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nowhere in particular. She simply just appeared, and Nikki found herself looking at a
woman of uncertain age, whose curls of white were piled in designed order on her well-
shaped head. The older woman s eyes were dark and Nikki almost choked to see that
they were also a dark shade of amber. Her slayer senses came alive, and she knew, and
still she told herself she must be mistaken. No she couldn t be & no, it was
impossible & not a vampire not this sweet, plump, grandmotherly woman with the soft
smile a bloodsucking vampire?
Charm saw the expression on Nikki s face and turned to the wizard to remark, Ah,
she is a clever girl. In spite of all these years and all your magic, she still saw it in me.
She will be a slayer extraordinaire one day, the wizard replied as though Nikki
weren t standing right there with her hand still in the crook of his arm.
He patted her hand and released her. Do & have a seat & Charm will bring us the
tea, and join us, won t you, my dear?
Of course this young slayer & intrigues me. On this note, the older woman turned
and seemed to vanish.
Nikki sucked in air and then let it out. She is a vampire & but, somehow & not?
It is a very long story and only hers to tell, Rysdale said with an apologetic smile.
He took up a seat on a high, hard-backed wooden chair and pyramided his hands.
Damon gently guided Nikki to sit beside him on a brocade upholstered high-backed
bench. He put a finger to her lips as she was about to open them to ask more questions,
and he shook his head to whisper, Be patient, slayer.
She looked at him but decided that perhaps he was right and she should hold her
tongue for just a moment or so.
Rysdale s features moved into a grim expression, which surprised Nikki as she had
already decided his face was trapped in a perpetual smile. Quietly he said as he turned his
attention fully to Damon, And so it comes in force.
Apparently a bit faster than we had earlier supposed.
Sadly, it will be bloody & The wizard s fingers tapped each other as he sank into
thought.
I believe as always that you are correct.
We can perhaps & mitigate the impact, but she will need to call on all her powers to
stay alive. She is a slayer & but she is not immortal.
Is there no way & ?
Yes, but not at the moment you cannot ask such a thing from the heart. The request
must come from logic and facts, or she will dismiss the possibilities.
Hold on just a minute & Nikki interrupted. If you are speaking about me, a little
more information would be nice, as I don t understand what you are saying.
In due time, child. Rysdale s soft smile was back, and then he leaned across and
touched Nikki s forehead with the palm of his hand.
She immediately went still, an unlikely position for Nikki, but the power that surged
through her and the shock that coursed through her mind created the moment. She could
feel the wizard in the slayer part of her brain as he whispered arcane Gaelic, and then he
took his hand away and the spell was broken.
Now, wait just a minute & I won t be handled like that & and no one is allowed in
my head but me!
Rysdale inclined his head. I can see how you would feel that way, but, child, your
brain is filled with a host of powers, and each is locked away in a compartment inside
your slayer mind. Ordinarily it would take months, perhaps even a year to dispense with
the locked door and cultivate your hidden abilities. We do not have months. It must be
done in a matter of days, and I had to see if you will be strong enough to withstand such
an all-encompassing process as the one I have planned. He shook his head sadly. Had
your dear mother lived, she would have unlocked those powers for you, and the two of
you together would have been formidable. He sighed heavily. That was not meant to
be, and so, I am going to ask you to stay with me and allow me to work with you. It will
take more than training it will take magic, my magic, to release your gifts and provide
your human body with the ability to use them.
Stay with you & here & ? Nikki immediately recoiled from the idea. Would she be
separated from Damon? And why should she care? Would her new abilities allow her the
power to kill Deadly Moon?
I am staying here as well, Damon said softly but in a tone that would not allow any
argument from anyone.
Nikki shot him a look of relief and saw surprise twinkle in his dark eyes. He hadn t
expected her to want him to stay.
Well, of course you are, Rysdale said at once. You are always welcome here, and it
will be pleasant for the slayer to have a friend while she trains. Rysdale smiled broadly.
I have a name, sir, Nikki offered hopefully.
So you do, child, so you do. Rysdale s smile was fatherly and comforting. But for
now, we will call you slayer, and in the end you will understand why.
* * *
Nikki downed a chocolate-iced petit four, took a sip of her tea, and reached for
another. This was all moving too quickly. The grandmotherly woman named Charm was
the sweetest, most endearing person & and yet, there was no doubt in Nikki s mind that
she had been in her time (might be still) an accomplished killer!
Charm bent and reached for a large plate of daintily styled sandwiches and offered
them to Nikki. You will need your strength for what Rysdale has planned for you this
very evening. Eat &
Nikki smiled at her and took two sandwich halves onto her plate. She had decided to
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