the finger.  “Such a spoil sport.  Let’s go, Enoch!”
            They revved their engines, then drove down the ramp, bouncing when they hit the rough cement of the road.  Whew!  What a ride!   The shocks on the buggies were topnotch, but Enoch’s bones rattled as the tires jostled in and out of potholes.  He raised his fist in the air and gave a wild shout.  “Here we come!”  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun.
            “You have to get out more,” Caleb teased.
            “I don’t have all the toys you have, no reason to, but I like these.”   
            The path they were on climbed to the summit of the craggy mountainside.  When they reached the top, huge trees had been placed across the road to block their way.
            They skidded to a stop and looked down at the meadow beneath them. 
            “The entire meadow’s active,” Enoch called to Caleb.  He had to shout over the engine noise to be heard. 
            Caleb nodded his golden head.  “I’d guess Samiel had vampires working here before he ever visited my casino.  He just locked me up to keep me out of his way.”
            “He didn’t know about our telepathy.” 
            “A good thing, or I’d have been stuck in a lair and Samiel would have used my casino to recruit more followers.”
            “He must feel safe enough now to go out on his own.  He’s that sure of himself.”  Not a good thing.  A brazen Samiel would be hard to intimidate.
            Caleb scanned the dozen stone fortresses Samiel had built around the perimeter of the meadow.  “His base looks pretty secure.”
            How many vampires could Samiel house in each one of those?  Enoch recalculated Samiel’s actions.  “I think he’s been building these since he came to visit me the first time.”
            “You warned him away,” Caleb said, remembering.
            “But I’m guessing he didn’t leave.  He started building his empire.  Then he decided he’d fare better if he had you as an ally, only you turned him away, too.”
            They walked to the edge of the peak and gazed at Samiel’s military base, spread out below them.  Formidable.
            “More of everything than any angel needs to flex his muscles and own his own kingdom,” Caleb said.
            Enoch sighed.  Samiel never did anything in half measures.  What did he have in mind this time?
            “Samiel must want some privacy.”  Caleb turned off his buggy and stalked toward the pile of tree trunks and branches, blocking their way.
            Enoch followed his lead.  They grabbed trees and tossed them out of the way, then looked at the steep trail that curved to the meadow.  Once they’d cleared the debris, they started forward again, but were stopped a few miles later when the road ended and another pile of tree trunks littered the dirt path.  No Trespassing signs warned visitors off.
            When they started removing those logs, too, a dozen vampires landed close by and stalked toward them.  The vampire in the lead warned,
 “You’re on private property.  Go away.”
            Caleb mustered one of his best smiles.  “We’re friends of Samiel.  He’s expecting us.”
            The vampire wasn’t amused.  “He is expecting you, and told me to shoo you away.  You’re not welcome.”
            “Did you hear that, Enoch?  After we came all this way?  It’s a good thing I’m not sensitive.  We intend to see Samiel, one way or another.”  Caleb crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the vampire.  He was tall and bulky, but both angels were taller with more muscle.
            Enoch stepped to the side of his friend and raised his arms.  “It won’t be a fair fight.  I don’t want to have to blast you.  The Light turns a dozen vamps to dust in a flash.”
            The vampire narrowed his eyes.  “You’re the dark angel?”
            “In the flesh.”
            Samiel’s guards exchanged glances.  Their leader jerked his head, and they sprang up in unison and flew away. 
            “No goodbyes?”  Caleb sighed.  “Kids these days.  No manners.”
            Enoch lifted a log and tossed it aside.  “They’re going to warn Samiel that we’re on our way.”
            “Maybe we’ll have a meet and greet.”  Caleb ran a hand through his shoulder-length, golden hair.  With his sapphire-blue eyes and golden skin, he almost glowed.  “Too bad I wore jeans and an old T-shirt.  I won’t impress anyone.”
            “Doesn’t matter.  Samiel’s followers won’t lust after you.  They’d rather make you true dead.”
            “Poor them, can’t happen.”  Caleb tossed the last trunk and climbed back into his vehicle.  “Move it, brother!  First one down the mountain gets a gold star!”  He zoomed away.
            A gold star.  Really?  The One had placed many a star in Enoch’s name throughout the heavens.  Not that stars had saved him once he helped Caleb.  As far as he could tell, he’d never get to return Home.  He’d always be jailed here, cleaning up after his friend.  Grinding his teeth, Enoch pushed on his vehicle’s gas pedal and roared down the mountain.
            Soon, they’d meet Samiel.  Then the bargaining would begin.  How ambitious was Samiel?  Silly question.  If Samiel had his way, he’d be first in command, and the One would do his bidding.  Enoch couldn’t see any fair compromise that would please all of them.

 
    

Sorry this is going up a day late, but I fell off a rocking chair (don't ask) on Saturday night and broke my tibia.  Not my smartest move.  But I'm home now, hobbling around with a walker, and I can fit my wheel chair under a card table to use my computer.  I'm back in business.  Hope you like this!

​Chapter 6
 
            Caleb’s pilot flew Enoch to France to join Voronika and Angel.  Enoch had visited every big city in the world, but rarely for fun.  Usually, he was hunting a rogue vampire, traipsing through dark alleys and watching for quick movements along rooflines.  This time was different.  He didn’t want his girls to return to the penthouse in Three Rivers just yet.  When he knocked on the door of their eighth floor suite, Voronika called, “It’s open!”
            He sighed and ran a hand through his thick, black hair.  She obviously felt safe here, not that a door would protect her from Samiel or rogue vampires.  He turned the knob and stepped into a large sitting room only slightly less opulent than Caleb’s casino.  A tall, thin man stood in its center amidst piles of clothing boxes.  A young woman hovered nearby, trying not to call attention to herself.
            “I brought this style in three different colors,” the man was telling Voronika as she turned in front of a large mirror, framed in gilded gold.  “The low slung hips and slim fit look wonderful on your figure.”
            Enoch stared.  The snug, black slacks clung to her long legs and tapered at her ankles.  To him, she was always beautiful, always sensual, but in these, she was a sight to behold.  She turned again, noticed him, and waved him to her.  She gestured to the pile of boxes and smiled.  “You can hire shoppers in Paris who’ll bring clothes to your hotel.”
            Long windows overlooked the street, but layers of sheer curtains blocked the sun.  A perfect shopping solution for a vampire.  She was wearing her blue contact lens.  Her long, platinum hair fell past her shoulders, and her lush lips were brushed with glossy pink lipstick.  He liked the softer look.
            A pile of clothes was stacked beside Angel’s velvet-covered chair and another pile teetered next to the sofa.  Enoch raised a dark brow.  “I’m glad I raised the credit line on your card.”
            Voronika strolled to the silk-covered sofa and settled there, pulling her long legs under her.  She looked pleased with herself.  “So am I.  We’re having a wonderful time.”
            He glanced at the boxes and laughed.  “What?  No jewelry?”
            “I try not to be too greedy.”  She raised her face for a kiss, and he crossed the room to oblige her.
            Angel squirmed in her chair, then flew to him.  “I’ve missed you.”  She burrowed her head into his cashmere coat.
            He ruffled her hair.  Twelve, going on twenty, she was as close as he’d ever get to having a daughter.  “I don’t know how long I can stay, but I missed you, too.”
            The elegant man cleared his throat.  “Have you seen enough for today?”
            Enoch’s gaze returned to Voronika’s shapely legs.  “We’ll take all three of these, along whatever else they’ve chosen.” 
            “You like them?”  Voronika grinned.
            The man’s eyes widened.  “These are from our designer collection.”
            “They must be expensive.”  Enoch glanced at his mate.  “Do you want them?”
            “Yes.”
            Enoch handed the man his own credit card.  “I missed Valentine’s Day.”  He’d almost forgotten it in all the mid-February drama.  “My wife doesn’t indulge often.  When she does, I’m happy to please her.”
            The young woman in the corner hurried forward to gather boxes and stack them onto a luggage cart.  In another fifteen minutes, the purchases were made and the shopping assistants were gone.
            Once they were alone, Voronika’s smile faded and she turned to Enoch.  “Was it Samiel?  Did you send him Home?”
            Enoch noticed a cheese board and two bottles of wine on a side table.  “I’ll tell you everything while I snack.  We never stopped long enough to eat.”  Enoch didn’t have to eat, but food was a passion of his, a luxurious pleasure.  He ate and drank while he told them about Caleb and his casino.
            When he finished, Voronika shook her head in disbelief. “And Caleb forgave Samiel and allowed him to stay?” 
            “He didn’t have much choice.  He owes Samiel.  When Samiel rebelled against the One, Caleb swore allegiance to him.  He’d have been thrown in the pit with him and his followers if I hadn’t stopped him.”  He paused, remembering the scene Caleb made afterward.  “He wasn’t happy with me for that.”
            “You should have let him go.  Maybe the One would have left him in the pit, even after he released Samiel.  Caleb’s more work than he’s worth.  You still care about him more than you should.”
            Enoch couldn’t explain his friendship with Caleb.  It was too complicated, so he didn’t try.  He changed the subject instead.  “I still don’t think it’s safe for you and Angel to go home.  I’d rather wait until Samiel shows his hand.  Would you like to stay here longer or travel to some place new?”
            “Here!” Angel cried.  “We go sightseeing every night.”
            Enoch hesitated.  “So you haven’t seen Paris during the day.  There’s no way around that.  Voronika can’t go out in the sunlight, but while I’m here, I can take you while Voronika sleeps.”
            Angel leaned forward, excited.  “How long can you stay with us?”
            “I don’t know.  Until Samiel makes a move, I guess.”
            Angel stared.  “We can’t stay here forever.  I don’t want to do all of my lessons online.  I like school.  I miss my friends.”
            Words he never thought he’d hear from her.  She’d done as little as possible in grade school.  “If this stretches out too long, I’ll think of something else,” he promised.  “In the meantime, let’s enjoy it.”
            Angel bit her bottom lip, unsure.
            Voronika had been a vampire a long time.  Like him, time seemed less immediate than it did to Angel.  She understood that.  “We’ll get you back in your own school before March starts,” she said.
            Angel’s shoulders relaxed.  She wouldn’t mind missing two more weeks of school, but she didn’t want to miss much more.
            Voronika gave her an approving look.  “You’ll be proud of her, Enoch.  Angel’s gone online and done her homework every day.”
            Angel tilted a sideways smirk his way.  “I’ve surprised you, haven’t I?”
            She was such a smartass.  He loved that about her.  “I remember a time when you thought homework was for lesser mortals.”
            “Still do, but you won’t pay for my new school if I don’t make decent grades, and I can’t think of a way to trick you.”
            He laughed, enjoying her honesty.  “You’ll thank me some day.”
            Her expression said that she doubted it, but at least, sixth grade challenged her more.  She enjoyed changing rooms for her classes, and her friends competed for top grades.  They pushed her.  That was good. 
            Her previous school struggled with students and families bogged down with poverty.  Enoch had donated money to buy new shoes for each kid and new laptops.  He’d seen the difference the extra dollars made and vowed to donate more each and every year.  He’d been impressed by how hard the teachers in that building worked.
            He looked at the many purchases scattered around the hotel room and shook his head.  He had no qualms enjoying wealth, but if he could help eliminate poverty, he would.  He looked at Angel.  “What did you have planned for the rest of the day?”
            “Voronika was going to take me to the indoor pool and nap in a lounge chair while I swam.”
            “I’ll take you.”  Enoch finished his glass of wine.  “Voronika can enjoy some alone time.”
            Voronika gave him a grateful smile and stretched out on the long sofa.  “It’s nice having you here.  We can convert back to our usual routine.”  Which meant that he’d take care of Angel during the day while Voronika slept, and the girl could keep normal, mortal hours.
             “When does the chef come with our supper?”
            Voronika glanced quickly at Angel.  “He doesn’t.  He was offended by the meals that Angel asked for, said that a French chef doesn’t make hamburgers and French fries.  We’ve been ordering room service.”
            Enoch raised an eyebrow at Angel.  “Hamburgers?  You can get those at home.”
            She glanced down at the floor.  “His food was too fancy.”
            Enoch let that pass.  “Angel and I can visit the markets each day and bring food back.”  If he’d rented an apartment, he could have cooked—one of his joys, but he could buy chickens, roasting on rotisseries, at the market.  And there was stall after stall of fresh vegetables.  “Come on.  We’ll go there now and visit the pool after supper.”
            Angel hurried to the door, excited.  “Voronika can’t go there.  They’re only open during the day.”
            “That’s why the One created grocery stores,” Enoch teased, “for twenty-four-hour shopping.”
            Voronika waved them away.  “Have fun.  Get out of here, and let me sleep.”
            She sounded bored, indifferent, but both Enoch and Angel knew better.  Ever since they’d taken the girl in, Voronika had pushed herself to wake up when Angel got home from school so that she could spend time with her.  In Paris, she was doing her best to keep Angel’s hours.  Angel didn’t realize how hard that was for a vampire, but Enoch did.  She must be exhausted.  He motioned for Angel to follow him, and they set off.
            Angel loved the open-air market they walked to.  She’d never seen anything like it.  She and Enoch spent hours choosing flowers to put in vases, pastries for breakfast, desserts for supper, honeys, and breads. 
            For the next two weeks, they worked around a basic schedule.  Enoch took Angel to the pool every morning, then they went exploring every day before they ended up at the markets.  They returned to the hotel in time for supper with Voronika, and then when the sun sank, they explored a little more.  Enoch had forgotten how much fun Paris could be when he wasn’t hunting rogues. 
            When the two weeks were up, Enoch gave in gracefully when Angel wanted to return home.  He couldn’t hide her and Voronika endlessly.  He still worried about Samiel, but maybe he’d misjudged him.  On Caleb’s private jet, returning to Three Rivers, he decided that his fellow angel must be enjoying freedom enough to forget any ulterior motives. 
            It wasn’t until a month later—when Angel was starting her spring vacation from school—that he heard Caleb call for him.  He sensed no danger this time, only aggravation.  Enoch went out onto the balcony to connect with him.  The air held the hint of spring, warm and fresh.  Temperatures bobbed up and down, but winter felt like a thing of the past.
            Caleb’s image hovered before him.  “Samiel left the casino today.  He’s decided to create his own, small kingdom.  He’s surrounding himself with rogue vampires and mortals who’d like to join their ranks.”
            Damn.  Not the news he wanted to hear.  “For what purpose?”
            Caleb sighed.  “I’d say that he wants to imitate the One.  He wants to be a supreme ruler.  He’s tired of being in the One’s shadow.  That’s one hell of a lot of responsibility, but Samiel thinks it’s worth it.”
            Enoch’s gaze swept the city before him—the limestone courthouse with its high dome, the restaurants, and businesses.  Traffic crowded the streets.  “Samiel agreed to our conditions.  No one gets harmed.”
            “That’s what he said.”
            “I don’t trust him.”  What if he snatched Voronika or Angel to hold as hostage?  Or Danny and Maggie?  His brows furrowed in frustration.  He refused to live with constant worry, wouldn’t let Samiel make the first move.  “I’m going to him.  He either gives me an angel’s promise that Three Rivers and everyone in it will be safe from him, or I fight him now.”
            Caleb’s image flickered—a sign of strong emotions racing through him.  He’d made an angel promise to Enoch, too.  He knew the consequences.  “You still have people to protect, people you care about.  Samiel killed the followers I held dear.”
            “Most, but not all.  Come with me.  Make him give you a promise, too.”
            Caleb turned to look at someone, and Enoch saw his chambers.  A beautiful, male vampire was lying in his bed.  “I’m a little busy right now.”
            “Too busy to make sure Samiel doesn’t kill your new lover?”
            Caleb’s blue eyes blazed.  “That was a tacky remark.”
            “I don’t care who you sleep with, but how many people are you willing to risk to Samiel?”
            Caleb’s lips thinned to a tight line.  “My jet will be in Three Rivers in two hours.  I’ll pick you up.”
            Enoch nodded.  “Together, he won’t have much choice but to listen to us.”

​Chapter 5
           
            Enoch kept his face expressionless when Caleb sank his fangs into Samiel’s neck.  If he’d wanted to, Caleb could have licked Samiel’s skin and dulled the pain.  If he’d licked it long enough and glided his incisors smoothly toward Samiel’s vein, the moment could be almost erotic.  Neither had clearly mattered to him.
            Samiel winced, but remained stoic as Caleb drank.  As a fellow immortal, he couldn’t be drained, but Caleb could gulp from him until he was weak.  Enoch locked gazes with his friend and shook his head.  Caleb’s lips curled as he drank, and his blue eyes sparkled.  He was enjoying himself.
            Enoch wanted to return to the casino to check on Bart and his generals, but he stayed where he was, crossing his arms over his chest and raising a dark brow.
            Finally, Caleb gave a final slurp, licked Samiel’s punctures to close them, and smirked.  “I have to feed from him three times to change him.  I’ll be kinder the next two times.”
            “Good.”  Enoch might not like Samiel, but that didn’t excuse excessive abuse. 
            Samiel frowned at him.  “Do you always try to do the right thing?”
            “Always,” Caleb answered for him.  “My nanny has high standards.”
            “I’m not your nanny.”  Enoch started back toward the elevator.  “Bart and the others will be wondering about us.”
            Caleb fell into step beside him.  They walked shoulder to shoulder, filling the passageway.  Samiel started after them, and Caleb turned his head.  Over his shoulder, he said, “Bart won’t be happy with you.  If you’re smart, you’ll stay behind Enoch and me.”
            Samiel shrugged, unconcerned.  “Bart’s a vampire.  He can’t hurt me.”
            “Oh, but he can.”  Caleb touched his own shoulders, remembering.  “When my oldest vampires turned on me, they jumped me in unison and drained most of my strength.  If Enoch hadn’t been there, I couldn’t have fought them off.”
            Samiel stared.  “They couldn’t have killed you.”
            “No, but they could have dragged me off somewhere and fed off me to keep me weak, and they could have tortured me for fun.”
            Samiel touched a hand to his face.  It had returned to its golden tan, smooth and supple, and he looked relieved.  “If your generals worked together, they could defeat me?”
            Enoch pushed through the heavy, iron doors into the wider corridor. “Easily, especially since I’d side with them if you caused them any grief.”  He smiled when overhead lights greeted him.  “You vampires like the dark too much.”
            “That’s because we can see in it, even when we’re in our mortal form.”  Caleb made it sound like bragging.
            Enoch was unimpressed.  “Unnatural,” he muttered.  He set off at a fast stride.
            “This isn’t a sprint,” Caleb complained.  “Bart won’t send a Saint Bernard if we don’t show up promptly.”
            Enoch ignored him.  Instead he asked Samiel, “How many rogues did you send to battle them?”
            “Forty.”
            Enoch relaxed and walked more slowly.  “Good, not enough.”
            Caleb threw back his head and laughed.  “Your confidence in my generals always amazes me.”
            “That’s because I fight with them.  You don’t.”
            “I never thought of it that way.”
            “Why would you?  You’re too happy doing what you do.”  They reached the elevator and Enoch stepped inside.
            Caleb glanced at Samiel.  “Enoch doesn’t approve of my frivolous ways.”
            Samiel stepped in beside Caleb and frowned.  “What do you do?  I meant to ask you.”
            “I run the casino and indulge my many appetites.”
            Samiel lifted his pale blonde brows.  “I knew that, but what else?”
            “What else is there?”  Caleb grinned. 
            Enoch huffed his reproach and pushed the button for the ground floor.  When the doors slid open, he went in search of his friends.  They were standing under the center of the high dome, surrounded by ashes.  Enoch shook his head and grinned.  “All safe?”
            Bart looked surprised.  “Did you doubt us?”
            “Not really.” 
            Claudia’s lush, dark hair looked disheveled, the only sign that she’d been in a battle.  In a salute, Ulrich tipped a bottle of beer he’d gotten from the bar at Enoch.  The Viking vampire was happier than usual, but then, Ulrich enjoyed himself when enemies were near.  “You missed all the fun, old friend.”
            Bart nodded at Enoch’s tattered shirt.  “Looks like he had his own good time.”
            Enoch glowered at the ruined shirt, and Caleb laughed.  “The way female mortals are looking at you, I should pay you to rip your shirts more often.  Customers love it.”
            “Slip out of yours.  They’d enjoy that just as much.”
            “For women?”  Caleb shivered, scandalized.
            More women came to gawk.  Seeing three angels together was a rare event.  Each epitomized perfection in his own way.
            Bart’s good humor vanished when his gaze settled on Samiel.  “You attacked our sire.”
            Ulrich’s nails grew a few more inches, and he narrowed his eyes, sizing him up.  “I think we can take him.”
            He started to say more, but Caleb interrupted.  “Samiel and I had a misunderstanding.  We’ve reached an agreement.”
            Bart’s lips pressed into a tight line.  He glanced at Enoch.  “Do you trust him?”
            “No, but Samiel said he’d abide by our rules.”
            Ulrich drained his beer, then slowly walked in a circle around Samiel and Caleb.  He asked Enoch, “Does he have your Light?”
            “No.”
            Ulrich grinned.  “In that case, if we work together, we can defeat him.  It won’t be pretty, but it can be done.”
            Enoch nodded.  “You’d all have to drink from him at once to drain his strength.  If you call me, I can blast him with the Light.”
            Samiel crossed his arms over his chest, irritated.  “Did you need to tell them that?  I agreed to your terms.”
            Enoch locked gazes with him.  “As I said, I don’t trust you.  They’re my friends.  If you change your mind, they’ll know how to deal with you.  And Ulrich’s right.  They can.”
            Bart’s hands balled into fists as he turned to Caleb.  “So what now?  What do we do with him?”
            “You leave him to me.  He doesn’t want to go Home.  I understand that.”
            “And if he attacks you again?”
            “You’ll come to my rescue, and then you can have him to do with as you please.”
            Samiel stared, but remained silent.
            Enoch would rather he didn’t stay on Earth.  He’d rather he returned Home.  “You know the odds of living here now, the reality.  Do you still want to stay?”
            “Yes.”
            Of course, he would.  He thought he could bend more rules here, find ways to achieve his own goals.  Enoch looked at Caleb and hesitated.  Had his friend thought this through?  Silly question.  That wasn’t Caleb’s style, but once Caleb made a decision, he was too stubborn to change his mind.  Enoch frowned at him.  “If you need us, call.”
            “Yes, nanny.”
            “Quit calling me that.”
            “Then quit sounding like one.”  Caleb scanned the grand foyer. No statues were smashed, no urns overturned.  “Were any mortals hurt during the battle?”
            Bart shook his head.  “Every rogue zeroed in on us.  The fight didn’t take long.  The mortals seemed to enjoy watching it.”
            That news didn’t thrill Enoch.  “We’re not their entertainment.  The mortals who come here expect everything to be over-the-top.  Caleb caters to their worst instincts.”
            “So do you.”  Caleb gestured to three women, staring at Enoch’s torn shirt and rippling muscles while they sipped martinis.  The generals were almost as delicious, so the women were openly enjoying themselves.
            “My point exactly,” Enoch grumbled.  “They’re spoiled and self-absorbed.”
            Caleb tsk-tsked.  “Now you don’t like my mortals, either?”
            “Don’t start.”
            Caleb grinned.  “I have to give you credit, brother.  You judge everyone the same—angels, vampires, mortals—on if they’re good or if they’re bad.”
            Enoch shrugged.  “Too many things are out of our control.  The only thing that’s a deciding factor is how we use our free will.  And these mortals pay high prices for worthless pleasures.”
            “Worthless?  Entertainment’s a worthy goal in itself, but I’ll never convince you of that.”  Caleb graced them all with a smile.  “The danger’s over now.  I thank you for coming to my rescue, but I’m ready to return to my rooms.  I didn’t enjoy being locked in a dark lair all that much.  I’m in the mood for a cocktail.”
            His generals bowed their heads slightly and watched him go, Samiel close on his heels.  Bart sighed.  “We might as well return home, too.  We fought well tonight.”
            “Not that it accomplished much.”  Claudia’s glare followed Samiel until he was out of sight.
            Enoch watched, too.  “We did more than rescue Caleb.  We set boundaries for Samiel.  He’s an angel who needs to know his limits.  If he’d taken over Caleb’s casino, he’d have more in mind than gaming.”
            Ulrich nodded agreement.  “That one’s ambitious, isn’t he?  I can smell his desire for power.”
            “He won’t be happy in Caleb’s shadow long.”  Bart cracked his knuckles, looking frustrated.  “We’ll meet him again, sooner rather than later.  Be ready.”
            When they walked to the parking lot, two jets sat at its far end—one for Ulrich and the others, the second for Bart, Claudia, and Enoch.  On the airplane ride home, Bart said, “All right, Enoch, tell us your thoughts.”
            “I’m worried.  Samiel’s smart and devious.  The One sends him to do the jobs no one else wants to, and he never makes the same mistakes twice.  Pleasures won’t be enough to satisfy him.”
              Bart reached for Claudia’s hand.  “I wish Caleb would have let us drain him and send him Home.  Can you sense Samiel’s moods like you can Caleb’s?”
            Enoch shook his head.  “No bond, but if he goes rogue, I can sense where he is.  That’s a perk the One gave me to track enemies.”
            “That’s a start.”  Bart didn’t look any happier than Enoch felt, but there was nothing more they could do at the moment. 
            Claudia reached for Enoch’s hand, too.  “All we can do is wait and hope for the best.”
            She didn’t sound optimistic, but she was right.  All they could do was wait.

​​Chapter 4
 
            Caleb owned the sleek private jet that came for them and employed its vampire pilot, but few people knew that.  Probably a good thing, or whoever had attacked him would have confiscated it.
            Once the three of them were settled in the plush seats that formed a circle for conversation, Bart leaned forward, worry etching deep lines in his forehead.  “Is Caleb all right?  Is he hurt?”
            “He’s fine, but he’d probably be relieved to know we’re coming for him.”  Things had happened so fast, Enoch hadn’t contacted him yet.  He wanted things in place first. 
            “Is he in pain?”  Bart and Claudia had been in the battle against Okon, Ragnar, and Yerik.  Bart had seen Caleb grimace in agony when they leapt on his back to try to suck him dry.  Not that they could have.  But until that moment, Enoch hadn’t realized that Caleb felt pain.  He knew his friend had lost the Light, but he hadn’t considered everything that entailed. 
            Enoch shook his head.  “No pain, he’s just angry and confused.  He doesn’t know where he’s being held.”  Caleb’s emotions roiled through Enoch.  There was no mistaking them.
            Bart nodded, satisfied.  “I’ll send him telepathy that we’re on our way.”
            Claudia’s gaze settled on Enoch.  “Do you have a game plan?”
            “You won’t like it.”  Enoch waited until Bart was finished with his message, then continued.  “When we get there, I want you two to stay in the casino’s foyer  and let me go on alone.  It will make it easier for me to use the Light.”  If enemies jumped him in the narrow, underground tunnels, it would be difficult to maneuver and aim.  He’d rather blast indiscriminately.
            Bart locked gazes with Claudia, clearly unhappy.  “It will make things easier for you, we understand, but you’ll call for us when we can help, won’t you?”  Bart didn’t like sitting on the sidelines.  He was a man of action.
            “I’d rather be part of a team.  You know that,” Enoch said, “but I don’t want to hurt anyone on accident.  I am worried that leaving you behind will put you in danger, though.”
            Bart gave a grim smile.  His brilliant white teeth gleamed against his swarthy complexion.  He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he exuded strength and confidence.  “Let enemies come for us.  Once you told us where Caleb was, we called for a few generals to meet us there.”
            Enoch relaxed.  One less worry.  A handful of generals could take on an army.  “Then I’ll find Caleb while you deal with any other problems.”
            It wasn’t much of a strategy, but it was the best they could do.  They had no idea what they were up against. 
            When the pilot landed on the street that led to the casino’s parking lot, they squared their shoulders and expected the worst.  He taxied them to the huge, double front doors that opened into the foyer and waited while they exited before finding a place to park.  He’d stay with the locked plane. 
            Walking to the casino’s entrance, Enoch remembered his last visit here.  Two beautiful, male vampires had stood just inside the doors, out of the sunlight, to greet guests.  Not this time.  Lights spilled from every window as guests cavorted twenty-four hours a day.  Two massive vampires, dressed in black leather like Bart, blocked their entrance.  Their fangs dropped into place when they sniffed the air and realized their new guests weren’t mortals.  Bart smiled and pointed toward the one on the left. 
            “Mine,” he said.  He finished him while Claudia snapped the neck of the guard on the right.  Claudia, once a Vestal Virgin with the curves and beauty that went with serving a goddess, was nearly as deadly as her husband.
            “Not very well trained,” Bart said, watching a breeze blow the true deads’ dust away. 
            Enoch couldn’t help but glance at the casino—a marble pleasure palace with a central dome that soared five stories high.  He shook his head, bemused, then glanced at the surroundings.  Marble columns and floors.  Huge chandeliers and gilt ceilings.  Just as before, a tall, female vampire strode toward him.  Zorinda’s tumble of honey-gold hair fell past her shoulders and her sun-kissed skin glowed almost as brightly as Caleb’s.  She smiled at him.
            “Still undead?” Enoch asked.  “You sided against Caleb?”  None of Caleb’s regular employees were in sight.  They must have died, trying to protect him.
            She shrugged shapely shoulders.  “A girl has to do what a girl has to do.”
She frowned at Enoch’s companions.  Nearly as tall as Bart, she’d been an Amazon before she’d been bitten and changed.  She might look like a long slink of sensual pleasure, but Enoch knew she was lethal.  So did his friends.
            Bart took a wary stance.  “Who’s your new master, Zorinda?”
            She raised an eyebrow.  “Are you toying with me?  Enoch already knows.”
            “So it is Samiel.”  Bart’s lips pressed together in a tight line.  
            She tilted her head to the side, studying him.  “Caleb can’t have any idea where he is.  How did you find him?”
            Bart gave an enigmatic smile.  “For me to know, and you to wonder about.  A vampire secret.”
            “I don’t know it.”  She sounded surly.
            Enoch raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise.  “Then Caleb didn’t trust you that much.”
            Anger flared in her tawny eyes before she tamped it out.  “Would you like me to escort you to him?”
            Claudia dismissed her and walked toward the office behind the check-in counter.  “If you want to, or we can find him ourselves.”
            They couldn’t, but it was better that Zorinda didn’t know that.  It was a bluff, but Enoch could sense Caleb, and they’d drop back and subtly let him take the lead. 
            Zorinda hurried forward, as Claudia knew she would.  The girl didn’t like taking second place.  Zorinda led them to the private elevator in the office.  When its doors opened, Enoch locked gazes with his friends. 
            “I enter.  You don’t.  This is as far as you go.”
            Bart nodded.  He motioned to the foyer and a group of generals crowded together under the high dome.  Enoch saw Ulrich, Amado, and Eva, among others.  All top generals.  He sighed his relief.
            Zorinda’s brows scrunched together.  “I take it they’re deadly.”
            “I’d call them invincible.”  No one loved brawls as much as Ulrich did, maybe part of his Viking past-life.
            Her face twisted into an unhappy scowl.  “Fine.  Let me take you to your friend.”  She waited for Enoch to join her, then punched the code to take them two floors down to an underground tunnel.  This one was wide and well-lit.  It led to employee apartments, Caleb’s suite, and the casino’s surveillance room.  They walked a long time.
            At the end of the tunnel, two huge, iron doors opened inside the mountain that served as backdrop to the casino.  She unlocked the doors and led Enoch down long, narrow, slanting corridors.  It was pitch black, so he held up his hand and called on the Light to see.  He slanted his hand toward the ceiling, but it was so high, he could barely make it out.  He could call for more Light, but that might not be healthy for Zorinda.  Metal doors, high off the ground, lined each side of the passageway.  They were painted with silver to ward enemy vampires away.   Each opened with a secret latch, hidden from view, and protected individual caves chiseled into the rock—vampire lairs.
            They turned a corner and Samiel stood in front of one of the caves.  Caleb was here.  Enoch could feel him.  Samiel gave a slight bow when they approached, then he whistled.  Doors flew open and vampires threw themselves on Enoch.  Zorinda leapt into one of the empty caves and yanked its door shut. 
            Fangs gouged Enoch’s shoulders and neck.  Claws scraped his back and sides.  Damn it, another shirt ruined!  It was one of Voronika’s favorites—black silk.  She complimented him every time he wore it.
            He waited until as many vampires were piled on top of each other as possible, then called for the Light.  It burst out of him, and his enemies turned to dust. 
            Enoch swiped at his shirt to rid himself of the ashes.  His wounds healed before he was finished, but his shirt was ripped to shreds.  He shook his head in disgust.  “Such a waste.  This was hand tailored.  Why attack me?  I told you the One let me keep the Light.”
            Shaken, Samiel rubbed his face and chest.  He looked surprised.  His skin was crimson red, as if terribly sunburned.  “I decided you were bluffing.”
            “I never bluff.”  Enoch’s dark brows pulled together.  “I hope you didn’t send more rogues after Bart and Claudia.”
            “And if I did?”
            “You caused even more true deaths.  Bart brought his generals.”
            Samiel grimaced.  “It took me a long time to build my army.”
            “Then I should thank you for bringing them to us, making it convenient to dispose of them.”
            Samiel’s shoulders tensed.  He’d always had a temper.  Enoch had always found it easy to push his buttons.
            “Enough with the niceties.”  Enoch pointed to the third cave down the hall.  “You can release Caleb now.”
            “How did you know where to find him?”
            Enoch wanted to make it very clear that Samiel couldn’t hide Caleb from him.  “You can never use Caleb as a negotiating point.  We have a bond.  I always know where Caleb is and how he feels.”
            “You and Bart?”  Samiel sounded frustrated.  “How?”
            “No idea.  It’s just always been there.”
            “And if I don’t open the door?”
            Enoch gestured to Samiel’s face and arms.  “I turn you into a crispy critter.  I can’t kill you.  You’re immortal, but I might remind you, you now feel pain.”
            Samiel blinked, surprised.  “I’ve never experienced that.”
            “That’s a good thing.  Want to try it?”
            Samiel scratched more.  “I don’t think so.” 
            “In that case . . .”  Enoch gestured to the door.
            “I get it.  I’ll rescue your miscreant angel.” 
            “I rescued him.  You’re releasing him, because you have to.”
            Samiel scurried up the stone wall with his new vampire skills and opened the latch.
            Caleb blinked when light invaded his darkness.  He jumped down to Enoch and smiled.  Then he waited for Samiel to descend to them and wrapped his fingers around his neck.
            “Not for us to decide,” Enoch said.  “The One will have to deal with him.”
            Caleb dropped him to the floor, and Samiel inhaled a deep gulp of air.  Then Samiel spread his hands at his sides in surrender.  “Give me a break, Caleb.  All I want is what you have.”
            “So you came here to take it.”
            “No, I asked you to join with me, to create an empire together.”
            “I have no desire for an empire.  I told you that.”
            “But I need you.  The One took away my Light, just like He did yours.  I’ll grow weak without it.”
            “Then why not ask for my help instead of killing my most loyal vampires and locking me away?”
            Samiel sneered.  “You promised to help me once before, and then you failed me.”
            “Not on purpose.  You know that!”
            “How many?”  Enoch didn’t care about their silly quarrel. 
            Samiel stared at him.  “How many what?”
            “How many of Caleb’s vampires did you kill?”  Enoch had met and liked the vampires who’d worked here.  Samiel must not think much of an undead’s life, but most of them hadn’t asked to be changed.  “I’ve met vampires who constantly struggle against their bloodlust and work to lead decent lives.  That obviously doesn’t matter to you.”
            Samiel heard the anger lacing his tone and moved away from him.  “I thought if Caleb turned me down, he’d turn against me.”
            Caleb rolled his eyes.  “What for?  I don’t care what you do, as long as it doesn’t affect me.  If the One wants you Home, he’ll send a minion to fetch you.”  He looked at Enoch.
            “Minion?”  Were Samiel and Caleb both trying to annoy him?  Enoch’s dark eyes blazed, and Caleb backed down.
            “Or a warrior to clean up the messes you make.” 
            Enough!  Enoch asked the question again.  “How many of your men died in the attack?”
            “Most of them.”
            “Darius, Alex, and Jagger?”  Enoch particularly liked them.
            “Gone.”
            Enoch stalked to the door Zorinda dove behind, grabbed its edges, and yanked it off its hinges.  Without a word, he shot Light at her and watched her burst into dust.  She had worked with the vampires here, been their friend.  And she’d betrayed them.  He turned to glare at Samiel.  “How did you get her to help you?”
            Samiel threw up his hands.  “Don’t hurt me.  I won’t lie.  I let her drink from me, and I took her to bed.”
            “She turned traitor for angel blood.”  Enoch crushed the heavy door into a ball and tossed it in the cave.  He’d let Zorinda sip from him the last time he’d visited here.  She’d craved all things angel, and he thought that would ease her curiosity.
            Caleb turned to him and looked grateful.  “You rescued me again, and you didn’t have to.  No one would have cared if you’d left me to stew in that cave.”
            “Samiel had no business stuffing you there.”
            Caleb grinned.  His golden beauty lit up the dark corridor, and his brilliant blue eyes sparkled with humor.  “For whatever reason, thank you.”  Then he turned to Samiel, and his brilliant glow blazed with menace.  “I greeted you as a friend, and you betrayed me.  You and Zorinda.”
            Samiel hurried to explain.  “I only needed a little time to get my bearings, to decide what to do, then I’d have let you out.  When I rebelled”—He pinned Caleb with an accusing glare— “you were supposed to join me, remember?”
            “Enoch pinned me to the ground.  I couldn’t.”
            “While you lived in luxury, I spent decades in the pit.”
            “Not long enough.”  Enoch wondered why the One always forgave him.
            Samiel whirled to confront him.  “You’ve never liked me.”
            “Still don’t.”
            Samiel opened his mouth to argue, then stopped, grinning.  “At least, you’re honest.  I wish I had whatever you see in Caleb.  You’re a loyal friend.”
            Enoch was tired of their chatter.  “What now?  Do you go home?  There’s nothing for you here.”
            Samiel locked gazes with Caleb.  “You have to understand how I feel.  I want freedom.  I want a place to call my own.  I’m tired of being sent off to do the One’s dirty work.”
            Enoch’s stomach knotted when he saw Caleb’s face.
            “I do understand,” Caleb said, “but you have to make your own way.  You have to establish your own place in this world.”
            “Will you give me pointers?” Samiel asked.
            Enoch interrupted.  Time to set rules.  “Nothing that harms mortals or takes away their free will.”
            Caleb’s expression revealed his inner struggle.  “I’ll have to bite you, make you a vampire like me.  Only blood will keep up your strength without the Light.”
            “Caleb!”  What was his friend thinking?  How could he possibly trust Samiel—the snake in the Garden of Eden, the whisper that drove Cain to kill Abel?
            Samiel turned to him, as if reading his thoughts.  “The One sends me to test mortals.  That’s my job, to make sure people are faithful.  I don’t like my job any more than you probably like yours.”
            Enoch didn’t know what to say.  Samiel was right.  When the One first sent him to Earth to clean up after Caleb, he’d resented it.  But now?  He was growing to like it here.
            Samiel gave a knowing smile.  “Give me a chance, Enoch.  Let me find what you and Caleb have.  Let me be free.”
            Enoch and Caleb turned to each other.  How could they condemn Samiel for wanting what they had?
            “There are rules,” Enoch said.  “Only sipping from mortals, no turning them against their wills.  No harming them.”
            Samiel nodded.  “I’ll follow them.”
            Would he?  Enoch doubted that, but surely he deserved a chance.  Still, he worried.

Just wanted to let you know my first e-romance, COOKING UP TROUBLE, is only 99 cents until 7/3.  If you're in the mood for a little, light-hearted romance, (only mortals, no battles:), I hope you give it a try.  

​http://amzn.to/1mh92ra 

Hope you like this!  Comments are appreciated.

​​Chapter 3
 
            Enoch’s lips pressed into a tight line.  
            “You have your dark angel look,” Voronika told him.  He was an archangel, a warrior, with black hair and dark eyes.  Caleb and Samiel, seraphims, looked like picture-book angels with golden hair and bright-blue eyes . . .and neither of them could be trusted.  She came to rub his arm.  “You’re ready to leave.  Maggie’s looking done-in anyway.  I’ll go with you, then Danny won’t have to drive me home.”
            Enoch wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a grateful squeeze.  “Thank you.  When we get home, I’ll call for Bart.  He can send the vampires’ private plane to fly me to Caleb.”
            “Do you know where Caleb is?”
            “Close enough.”  If Enoch was right, he was locked in his own complex, his gambling den of iniquity.  Mortals mingled with vampires in the above ground casinos and pleasure rooms, but a vast sprawl of private apartments and lairs webbed underground and into the side of the mountain that the complex backed up against.  Enoch had visited there once to help Caleb.  It was a palace of gaudy grandeur.
            Danny glanced out the hospital window at the sky—a sliver of a moon and a sprinkle of stars against a black backdrop--vampire hours.  “Will Bart and Claudia want to go with you?  Can you keep them safe?”
            “Bart’s Caleb’s top general.  I can’t turn him away.”  He and his mate, Claudia—another general—had come to Three Rivers to help Enoch protect it a few times.  Both Danny and Enoch respected and admired them, thought of them as friends. 
            Maggie had met them, too, and liked them.  She bit her bottom lip, worried.
            Enoch tried to reassure her.  “I’ve worked with Bart so many times, he knows to stay out of my way when I shoot the Light.  So does Claudia.  We make  a hell of a team.” 
            Still, the One had given Enoch an impossible job, trying to clean up Caleb’s messes.  The vampires Caleb created sired vampires of their own.  And those vampires sired more.  On top of that, who would have guessed that he’d have to save Caleb from his own creations?  But this time, his fellow angel hadn’t brought his problems on himself.  Caleb’s anger was too genuine. 
            Maggie’s eyelids lowered, and she blinked herself awake.
            Voronika smiled.  “Get some rest.  And congratulations.”  She and Enoch said their goodbyes, then walked long, meandering corridors to the hospital’s near-empty parking garage.  Enoch’s dark green Jaguar hummed in greeting.  He was blessed with more money than he’d ever need.  Not that he flaunted it like Caleb did, but dipping inside a warm car was a luxury he enjoyed. Mid-February in northeast Indiana brought foul weather and bitter cold.
            It was a short drive to their apartment building that bordered the river.  Once the elevator stopped at the hall for his penthouse, Enoch reached for Voronika’s hand.  “I don’t expect any trouble here, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to be cautious.”
            She raised a pale eyebrow.  “Should I lower the metal grids for the balcony’s French doors?”  Enoch had installed grids for every window and door to protect Voronika from rogue vampires when Vlad had come for her.
            He shook his head.  “They won’t protect you from an angel.”
            “An angel?”  Her voice choked on fear.  When Caleb had ripped the grids off their beams to take her to Vlad, she’d had no way to defend herself.
            “Not Caleb.  Samiel.  I don’t want him to use you as a bargaining tool against me.”
            “You think an angel attacked Caleb?”
            “That would be my first guess.  When I turned him down, he must have decided to try Caleb.  Samiel knows about you and Angel.  You might want to pack a few things and take a small vacation.  Any place you’d like to go?”
            “To play in the sun?  Not really.  The sun doesn’t like me.  But I wouldn’t mind booking into a fancy hotel with gourmet cuisine while you’re gone.  I’ve gotten used to your cooking.”
            He loved to cook and entertain.  It relaxed him.  “Maybe France?  Bart’s jet could take you and Angel anywhere.”
            “Done.  I can’t visit the open-air markets, but you can hire someone to.  It would be a great experience for Angel.” 
            His shoulders relaxed.  The worry that had wormed deep inside him began to unfurl.  He needed to leave.  He could have taken Voronika and Angel with him, but he didn’t want them anywhere near Samiel, and he couldn’t protect them while he was gone.  A trip was the best alternative.
            Voronika stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.  “I’ll start packing.  You call Bart.”
            Enoch pulled his long, wool coat closer and stepped outside the French doors that led to their balcony.  He sent a message into the universe and wasn’t surprised when Bart’s image immediately appeared.
            “Claudia and I have already heard.  Someone walked into Caleb’s fortress and killed any vampire who tried to protect him.  Then Caleb disappeared.  Can you feel where he is?”
            “I think he’s still somewhere inside the casino complex.  If you send a plane for me, I’ll meet you there.  But don’t go inside without me.  And I’d like another plane to take Voronika and Angel to France.”
            “Good idea.  Then we don’t have to worry about them.  We’ll be in Three Rivers in two hours.  Be ready.”
            Enoch hated to do it, but he called Angel to tell her the news.  “I’m sorry, but I want you and Voronika to leave Three Rivers when I do.  Bart’s sending a plane to take you to France.  You’ll miss your science fair.”
            “France?”  Her voice ended on a squeak.  “Can Heidi come with us?”
            Heidi lived close to Danny and Maggie, and she and Angel had become best friends.
            “Sorry, not this time.  Everything’s too rushed.”
            Angel went silent a moment, then said, “I bet we’re staying in a fancy hotel.”
            “With an indoor swimming pool so that Voronika can keep an eye on you without having to worry about the sun.”
            “Are you coming to get me?”
            “Right now.”
            “Cool!” 
            “Let your friend and her parents know.”
            He heard a huff on the other end of the line.  “I’m not that rude.  Give me a break.”
            He smiled.  Damn, she was one, neat kid.  “See you soon.”  He hung up and started calling to make arrangements for their trip.  Then he drove to pick her up. 
            On the ride home, Angel pursed her lips, studying him.  “You’re worried about us again, right?”
            “I’d rather you weren’t in Three Rivers right now.”
            “And you’re going off to save the world again, aren’t you?”
            He laughed.  “That’s a little melodramatic, but I have a job that needs done.”
            “You’ll be back?”  He heard the worry in her voice.
            “I’m immortal.  You can’t get rid of me.”
            She sighed her relief.  “Good, ‘cause I don’t want to.”
            “I’ve hired a private chef to cook for you and Voronika.  Eat something besides desserts three times a day.”  The girl’s mother had been useless.  Angel grew up on junk food and snacks.  She’d choose cake over seafood every chance she got.
            Angel grimaced.  “You’re no fun.”
            “Yeah, that’s what immortality does to you.  At least try a little of whatever the chef makes.  Deal?”
            “Two bites,” she promised.  “And then dessert.”
            “You’re incorrigible.”
            She didn’t deny it.  By the time they got back to the penthouse, Bart and Claudia were waiting for them.
            Enoch looked at the clock.  “You’re early.”
            “Romans don’t dawdle.”  Both Bart and Claudia had been bitten and changed during Roman times.
            Voronika rolled two suitcases to the foyer.  “We’re ready.”
            “Then let’s go.”  Bart led all of them to the elevators and when they left the building, they separated into two, waiting cars.  Enoch went with Bart and Claudia, Voronika and Angel with another driver. 
            Enoch winced when they went in opposite directions.  He’d miss his two girls, but they’d be safe now, and he could concentrate on rescuing Caleb.