A  Fatal Case
Chapter III
By Irena Dawidson
For Warnings see Chapter One

 
 
 
 

Daedalus had painted an ugly picture. Julian sat pondering over it. What
he wanted to do, and what he could do, were two different things.
Daedalus was probably right. Even if the crimes that Cameron had
committed were made public knowledge, he would hardly be punished the
way Julian wished. Not by Kindred law and certainly not by human law.
The evidence that Lillie had given Julian was enough to convince him of
Cameron’s guilt, but it wouldn’t hold up in court. Besides, Julian was
not interested in human courts. Caitlin had never seen the man, the
possibility that she would recognize his voice was minute, and Julian
decided that he wouldn’t let her confront Cameron. It wasn’t worth it.
Caitlin was fine now. Even getting Cameron wasn’t worth the pain such
confrontation might cause her. Julian had scheduled the meeting, at
which he intended to accuse Cameron, when Caitlin was out of town. She
was in New York now, attending a conference of media people and would be
gone for another four days. Julian hated the idea of letting Caitlin out
of his sight but he kept quiet, knowing how upset she would be if he
tried to keep her prisoner in his City. He succeeded in talking her into
accepting Arthur’s company on the trip. It would have to do. When she
asked him to accompany her to New York, he excused himself. There was no
way he could leave San Francisco now. He hesitated for a long time, but
finally contacted Servio, the Prince of New York. Servio had been a
close friend of Archon’s, but he barely tolerated Julian Luna. Servio
was the oldest Kindred that Julian had ever met; he was a Pre-Christian.
Julian made an official request for Caitlin’s and Arthur’s protection -
one Prince to another - and, of course, it was granted. Julian never
understood why the Ancient disliked him so much, but the promise had
been made and Julian was sure that, at least in New York, Caitlin was
safe. With her out of the way he could devote his whole attention to
Cameron.
    However, to destroy Cameron, without giving any reason for such an
act, could prove fatal to himself. The Clans would not accept such
arbitrary conduct from their Prince. It might become his own undoing. No
matter how much Julian wanted his revenge, Cameron just wasn’t worth the
sacrifice.
    Expose Cameron at the meeting and ask the Primogens to pass
judgement? In reality, such action would remove the Brujah from his
reach permanently. Raping a mortal - maybe a week in  the  Prison  of
Light, at the most. Who she was, would be of no consequence to the
judges to be. No, that would not satisfy Julian Luna. Besides, the
thought of revealing what had been done to Caitlin at a meeting of
Primogens was... offensive. Yes, Daedalus had been right, as usual. He
would do neither. Julian was aware of Cameron’s state of mind. A little
more pressure and he might break.
    I must make him come after me, it’s the only way to get what I want.
Let Cameron make the fatal move. Once his mind was made up, Julian never
looked back. He informed Daedalus of his decision. The Nosferatu nodded
gravely.
    “You have made the right choice,” he said. “The more nervous Cameron
gets, the more likely he is to make a mistake. A mistake that will end
in his final death.”
    Julian closed his eyes, trying to relax. The meeting that was about
to start, well, to Cameron’s surprise, will be just another meeting.
    Julian made sure that he was the last one to arrive. He greeted
everybody with a nod, letting his gaze rest on each face for a short
moment. Lillie’s eyes were downcast, while Cameron stared back at him
defiantly. Julian looked at the Brujah Primogen just a split second
longer than at any other in the assembly. He kept the color of his eyes
unchanged, not one muscle moved in his face. Nevertheless, he managed to
convey his hostility. To his satisfaction, Cameron looked away,
apparently ill at ease.
    Julian allowed Daedalus to lead the meeting while he occupied
himself with the papers in front of him, looking up at Cameron now and
then. Seeing the Brujah’s nervousness brought a shadow of a smile to the
Prince’s face. The meeting was drawing to an end and Daedalus posed the
inevitable question.
    “Are there any other matters to discuss?”
    Lillie’s eyes, as well as Cameron’s, turned to Julian, but he gave
the Nosferatu consent to end the meeting. Everybody stood up. The sounds
of moving chairs and shuffling of papers, the small talk among those
preparing to leave, were cut off abruptly when Cameron banged both his
fists against the surface of the table, shoving his face in front of
Julian. Julian looked at the Brujah’s hands. In his mind, he saw those
hands burning, heard the screams and, for a short second, there was a
green shimmer in his eyes, but when he lifted his head, there was
nothing in his gaze for Cameron except hostile indifference. As the
silence dragged on, Cameron realized that everybody’s attention was
focused on him. If he made one false move, it would cost him his life.
He backed away slowly, turned with an oath and ran out of the room. When
Cash started after him, Julian stopped him with one thundering “NO!”.
    “Let him go,” he said much more quietly. “He will come back.”
    When Julian thought he was alone, he pushed back his chair and
walked over to the fireplace. Slowly, he let his hand move over the
flames. The pain made him gasp, but he didn’t withdraw. The smell of
burning flesh brought bile into his throat. His vision began to swim
when he heard a scream and was pushed away from the fire.
    It took hours before the pain he had inflicted on himself subsided
enough to let him rest. Fire was one of the most dangerous elements a
Kindred could be exposed to. Daedalus kept Julian company that night,
but gave up his attempts to make him take any painkillers. Not that
those would do so much good. The chemicals humans used had little effect
on Kindred physiology. But the soothing voice and hands of the Nosferatu
made the pain bearable.
 

    It was almost dawn. The burned hand had almost healed, but, even
apart from the pain, the night had been the most wrenching for Julian
since the first night he had spent in the hospital at Caitlin’s sickbed.

    “I don’t know how I’ve managed to stop myself from tearing that
Brujah apart! It almost tore me apart,” he complained to his friend.
    But Daedalus did something terrible. He forced Julian to be Cameron.

    “You must think his thoughts and you must feel his emotions. You
must know him better than he knows himself. Otherwise, he will always be
beyond your grasp,” Daedalus told him.
    “How? I can’t enter his mind!” Julian found the idea preposterous.
    “Start at the beginning,” Daedalus was unrelenting, “in Manzanita,
ten years ago.”
    The memories of death and destruction exploded in Julian’s head. He
had kept them locked away in his mind for far too long.
    “You killed almost all of them,” Daedalus was saying. “All who were
close to Cameron: his Sire, his blood brothers, his friends. All
destroyed because Archon had told you to do it.”
    “Yes,” it was true, no matter how much Julian wanted to deny it.
    “You didn’t know,” Daedalus continued, “but the reason for that
massacre was Archon’s wish to get rid of a rival, a personal vendetta.”
    “No!” Julian said vehemently. “I didn’t know that.”
    “But Cameron knew!” Daedalus’ voice was harsh now. “He knew that
and, as far as he was concerned, you were just a henchman of a
criminal.”
    “Yes.” Julian covered his eyes with his unhurt hand. “Yes!”
   “Now,” Daedalus’ voice softened again, “take it from there. You’re
Cameron now, go through the next ten years. Watch Julian Luna become a
Prince, watch him rise above all Kindred in the city, unreachable,
wealthy, prosperous, respected. What do you feel?”
    “Resentment.”
    “Not enough!” Daedalus thundered.
    “Hate!”
    “Yes, now go back to Manzanita, those few months ago, Watch Julian
Luna with his lover, watch him kill the remnants of the Brujahs that
were left there, watch him return to life, revived by the blood offered
by the human woman.”
    “No, he wasn’t there,” Julian protested. “He was here, in San
Francisco, murdering Archon!”
    “It doesn’t matter.” Daedalus was running out of patience. “This is
what happened, and Cameron knows it.”
    “Yes, it’s true,” Julian gave in.
    “All right, you’re Cameron - now what do you do?”
    “I... I seek revenge.”
    “Good, now you tell me the rest!” Daedalus demanded.
    Julian was silent for a long time, trying to disengage himself from
his own being, becoming another.
    Be Cameron, he thought. Those who were closest to you have been
destroyed by Julian Luna, now the Prince of San Francisco. You have
managed to get to Archon, but Luna lives because a mortal woman has
chosen to save him. Julian Luna is out of your reach, he has accepted
Archon’s death as just. He has even accepted you as the Primogen of the
Brujah Clan. You can’t get to him here, in San Francisco, but you can
get to his woman. You want to hit him where it hurts the most. You can
kill her!
    No! Killing a human will allow the Prince to destroy you, the right
being on his side. You take her and lock her up. With her as a pawn, you
can get whatever you want from the Prince. What is it you want? And why
the rape?
    Julian’s mind went blank. He recounted his thoughts to Daedalus.
    “What happened in that cellar?” the Nosferatu asked quietly. Julian
concentrated on what Caitlin had told him.
    “She said something about paying dearly, and how angry the man was.”

    “Why?”
    “We... were together, just before he kidnapped her, somehow he must
have sensed that.”
    “He is a Brujah, Julian. If he came close enough, he was able to
read her mind as easily as I can read yours now!” Daedalus said. The
statement made Julian flinch.
    “I didn’t know that you could do that,” he whispered.
    “Normally I can’t, but you’re an open wound now, screaming to me,”
Daedalus responded. “I won’t be able to do that tomorrow.”
    Julian’s thoughts returned to Caitlin’s description.
    Be Cameron, he commanded himself. What happens in the darkened
cellar? You talk to the woman who has saved your enemy. You tell her
that she will be used for extortion. What then? You hit her because she
screams. You take hold of her. What happens? Her mind tells you what has
transpired just a few hours ago. There are physical traces that you can
sense. What do you feel?”
    Hate!
    Julian sagged in the chair, and would have fallen to the floor if
Daedalus hadn’t caught him. The burned hand was nothing compared to the
agony of rage and hate that churned inside him. He tried to shut out the
pictures that his imagination created: the violence, the need to
destroy, the hate!
    In the end, Julian chased Cameron out of his head but the experience
had left him exhausted. He looked at his hand. There was hardly any
trace left of the terrible scorch.

The pain was almost gone as well. After some time he returned his
attention to the Nosferatu. Daedalus looked at him, as calm as ever.
Seeing him return to reality, the Nosferatu let go of Julian.
    “Be grateful you’re not Cameron,” he said. “But now you understand.
The greatest punishment for Cameron is allowing him to live with that
eternal fire that consumes him from within.”
    “Why do you always have to be right, Daedalus?” But Julian’s own
anger had died down. He sounded sad and tired. “Cameron’s fire may still
burst out and destroy me, destroy us all.”
    But Daedalus shook his head.
    “Let it be, what has been done to Caitlin can’t be undone. If you
let Cameron be, and let him know that, then there may be some peace in
this city.” Daedalus persuasive voice was mesmerizing.
    “Let Cameron be?!” Julian couldn’t believe what he heard.
    Daedalus smiled for the first time that night.
    “Cameron will punish himself,” was his enigmatic response.
 

    Eventually, Cameron understood that Julian Luna would not try to
assassinate him nor declare a blood hunt. To his own surprise, it made
him even angrier. As if he weren’t worth the Prince’s wrath! He was
treated with polite contempt. His closest friends, those who knew,
congratulated him
    “That Ventrue coward doesn’t dare come after you,” they would say.
But Cameron knew better. Julian had not forgiven him and never would.
That magnanimous gesture was his way of saying to Cameron:
    “You’re the sole villain left in this sordid affair.”
    And it made Cameron feel like a villain of the worst sort. He had
always prided himself in being a man of honor. But now a big stain
tarnished that honor. The more time passed, the worse he felt about it.
    Probably, I wouldn’t feel half as bad if I had killed her instead,
he thought. But what he had done to that defenseless creature was just
loathsome. It made him disgusted with himself. In the privacy of his
mind, he admitted that Luna’s contempt was justifiable. Cameron tried to
keep himself out of the Prince’s way as much as possible. He realized
that there were others among Kindred who knew what he had done. Their
contempt stung even more. He had once tried to flirt with Lillie in the
Haven, bantering with her about her affair with the policeman.
    She had looked him straight in the eye and said:
    “Frank’s attitude towards women is better than yours.”
    There was no doubt about what she had meant. He was surprised over
her strong reaction. Caitlin was hardly Lillie’s friend. After all,
Julian had ditched Lillie for his human lover. Nevertheless, Lillie’s
remark had sent a wave of shame through him. Daedalus treated him like
so much empty space, never acknowledging his presence. Many others would
move away when they saw him. Slowly, he was starting to realize that his
position was beginning to be untenable. The Brujah were loyal but other
Kindred shunned him, probably without knowing why. They followed their
Prince’s lead. It was hardly feasible that Julian Luna had made the
nature of Cameron’s crime common knowledge among the Kindred population
of the city. But the Prince’s attitude was law to most of them. In spite
of the lack of apparent reaction from Luna, Cameron was being punished
harshly anyway.
    The worst came when Cameron ran into Caitlin unexpectedly, in one of
the city’s big bookstores. He had rounded a shelf and was suddenly faced
by that gay bodyguard of hers, Arthur. They were standing there, staring
at each other. Just as Cameron decided to make a hasty exit, Caitlin
came to Arthur’s side.
    “I can’t get that thing off the shelf,” she was saying, “can you
help me to...?” She stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly aware of the
animosity between the two men. She looked at Cameron frowning and then
suddenly smiled the most beautiful smile. It made Cameron’s heart stop
for a moment.
    “I recognize you,” she said. “I never forget a face. You are
Cameron. You gave me a message for Julian once, remember? I delivered
your message, what was it you said ‘yes’ to?” Her smile turned into
laughter. Apparently, she didn’t expect an answer.
    Cameron was stunned. He was afraid to say anything. What if she
recognized his voice? He just stood there, like a fool, staring at her.
She was so beautiful. At last he decided that he had to do something. He
made an awkward bow. She stretched out her hand and he took it saying:
    “Of course I remember you Miss Byrne, beauty like yours can’t be
forgotten.” He saw her blush at the compliment, but there was no other
reaction.
    She doesn’t recognize me! he thought with profound relief. He bowed
over her hand formally, his lips touching her skin lightly. When he
looked up at her, he noticed that she had blushed even more.
    “Please, convey my regards to Mr. Luna,” he said, letting go of her
hand. He bowed again to her, nodded to Arthur and fled. He looked back
when he reached the door of the shop. She was still standing where he
had left her, looking after him. She waved and smiled again before
turning to Arthur. She said something to the gay Ventrue and they moved
out of sight.
    Cameron found an empty bench in a secluded part of the park. He sat
there for a long time, his elbows planted firmly on his knees, his face
hidden in his hands. He was disgusted and appalled by the pang of desire
that had exploded inside him when he had seen Caitlin’s skin flush at
his admiring words.
    What kind of a monster am I? he asked himself.
    He tried to shut off the memory of what had happened in that cellar.
She had screamed and cried. Her heart beating so fast in terror. Her
futile attempts to shove him off. His own frustration when her body went
limp after she fainted. At first, he had thought that she was dead. He
had listened to her heart and watched her chest rise and fall. Unlike
Caitlin, he could see in the dark. He had stopped himself from sucking
the life out of her. He had wanted to erase Julian Luna, but all he had
succeeded in was hurting the woman and making himself sick with
revulsion. Just as he was making himself sick now. Cameron bowed forward
and, clutching at his stomach with both hands, was violently ill.
Afterwards, he found a small pond nearby and washed his face and hands
in the water that smelled of decayed leaves. When the surface of the
water came to rest, he looked at his reflection.
    I’m all right, he told himself. His churning insides said something
else entirely. He sat by the edge of the pond, exhausted, waiting for
his body to calm down. To his dismay, he realized that his mind was
searching for ways to approach Caitlin. He could almost hear Luna’s
voice shouting ‘stay away from her!’, as his own reason screamed, stay
away from her! He splashed more water in his face.
    Well, Luna certainly knows how to pick them, Cameron thought. The
Prince’s impeccable taste in women was a subject of gossip all over the
city. Why the women went all starry-eyed over Julian Luna was more than
Cameron could fathom. True enough, he was rich, powerful and rather
good-looking, but so was Cameron. Maybe not as rich and not as powerful
as the Prince, but certainly more handsome. He glanced at his reflection
in the water again.
    At least I don’t look like a second rate mobster, he thought wryly.
    He didn’t. With his dark brown hair, big slate gray eyes and regular
features, Cameron was indeed a very handsome man.
    His thoughts returned to Caitlin. To pursue her as long as she was
with Luna would be madness. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to breach the
mighty Prince in his own bed? What if she finds out? No, if Cameron were
to succeed in seducing her, she must never know what he had done to her.
He was painfully aware of the fact that all Julian Luna had to do was to
tell her the truth and she would never want to look at Cameron again.
Instead of glowing cheeks, laughter and amusement in those beautiful
eyes, there would be nothing but horror.
    No, put her out of your mind, Cameron was telling himself. She
belongs to another man. If you try anything, you’ll probably harm her
even more.
    But Cameron had trouble putting Caitlin out of his mind. She was too
beautiful, too vulnerable, her smile too sweet. And she was in love with
his worst enemy.
    A week later, Cameron was still carrying the image of Caitlin’s
flushed face in his mind. He kept hearing her lovely voice. He realized
with horror that he had fallen in love with the picture in his mind.
    This can’t continue, he decided. It’s time to do something about it.
 
 

    Cameron started to follow Caitlin. He soon found out that she was
never alone. Either Arthur or Julian was always at her side. She lived
in Luna’s mansion. The only time he saw her with others was when she
went out to lunch with her colleagues. It was frustrating. He tried to
think of a way to separate her from her company; he wanted to talk to
her, alone. At last, in sheer desperation, he came upon the obvious
solution. He sent her a big bouquet of flowers, with a card asking her
to meet him during her lunch break. As soon as he saw the messenger boy
come out of the office building, he called her and she agreed. He waited
for her in the restaurant. He was afraid to show himself outside her
office, in case Arthur might be hidden somewhere nearby, watching.
    Cameron stood up when he saw her enter. He was as nervous as a
school kid on his first date. Had he been human, he would have been
sweating. She blushed again when he kissed her hand. She was even more
beautiful than he remembered. She laughed, trying to cover her
embarrassment.
    “You didn’t have to send me flowers,” she said. “Unlike Julian, I
have to eat three times a day.”
    Her statement shocked Cameron. Did she know about the Masquerade?
    “What do you mean?” he asked.
    “I don’t know what’s the matter with him.” She was still smiling.
“It seems that he lives on ice cream and wine, and I taught him to eat
the ice cream. But he doesn’t seem to suffer from malnutrition.”
   “Oh...” Cameron nodded. He saw the sparks in her eyes when she talked
about her lover and it stung. The last thing he wanted to do was to talk
about Julian Luna. But he had to say something.
    “I’m sure that Mr. Luna is quite healthy,” he shrugged.
    To his relief Caitlin ordered a salad and he could do the same. He
made an effort to eat everything that was on his plate. He didn’t want
her to see any similarities between him and that damn Ventrue. He kept
the conversation neutral, asking her about her work, but he didn’t pay
much attention to what she was saying, instead concentrating on watching
her and sensing her presence. Suddenly she stopped talking, her face
turning red. He could feel the warmth that emanated from her.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, afraid that he had missed a question.
    “You tell me,” she answered. “You’re staring. It’s unnerving.”
    Cameron looked down. Now it was his time to turn red in the face.
Only he did it deliberately.
    “I’m sorry.” He was mumbling, and Caitlin leaned closer to be able
to hear him. He looked up for a split second, flashing the most charming
smile he could manage. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” he continued.
“I just had to see you again. I’ve been thinking of you ever since we
met in that bookstore. Please, don’t get upset.” He made a pleading
gesture.
    Caitlin didn’t say anything, but he could feel her withdraw.
    “I don’t think this is such a good idea,” she said finally. “If you
will excuse me, I have to get back to work.” She rose abruptly, but
Cameron was on his feet before her.
    “Miss Byrne... Caitlin.” The urgency in his voice made her listen.
“Julian Luna and I aren’t the best of friends,” that’s the
understatement of the century, he thought, “but no matter what happens,
I’ll always be your friend. Please, forgive me for intruding.”
    He helped her with her coat and kissed her hand again, but let her
walk out of the restaurant alone. He sat down and ordered another beer.
He had sensed no anger in her, just compassion and confusion, mixed with
a little fear. He decided not to contact her again for at least two
weeks.
    If she agrees to see me again, he made a bet with himself, then I
have a chance. On the other hand, if Luna finds out what I’m trying to
do...  No matter how much Cameron strained his imagination, he could not
conceive the magnitude of the disaster he might be bringing on himself.
Unlike Julian Luna, Cameron didn’t possess the ability to think somebody
else’s thoughts.
 

    Caitlin was upset, but she wouldn’t be human if she hadn’t been
flattered by Cameron’s attention. He was young, handsome and seemed
rather tense. He lacked Julian’s maturity and self-confidence.
    Why am I comparing them? she thought. She remembered the impact that
Julian had made on her the very first time she saw him. The influence
his very presence still had on her. No, Cameron, nice as he was, had
nothing to compete with. She looked at the bunch of yellow carnations
that he had sent her. She didn’t even like yellow! Nice guy for some
nice girl but Caitlin wasn’t interested.
    Well, Cameron, she smiled to herself, when you’ve been robbed of
your last dollar, you’re no longer afraid of the thief.
    But she didn’t get rid of the flowers and, of course, they were the
first thing that Julian noticed when he came to take her out in the
evening.
    “A new admirer?” he asked casually.
    “As a matter of fact, yes,” she said laughing.
    “Somebody I know?” But she wasn’t fooled by his neutral tone.
    “Uhm,” she tried to sound as neutral as he did, “a guy named
Cameron.”
    “WHO!!!?” His shout made her jump. She looked at him in shock. His
face was white and his eyes had turned pale green. She couldn’t believe
what she saw. Julian came to her desk and leaned towards her, his face
only inches from hers.
    “Cameron... is lethal!” He was still shouting. “Stay away from him!”

    But Caitlin just stared.
    “Julian,” she whimpered at last, “your eyes, what happened to your
eyes?” She didn’t give a damn about Cameron, but Julian’s reaction
scared her out of her wits. He turned away swiftly, his hand moved over
his face. When he looked back at her again, his eyes were their normal
deep brown color.
    “Caitlin,” his voice was back to normal too, “Cameron murdered my
closest friend. I won’t tell you about other atrocities he has
committed. Please, avoid him like the plague. I’ll kill him if he tries
to come close to you! I’m serious.”
    But Caitlin wouldn’t be sidetracked, not even by threats of murder.
She got up and moved close to him. Taking hold of Julian’s jacket
lapels, she tried to shake him. Obviously, she could just as well try to
shake a building. Her inability to move him frustrated her but she
didn’t let go.
 

    “Julian, I don’t care about Cameron or his crimes.” There was a new
intensity in her voice. “I want to now what happened to your eyes?”
    He swayed a little under her hands and she flattened her palms
against his chest.
    “Don’t you dare faint on me!” she hissed, “I want an answer!”
    “I can’t tell you, Caitlin.” He was shaking his head. “Believe me, I
just can’t.”
    He started to move away from her, but Caitlin slid her arms around
him, knowing that he would never use force to disengage himself from her
embrace. She rested her forehead against his chest.
    “Oh, Julian,” she sobbed, “I don’t know if I can take any more of
this?” She listened to the silence, and just as she was starting to
become alarmed, she heard his heart beat. His arms enclosed her.
    “Caitlin, promise me that you won’t see Cameron again,” he demanded.

    “If you intend to blow your top every time I talk to another man...”
she started, but Julian didn’t let her finish.
    “You may see whomever you wish,” he said, “but I will blow my top,
as you colorfully put it, over Cameron.”
    She couldn’t help laughing.
    “Well, if I ever want to see you green-eyed with jealousy, I’ll know
what to do. But for the moment, one glimpse is enough.”
    Julian didn’t plan to have sex with her on a park-bench. He was
perfectly aware of the fact that he was showing off in front of a rival.
They hadn’t talked much during dinner, but in the theater he suddenly
looked as if he remembered something, and had asked Caitlin what it was
Cameron had wanted.
    “He tried to seduce me,” she shrugged dismissively. “I wasn’t
interested.”
    “I have trouble believing that,” Julian wouldn’t be shrugged off.
Caitlin was insulted.
    “Which part is so difficult to believe, that he was interested or
that I wasn’t?”
    But he just put his arm around her in a proprietary gesture. Julian
was very much in love with her. He had no trouble believing that other
men wanted her too. Even Cameron. Especially Cameron.
    On their way back Caitlin had demanded fresh air. They walked in the
empty park after Julian had made a show of leaving Cash by the car. The
seven guards who were following them were invisible to Caitlin. Also,
Cameron was out there. Julian felt his presence in the dark. He knew
that Cameron was watching them and Julian wanted to send a message to
the Brujah:
    “This woman is mine!”
    They sat on the bench and kissed. Caitlin had drunk some wine and it
had made her bold. She was so beautiful in the soft moonlight. Julian
looked at her upturned face. Her eyes opened when his hand slid under
her blouse, but she made no move to stop him. He heard her inhale
sharply when he pressed his lips to her breast. Her fingers dug into
Julian’s shoulders. He could feel her nails pricking his skin through
his shirt. He made her lie down, her skirt rolled up around her waist,
her panties turning to shreds in his hands. He never seemed to have time
to take them off, and his urgency excited her immensely. She held her
breath as his tongue slithered over the most sensitive spot on her body.

    “Oh... Julian...” she was moaning aloud, her back arching in
ecstasy. Her white skin glimmered in the moonlight, her eyes and nipples
the only dark spots as she shuddered violently. Her body relaxed slowly
and she heard a bird scream nearby. Julian was crouching over her,
hiding her body from sight. Not that she cared. Who would come into the
deserted park in the middle of the night? But when her hands slid down,
touching him, he stood up, lifting her in the same movement.
    “We don’t have to make out on a park-bench like a couple of
love-sick teenagers,” he whispered in a hoarse voice. She made a sound
of protest but allowed him to carry her out of the park. Julian shook
his head at the look of alarm on Cash’s face and the young Gangrel
opened the rear door of the car without a word. Caitlin continued to
caress Julian, trying to touch and excite him the way he had touched and
excited her. He let her, catching her hand when it became too intimate.
But she wouldn’t desist, making him clinch his teeth in order to stifle
a groan of pleasure. The two men in the front seats stared at the road
while the car sped through the night. The drive took forever. In spite
of his superior strength, Julian was barely able to prevent Caitlin from
taking off his clothes. When the car finally stopped, he grabbed her and
carried her up to her bedroom, taking several steps with each stride. He
dumped her on the bed, but she wouldn’t stay put, getting up and helping
him tear off his clothes. Her hands and lips on his bare skin made him
hiss as if he were touched by fire. He was inside her within seconds,
mumbling incoherently, holding her so tight that she had trouble
breathing. But Caitlin didn’t mind; she raised her hips towards his
every thrust, her arms locked around his waist. She cried out when she
was hit by the release and then she heard Julian gasp before he
collapsed on her, almost crushing her with his weight. She listened as
his breath returned to normal, his heartbeat slowing down.
    No, she thought, I’m not interested in you, Cameron, this is what I
want. But the fact that she was thinking of Cameron in this moment
shocked her, and she tightened her grip on Julian.
    “You’re the one I want,” she murmured, and, as always, Julian heard
and understood her mumbling.
    “I know,” he whispered in her ear, and started everything anew.
    He did this night what he had done once before, refusing to break
physical contact, almost strangling her in his efforts to keep her
close. And, as on that fateful occasion six months earlier, he was gone
when Caitlin woke up in the morning. But it didn’t frustrate her so much
anymore.
 

    Cameron was becoming more and more frustrated. Caitlin was being
watched like a nun in a convent. There was always someone guarding the
entrance to her office, and when she went out without Arthur at her
side, there were at least two Kindred following her. They were discrete,
Caitlin didn’t notice them, but Cameron picked them out easily. After
all, they were Gangrels. Cameron didn’t have to see them, their presence
was as manifest to him as a noxious smell. His calls were screened. His
flowers weren’t delivered. Apparently, Luna was making sure that Cameron
would not be able to contact her again.
    She must have told him about our lunch date, Cameron thought. But
the difficulties only strengthened his determination. The solution came
from the least expected quarters. Sasha agreed to take a written message
to Caitlin, after he had convinced her that he was trying to make peace
with Julian Luna with Caitlin’s help. In his letter, he accused Luna of
isolating her from the rest of the world. He figured that Caitlin would
resent that. He would be waiting for her in the park nearby, at
lunchtime, every day for a week. He hoped that she would come; he wanted
to see her and apologize for his behavior. End of message.
    She came a couple of days later. As he had expected, she was upset
and demanded proof of his accusations against Julian. When he told her
that he had been trying to reach her for days without succeeding, her
eyes flashed in anger.
    “For God’s sake!” she exclaimed, “he’s gone too far. I can take care
of myself!”
    No, you can’t. Cameron thought of the cellar, and shivered.
    “Apparently, Luna doesn’t believe that you can,” he was fueling her
fire, “anyway, not where I’m concerned.”
    “He is just jealous.” She was still angry. “Sometimes he’s so
pig-headed that I would like to... oh, I don’t know what I want to do.
One day, he’ll drive me into doing something crazy!” She laughed
suddenly. “Sometimes, I wonder, which one of us belongs in a mental
institution.”
    Cameron took her hand.
    “There is nothing wrong with you,” he said, “and Mr. Luna has every
reason to be jealous. I can’t change the way I feel about you. Even the
Prince can’t force me to stop loving you.” The title slipped out before
he could stop himself. He sounded bitter.
    “The Prince?” Caitlin withdrew her hand, frowning.
    “They call him that, didn’t you know that?” Cameron was thinking
fast. He had to come up with a credible lie. “The... people who work for
him.” He almost said Kindred. He tried to collect his thoughts, but it
was difficult when she was so close.
    I’m endangering the Masquerade, he thought in panic. He shut his
eyes, being so near her made him lose control. But instead of regaining
his composure, he merely managed to recall the images that were engraved
in his memory. He had followed them in the darkness, shape-shifting into
a falcon, he had watched them... he had found the discarded garment
afterwards. The resentment made him slide away from her, his face turned
away. But Caitlin leaned closer, her hand on his arm.
    “Cameron, what’s wrong?” There was genuine worry in her voice.
    Slowly, he turned back to her, blinking repeatedly, as if he were
trying to keep tears at bay.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked again. But she was just too close, her
eyes looking at him intently, her lips slightly parted, her warm breath
on his face. With a inarticulate cry he gave in to his impulse, taking
hold of her and kissing her on the mouth. He felt the triumph sweep
through him for a second as she responded. He was erasing Luna again,
only this time she was cooperating. But in the next moment he felt her
stiffen in his arms and she tore away from the kiss, her hands pushing
at his chest. His grip tightened reflexively and she ceased fighting
instantly. Her face turned white.
    “Please, let go of me.” The fear in her voice was like a knife in
Cameron’s heart. He released her and put his hands over hers; they were
still on his chest.
    “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I’d never do anything to harm you. You
must believe me. Never!”
    Caitlin’s hands slipped away from him and it felt as if his heart
followed. She stood up very slowly, as if she were afraid that a sudden
move would provoke an attack from him. She looked at him for a long
moment.
    “Cameron, I want to ask a favor of you,” she said at last. He
nodded. “Please, stay out of my life.”
    He bowed his head in defeat, but she wasn’t satisfied with that.
    “Promise!” Her voice was demanding. Cameron looked up at her.
    “I promise that I will never touch you again, unless you ask,” he
said.
    “That’s not enough!” She sounded angry, and Cameron felt his own
anger rise. He got up to his feet and she backed away a few steps.
    “All you have to do is to tell Luna what has happened today and
you’ll be rid of me forever.” He heard the bitterness in his own voice.
    “You’re talking rubbish,” she responded angrily. “I won’t believe
for a minute...”
    But Cameron cut her off.
    “Your precious Julian will tear my head off, rip my lungs out and
dismember me just to make sure!”
    Caitlin stared at him, suddenly there were tears in her eyes. After
a moment, she turned and ran away. In her mind, she saw Julian’s eyes
flash green and heard his enraged shout “I will kill him”. She had made
her decision before she reached her office. She would never meet Cameron
again and she would not tell Julian anything about their meeting in the
park.
    Of course, Caitlin didn’t know, and Cameron repressed the
possibility, that her bodyguards had followed her into the park.
 

    The Prince had summoned Cameron; he realized that his second meeting
with Caitlin must be the reason. But Julian had not come after him with
a phosphorus gun, nor had he sent his assassins. Bringing his Brujah
guards with him wouldn’t make any difference, so he went alone.
    Cameron was admitted into the mansion and led into the gatehouse. If
anyone was surprised that he had showed up without his entourage, there
were no comments. Daedalus was sitting behind a table, but Luna was
nowhere in sight.
    Is he going to let the Nosferatu do his dirty work? Cameron
wondered.
    Daedalus nodded towards one of the empty chairs, but said nothing
and ignored Cameron after he seated himself. Luna’s message had said
midnight and since that was seven minutes away, Cameron had to be
patient. The Prince wouldn’t be late, but he wouldn’t come before the
appointed time either. Somehow, Cameron knew that his life wasn’t in
danger; the presence of the Nosferatu Primogen guaranteed that. Caitlin
was probably in the main house, asleep at this hour. Cameron’s
imagination created pictures that drove him mad. He hadn’t tried to
contact her since their meeting in the park, but he had seen her from a
distance a few times. He had sincerely tried to free himself from his
obsession, but ever since he had seen Julian and Caitlin together, he
realized that it was a losing battle. Following them that night had been
a mistake. The way she abandoned herself in Luna’s arms, Cameron wanted
that for himself; he wanted her to whisper his name. His common sense
told him that Caitlin would never be his, but reason had no influence
over his feelings.
    Suddenly, Julian Luna was standing in front of him; he had come in
without making a sound, while Cameron was lost in thoughts. He looked up
at the Prince and, in spite of himself, rose to his feet. The last thing
he wanted to do was to show Luna respect, but reflex took over. There
was no doubt about who was the supreme predator in the room, even the
Nosferatu Primogen found himself in the background, despite his superior
age and strength.
    Julian stared coldly at Cameron. He sat down at the opposite side of
the table before giving Cameron permission to sit. Julian leaned back in
his chair, his eyes never leaving Cameron’s face. Cameron decided to
break the silence while he still felt himself capable of talking.
    “What do you want?” he blurted out, showing more confidence than he
felt.
    But Julian answered with deliberate calmness.
    “The question is, what do you want?” He leaned forward suddenly.
“Cameron, what are you trying to do?”
    Cameron shrugged.
    “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, trying to win time.
    But the Prince made a contemptuous grimace.
    “Are you trying to make me think that you’re even more stupid than I
already believe you to be? In that case, you’re succeeding beyond your
own expectations.”
    Cameron checked himself. Luna’s derogatory words stung. He sat up
straight and stared defiantly at his adversary. There was nothing else
to do but admit the truth. He clasped his hands together, pressing them
hard against the surface of the table.
    “I love her.” His voice was a barely audible whisper, but of course,
Luna heard him. With satisfaction, Cameron saw the Prince wince.
    “The lady is not available.” Julian wasn’t hiding his animosity at
all.
    “Why doesn’t she tell me so herself?” Cameron knew there was no
point in arguing, but he would be damned if he’d let Luna intimidate
him.
    “I was under the impression that she had told you that,” Julian
retorted, “but you keep following her. You’ll stop!”
    “You don’t know what might happen in the future.” Cameron’s
desperation was carrying him on. “She cares for you now, she might care
for someone else tomorrow. You don’t own her!”
    Julian shook his head.
    “Cameron,” he sounded almost kind now, “you’re missing my point. Of
course, I don’t own Caitlin, nor can I dictate whom she should love. As
you pointed out, she loves me now, but she can love someone else in the
future. However,” the kindness turned to steel momentarily, “I can make
sure that this someone will never be you.”
    “You’re a cruel bastard!” Cameron hissed.
    “I am?” Julian rose slowly to his feet. “Let me remind you that I’m
not the bastard who beat her up and raped her!”
    Cameron sagged in his chair.
    “Don’t you think that I have regretted that every day ever since?!”
he shouted. “If I could turn back the clock... I’d do anything to...” He
hid his face in his hands, a sob escaping him. “I can’t obliterate what
I have done.”
    Julian glanced at Daedalus, but the Nosferatu sat quiet and unmoving
as a stone. He had to resolve this one on his own.
    “Cameron,” his voice was calm again, “Caitlin seems to believe that
I might kill you out of sheer jealousy. I don’t know what you have told
her, but she made me promise that I won’t. I intend to keep that
promise. But I can help her remember what happened, I can make her
remember your voice.” He leaned forward shouting again. “Do you want her
to know?!”
   “No!” Cameron shook his head. “No, I’ll keep away from her.” He
looked up at Julian, white-faced, defeated. “Do you want me to leave the
City?”
    Julian considered that for a moment.
    “Frankly, I don’t care,” he said at last. “You can go or you can
stay. If you stay, I’ll tolerate your presence. The Brujahs are more
orderly under your rule than they have been for years. It’s important to
me.”
    Cameron winced, this was the Prince talking and it had nothing to do
with Caitlin. He nodded.
    “Then I’ll stay,” he said getting up.
    But Luna hadn’t dismissed him, so he couldn’t leave.
    “There is one more thing.” Julian smiled suddenly. “If anything were
to happen to me, anything at all,” he was apparently enjoying himself,
“a freak accident, an assassin in the dark, there are those who will
inform Caitlin about your role in her abduction and the subsequent
crime. And if anything happens to her, I’ll be free from the promise she
has forced me to make. I suggest you bear that in mind.” Julian’s hand
raised towards the Brujah Primogen. “You may leave now.”
    Cameron hesitated for just one second, but the Kindred instinct took
over. He took the Prince’s hand and kissed it.
    After Cameron had left, Daedalus came to life.
    “That should keep him at bay, at least for some time,” he said. “You
didn’t need me here to control your temper,” he added.
    Cameron wandered around the city for many hours. He was angry and
ashamed.
    How did he do it? he wondered, the damned Ventrue!
    Cameron had taken Caitlin in order to use her for extortion; he had
fallen in love with her, hoping that he could take her away from the
Prince. But now, he was on the receiving end of a blackmail threat. And
it was Luna who was using the mortal woman, and what Cameron had done to
her, to get what he wanted.
    Face it, he told himself, you and Julian Luna aren’t in the same
league. At least not yet.
    Cameron returned home at dawn. He would stay away from Caitlin, he
would hide his hate, and he would wait. He had lost this battle, but the
war between himself and the Prince of San Francisco wasn’t over.
 

    Caitlin was scared and excited at the same time. She was late. She
had been leafing through her calendar, trying to juggle meetings and
deadlines, when it suddenly struck her. She was almost a week late.
    The hopes and fears that she had managed to keep just beyond
consciousness, burst forward with a force that made her reel. She and
Julian had been together for how long? Almost eight months now. He had
never given a thought to protection, never asked her if she used
anything. He seemed oblivious to the facts of life. On the other hand,
his attitude towards children wasn’t reassuring. He avoided any contact
with them and was visibly ill at ease in their presence. Caitlin
remembered an incident she had witnessed. They had been on their way to
the car, walking through a small park, when they came upon a family, a
couple with two children. They were about to leave the park after a
picnic. A small boy, aged four or five, was screaming loudly in protest,
struggling to get out of his mother’s arms. He succeeded finally and ran
off in the direction of Caitlin and Julian. The father came after him
but the child managed to bump into Julian’s legs before he was caught by
the young man. Julian grabbed the boy reflexively and handed him over to
the pursuing man, who said in an angry tone:
    “Was Herod a great king, or what?”
    Caitlin had been appalled, but Julian had laughed aloud. He repeated
that stupid joke to himself several times afterwards, always laughing at
it.
    She asked him later, what he had against children.
    “I’ve got nothing against children,” Julian had responded, “I’m just
not used to them.”
    But Caitlin wasn’t convinced. Also, she was afraid. She didn’t want
this to happen to her again, a man leaving her pregnant. Somehow, she
couldn’t imagine Julian Luna shunning his responsibility, but she didn’t
know how he would react. She decided to take the bull by the horns that
very day.
    Julian was in the library, a stack of papers in front of him, when
Caitlin had built up enough courage to confront him with the possibility
that he might become a father.
    “Julian, I need to talk to you.”
    He looked up from his work.
    “Yes, Caitlin?”
    She braced herself, crossing her arms over her chest, her hands
squeezing her shoulders in a defiant posture.
    “I think I’m pregnant,” Caitlin said as evenly as she could.
    Julian blinked several times and looked away. Caitlin watched him
carefully, but there was no expression on his face. His gaze returned to
her.
    “You think you’re pregnant, you aren’t sure?” he asked.
    “Nnno...” Caitlin answered, “but I’m late.”
    “I see,” he said, his eyes turning back to the pile on the table.
Apparently, he didn’t intend to say anything more. Caitlin didn’t know
what she had expected him to do, but his lack of reaction was unnerving.

    “Is this all you have to say?” She was feeling belligerent.
    “What do you want me to say?” He was frowning now.
    “I want you to tell me how you feel?” Caitlin demanded.
    Julian leaned back in his chair, and Caitlin got the impression that
he was looking inside himself. The silence was frightening. Then his
attention focused on her again.
    “I don’t know what I feel.” There was a note of sadness in his
voice. “This is rather unexpected. Right now I’m just worried, about
your health,” he added, noticing the uncomprehending expression on her
face. He forced himself to smile.
    “Please forgive my lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of becoming a
father, I need to get used to the idea.”
    Well, Caitlin thought, at least he hasn’t told me to get lost.
    “Please, let me know how you feel, when you know,” she said
haughtily, and stomped out of the library.
    Julian sat unmoving for a long time. The papers were a blur in front
of his eyes, he couldn’t concentrate on the reading anymore. He felt
numb and cold.
    Caitlin, how could you do this to me?
    The taste of betrayal was bitter.
    Who could be the father of Caitlin’s child? And why was she trying
to hang it on him? In his mind, he went through the mortal men that
Caitlin knew. Probably someone at her work. He knew how easy it was to
lock the door to her office, to find enough privacy, to... He felt his
anger rise. But why lie? On this Earth, in this life, there was no way
that Julian could beget any children the way humans did. But Caitlin
didn’t know that.
 

    I should have told her, Julian mused. But now, it was too late. Or
was it? Should he pretend that the child was his? Should he let her
pretend that the child was his? It was possible that she believed that
it was so. Could he live with that lie, the way he lived with so many
other lies? He sighed heavily, realizing that the notion of leaving
Caitlin never entered his mind. No, he could not let her go. He thought
of the child she had been forced to abandon in her youth. Whoever was
the biological parent of Caitlin’s child, she wanted him to be the
father. For her sake, as well as his own, he would accept that. Only, it
would never be the same anymore. He shoved the papers aside and got up.
His head had started to ache, he had to get out.
    It was almost dawn when Julian returned to the mansion. His strength
was restored, but he felt ashamed. What a stupid way of seeking revenge!
For a moment he had entertained the idea of seeking out Lillie. But no,
Lillie didn’t deserve that. He had roamed the city most of the night,
feeding several times. But he hadn’t returned home after his hunger had
been satisfied. He had found a young student on her way back from some
party. It hadn’t taken him long to make her invite him to her room. But
when they were in her bed, he realized that he was thinking of Caitlin,
wanting her, not the amorous young girl who was wriggling all over him.
He had given her what she craved, but left without allowing himself the
same release. He stayed in the shower for almost twenty minutes, making
sure that all traces of the other woman disappeared from his body.
Caitlin was asleep when he entered her bedroom. He crept into the bed
cautiously, making sure that she wouldn’t wake. But she seemed aware of
his presence because she turned and snuggled close to him. He held her
lightly, wondering if he would dare. An hour passed, then another. At
last, he allowed his awareness to invade her being. He found no trace of
another life inside her.
    Caitlin was surprised and relieved to find Julian at her side in the
morning. But when she tried to entice him to make love to her, he backed
off, telling her that he was tired. Somehow, he didn’t want to soil
Caitlin with what he had done that night, wondering about his reaction.
It had never stopped him before. But Caitlin was relentless and it was
so easy to give in to her kisses and caresses. As usual, he could not
say no to her.

    A couple of days later, Julian found Caitlin sitting listlessly on
her couch. She appeared desolate and his heightened senses informed him
instantly of what was wrong. The faint scent of blood made him keep his
distance.
    “False alarm,” she said.
    Julian looked inquiringly at her. He knew what was coming, but he
didn’t want her to understand that he knew.
    “I was just... late.” She sounded so sad. She wanted him to comfort
her, but Julian couldn’t bring himself to come closer. He was searching
desperately for the right words, but his mind was just empty. He didn’t
dare to look at her and she started to cry.
    “Caitlin,” he faced her at last, “Caitlin, I can’t give you a
child!”
    There, it was said. No turning back. Her head snapped up.
    “What?”
    Julian steeled himself. He spoke slowly, pronouncing each word
carefully.
    “I can’t have children. I’m sterile.” He watched her face contort in
pain as the understanding dawned on her.
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” She was whispering now.
    “We’ve never discussed the subject, it’s nothing one brags about. I
thought...”
    But Caitlin cut him off, shaking her head.
    “No, no, I mean the other day, when I thought that I was pregnant.”
She watched him look away again, embarrassed. She was getting quite good
at reading his expressions. He responded after some time.
    “If you had been pregnant, I was prepared to accept the fact that I
was the father, no matter...”
    She didn’t let him finish this time either.
    “Julian! How could you!? For one second...” Her anger turned to
tears again. “How could you think that I’d betray you?” She flared up
angrily again. “You thought that I had slept with Cameron, didn’t you?!”

    Julian shook his head, almost saying Cameron can’t father children
any more than I can, but he stopped himself in time.
    “No,” he answered, “I did not think that you were involved with
Cameron. He promised that he would leave you alone, and you said that
you weren’t interested. I had good reason to believe both you and him.”
    “Oh,” Caitlin looked at him suspiciously, “how come we have become
so trustworthy?”
    “You have no reason to lie, and he has every reason to keep his
promise,” Julian answered.
    Of course, Julian Luna didn’t trust Cameron for one second. He had
done a wicked thing after his meeting with the Brujah Primogen. That
night, he had influenced Caitlin’s mind while she was sleeping. The next
time she would hear Cameron’s voice, she would recognize it as belonging
to the man in the cellar. Cameron had better keep his distance.
    “But accidents happen,” Julian continued. “It’s easy for me to
imagine that other men want you as much as I do. Your friends at your
work, I don’t know who is close to you.” He tried desperately to talk
away his jealousy, but Caitlin’s thoughts ran in another direction.
    It had been so obvious, she mused, during all those months, his
apparent lack of interest in contraceptive measures, his avoidance of
children, why didn’t she see it?
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so very sorry.” And then, “What’s wrong
with you?”
    Reluctantly, Julian came to her side.
    “Take my hand,” he said. She did. “Now, tell me how it feels.”
    His hand was warm and dry against her palm.
    “You’re hot,” she sounded surprised, “like a fever.”
    He hated to lie to her, but it had worked with doctor Enright and it
would certainly work with Caitlin.
    “My body temperature is higher than normal, a freak genetic
disorder. It doesn’t affect me in any other way, but what’s comfortable
to the rest of humanity, is cold to me, and it has rendered me sterile.”

    The truth was that his body temperature was subject to his will, as
many other autonomic functions were. And all Kindred were sterile.
    He tried to remove his hand from Caitlin’s grasp, but she wouldn’t
let go.
    “I’m so sorry,” she said again, “but don’t you ever mistrust me
again. If I ever decide to be with someone else, you’ll be the first to
know.”
    Julian flinched at that. He wanted to implore her never to leave
him, but decided there had been enough melodrama for one evening, and
let it be. For now, the reassuring way she held on to his hand told him
that she would not desert him because of his inability to father a
child. In a way he was glad that he could no longer propagate in the
normal way. He remembered his wife, Evelyn, who had died giving birth to
his son. He never wanted to live through such anguish and despair again.
 
 

    Caitlin wasn’t sure what she was looking for. She wandered from one
door to another, trying to open them, but all were locked. A vague
feeling of urgency propelled her to the next door, and to the next. She
was more and more convinced that none of the doors would open. She
watched her hand take hold of a doorknob, her fingers straining when she
tried to turn it, it didn’t budge. Disappointed, she moved to the next
knob. Suddenly, there was a key, sticking out beneath the knob she was
holding. She turned the key without making a sound. The door swung open
in front of her and she peered inside. It was her own room, in her
parents’ house. She walked around, touching her things, the books spread
on the table, the magazines, her diary, a discarded sweater hanging over
the back of a chair, the ugly stain still visible on its front. Her
mother had scolded her for damaging it. She had tried to wash it several
times, but the stain made by coffee flavored ice cream would not
disappear. She still remembered how sad she had been; she had loved that
sweater.
    She opened her diary. Strange, she was sure that she had burned it,
along with the few letters she had from the father of the child she had
been forced to give away. She leafed through the yellowed pages, but no
matter how much she strained, she couldn’t read one word.
    What’s wrong with me? she thought in panic. Then she was able to
make out simple words, like ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ and ‘love’. She saw a name
that she recognized very well – ‘Julian’. It made her frown.
    No, it’s not possible, she thought, this diary was gone years before
I met you!  She looked at the sentence that contained the name, but
could not make out the words before or after it. She threw the diary at
the wall angrily. It bounced off and fell, opening at a page where there
was only one word written. She leaned over it.
    ‘Julian’, she read. And then, before her unbelieving eyes, the name
disappeared, leaving a stain of fresh blood. She gasped in fear and ran
from the room. It was dark and she was whimpering in fright.
    “Help me!” she cried.
    Suddenly, he was there, and the relief made her giddy. She was in
his arms and it was no longer dark and he was saying all the things she
wanted to hear. His hands moved over her skin, kindling small fires
wherever they touched her. She felt safe and warm and happy. The warmth
spread inside her, the desire becoming a hunger, but when she tried to
touch him, she found to her dismay that she couldn’t move...
    Caitlin turned opening her eyes. She smiled when she saw Julian,
fast asleep, lying on his side, his face resting on the back of his
hand. She hesitated only a moment, but the hunger from the dream made
her lean towards the sleeping man, her lips searching his. He responded
to the kiss before waking up. Using her weight, she managed to push him
onto his back, marveling at his instant hard readiness.
    “Men!” she giggled, “only one thing on your mind!”
    Afterwards, he admitted, that he had not been asleep at all. That he
had enticed that erotic dream in her, by touching her while she slept.
Caitlin felt ambivalent. She liked her dream, it had chased the
nightmare away, but the fact that it had been forced on her was
disturbing.
    “I don’t like you messing with my mind,” she mumbled.
    A look of hurt came on Julian’s face.
    “I wasn’t messing with your mind,” he said, “just your body.” His
hand touched her again, but she moved out of his reach. She looked at
his hand, just inches away from her.
    Sure enough, she thought. Whenever his hands were on her, her
thoughts would turn in one direction. Whether it happened while she was
awake or asleep made little difference. Still, that he could influence
her while she slept made her uncomfortable.
    She kept thinking about the nightmare during the day, trying to
analyze it. The locked doors? Probably all the unknown nooks in Julian’s
mansion. Many doors were locked there, and Julian had warned her against
going to the gatehouse. A reclusive, disfigured friend of his lived
there and he didn’t like company. Lots of mysteries to dream about.
Nothing strange about that. Her old room? She was going to visit her
parents during the weekend; her mother was sick. Caitlin hadn’t seen her
father since the night Julian had chased him out of her house. It still
made her laugh. But facing her father on her own was another matter; it
produced a feeling of apprehension. To her surprise, Julian offered to
go with her. She knew how unwilling he was to leave San Francisco, even
for a couple of days.
    Her inability to read?
    Aw, stop it, Caitlin, she told herself, soon you’ll be analyzing
every erotic dream you have.
    She didn’t analyze it, but the memory kept her warm and happy all
day. She had forgotten the end of her nightmare, the part about the
blood left by Julian’s name.
    Her thoughts returned to her parents. Funny that she should dream
about her childhood home. Her father had always been so stern, her
mother always in the background, always agreeing to everything he
decided.
    Poor mom, she never had much life of her own, Caitlin thought. And
now, she was sick.
    The letter had been short and to the point.
    Your mother is unwell. Please, come.
    Caitlin forgot her fear and pride and called home. To her relief,
her mother answered. An ulcer! Her meek, mousy mother had managed to
develop an ulcer the size of a walnut. Caitlin put it on her father’s
bill.
    It’s a wonder he didn’t give me an ulcer! was her conclusion. But
she would visit her mother, she would show him that she was no longer
afraid of him. And she would take Julian along, just to spite the old
goat! She realized that she was trying to build up her courage and she
snorted at herself. The thought that Julian would be with her made it
easy to feel brave. She crossed her fingers, hoping that nothing would
turn up that might prevent him from accompanying her.
 

    Nothing did.
    Caitlin knew that Julian was wealthy, but sitting in his private jet
made her realize that there must be more to the Luna fortune than met
the eye. To her utter surprise, Julian was visibly afraid of flying.
Once they were back on the ground, he admitted to hating it even more
than he hated being cold.
    “If you were to learn to pilot the thing yourself,” she told him,
“you’d love to fly.”
    “I...” he started and then bit his lip. He had almost said I love to
fly, but not in this contraption.
    “I never seem to have the time,” he said at last, lamely.
    Another fancy, foreign car waited for them at the airport, but
Caitlin was past being surprised by worldly signs of Julian’s riches.
She was becoming more and more nervous, the closer they came to her
family home. Finally, they arrived, and to her great relief, her father
greeted them quite cordially.
    She was back in her old room, she almost looked for the stained
sweater. Her diary was of course gone, too. Julian was given a guestroom
in the other end of her house. The car and guards disappeared, God only
knew where - and Julian, of course. Caitlin corrected herself. Her
mother looked worse than Caitlin had expected, but their visit brought
color to her cheeks. Caitlin looked askance at her father, but he only
shook his head. He seemed... subdued, and sad, and Caitlin’s resolve
melted away. She understood that her mother’s illness must be more grave
than she had been told.
    But Mrs. Byrne showed little interest in her daughter. She oozed all
her charm over Julian and he responded by turning on his most Latin
politeness, showering Caitlin’s mother with compliments and attention
worthy of a queen. What amazed Caitlin even more, was that his acting
seemed so natural; if she didn’t know better, she would have believed
him to be a European aristocrat. In the end, the two of them switched to
French (Caitlin’s mother was from Quebec) and that made father and
daughter stare at each other open-mouthed. Caitlin’s French would
suffice in a phony French restaurant, so she hadn’t been impressed by
Julian’s perfect pronunciation when he ordered French wines or dishes.
But now she was. Her mother and her lover chatted away happily,
oblivious of their company. Caitlin shrugged and blinked at her father.
They walked out.
    “He’s a rather charming fellow, when he’s not showing his fangs and
claws on your behalf,” was the first thing her father said. Caitlin
laughed with relief. But her concern was for her mother right now.
    “It’s not an ulcer, is it?” she asked.
    The old man’s expression turned serious.
    “She has cancer.” His whole frame sagged. “Six months, a year at the
most. She doesn’t know.”  Suddenly there where tears running down his
face.
    “Oh, daddy!” Caitlin threw her arms around him, realizing that she
hadn’t called him ‘daddy’ for at least ten years. She started crying
too.
    “I’m sorry, so sorry,” she sobbed. They held onto each other for a
long time. Her father was the first one to gather his wits.
    “Enough of that.” His voice was gruff. “Let’s talk about you.”
    Brrr... Caitlin winced, here it comes. And it did.
    “That young man in there, who is charming your mother out of her
marbles?”
    Caitlin heard the question mark but pretended that she didn’t.
    “What about him?”
    “Caitlin!” Her father sighed heavily. “Okay, I’ll spell it out for
you. Why aren’t you two married?”
    Caitlin gulped. That one was up front.
   “Dad,” she was dithering, “I don’t know Julian that well yet. I
didn’t even know that he spoke French.” She was talking fast, trying to
lead her father away from the subject. But he was quite single-minded.
   “You know him well enough to... to sleep with him.” His bluntness was
deliberate. “Are you planning to become an unwed mother again?”
    To his surprise it made Caitlin start crying again.
    “You don’t have to worry about that,” she sniffled. “I can’t have
children, at least not with Julian.”
    Her father stared at her uncomprehending.
   “He can’t marry me,” Caitlin continued sobbing.
   “Why, does he have a wife stashed somewhere?” there was that old
anger in his voice again.
   “There is no wife!” she shouted, then tried to calm herself. “The
reason that he can’t marry me, is that he can’t have children. He is
sterile,” she said defiantly.
    The old man frowned.
    “What’s wrong with him?” he asked. Caitlin shrugged.
    “What does it matter? He can’t, and that’s it,” she looked up at her
father, prepared to fight, “but I love him, and that’s that. If I never
have children, I’ll learn to live with it.”
    But her father didn’t fight back.
    “I’m sorry to hear that,” was all he said, not explaining what he
was sorry about.
 

    The next challenge came with the dinner. When they came back, Mr.
Byrne made jokes about the fact that Caitlin and he were starting to
feel jealous, but then decided that hungry was a more appropriate
description of their condition. Caitlin’s heart sunk. Her mother’s
famous mutton chops! If Julian refused to eat, it would be the ultimate
insult. But to her disbelief, Julian ate everything he was served. She
saw him flinch at the sight of meat, but he ate it, complimenting the
chef, pretending that he didn’t know who had prepared the meal. Caitlin
wanted to hug him. Somehow, his sacrifice at her mother’s dining table
made Caitlin realize how much he cared for her. She remembered that in
the beginning, when they had started to date, he had made heroic efforts
to eat whatever she had cooked, but gave up after only a few weeks. But
Caitlin had never regarded cooking as a serious business, the way her
mother did, and didn’t mind his refusals so much. Anyway, his color
returned when her mother’s cheesecake was brought in, and he genuinely
enjoyed her father’s French Armagnac, but declined the cigar. At last
the meal was over and Caitlin’s mother retired.
    Caitlin and Julian sat together on the couch, Caitlin’s father
pretending that he was reading a book in his chair by the fire.
    “Julian, you never cease to surprise me!” She was giggling, “Where
did you learn French?”
    “I have always known French,” he said. “I... my family came from New
Orleans, we spoke French at home.”
    Now, he’s talking! Caitlin thought, he had never mentioned his
family before. She jumped at the opportunity to prod further.
    “Any other languages you know?” she asked.
    “Well... I speak Spanish,” Julian answered, “and some Italian.”
    “I’m impressed. Why haven’t you told me any of this before?”
    “You’ve never asked.” Julian was visibly retreating, but Caitlin
wouldn’t let go.
    “Any other secret skills you’re hiding? Ballet dancing? Writing
poetry? Running a marathon? I bet you were quite a sportsman when you
were younger!”
    He tried very hard to keep a serious face, but Caitlin saw the
corners of his mouth start quivering, and at last he couldn’t keep his
laughter back.
    “I’m a good swimmer,” he confessed finally. “As for running
marathons,” he leaned close to her, his arm encircling her waist, “there
are other activities that require good lung capacity and endurance that
are of a much more pleasant nature.” He was whispering now in a
suggestive voice, making sure that Caitlin’s father couldn’t hear them.
Caitlin’s face turned red.
    She understood very well what he meant and his arm was pressing her
against him, making her forget her questions about his past. But Caitlin
knew that she wouldn’t dare sneak into the guestroom in her father’s
house and she hoped that her lover wouldn’t try to come to her room
during the night. Julian understood her shyness, because she slept alone
that night.
    Old Byrne was surprised. He went up twice in the middle of the
night. The guest-room was empty, the bed untouched, but when he looked
into Caitlin’s room, he found her fast asleep, curled up in her bed,
alone. In the morning, he found Julian fast asleep where he was supposed
to be. Julian gave the old man a wolfish grin when he woke.
    “I know what’s on your mind,” he said. “I walked in the woods for
several hours. Ate too much, too late.” He didn’t lie about that part.
He had to get rid of the food he had stuffed himself with. It had felt
like a stone inside him. His other nightly activities he kept to
himself. Also, he refused to eat breakfast.
 

    Caitlin and Julian strolled in the woods, not far from the house.
Within minutes Caitlin realized that Julian knew his way around, which
forced him to tell her that he had gone out during the night. He gave
her the same excuse that he had given her father.
    “The food, last night. I had to get out...” He didn’t finish, when
Caitlin made a graphic gesture, and he nodded affirmatively.
    “Oh, Julian, I love you,” she said most tenderly, bewildering him.
    “You love me?” he asked with incredulity, “for throwing up your
mother’s food?”
    “I love you for eating it,” she answered putting her arms around
him. “I simply love you,” she added after a moment.
    For you, I could eat... a rare steak, Julian thought, but the
picture his imagination created made all his body-hair stand on end and
he shivered. Dead animal blood was about the most revolting thing he
could imagine. But Caitlin interpreted his reaction differently.
    “You’re cold.” Her hands moved up and down his back in an effort to
warm him. “Let’s go back inside. The woods in Washington State are not
the most pleasant place for you.”
    “No, it’s all right, I would like to stay outdoors a little longer.”
They started to walk again and he changed the subject. “Tell me about
your mother.”
    Caitlin was quiet for a long time. When she finally started talking,
her voice was brittle with pain.
    “While you were busy charming her out of her marbles, as my father
put it, he told me that she is suffering from cancer, and probably has
less than a year to live.” She fought back the tears for a moment, but
then let them fall. Julian touched her face.
    “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He had suspected that much. The elderly
woman was obviously gravely ill. He had sensed it the moment he touched
her hand when she greeted him.
    But now it was Caitlin’s turn to change the subject.
    “You know how blunt my father can be. Can you imagine what he asked
me last night?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “He asked why we’re not
married!”
    Julian stopped walking and turned to Caitlin.
    “Why aren’t we married?” he said.
    Caitlin shrugged helplessly.
    “I told him that’s because you can’t have children.” Then she looked
straight at him. “You’ve never asked.”
    Julian pondered over that for a moment.
    “I’ll marry you Caitlin, if that’s what you wish,” he said quietly.
But Caitlin shook her head forcefully.
    “No, Julian, you won’t. If you ever marry me, it will be because you
wish it.” She turned away and started walking faster. He followed her
through the wet ferns, catching up with her shortly, taking hold of her
arm.
    “Caitlin,” he implored her, “do you want it or not?” When she turned
back and looked at him, he continued. “I’m the one who can’t have
children.” He looked away for a moment as he always did when he was out
of his depth. “The choice should be yours,” he summarized.
    But Caitlin shook her head.
    “I don’t know what I want.” She was talking more to herself than to
Julian. “The editor marrying the publisher, so much for my professional
integrity,” she added. “Not that our relationship is so clandestine
anymore, but... frankly, I’d really like to know what you want.”
    “To be truthful,” Julian answered, “marriage has never entered my
mind. Being what I am, it just wasn’t an option.” He smiled suddenly.
“Not until now.”
    He stood behind her, his arms around her waist, his chin resting
lightly on the top of her head. His hands moved up slowly, and when they
came to rest, she sighed softly. Even through the thick layers of a wool
sweater and a coat, he was able to excite her. She pressed her back
against him in response, aware of his reaction that here, in the middle
of Washington woods a stone’s throw from her father’s house, it made her
blush and inhale sharply. She turned, opening her coat with shaking
hands, and Julian accepted her wordless invitation, his chilled fingers
sneaking underneath her sweater. But his hands were warm when they
touched her breasts, and Caitlin felt her nipples harden against his
palms. She took hold of his neck with one hand, pressing his head down
so she could kiss him, her other hand wandering off in another
direction, making him grunt and press against her bold fingers. A fine
rain started to drip through the treetops, turning into a downpour
within minutes. But Caitlin and Julian went on standing in the deluge,
exciting each other senseless, without being able to reach fulfillment.
At last they gave up and ran back to the house, wet and frozen to the
core.
    “You must both be mad!” Caitlin’s mother admonished them. “You’ll
catch pneumonia.” But she smiled inwardly seeing their disheveled
appearance. “Wait here” she said. Seconds later she was back carrying
several bath towels. “Now, a hot shower, both of you, before you catch
your death.”
    Caitlin’s hand searched Julian’s.
    “Mom...” she mumbled. But her mother winked wickedly.
    “Your father has gone into town. Won’t be back until late in the
afternoon.” She laughed at their disappearing backs.
    Caitlin had just peeled off her wet clothes, the cold making her
teeth chatter, when Julian, swifter as always, pulled her into the hot
shower, lifting her high, a kiss muffling her shout of surprise at the
sudden change of temperature. Julian held her tight against his chest,
his hands beneath her thighs, her knees pressed against his sides. She
locked her arms around his neck, trying to stay as high up as she could.
But he stopped supporting her weight as his hands let go of her thighs
and moved to her hips, and she slid slowly down his torso. His fingers
hardened their grip as she was slowly impaled. She was trying to stop
her downward movement, clinging to him with all her strength, prolonging
the exquisite torture of their merging. He made a hoarse sound, as if in
pain, then his hands took hold of her properly, and he pressed her hard
against him, just as his hips shot towards her, completing their union
in one powerful stroke. It was Caitlin’s turn to cry out as if she were
in pain. Fortunately, the running water drowned their voices. Julian
slid down to his knees and leaned back, making Caitlin rest on his body,
while his hands kept her in the right position, his hips moving
rhythmically. But after a moment she pushed at his chest and,
straightening her arms, leaned away from him, their bodies now only
connected by sex. Their eyes met and he watched her lick her lips. His
searching fingers easily found the right place, bringing an ecstatic
look to her face. It didn’t take long. She was very still for a moment
and then he felt her inner muscles flutter as she exhaled with a
drawn-out moan. With indomitable force, he drew her closer again, until
their lips met in a long exhausting kiss, which Caitlin ended by biting
him. Before he had time to think, he bit her back, and the taste of
their mixed blood made him dizzy, but the feeling disappeared with the
hot water that washed the blood away.
    Julian’s hand shot out and he turned off the shower. The battering
ceased. He looked at Caitlin’s face. Her lip was still bleeding, her
eyes were wide open, her pupils dilated by the sexual excitement. He
tasted his own blood; the wound hadn’t closed yet, and Julian didn’t
intend to let it. He kissed her again, and this time the intoxicating
taste didn’t disappear too soon. He felt Caitlin’s nails rake his back
and gasped in pleasure. Throwing his head back in order to avoid her
inviting throat, he pressed her close to him again, and she used the
opportunity to bite him more, first on the shoulder, then on the neck.
He cried out violently and pressed her head down, while he bowed away
from her, trying so hard not to bite her back. He stopped himself at the
last moment, when his teeth were already pricking the skin on her neck,
just above the spinal artery. She slid away when he let go of her and
lay panting on the floor, her eyes half-closed, her mouth smeared with
blood. As if drawn by an invisible force, they slithered towards each
other across the wet bathroom floor. They came together in a violent
embrace, clinging to each other, their mouths joined in a passionate
kiss. But making love on a bathroom floor wasn’t inviting, so they
picked themselves up and sneaked into Caitlin’s room. She made Julian
lie down on her bed while she continued to kiss and caress him. He
stretched out, hoping that her blood-thirst had been appeased, at least
for now. He closed his eyes, reveling in the sensations her soft hands
and lips created. His body stiffened in anticipation as her mouth
encircled him, his fingers touching her face lightly, encouraging her.
He didn’t look at her, and therefore didn’t see the strange expression
on her face. Her lips moved away, and he made a disappointed groan. In
the next moment her mouth was back, closing over the most tender male
part, human or Kindred, while her hand enclosed his hardness, moving
lightly up and down. He fought hard to prolong the wonder a little
longer, to prevent the importunate release, shuddering in delight.
Suddenly, her hand closed hard, her nails driving into him and her teeth
clenched in a powerful bite. He screamed, his body arching in a spasm,
the excruciating pain turning into the ultimate pleasure, as his semen
and his blood spurted over Caitlin’s face and hands. It was the first
time ever that he had become totally spent and exhausted while he was
with Caitlin. When he looked at her, he saw that she lay motionless, her
eyes closed, her spattered face resting against the injured parts of his
body.
    Julian was scared. He had never, not even in Manzanita, come so
close to Embracing Caitlin, than here, in broad daylight, in her
parents’ house. In the trance-like state that her sensuality had
propelled her into, she had challenged the Kindred core of his soul. But
he had not succumbed, and it made him feel proud of himself. Julian had
summoned all his Kindred powers in order to calm Caitlin’s senses, well
aware that if she broke through his defenses, he might do her serious
harm, or even Embrace her. Just to make sure, he made her forget what
she had done to him in this pink and white girl’s room. Now, she lay
asleep, her head resting on his chest, breathing slowly, her heartbeat
calm, her body warm, soft and alive. Julian lay very still, the injury
she had inflicted on him was grave enough to take hours to heal. Every
move caused him excruciating pain, and he reveled in it. It made him
feel totally alive, too.
    Julian was thinking of Caitlin’s mother: The charming old lady’s
terminal illness and Caitlin’s tearful voice when she told him about it.
He knew he could change that. He was thinking Kindred now. He could
offer to Embrace her, to snatch her from the brink of mortality. He had
the power and he had the right. He was a Prince, and the Prince of
Seattle was a blood brother of his. There would be no trouble from that
quarter, not over an elderly woman who lived in the countryside. But
would she want that? What if she turned away from his offer in terror
and revulsion? Then he would have to kill her immediately. And if she
accepted? He could hardly imagine the consequences. He could not allow
Caitlin’s mother to endanger the Masquerade; he was already putting it
in jeopardy through his relationship with Caitlin. He sighed heavily. He
wasn’t comfortable with his decision.
    Cautiously, he got out of Caitlin’s bed, intending to get up and
pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. But he realized
that he couldn’t leave the mess behind. The bed looked as if someone had
been slaughtered. A couple of hours had passed since Caitlin had done
her bloody deed. His wounds had closed, but the pain was still rather
bad. He suspected that he looked like a castrated dolt when he moved. He
went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up, then returned to Caitlin
and very carefully wiped her face, her chest and hands with a wet towel,
removing all traces of what had happened. Now, the covers. He made it to
his room without being seen, put on fresh clothes and returned to
Caitlin’s room. Making sure that she wouldn’t wake, he removed the
soiled bedclothes, made a bundle of them and went looking for a washing
machine. Mrs. Byrne was in the kitchen. She looked at him and then at
the bundle he was holding to his chest. Without a word, she beckoned to
him and he followed her to the small storeroom beyond the kitchen. Their
eyes met as she opened the washing machine. She paled visibly when she
saw the dried blood; there was no way he could hide it. There was just
too much of it. She took a sheet and touched the stain, the fear in her
eyes was accusing.
    “It’s my blood,” Julian said. “Caitlin is unharmed.”
    He was trying to think fast, to invent some injury that might
explain the bloodletting. But his knowledge of human physiology was
insufficient.  He shrugged helplessly and started putting the bedclothes
into the machine. Caitlin’s mother watched him intently, noticing his
awkward movements.
    “What did she do to you?” The question made him freeze.
    He turned back slowly, facing the old women. They looked at each
other for a long time, a battle of wills. To his own surprise, Julian
was the first to look away.
    “I’m quite all right,” he said, but his reaction belied his words as
he doubled over in pain when he bumped against a chair in his effort to
make a hasty retreat.
    “Quiet now,” Caitlin’s mother said, “or you’ll harm yourself even
more. Here...” She handed him fresh sheets. “Come back here when you’re
done, I want to talk to you.”
    He thanked her with a nod.
    It was rather difficult to make Caitlin’s bed with her in it, but he
managed it. He sat down for a moment looking at her. She seemed so
innocent and vulnerable in her sleep. He still hadn’t come up with a lie
for her mother when he went back to the kitchen. The notion of
disobeying the old woman’s order had never entered his mind. She had
made tea while she waited for him and he accepted it gratefully.
    “Is Caitlin asleep?” she asked.
    “Yes,” Julian answered, “she will sleep until I wake her up.”
    They sat sipping the aromatic brew. At last she said in a very even
voice:
    “I know what you are.”
    Julian’s head snapped up at her words. But there was no horror in
her face. She just sat there, calm and composed. Julian hoped against
hope that she meant something else, but her next words took that hope
away.
    “No human being can lose so much blood and stay conscious. I used to
be a nurse, I know what I’m talking about. I can imagine how badly you
were hurt.”
    Julian blinked in embarrassment, still not daring to say anything.
    “Has she become one of you?” she asked, her voice sad. Julian shook
his head.
    “No,” he said, “and she doesn’t know.”
     Mrs. Byrne smiled unexpectedly.
    “Caitlin doesn’t know, because she doesn’t want to know. But sooner
or later she’ll find out. I figured it out within one day. But then I’ve
known of your existence since I was a little girl. You see, I’ve met you
before, almost forty years ago, and I’m like Caitlin, I never forget a
face.”
    Julian tried very hard to recall ‘a French-speaking child, in the
fifties’, but the memory eluded him. Her smile was still there.
    “Don’t bother,” she said, “you won’t remember anyway. But I do. I
used to dream about you.” She laughed at his bewildered expression.
“Beautiful dreams. I envy you now. You see, I’m dying. My husband thinks
that I don’t know, but I do. I’m not stupid.”
    “You don’t have to die,” Julian blurted out at last. “I can change
that!”
    But she shook her head.
    “No, it’s too late. Just promise me that you’ll take care of my
girl. Don’t let any harm come to her.” There was that wicked smile
again. “And don’t let her harm you,” she made a telling gesture towards
the washing machine, “and I promise, I won’t make you eat dinner
tonight.”
    Julian couldn’t help laughing at that. She hugged him, and he closed
her in his arms for a long time, preventing her from seeing the bloody
tears that ran down his face.
 

    Caitlin and Julian returned to San Francisco the next day. She
didn’t remember what she had done to him and, to his relief, showed no
desire for new blood orgies during the following weeks. Julian started
to relax, she seemed a little distant sometimes, but otherwise was all
right.
    I hope that the calm isn’t false, he thought apprehensively. He
could no more see into the future than mere mortals could, and he didn’t
want to confide in Daedalus. What troubled him was just too private.
Caitlin sold her house and moved her things into the mansion. Just as
Julian started believing that everything had been settled, she dropped a
bombshell.
    “I’m going to Europe next week,” she announced one evening.
    “How long will you be gone?” Julian was taken aback.
    “A few weeks, a couple of months at the most.”
    “Caitlin...” He looked at her dismayed.
    “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you, but it’s the opportunity of a
lifetime. I’ll be able to see how they do things in all the major
European papers.” She hugged him. “Don’t look like that, I’ll be all
right. Besides, a little separation will do us good. I’ve got some
thinking to do.”
    That worried Julian even more, but he didn’t say anything.
Apparently, her mind was made up.
    The night before she left, she bit him again, not seriously, but it
scared her and it scared Julian too.
    Maybe, a separation will do us good, he thought.
    But his heart was heavy with fear as he watched the plane bound for
Frankfurt, with Caitlin onboard, disappear into the clouds over the San
Francisco Bay. Knowing that two of his most trusted Gangrel guards where
on that plane didn’t help a lot. Caitlin had refused to let Arthur go
with her.
---

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