Paul swung around, his eyes tracking the slope. Immediately he stiffened. "That's King, Colby. He's hurt." He took off running, streaking across the yard toward the injured dog.

The dog crawled toward them, dragging its body along the ground. When King saw them approaching, he flopped into the dirt and whined, his dark eyes looking at them with trust.

Paul knelt beside him and ran gentle hands through his fur. "He doesn't have any wounds that I can find."

A chill went down Colby's spine. She leaned closer to stare into the dog's eyes. "He's drugged, Paul."

There was a small silence. Paul shook his head adamantly. "It wasn't me. I swear. I woke up remembering everything this morning, Colby. I don't remember the things Nicolas showed me I did when he was removing the vampire blood, but I knew I lost little parts of time. I haven't this time. I didn't drug the dog. I didn't."

Colby put a hand on his shoulder. "That's not even important right now, Paul. What's important is that King was with Ginny. Take King into the house and leave him on her bed and wake up both of your uncles. Tell them to saddle a couple of horses and follow us, then get out here fast. I won't wait long."

Paul scooped up the dog and raced for the house. Colby pushed down fear. Ginny was probably picking berries near the pond. Ignoring her heightened senses and the alarm skittering down her spine, Colby tore at the tack, hastily bridling the mare. Without bothering with a saddle she flung herself on its hack and rode up to the house. Paul was already waiting for her. Juan stood behind him, his shirt unbuttoned and concern stamped on his face.

"What is wrong? Where's the child?"

"I'm going to go looking for her now." Colby reached herself down and Paul took it, swinging up behind her. "The dog's been drugged and I'm really worried. Get Julio and bring a couple of rifles. I can use, all the help I can get." Not wanting to wait any longer, she dug her heels into the horse's sides, whirling it around and urging it into a dead run toward the spring.

As they topped the rise, Colby slowed the horse while she scanned the area. There was no sign of life. It was quiet, too quiet. Colby's heart slammed against her ribs. Fear choked her. Not Ginny. Colby would not allow any harm to come to Ginny. If anything happened to her, Colby didn't know what she would do. Fighting back a sob, she reined in, practically shoving Paul off the horse. "You look for a sign. If you see anything, anyone, you shout but stay to cover. Understand, Paul? Stay covered. If anything happens to me, go to the sheriff. Go to Ben. Don't trust anyone else."

"But-Colby?" White-faced, he stared up at her. "I couldn't have done this. I couldn't have hurt her, could I?"

"You didn't do this," she said. "You're in as much danger as Ginny. Be careful, Paul, and don't trust anyone. I wish to hell I knew what was going on."

"What if something awful has happened to her? I don't think… " He trailed off. He couldn't face a vampire again. Not for Colby. Not for Ginny. Not for anything.

"Do what I say." She kicked at the mare again, riding across the meadow to the far hillside, where she began casting about for a sign.

Meu amor, why are you so afraid? Your terror awakens me from even the deepest of sleeps. Rafael's voice was a soothing caress in her mind. She nearly went to pieces the moment he touched her mind with his. She actually felt his hand brush her face and realized she was crying.

It's Ginny. The dog was drugged and she went alone for a walk. It should have been safe. The vampire is locked in the ground, isn't he? She needed the reassurance.

He is in the ground but he can use puppets. Where is Paul? He asked it carefully, knowing how she would react.

It wasn't Paul. If it had been Paul I wouldn't be so worried-I know he'd fight against it. But I can feel that something is wrong, Rafael.

I will come to you.

No! Colby's gaze was riveted to the ground, looking for signs. You're badly wounded and I can't take care of anyone else right now. Stay where you are and let me find her.

I'm coming to you and the little one. His tone was implacable.

Paul checked the spring first. If Ginny had come this far she would have been thirsty. The first thing they always did when they were out walking was go to the spring for a drink. There was no print of Ginny's small boot in the wet ground, but his heart nearly stopped when he saw the clear outline of a man's boot. A good two sizes larger than his own foot, Paul knew neither Colby nor he had made that track. It might be from one of his uncles, but they wore a distinctive boot with a different tread and neither had such a big foot. Alarmed, he scanned the ground for anything that would give him a clue as to which way the man had gone.

A few minutes of scouting around and he found a faint trail. Not much, a partial track, a twisted leaf, a snapped twig; once he found a cigarette butt. Suddenly he dropped to his knees beside the imprints in the dirt, a low cry of alarm escaping. His hand reached of its own accord to touch the small boot print. It was definitely Ginny's track; he would recognize it anywhere. The larger boot had covered hers. For just a minute indecision warred in him-he wanted to yell for Colby, but feared whoever had taken Ginny would hear him and hurt her. The tracks were fresh. He began to follow the tracks, staying low, keeping to cover, careful not to disturb the dirt and send dust into the air. He hoped his uncles or Colby would come after him soon.

Rafael burst from the ground. He gave a guttural cry as shafts sunlight raked across his skin like knives. He shape-shifted immediately to protect his sensitive eyes and body from the burning sun. The wrenching of muscles and bones opened his wounds so that droplets of blood sprayed across the sky and settled on the ground. He chose the form of vapor so he wouldn't have to continue to protect his eyes. Holding form in his weakened state was precarious and left him with little energy to provide cloud cover. Nicolas had found healing soil deep in the mountains, but far from the ranch, and put Rafael to ground there, in the hopes that the rich minerals would heal him faster. It had been a perfect healing ground, but it meant traveling a distance with his body already drained of strength. Using his tremendous iron will, Rafael shed aside the clawing pain and streaked across the sky toward Colby, leaving behind a trail of red mist.

Colby dismounted, dropping the reins so the mare wouldn't move far while she studied the ground with a puzzled gaze. There was something wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it. Squatting down, she ran her hand over the dry earth as if that would give her a clue. She made herself take several deep, calming breaths. Hysteria would not help at this point. She had to believe Ginny was off playing somewhere completely oblivious to their concern. She quartered the ground carewfully, frowning as she discovered a clean break in a tiny twig of a small bush. She touched it with her fingertip.

Ginny's height. She would have brushed it running by. But where were the tracks? A bruised leaf a few feet away convinced her Ginny had come this way. She shook her head. This was crazy, there should have been more. Where was the trail? It was too elusive, as if Ginny had flown, and only touched down lightly in obscure spots, like a small wraith. She shuddered, clamping down on her imagination and the error that threatened to consume her any moment.

I am on my way. I do not see why your fear is growing when you see that she has passed that way. Rafael was calm and rock steady. She latched on to his strength as an anchor.