Daria sat clear across the room from him, as far as she could get. That was probably a good idea. She’d left him with a rock-hard cock earlier that day and just about the only thing he had on his mind now was stripping her bare, spreading her across the bed, and fucking her until neither of them could think straight. Having her in this room with him, her scent filling his senses, was nearly more than he could bear.

She concentrated. It took a few minutes, but she finally pinged them both. Brandon, are you there?

Silence. Then, Busy. His voice came terse and out of breath. The pathway collapsed.

Alejandro let out a bark of laughter, and Daria looked at him and threw up her hands. “You did it right. That’s all I wanted. You felt the shift of your awareness, right?”

She nodded and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Daria did that when she was tired. “It felt far different talking to you alone than it did addressing two people at once. They talked about that during my training, but now I truly understand it.”

“So you see that you’d need to specifically direct your intent in order to broadcast to a room at large, and, if you did, you’d know it. It’s nearly impossible to do accidentally.”

“How do you address people whose faces you’ve never seen? I still don’t understand that. How did the guards speak to us as we approached the Shining Way?”

“All you need is an image to open up a pathway. The guards saw us, we were in their range, and therefore they could communicate with us even though they’d never seen our faces. If you had a picture or holo of someone you never met who was miles away, you could open a pathway. But you could not initiate communication with someone across a distance without knowing what they look like.” He paused. “Well, you could try, but you’d probably get a wrong number,” he amended.

“All that was covered in the training, but it’s much different in reality.”

He nodded, letting his gaze travel from her slim bare feet, up her long legs, to the press of her breasts against her shirt, to her face. Her body appeared tense, in direct contrast to the relaxed slouch he maintained on the bed. His fingers itched to massage away the stress she so clearly held in her shoulders. “Why are so far away from me, Daria? Are you afraid I’ll bite you again?”

She made a frustrated sound and stood. “Not everything is about you, Alejandro.”

Daria walked to the closed door of the courtyard. It was a beautiful night, but they kept the doors shut most of the time so they could speak freely. “I’m wondering where Ari Templeton is tonight. I’m wondering what happened to that man I fed from this morning. Are they both lying facedown somewhere, dead?” Her voice broke. “I couldn’t do anything for that blood donor today. He was being passed around like an hors d’oeuvre and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.”

He rolled off the bed and came up behind her. Knowing he probably risked a limb, he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. She startled, but then relaxed under his palm. “Ever since I first met you, I’ve seen this desire in you to protect everyone in the world, Daria, most especially the downtrodden and weak. It’s one of the qualities about you that I most admire, and it’s something that attracts me to you.” He paused. “But you can’t take on responsibility for everyone you meet and still stay sane.”

“Please don’t tell me that man chose his addiction. Don’t talk to me about consensual crimes.” Her voice and body had gone bowstring tight.

He took a moment to answer. “I’ve known Chosen who have deliberately addicted humans. They held them captive and forcibly fed from them until their victim was under their thrall. It’s the same thing as rape. So I won’t say a word about choosing addiction. We don’t know anything about the histories of the donors employed by the Shining Way. Knowing what I know, I won’t make judgments about any of the humans I saw today.”

She turned and looked up at him, studying his face. “You’ve seen that kind of mistreatment? Why didn’t you stop it? Were you in thrall and unable to step in?”

He dropped his hand from her shoulder. “Yes, I was in thrall to Lucinda at the time. It was after she’d Chosen me, and I was still very weak. When I could help, I did, but Chosen hierarchy is a complicated thing. I was not free to act for the first three years after my making because she’d placed me under her dominion. I could do nothing without her consent. The minute I was strong enough to break away from her, I did.”

“Why did you free me, Alejandro? Why am I not under your dominion? It seems like you’d enjoy that.”

He shook his head. “Do you really think that of me? I would never hold another in thrall, never. Although I was urged to do so. Without sharing my energy from the dominion, many in the GBC figured you’d be weak as a newborn kitten and of no use to the mission. As usual, however, you’ve stood strong. I thought you would. That’s why I didn’t think twice about releasing you after the Choosing.”

She stared up into his eyes, her solid resolve clear in her gaze. “I have no other choice but to stand strong.” She pursed her lips, her expression hardening. “Tell me about Lucinda Valentini. How did she come to Choose you?”

He turned away and pushed a hand through his hair. “She saw me in a club one night and sensed I had the genes to make it through the succubare. She took a liking to me, and decided she wanted me for her own. So one night she cornered me outside a bar in New Chicago with three Chosen males. I was pissed drunk at the time, so I didn’t put up much of a fight. By the next morning I was Chosen, had a lover I never wanted, and some shiny new mental tethers to her.”

“Damn,” she said softly. “I never knew. It’s like you were raped and enslaved.”

He turned back to her. “It wasn’t all bad. I never asked to be Chosen, but I’m stronger now, faster.” He turned and gave her a feral grin. “Not to mention immortal, if I can prevent the insanity.”

“Yeah, I’m still getting used to that idea.”

“I gave Lucinda as much hell as I could. I snapped at her from the end of my leash for all the years I was under her dominion. Once I could get out, I got.”

“Good.”

He studied her. “When will you tell your family?” He knew how close she was to her mother, but he also knew her well enough to understand she hadn’t told anyone about her Choosing beforehand. That would’ve jeopardized the mission.

“After.” She shook her head. “I don’t think she’s going to understand.”

“She will. Remember, I’ve met your mother. She loves you and will accept you any way you come to her. You’ll walk in and she’ll be baking that banana bread of hers that makes my mouth water. She’ll hug you, tell you she loves you no matter what, and that will be the end of it.”

She smiled. “She always liked you.”

He spread his hands and grinned. “What’s not to like, querida?”

Her smile faded and she looked out the window, up past the opening of the courtyard and into the star-scattered sky. “We should get some sleep.”

“You need to feed again, Daria.”

He could only see her profile, but he still glimpsed her expression darken in her reflection. “I already fed, remember?”

“That was this morning. I fed from you afterward, weakening you. You’re a new vamp and I know you need more sustenance than you’re getting. Daria, you’re strong, but you’re not that strong. Stop jeopardizing the mission by resisting me.”

He knew that last sentence would get through to her. Jeopardizing the mission.

Her jaw tightened, and she closed her eyes briefly. “I suppose if I must feed, I would prefer it be from you.” Her voice sounded flat, expressionless.

“I’m glad you sound so excited about it.” He turned, switched off the light, and lay back on the bed. Daria remained at the window, staring out. The moonlight bleached the color from her form. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart. I would like to get some sleep, too.”

In reality, he simply couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. Couldn’t wait to get the scent of her skin on his. Couldn’t wait to share the warmth of her body.

She turned and came toward the bed.

“Uh, uh.” He made a tch tch sound. “Clothes off. If we’re not having sex, then we need skin-to-skin contact.”

Daria hesitated, anger flashing over her features for a moment before she conceded defeat. She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor, then kicked her boots off and shed her pants.

Clad in only her tiny blue panties and white cotton bra, she walked to the bed. Alejandro’s mouth grew drier with every step she took. Daria didn’t need lace and silk to enhance her body’s allure. Her curves and soft skin needed no embellishment to make his cock hard.

“Happy now?” Her gaze flicked down to his straining crotch and she raised an eyebrow. “Forget I asked. Clearly you are.”

“I’m a man, what can I say?”

“How do you want me?”

Alejandro allowed his mouth to curve in a feral smile.

She rolled her eyes and climbed onto the bed. Even now he caught the subtle, intoxicating scent of her arousal. Daria controlled herself better than anyone he’d ever met. The woman had a will of steel. However, he knew she hungered for sex, knew it because he’d gone through the Choosing, too . . . and its hormone-filled aftermath.

He knew the score. Knew the empty place that had to be filled by questing hands and exploring lips. Knew that the only way to make the constant ache disappear was sexual contact—touching and being touched—on a regular basis.

He shifted, suppressing a groan, as she settled over his pelvis, the heat of her sex bleeding through the fabric of his jeans. In the darkness, her eyes seemed large and luminous, like the moon had been dragged into the room with them and split in two.

She gave one small sigh, maybe in resignation, maybe from hunger, or maybe even from passion, Alejandro couldn’t be sure, then dipped her head and inserted her face into the crook of his neck.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the rub of her skin against his, and wanting her scent to be joined with his on an intimate level. Alejandro let his hands drift up and rub her back. Unable to resist, he undid the clasp of her bra. She stiffened, but then relaxed against him. When he pulled the article of clothing up, so her warm, heavy breasts lay against him, she went very, very still.

He threaded his fingers through the short hair at her nape. “Drink, querida.”

Daria curled her hands around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck, making his throat go tight. He felt the hard brush of fang and braced himself for the first painful stab. It came, followed by the sweet rush of her beginner’s veil blanketing him. She drew on him and his body went tight with need.

He slid his hand down her back, enjoying the smoothness of her skin and wanting nothing more than to run his tongue over every inch of it. She shifted against him and the heat of her cunt grew warmer. Taking that as an indication of her arousal, he dipped his hand beneath the elastic of her panties and cupped her delectable ass. Alejandro wondered if she’d ever had a man give her attention there and then swiftly decided he would, if he could.

Daria moved her hands from his shoulders to the spokes on the bed frame, rubbing her breasts against his chest. His cock was hard as a steel rod and he needed to come. Just touching her, making her orgasm, would make him happy. It would help her, too. So he eased his hand between her spread thighs, straight into heaven.

Ah, yes, she was aroused. Her cunt was like hot silk against his fingers. He found her clit, ripe, full, and swollen—like a decadent little cherry just dying to be nibbled at—and eased the pad of his finger over it and over it again, petting it. It swelled under his touch, growing larger and more needy. He took it between his thumb and forefinger and stroked.

She broke the bite and gasped. “Alejandro.”

“Mmmmm . . . let me bring you ease.”

He moved his head, finding her earlobe and dragging it between his teeth. She shuddered against him and rose up, but she didn’t push him away. She only drew her arms from her bra and tossed it to the floor, baring her lovely breasts with their lickable hard, red nipples to his gaze.

Her eyes were wide and dark, the pupils enlarged from her arousal. She shifted against his hand, rubbing her cunt against it, and shivered. Still, something warred on her face and in her eyes.

“Shhhh . . . It’s okay,” he murmured. “I know you need it. Just take what I’m offering you, Daria.” His voice sounded strained to his own ears. Fuck, he wanted her.

She slipped her hand between their bodies, pressing his palm against her and rubbing her pussy more firmly against it. He shifted his hand, letting two of his fingers penetrate her. She closed her eyes and groaned, began to rotate her hips, fucking herself on his fingers.

“That’s it. There you go,” he encouraged. “Ride them.”

She tipped her head back and moaned. She was only using him to relieve herself of the sexual pressure of the Choosing. Alejandro understood that. One day maybe it could be more than that between them. Alejandro was surprised to realize just how much he wished for it. He wanted Daria to care about him. For the time being, he’d take what he could get.

His gaze dropped to where her pretty pink pussy lips slid up and down on his fingers. If only it was his cock sliding so snugly into her wet, velvet cunt. Daria could have no idea what doing this cost him.

He leaned forward and captured one of her nipples in his mouth. Latching on, he stimulated it with the tip of his tongue, while he gently rolled and pinched the other one between his thumb and index finger. All the while, Daria rode him, taking the climax he offered her.

Daria finally shuddered and came. He reveled in her pleasure as much as she did. The only thing that would have been better would have been to have his cock buried deep her sweet, tight cunt. As it was, he was still unsatisfied. Good thing he’d learned a lot of control during his years with Lucinda.

She rolled to the side the second it was over. “Damn it, Alejandro.”

“Just accept that you like sex with me, Daria. Get it over with. Give it up.”

“I never said I didn’t like sex with you, Alejandro.”

She tried to roll away, but he lunged across the bed, wrapped his arm around her waist, and dragged her back against him. Daria fought him for a moment and then gave up, relaxing into him like warmed butter.

He nuzzled the hair at the nape of her neck and slid a leg over her thighs, trapping her. “Sleep now.”

“I don’t take orders from you,” she said with a tremble in her voice.

“Come on, Daria. Relax. We have a hell of a day ahead of us tomorrow. I wonder what we’ll find.”

She sighed, and took a moment to reply. “The theories out of the ABI are all dark—drugs, sense chips, or blood slaves.”

Sense chips were microchips people could insert into special bio drives on their arms or in their necks that immersed them in a false real-life experience for a time. The most popular sense chips were porn, of course. They were illegal because they were addictive—not physically, but psychologically.

“I guess we’ll see,” he answered, closing his eyes.

“How can you be so relaxed about everything?”

“Why worry now about stuff that’ll happen tomorrow? How can you be so uptight about everything?”

She turned in his arms. “I’m not uptight.”

He laughed, letting his gaze trail over her bare breasts. His Daria had a good heart and would go to the ends of the earth to right a wrong. She was brave, beautiful inside and out, intelligent, and tougher than most men he knew . . . and she also was definitely uptight. “Then give me one reason you’re turning down no-strings-attached sex with me when I know you’re dying for it, Daria.”

“Damn, you’re so arrogant. It’s incredible.”

“Yeah, I’m arrogant. We’ve already established that. So give me a reason. Flat-out. Are you afraid of me?”

A small smile curved her sensual lips. She leaned in toward him, gathering his hand and pressing it to the mound of her warm, soft breast. Then she brushed her mouth across his. Alejandro’s world spun for a moment. He went in for a deeper taste, hoping to finally get some ease for his aching body, but she pulled away.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she murmured against his lips. “I just don’t want you as much as you think I do.” With that, she pulled from his grasp, grabbed her clothes, and went into the bathroom.

Alejandro collapsed back onto the mattress and covered his face with his hands. The woman was going to kill him with this shit. He had half a mind to tie her to the bed and just get it over with.

He didn’t believe the line she’d just fed him. For some reason he scared the hell out of her, but he had no idea why.

That morning a woman named Guo Jia Ying had rousted them from bed at the crack of dawn to go to work. Daria had only grabbed a couple hours of sleep, since she’d spent most of the night trying to avoid Alejandro. She’d spent the bulk of it in the garden, looking up at the stars and trying to ignore the sight of Alejandro’s nearly nude body sprawled on the bed.

He’d probably slept great.

When she’d finally broken down and climbed into bed, she’d only caught a few winks since she’d been fully clothed and curled up on the very edge of the mattress. It hadn’t been a recipe for deep sleep and today she was a bit grouchy.

And flabbergasted.

Jia Ying smiled, her lovely brown eyes twinkling. She obviously loved her job here, loved life under the dome in general. Or maybe she was just a naturally happy person. Was it bad that Daria had taking a liking to the older vamp the moment she’d met her? “Not just any teddy bears. These are handmade teddy bears, collector’s items. There’s a demand for certain items that aren’t bot-made. These teddy bears are famous throughout all the settlements.”

Beside her, Alejandro frowned and scratched his head, probably just as confused as she was.

“So this is how the Shining Way supports itself? It makes, um, teddy bears?” asked Daria.

“It’s not the only way. There’s a honey farm on the opposite side of the compound and we also maintain a small apple orchard.”

Alejandro blinked. “Teddy bears, honey, and apples?”

Jia Ying smiled. “Yes. We thought you and Alejandro would be happiest here in the factory but if you’d prefer to work the honey or apples, we can switch you.”

“Uh. Teddy bears are fine,” answered Alejandro.

A line of people worked the mounds of teddies in various stages of completion. Stations were set up along the way. One group of people stuffed them, the next sewed seams, the next added a bow or clothing, depending on the line of teddy bear. Finally, the completed product disappeared through an opening at the end of the line and into another room.

It had to be a cover. It just had to be. There was something else going on here, something illicit. No way was Christopher Sante running some crunchy granola commune for Chosen that supported itself through cute and cuddly handicrafts, honey, and apples. Sante didn’t work that clean and wholesomely. Either they were stuffing the bears with something after they left the work area, or this was just an elaborate ruse meant to cover up the slave trafficking business they had going on the side.

“What happens in that room down there?” she asked, studying the people at the end of the conveyor belt who joked and talked as they worked. Just beyond them was the opening, covered by a large industrial flap, where the finished product disappeared.

“That’s the packaging room,” answered Jia Ying. “That’s where the bears are stitched up, tagged, and put in boxes.”

Daria frowned. “Why is there a separate room for that?”

Jia Ying laughed. “I wondered, too. They told me they want to make sure no one puts anything into the teddy bears that shouldn’t be there before they ship. It’s a safety thing, since the bears are ultimately meant for children.”

Hmmm. Or maybe so they could put something into the teddy bears before they shipped.

“That room is full at the moment,” Jia Ying continued, “so I thought we’d put you two on the line.”

“Sounds great,” Daria answered, but she still fully intended to investigate the packaging room when she could.

In fact, every inch of the factory was going to get her special attention. If there was anything illegal going on, they would find out about it and add it to the list of things to prosecute Sante for. She studied the industrial flap. It would be an easy way to get in there, as long as it wasn’t the locking kind. Of course, with her luck, it probably was.

Jia Ying led them to the stuffing station and introduced them to the two other Chosen there. There was Rodrigo, a sultry-eyed, effeminate succubare, and Emmet, an older vamp with chocolate-colored skin who threw his head back and laughed with his whole body, typically showing fang while he did it.

“So, you two are new here?” asked Emmet.

Alejandro nodded. “Arrived the day before yesterday. Do they always throw parties for the new members?”

“Oh, yeah. Every time.” Emmet nodded, smiled, and showed a disconcerting amount of shiny, sharp fang. “And sometimes they just throw them for the hell of it. Christopher Sante knows how to treat us right.”

Hmmm. Indeed, thought Daria. She stayed quiet, continuing to stuff teddy bears.

“With blood slaves and everything?” Alejandro inquired.

“They aren’t blood slaves, man,” Emmet answered. “Those humans come of their own free will. They want to be here. They’re donors and come because they crave the dark kiss.”

“I’m not complaining,” answered Alejandro with a grin. He could look so nonthreatening when he wanted to. “Who organizes all that? Man, I could get used to those parties, my friend.”

“Us peon dome residents don’t get a heads-up on any of that, mi hermano,” Rodrigo said. “That’s all the domain of Christopher Sante and the Shining Way board of directors.”

Daria frowned. “Board of directors?”

“They’re not really a board of directors,” answered Jia Ying. “We just call them that. They’re the Chosen closest to Sante. Sort of his advisors. They make all the decisions around here. Pretty much, they run this place.”

“Seems like they’re doing a good job,” replied Alejandro, lifting a teddy bear and examining its stuffing. “I noticed you don’t see Sante much. Too bad. I know him from way back. I was hoping I might get to say hello, catch up on old times.” Alejandro was good at this, making subtle conversation that drew answers from people.

Jia Ying shook her head and grabbed another bear. “He doesn’t come out much. He’s kind of a recluse. We see him once in a while, usually just on special occasions. He’s got a house on the east side of the compound and it’s heavily protected. He values his privacy. We’re all very grateful to him, though, for providing this community for us.”

Heavily guarded house on the east end of the compound. Maybe that’s where Ari was. Daria filed it away to think about later.

“I bet your head is spinning,” Emmet said, nodding at Daria. “I can feel how young you are. You’re just days old, little girl. All this must be quite a change for you. You’re lucky, though, getting in here. It can be a cold universe out there for Chosen. We’re too outnumbered by the normals.” Normal was a slang term the Chosen had for humans. “This place is a good community, like-minded, and close-knit. You’ll see. You got lucky being let in here so soon after your Choosing.”

Daria tried not to gag as she answered. “I’m thankful I got in here, too.” She shot him a smile. Hey, it wasn’t even a lie . . . mostly.

“So how did you two meet?” asked Jia Ying.

“We met in New Chicago about three years ago,” Alejandro answered, sticking with the story they’d agreed upon beforehand. “At a party of one our mutual friends.” He gave Jia Ying a playful sidelong glance. “Valerie was so into me. Dios, she couldn’t resist. I had to fight her off that night. Remember . . . baby?”

Daria resisted the urge to kick him. Instead she smiled sweetly, “You tell your version, honey, I’ll tell mine.” She put her hand to the side of her mouth and whispered at Jia Ying. “He followed me around like a lovesick puppy dog all night.”

Jia Ying laughed.

“Anyway,” Alejandro continued, “it wasn’t long before things got serious. Eventually Valerie decided she wanted to take things to the next level and she demanded I Choose her even though she lacked the genes. I tried to persuade her it was a bad idea, but”—Alejandro shook his head—“Valerie wants what she wants.”

“And you made it through the succubare?” asked Jia Ying. “That’s amazing.”

“You are brave, lady,” Rodrigo put in. “You must really love him to take that chance.”

Alejandro laid his half-stuffed teddy bear down and crushed Daria to him, tipping her back and kissing her hard. His tongue snaked into her mouth, rubbing up against hers with long, erotic strokes that made her tingle all over and made her think of lots of things that had nothing to do with teddy bears. Emmet and Rodrigo hooted.

He set her back on her feet and grinned. “She’s head over heels for me. Aren’t you, baby?”

Feeling disorientated, she forced herself to focus. “Head over heels,” she echoed blankly, blinking.

Everyone laughed.

Flushing, Daria picked up a teddy bear and concentrated on packing stuffing in correctly. “I just knew that if we wanted to stay together, I’d have to be Chosen. Otherwise, he would’ve had to watch me grow old and die while he stayed young and good-looking.”

“Not just good-looking—smokin’ sweetheart,” said Rodrigo with a leer in Alejandro’s direction, which made everyone laugh again.

“Even if I’d ended up succubare, at least we could have stayed together,” Daria finished.

Jia Ying nodded. “I know what it is to watch those you love pass into old age and die. I have done it often.”

“How old are you, Jia Ying?” Alejandro asked.

“I’m nearly two hundred and ninety five.” She didn’t look a day over twenty. “I was the only one in my family to inherit the genes. Apparently they were a leftover surprise gift from somewhere far down my bloodline.”

Daria dropped a finished teddy bear to the belt. “So you had to watch your whole family grow old and die. I’m so sorry.”

“The worst was watching my daughter go. However, it’s a part of being Chosen.” Jia Ying smiled. “And, to look on the bright side, I got to watch her live a long, happy life and die a very old woman.”

Daria returned her smile. She had a feeling Jia Ying could find the bright side of most things. Maybe Daria could learn something from her.

By the end of her shift, Daria hadn’t forgotten she was there undercover, but she could have. She found she genuinely liked Jia Ying, Rodrigo, and Emmet. They were companionable and friendly. Daria couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much in one day. For the most part, she had the impression that none of them knew anything about illegal goings-on at the Shining Way. They just seemed glad to be able to call the place home.

Throughout the day, she heard each of their stories. Emmet had come to the Shining Way to escape his life on Galileo, where there weren’t many Chosen. The climate was hostile toward the few that did live there. He was a young vampire, but had been Chosen late in life.

Jia Ying had been a successful attorney on Earth, specializing in representing the Chosen. It had been the latest in a string of careers she’d pursued. As she’d grown older, she’d realized she’d wanted to “retire” from working life.

Since she had enough money saved to do anything she wanted, she decided to seek out new experiences. Soon after the Shining Way had been created, she’d bought her way in. It was home to her now and she didn’t want to live anywhere else.

Jia Ying was one of the original dome residents. Daria made a point of filing this bit of information away. If anyone should know what was going on here, it would be a longtimer.

Finally, Rodrigo had followed love to the Shining Way. He and his longtime partner had come to the dome to drop out of society and live a calm life. Happily ever after was not to be, however. When the relationship ended, Rodrigo stayed while his lover moved on. Here Rodrigo had many people from which to satisfy his needs as a succubare. Daria hadn’t inquired further.

Even though the day had been enjoyable, Daria left the factory at closing time with disappointment weighing bitterly on her heart.

She stopped outside on the walkway, watching the fake Earth sky darken into fake twilight. The days and nights seemed to have odd lengths under the dome, but she supposed that Sante could make them whatever duration he liked best. Sante would enjoy playing god that way. As a result, it was impossible to know what time of day it was beyond the dome’s walls, furthering the fantasyland feel of the Shining Way.

Daria could see the allure of this place, especially to the disenfranchised.

Jia Ying, Emmet, and Rodrigo all adored their current way of life and, as far as Daria could tell, had not one negative word to speak against Christopher Sante.

It left a bad taste in her mouth. How could someone as evil as Christopher Sante inspire such loyalty? How had he perpetuated such an illusion about himself as to make these people, who by all appearances seemed intelligent and rational, adore him and think he could do no wrong?

An image of Julia’s broken body flashed into her mind and tears pricked her eyes.

Alejandro stopped beside her, slipped a hand into a pocket, and looked up at the same sky. “So, want to take a walk before we head back?”

“Sure.” The thought of being crammed in that room with Alejandro didn’t make her want to rush back. He was too much of a temptation and she was far too weak.

They strolled down the path toward the east, in perfect accord. They had every right to explore their surroundings, after all. They were new around here. Even if they should find themselves close to the famed house of Christopher Sante, their generous benefactor, no one would find it suspicious.

Their minds and intentions one, they headed in that direction.

By the time they reached the easternmost side of the compound, it was completely dark. The dome was a lot larger than she’d ever imagined and Daria was sorry they hadn’t grabbed their dune bikes for the trek. Sante’s mansion rose from a lush green lawn, dotted with towering trees and flowering bushes. A tall wrought iron fence rose around it all, to keep out his admirers and the curious. A guardhouse stood at the entranceway, complete with two muscular and armed Chosen.

Daria assessed the property as they stood looking on, just another couple of Shining Way members getting a glimpse of the famous Christopher Sante’s abode. She knew Alejandro was doing the same beside her.

Was Ari Templeton somewhere behind those walls? Was Sante hurting her now? Did she even still live?

Because if Ari Templeton was anywhere in the compound, every instinct Daria had screamed the abducted woman would be here.

They’d stayed there for as long as they could, talking together and pointing like tourists, until the guards approached and asked them to move away. By then Daria had already devised several ways to get into the house.

On the way back to their room, Alejandro opened up a mental pathway and shared that he also had been figuring out various ways to break in. Together they settled on one.

Tonight? finished Alejandro.

Daria thought of Ari. Yes. We can’t get careless, but I don’t think we have a moment to lose.