“W

hy are you always barking orders like you’re in charge!” Cristian demanded. “I’ve noticed that you do this a lot.” “I’m not barking orders, as you put it,” Anna said haughtily. “I’m doing what Sage would do if she were in the same position.” “She’s in this position because of…,” he stopped. “Because of me—that’s what you were going to say isn’t it!” Anna said, her eyes stinging with angry tears. “Wait a minute,” Daniel said, jumping to her defense. “This isn’t Anna’s fault.” “You were the last person that was with her,” Cristian said accusingly.

Samuel said with disgust.
“That’s another thing,” Cristian said, eyeing Samuel. “Since
when did you address Sage by her name and not by her title?” “Since she asked me to,” Samuel replied hotly.
“Everyone needs to calm down,” Pedro said, holding up his
arms. “We’re all worried about Queen V, and tempers are flaring.
Just chill,” he said.
Anna wiped the tears from her eyes hastily as Cristian drew a
heavy breath.
“I need some air,” he said, leaving Anna, Samuel, Daniel, and
Pedro alone in the grand living room.
“I just can’t sit around here doing nothing,” Samuel said. “I
need to get out of here,” he said, leaving the room.
“Tension is high and we’re all worried,” Daniel said. “I do feel guilty for not doing enough to stop Pearson from
taking Sage,” Anna confessed tearfully.
Lisa, Cody, and Billy sat in the lobby waiting for news on
John’s condition when Randi approached them. “Your friend
will be alright,” she said to them as they rose to their feet. “The
transfusion went well.” “Good,” Lisa said breathing a sigh of relief.
“One less worry,” she thought. “We’re going to keep him overnight
for observation, and he should be released in the morning.” “Can
we see him?” Billy asked. “Sure, but he’s asleep,” Randi said. “No
problem,” Billy said as Randi led them to his room. “Thanks,” Lisa
said. “You’re welcome,” Randi said, staring at them with intrigue.
“There’s something about that nurse that’s strange,” Billy said
telepathically to Lisa and Cody who nodded in agreement as they
watched Randi walk away.
They walked into John’s hospital room as he lay asleep. His
countenance, which was pale, now had a flush of pink upon his
cheeks. “I’m glad you’re going to be alright,” Lisa whispered. “We
can’t stay long, but we’ll be back tomorrow,” Cody said. “I hope you
can sleep well without any nightmares,” Billy said. “I don’t think
any of us will be able to rest until we find our Queen.” “What happened in the stairwell?” Daniel asked as Pedro took a
seat in the antique chair. “Sage and I were running down the stairs
when she suggested that we go to the roof to fly away,” Anna said.
“That’s where we were,” Daniel said. “I figured everyone would
meet on the roof and we’d all fly away.” Anna nodded. “But as we
started to turn around, we ran into Pearson who was happy with
glee to see us,” she continued.
“He tried to attack us, but I fought back, and I told Sage that we
would have to continue down the stairs as a result,”
She stopped, speaking for a minute, struggling to keep her
composure as she thought of those last moments with Sage. Daniel
took her hand as Pedro looked on. “Pearson jumped in front of
us, and before I could react, he struck me with his hunting knife. I
heard Sage scream. I collapsed to the floor, and I heard a scuffle.”
Her eyes widened.
“Someone else was there. I heard Sage struggling with someone,
and they overpowered her—and that’s all I remember.” “Someone else helped Pearson,” Daniel said.
“I couldn’t see who it was,” Anna said. “Everything went black
after that. It had to have been a violent struggle because the beads
that were in the queen’s hair were strewn about on the stairwell,”
Daniel said. “She fought hard—I know she did,” Anna said. “We need to scour this entire city to find her,” Daniel said. “We
need to find out who helped Pearson too,” Anna replied. “Rafael
usually works with at least two people,” Pedro said. “He has an
assistant obviously, but also a secret partner.”
“Robert was secretly helping Rafael.”
“Was he?” Anna said.
“Yes,” Pedro answered. “He played a big part in exposing Sage
to the world.” “You helped him too,” Daniel said. “No, I didn’t,”
Pedro said defensively. “I was trying to expose Cristian for the fraud
that he is.”
“You told Pearson where to find Sage,” Anna said. “I was trying
to show that Cristian couldn’t be trusted,” Pedro said. “I realized
my mistake when Pearson tried to kill Sage.”
“You can’t trust a vampire hunter,” Anna said, incredulous.
“You set Sage up whether you meant to or not.”
“Because of your ridiculous obsession over her, you played a
part in what happened tonight.”
“What do you mean?” Pedro asked. “You stole the painting,
which caused a domino effect.”
“The painting is missing, causing a scandal; Cristian returns the
painting thinking that will resolve everything; but instead, it brought
further exposure to Sage culminating in this fiasco tonight.” “I will make it up to her somehow,” Pedro said.
“How—” Anna stammered, “she’s gone.”
Samuel walked along the Bow Bridge staring at the lake and
remembering his last conversation with Sage. “You imbecile,” he
thought. “I should’ve stayed and listened to what she had to say.” “But instead I try to do the right and noble thing by urging her
to work things out with Cristian.” He gazed up into the night sky,
remembering the night things changed between them. “How are
you?” he asked nervously as she lay with her eyes closed, beads
of perspiration peppered on her forehead. Sage opened her eyes
dreamily. “Fine,” she smiled. He took her hand and kissed it,
pausing at her wrist.
He looked into her eyes questioningly. She nodded her head.
Kissing her wrist delicately, he nibbled on it teasingly, then sank
his fangs into her flesh tasting her blood. “You and I shared much
more than a physical connection that night,” he thought. “It was a
bond we both felt, but I thought at that time that anything further
would be impossible.” “Now, if Pearson succeeds in…,” he sighed
throwing his head back. “No, don’t think like that,” he admonished
himself. “We will finish our conversation and I will finally stop
fighting my feelings and admit my love for you, no matter the
consequences.”
Cristian opened the elevator cage to his loft and plopped into
the chair. Feeling restless, he jumped up and walked into his bedroom staring at the bed where he and Sage first made love. He remembered the fire in her kisses, the passion in her eyes, the heat of her flesh, the need and hunger for joining. “I need you Sage,” he
said wistfully. “I can’t sleep in this bed without you.”
He remembered that, although things were still strained between
them, he was confident that they could work out their problems.
Remembering the crucifix in his pocket, he picked up the phone
and dialed his parents’ number. The phone rang with no answer.
“Something happened to Mom and Dad,” he thought. “Why did
they come tonight to the ball after she made it abundantly clear that
she would never accept my relationship?” He hung up the phone
after the fifth ring.
“What if they are home and just aren’t answering the phone?”
he reasoned. “There’s only one way to find out,” he said. He opened
the latch to the window and flew out at lightning speed. Billy, Cody, and Lisa rushed into the living room, meeting Anna,
Daniel, and Pedro. “Where’s Cristian and Samuel?” Billy asked. “They needed some air,” Anna replied. “It was beginning to
get tense around here,” remarked Daniel, “so they both left to
regroup.”
“That’s understandable,” Cody said.
Billy arched his eyebrow deliberating the strange behavior he’s
witnessed from his best friend. “How’s John?” Anna asked. “He
needed a blood transfusion, but he’ll be fine,” Lisa said. “Good,”
Anna replied. “So what do we do about Queen V?” Cody asked.
“We need to summon all the vampires in the area to help find
her.” “Good idea,” Billy said. He looked at Pedro. “You have some
explaining to do,” he said. “I know,” Pedro sighed wearily, “but
once Queen V is back safe and sound, then I’ll answer all your
questions. Until then Queen V is my only priority.” Billy thought to
say some smart-alecky quip in response but held his tongue. “Sage is all of our priority,” Anna chided. “And until she is back, we will do whatever it takes to find her.” “Agreed?” she asked. Everyone nodded their head.

Randi stood in the doorway watching John sleeping soundly. “I wonder if you’re the same John that Rafael spoke of. Something went wrong tonight,” she thought. “Rafael hasn’t called me, and I didn’t have a chance to tell him that I had to leave.” She walked into the room standing at the foot of the bed. “If you’re the same John, then those three people who brought you here had to be vampires.” She bit her lower lip. “I think I know how to find out if my suspicions are true,” she smiled. “This would be my way of helping Rafael achieve the second part of the plan.”