Page 28 of Twilight Longings

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

“What about?”

Kincaid shrugged. “She didn’t say.”

“Well, hell, let’s go find out.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It exists,” Romar said.

“You have proof?” Kincaid asked.

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

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

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

“Egypt!” Kincaid exclaimed.

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

Saintcrow and Kincaid exchanged glances. And nodded in unison.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Probably.”

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

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

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

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

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