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be able to resist a second dose of his gaze before I spilled the truth.
    Look, you've got me all wrong , I thought rapidly, hoping his antennae into my head hadn't lost its signal. I have no idea who you are, but four vampires kidnapped me and they're forcing me to locate you for them.
    "Oh?" Amusement replaced the former harshness in his expression. "If that's true, I'll make it easy on you. I'm at my home. Tell the others to drop by anytime."
    Flames coated his hands with the words, a warning I didn't need because I was terrified of him already. That fear combined with the death Jackal had planned for me made my reply snappy.
    That's great, but I'm not only supposed to find out where you are now. I'm supposed to find out where you'll be in the future, and I'm guessing you won't be as flip about that.
    His brows drew together at once, making those coppery green eyes all the more riveting - and frightening.
    "You can see the future?" All traces of humor left his expression.
    I heaved a mental sigh. How to explain an ability I didn't fully understand?
    If I touch someone - or an object with a strong emotional essence on it - I catch glimpses of things. If the glimpses are in black and white, they're from the past. If they're in color but hazy, they're from the future. And if I concentrate, I can trace someone's essence from an object to find that person in the present, which looks clear and normal to me. That's how I found you. Jackal gave me pieces of things from people you killed.
    He continued to stare at me until I squirmed. Aside from it being unbelievable that he could hear me, he seemed able to see me, too! How? I wasn't there, after all.
    "I don't see you like you're thinking," he answered, a tight smile playing about his lips. "You're a voice in my head, but when I concentrate, it's though you're here yet you're invisible."
    That sounded creepy. I didn't have time to ponder it, because he went on.
    "Someone named Jackal is after me? I don't recognize the name, but it's likely an alias. He kidnapped you, you say?"
    He and three of his buddies snatched me right off my trampoline this morning , I answered, scowling at the memory.
    "Do you know where they're holding you?"
    I knew exactly where I was. Even if I couldn't tell by touching items in the room, the phone had the hotel's full address printed on it. Still, I wasn't about to tell Mr. Inferno where that was until we agreed on some terms.
    He grunted in amusement. "Terms? You want a reward for turning them in to me?"
    I want to live , I thought at him grimly. I saw what you did to Neddy and Raziel, so I want your word that if I tell you where Jackal and the others are, you'll kill them , not me.
    "Depends," he said, voice crisp as though this were a business transaction. "If you truly were forced into this as you claim, then I vow you'll come to no harm since you were truthful with me about their intentions. But if you're lying in an attempt to lead me into a trap..."
    He flashed me one of those charming smiles that had been the last thing Neddy and Raziel had seen. I shuddered.
    I'm not lying , I sent to him. The only people I'm trying to trap are Jackal, Pervert, Psycho, and Twitchy .
    "Then you have nothing to fear from me," he said, not commenting on the other names. He clasped those deadly hands in front of him. "And it's time we were properly introduced. I'm Vlad, and you are?"
    I hesitated, but replied with my real name because I didn't want to risk even a white lie with this creature.
    Leila. My name is Leila .
    "Leila." He said my name as though he could taste the syllables. That charming smile widened. "Now, tell me where you are."
    *** *** ***

    ONCE BURNED releases spring 2012. Please see Jeaniene's website at www.jeanienefrost.com for more details.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Jeaniene Frost

    Here is an excerpt from Jeaniene's story, Home for the Holidays , which will appear in THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS anthology with author Lynsay Sands. From the back of