Once I entered the office Kahina wasted no time with words. Her fingertips were cool and smooth as they grabbed one arm and steered me into position. She didn't even let me ask what to expect.

It was hard to tell, but Anthony seemed to be trying to kill me with his eyes. Maybe the lingering drink was thinking for me. Occasionally his normally smooth face would flicker both eyes to my neck. I swear they slowly traced from one side to the other. Tipsy me had low impulse control and tilted my head slightly then pulled back a cheek. There was no growl, but it was implied. Even half vampires could be startled. Shock forced an unneeded breath into his lungs.

"Keeper will be here soon." Shaggy was watching one of the security cameras on her phone. How exactly they wired the display to do that was beyond me.

Anthony snapped both eyes forward and I allowed myself to turn away. Judging by positions I scored second in command somehow. Kahina stood on my right while Anthony got the left. He was closest to the exit. Maybe someone would charge through the door and take him out for me. Then they would apologize and say 'I thought you were a vaudeville villain'. Finally, I, being the generous person I was, would let them live with a stern warning.

If only. The slimy asshole would probably live forever.

Daniel and Shaggy were on the other side facing us. Impressively he managed to walk in without the slightest hint of a sway. Shaggy seemed awkwardly close to Daniel, I wasn't sure why she was even on that side.

A newcomer opened the door just enough to slip inside. Nobody held it open. No one announced him, but it must be Keeper. No one else could be that bold stepping into this room. One hand carried a cane crowned with an impressive jewel. No top hat or monocle went with it. He did manage a sharp looking trench coat. His breast pocket seemed to have a paperback book shoved into it. Keeper was a vampire that had stopped keeping up somewhere in the eighteen hundreds.

The man didn't have an impressive size, in fact, he was almost easy to discount. That bothered me. Everyone talked about Keeper like he was this important person. I was struggling to notice him.

Kahina was dressed to impress. It was her night after all and the clothing certainly met my approval. Both earrings were large silver hoops. Probably real silver given how last night went. The dress was a dusty gray that was layered in the front and gave the impression of hanging a lot lower than it did. I hadn't gotten too far beyond an initial glance before being ushered into position.

"Are we all here?" Keeper's voice was quiet like he was on the verge of taking a long nap or was so far away mentally that it was a distraction to talk to the rest of us.

"Yes, we are," Kahina answered with a steady tone.

"Perfect. You have approval" Keeper had a nearly invisible smile "from the Tribunal to attempt completion. Have you made all your arrangements?"

Daniel stepped in for a moment to speak. "The will’s in order, signed, and filed. Legal notification has been provided to the neighborhood and law enforcement. Western Sector has every document needed."

"Ah." The word was yawned. "Good." According to Shaggy, Keeper was old enough to remember a time before Western Sector. He was kind enough not to seem offended by Daniel's answer. "Well then, we shall take the final steps then, yes?"

"I would be honored." Kahina bowed her head only slightly. The fact that she deferred to anyone was amazing to me.

"Excellent. Also, I believe you have some guests outside."

My lady's eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry, I took the liberty of scouting out the area before I came in. There were a few humans and one fledgling outside the grounds. A good test of your defenses." Even his warning came out like he was distracted.

Daniel smiled at Keeper without tripping into a drunken leer, barely. "Rival house I assume?"

"I believe so. The fledgling is not known to me so he cannot be close to his time." Keeper answered.

"Fantastic, less paperwork for me." Daniel didn't completely keep out the lisp but managed to play it off as a morbid excitement. Perhaps he was truly entertained by the idea of upcoming combat.

"They must not be ready to attack, the alarms haven't been set off."

"I disabled your alarms in their area." The old vampire said. My head tilted trying to figure out how someone stuck in the past would disable an alarm. How long had Keeper been roaming the grounds?

"What?" Anthony struggled not to raise his voice to a squeak in front of Keeper. It was fantastic to see his face turn nearly purple. Too bad it wasn't from my hands cutting off his air supply.

"It will ensure you do a thorough check." Keeper said calmly.

Ann popped out her phone while stepping out into the hall. I moved to follow, but a light touch on the arm stopped me. Kahina shook her head just barely.

"Well," Keeper beamed. "now is a good time to see your Rest location." He absently clicked the cane against the ground.

"Mister Crumfield." God the woman was sexy when she talked with that timber of authority. Daniel narrowed one eye at Kahina. Yeah, he was losing his professional grip. Sober Daniel wouldn't have skipped a beat.

"Yes? How can I assist the Lady Rhodes today?" Daniel must be upset that Kahina had decided to use his last name and used hers back. It was a form of drunken revenge that was easy to understand.

"I'll need you to be safe and serve as a witness tonight." She said.

"Do I get to explore your secret bedroom?"

I almost choked on my own tongue. Was Daniel hitting on my woman? Mine? I hope to hell that was one of his jokes. The drinking must be coloring my perspective on who meant what.

"Why, Mister Crumfield, I believe you're inebriated." Keeper's voice and attention didn't sound so distant now. I could almost hear his attention honing in on Daniel.

"I'll admit to nothing."

"Well, in any event, as a Sector Agent you should join us tonight, to inspect of course."

"Just doing my job, Keeper," Daniel replied with a smile.

"Excellent, between you and Kahina’s fine young man here I'm sure we'll be able to complete this quickly." Keeper had noticed me. Hell.

Why would Daniel be letting Keeper hit on him? I must be over reading things or the amber haze was trying to fool me. One of my cardinal rules of drinking was to keep quiet. Occasionally I succeeded.

"If you're ready?" Kahina motioned to a wall panel.

I had been in this office enough to know that there was a secret compartment of some sort. She didn't let people in there any more than I let people in my basement. At least not once it was built. Tonight was going to be an adventure. Lets hope she didn't feel like ripping my head off when we went down there.

"No, go ahead, it's your home. I merely have to ensure everything is secure and lay eyes on your resting place." Keeper said absently.

"Of course." Kahina nodded.

"Not that I expect you to use this one. None of you ever do. Everyone shows me some false location and then hides in another one. Rather silly, who am I going to tell?"

I watched Kahina pause for only a moment then she hit the switch and a wall slid backwards. That was so much more fantastic than my basement. Perhaps I should get a secret compartment in my next place.

"No it's fine. Go ahead and lead us onward. If you have security measures or traps please disarm them. Point them out or don't." Keeper didn’t even bother looking around.

"Keeper." Kahina's voice was wounded and low. She stood in the newly formed doorway ready to guide the four of us onward.

"No, my dear. I fully expect any number of wild constructions. After all, I believe I suggested most of them." Keeper sighed and twirled the little staff in his hands. "Of course law does require me your supposed resting place for the next week. This way, when you haven't reported back in two weeks, we have a place to look."

The descending stairs were steep but well lit. Just because the vampires could see in the dark didn't mean they wanted to. Or maybe the lights were for show. They certainly cast a favorable shadow on Kahina.

"Of course," Kahina said. I was having a hard time not staring at my woman's backside in that dress.

"He is right you know. Often vampire bodies turn up in completely different locations. It's a mess sorting out who they are afterwards." Daniel cheerily added, mostly for my benefit.

"Too true. Fortunately we've started keeping dental records so it is less of a trial for us. And for the fine folks in the Western Sector." Keeper sounded a little less distant.

Kahina kept silent as we weaved through tiny corridors. If my mental map was right we had ended up somewhere a floor or two down and almost near the other wing. It felt like we were headed towards the pool. Maybe, or maybe my connections were all off.

"I hear many of the old world governments still haven't switched over." Daniel kept the conversation going.

"Old habits die hard, Hunter Crumfield."

"Agent technically. Hunter went out of style a while back." Daniel was barely in front of Keeper, leaving me to slowly stagger behind everyone.

"Pardon. I do lose track sometimes." Keeper didn't sound apologetic.

Things were difficult enough for me as I tried to keep up with the tilting hallway. Being back here was far less stressful. The walls felt too cold and smooth compared to the rest of the house. Each footfall sent out a clanking sound that echoed down the hallway.

"Age does have benefits, but it must be difficult to keep up sometimes." The Agent said.

"Oh I assure you, I can still keep up with anything you younger races can dish out." Seriously, I couldn't be imagining their flirting could I? Did drunk me assume everything was a innuendo?

"Some of your brethren are equally adaptable, but not all."

"It is difficult. The transformation makes us stagnate." Keeper, which had to be a title and not a name, was talking about one of the side effects of vampirism.

"I always wondered if there was any truth to those studies." Daniel said. Research said there were a number of things included with transitioning. Incredible speed, regeneration, a sense of taste that nearly replaced smell much like a snake. Plus the pathologically crippling fear of holy symbols and the desire to ingest new blood.

"More than we might like to admit. It's part of the price for eternal beauty. My daugheter Kahina is a shining example." A little less obvious change meant the mind couldn't adapt as easily to new information. It was impossible to lock the body at a certain point without doing the same for the mind.

"You flatter me." Kahina said. She was his daughter? This man was entirely the wrong skin tone to be her father. Kahina shot me a look out of the corner of her eyes, trying zip my mouth shut with her mind. Not that I said anything out loud. I hoped.

"Nonsense. You've worked hard on everything here. I can only hope it goes well." Keeper continued.

"I've worked hard to do you proud, Keeper." She responded

"I know, that is part of why I sent your guardians on a wild goose chase." The old vampire responded with another click of the cane.

"Keeper!" Kahina sounded offended. Goose chase? Was the whole thing about an attack and security being disabled a lie?

"It will be interesting to see if their reports are accurate."

"Unless of course there is a real attack. Tonight would be perfect." Daniel brought a positive spin on the situation again.

"Of course, we wouldn't want someone to miss a real threat." Keeper responded. What real threat? Wasn't the point of this whole compound to be secure? If there was anything that would attack, it would come from outside. Background checks, careful monitoring, financial record reviews, everyone on the staff was vetted for by millions of pieces of paper. Except me.

"Through here." Kahina was ahead still next to a panel that had some retinal scanner along with a thumb print.

"Ah, finally." Keeper stepped through the threshold and into a dimly lit room.

Daniel followed while Kahina waited at the doorway for me. It was easy to feel awkward about this because I was walking into a place that she might never return from.

Kahina looked at me and frowned slightly. "Come on, Jay," She said.

I strode past her and into the room then looked around. It felt off. Everything about it felt off. Nothing resembled Kahina. The room was gray and black in tone, without a hint of life or flavor. No pictures, no furniture beyond a bed. Just a room.

Most of all I noticed the lack of purple, the lack of peppermint scents that went with her. This wasn't the right room, like Keeper had said. The real question was where would Kahina actually be?

"I need to hear confirmation that this is the correct room," Daniel said.

"It is." She replied.

"Perfect. Now gentlemen," Was Keeper including me in that comment? I tried to suppress a chuckle but it was hard with this many drinks in me. "I need you both to step outside for a moment."

"Of course." Daniel herded me outside past Kahina. Her face was carefully composed and didn't offer a hint of what she was really thinking.

The door locked behind us and I swear it pressurized. Not that I had a lot of experience with that outside of movies. For a moment, I worried and had to check through my tracking abilities how Kahina was on the other side.

Keeper's voice was strong as it bounded around the room on the other side of the door. That was good since I was still a bit tipsy and it was difficult to make things out right.

"Be careful, my dear." Did they have a relationship? Was I going to have to get into a fight with Keeper over Kahina? "There are many of them, and few of us. The transition will be hard to break away from."

"I'm ready."

"I know, you're strong, you always have been, and in the last few months I've seen your power grow." He said. Though what he meant by the last few months didn’t make sense. I hadn't seen any changes in Kahina.

"Jay has been much help." Kahina’s voice, rare praise about me. I hadn't done a damned thing except walk around the compound, and occasionally hang out with Daniel somewhere.

"Is he the man you were considering as your Second?"

"Yes." Score one for me, take that Anthony you pompous asshole.

"Will he be your first?" Would I be her first what? We'd already had sex, more than a few times.

"If he agrees."

There was a punch in my shoulder that made me lose focus. Sensations feeding through the wall ceased and Daniel’s face gained focus.

"Wake up, man. We've got to talk." My friend said with his surfer accent.

I blinked and tried to bring my eyes together. As always when I retracted my senses there was an odd overlay of the area around me. The feel of Daniel's professional shoes flat against the ground. His tie shifting slightly as he moved. The seal of the door snug all the way around, one side suctioned against the other.

"What?" Talking coherently wasn't completely beyond me.

"Well, I managed to figure out a few things."

"While flirting?" Since that was all I noticed. Keeper flirting with everyone, Kahina being demure, Daniel flirting back.

"Keeper's talkative when he's flirting."

"Didn't notice." I forgot to put sarcasm into my tone.

"Kahina’s security has some gaps. Not sure what kind, but she has gaps." Daniel said while running a hand through his hair. Both the redhead's cheeks were flushed from either heat or drinking too much.

"Why tell me?" Why not tell Kahina? It was her security.

"I can't interfere." He stared at me like there should be lightbulbs going off above my head. There weren’t. Lightbulbs probably would have caused me to get a headache.

"Why not?" I asked. Sector basically did what they wanted right?

"As long as it's within race Sector's hands are tied. To be clear," Daniel placed a hand on my shoulder and stared straight at me. "no matter what happens, Sector can't officially get involved unless it's interracial."

"Oh. Should I expect trouble?" I said dumbly. Danger this soon into her change seemed wrong somehow. Then again we had been attacked last night. I tried to shake off the last of a buzz that didn’t seem to fade.

"Yes. God yes, man. Haven't you been paying attention? Kahina is being turned by Keeper himself, Keeper. Not some new age vampire, not some family obligation, she was picked by The Keeper."

"What's going to happen?" I asked.

"I can't say. If it follows pattern then the next week or so will put this compound under constant attack.” Daniel looked up at the ceiling. I looked too and got annoyed that it was so low. “Kahina picked a good place, though, and the walls are high. Being inside the city will limit some actions what with security cameras everywhere near by."

I wondered about oversized brick walls surrounding the entire property. Not too much, a wall was to keep people out. As a private man I understood.

"Likely more attacks from Fifty Five, probably some lower vampires that aren't expected to survive the change, maybe humans.” Daniel paused and stared at me. He pulled at shortened hair and sighed. “Scratch that, you're here, there’ll certainly be humans attacking. There hasn't been a transition this high profile in decades."

"All her employees are prepared," I said.

"I know, she's put a lot into this. A lot. You have no idea what sort of paperwork is required to get an Ex Sector Agent to instruct." Daniel was shaking his head back and forth while still tugging.

"Who?" My forehead wrinkled slightly while I fidgeted with these clothes. They felt too stuffy and confined.

"I think you know him as Sensei." Oh, right, he spent a lot of time downstairs training everyone in hand to hand, or strategies for defense. I hadn't seen much of him in the last four months.

"Can I trust him?"

"No. No, you can't trust anybody. It's you and Kahina, that's it." Daniel said.

The door behind us depressurized and started to open. Daniel clenched his hand and shook me for a moment then let go. Keeper stepped out into the hallway.

"Gentlemen, I believe it's time." Keeper said to us with his quiet tone.

"I'll go then. My job is completed." Daniel gave a short bow to Keeper.

"A shame, but yes. Until next time, Agent Crumfield." The short, unassuming vampire said without a return bow.

"Keeper." Daniel nodded and walked down the hallway back towards the exit.

"And me?" I had no clue what my actions should be.

"That's between you and my dear Kahina." Keeper turned back to the open door. "She's inside, come."

I stepped inside after the shorter vampire and the door sealed shut. It made the room feel darker than it should be. A small amount of light spilled around the room. Kahina had laid down. Keeper sat on a plain chair next to the bed.

"Are you sure you want to do this here?"

"Yes." Kahina's eyes were unfocused. Was she worried about the change? Anyone in their right mind would be. I was, but there was no room for my feelings in this decision. These choices had to be made by her.

"Tonight?" Keeper pressed.

"Yes, sire," She said.

Keeper pulled an object out of his jacket. It was hand length and thin. Whatever it was had been wrapped in a dark fabric, probably purple if Kahina had her way.

I shuffled a bit closer to Kahina and him, in case he did something threatening. Maybe a little closer than was proper but it was Kahina laying there. She looked so tired. Minutes ago she had been demure in front of Keeper. Now she was clammy and sweating. Kahina must be afraid again, with good reason.

"There used to be much ceremony with this before it became so mired by laws. Oaths instead of forms, honor instead of legal bindings. Still, this is better then grabbing young princes from a campfire." His voice had regained that distant tone now that Daniel was gone. "Some parts anyway." He at least remembered how to smile.

"Keeper, please." It was hard to tell what expression Kahina was going for. Her face drooped on one side and the words were lethargic.

"Of course, dear."

Keeper unwrapped the item in his hand, revealing a clean little blade. Without further comment, he took the blade and cut into his forearm where blood eagerly welded up.

"Drink it." He put his arm out near her lips. "After all, we must adhere to some of the old forms."

I watched as he slipped his arm to her lips. Watched as her eyes drifted upwards to mine, then his and fell back down to the bloodied arm in front of her. Slowly she suckled the gash and blood slipped away past her lips.

Kahina gulped slowly. Her complexion didn't change, but her eyes grew darker. The serious changes would be internal and easy to miss. No matter how prepared someone was, watching it in person wasn't comforting. Knowing that she basically pulled the trigger in a game of six chamber roulette.

"That should be more than enough, it is much more concentrated than what your body is generating currently. The last of your old self will be overwhelmed and the condition will take full hold."

She nodded. "I know."

"Of course, dear, you're doing wonderfully." His voice was slow and soothing. It was hard to say who he was trying to reassure.

"I'll need to leave you soon, dawn may catch me otherwise."

"I can feel it." She slurred. Was she talking about dawn?

"We will help you through the transition." Of course I would help her. Keeper's help would be good too, and Shaggy, and the others in the household. Each of us had something invested in keeping Kahina alive. Even if Daniel said trust no one, he was likely making sure I didn't rely on anyone.

"Your Guardian will need to come with me." The male vampire said.

"Jay." Her voice was worse, uneven, shaky.

"Only for a moment, dear." He tried to reassure Kahina. Her hand slowly edged towards the side of the bed. I took it carefully and felt a faint pulse.

"Too soon." Then her eyelids closed. We both watched her lying there. I checked for only a moment with my other sight. Briefly acknowledging that she was mine.

World shimmers. Feel the vibrations of life. Energy, denser than air. Dangerous Mate. Weak. Drifting. Still alive. Uncomfortable expectation. Touch her hair. Her face. Feel the changes speeding through. Tiny battles have started inside.

"Come, quietly." Keeper was back at the door. Then the passageway opened with a rush of air and we slipped outside.

"What did you want?" The words came out ruder than they should have.

Keeper stood and stared for a moment. Not at my eyes but at all of me. His eyes traveled up, then down, looking for something. Hopefully he wasn't wasting my time by gauging if I was a good lay or not. Now was not the time. He leaned closer and I saw a deep breath pass through his body. Then another, and another.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Finally he stopped and stepped back.

"It is good that she has one of The Hidden helping her. Though you taste of tampering." Keeper nodded.

"What?" That was my third question to someone and still no answer that made sense. It felt almost typical. "The Hidden?"

His eyes grew wide. "You do not know then?"

"Know what?" That I wasn't human? Yeah, I knew that. What I was besides that still was a mystery.

"Then I am fortunate I did not say more. I would not risk death by misspeaking." He said.

What the hell did that mean? Telling me information somehow flirted with death? He had a hint as to what I was? If I learned that then maybe I would know what I could really do. If there were others like me, if Kahina and I could get along without her flipping out on me when she drew blood. Waiting for Evan to provide me information involved waiting eight or nine months.

"What are you talking about?" It was my turn to step closer to him, falling back on the normal tactics of invading his personal space. Something that normally made other people uneasy.

"Back, up, child." The way he said the last word was purely insulting and no longer distant. His attention was very much in the now. Those eyes drilled into mine.

"Child?" I didn't move.

"You are young but different. Do not think that your size or alien nature is an advantage. Or that my girl's good graces ensure your life." Keeper's voice felt focused compared to his normal method of talking.

I debated pulling out a cross. It would take too long to yank one out of my pocket, though. Being aggressive with Kahina's patron was a terrible idea. Hell. He offered her help too. I stood for a moment longer and stared down at Keeper. His hand seemed to sit calmly on the cane, but his body felt utterly still. Finally I gave up and tried to settle down.

"Perhaps I can say a little, rarely do The Hidden show up in the world. Especially since the completion of the Purge." Keeper nodded once I was under control.

"The Purge wiped out all the other races," I muttered dryly. That fact kept presenting itself every time I tried to get information.

"It was impossible to be that thorough.” Keeper sounded distant again, but a little amused. “Not that we didn't try."

"You were there?" I asked.

Keeper nodded.

"Why can't you tell me anything?" I asked another question.

"The ruminates of old pacts bind those who know from telling those who don't, with few exceptions," He said.

"Elven magic?" Which was purely visual and illusions, wasn't it?

"That I cannot say.” Keeper shook his head back and forth. “The bindings prevent us from talking about The Hidden races in any sort of specific manner. That is why you are called Hidden. If you were any of the core races then I would risk telling you this much."

"Fine," I said. It was getting annoying that no one could tell me about myself. "Everyone likes to allude."

"Ah, then I am not the first?"

"No."

"And the others?" Keeper asked.

"A friend." Sort of, not that we ever hung out. What were Evan and I then, servant and master? "He was bound and unable to talk about it."

"Elven?" The vampire asked. I guess when you've been around a few hundred years 'binding' only meant one race.

"Yes."

"Perhaps there are some answers there that won't result in death." He nodded for me and tapped the cane twice on the ground.

"Why elves?" I said while quickly shaking my head with annoyance.

"Because they started the Purge." The shorter man and his damned sparkly cane had a grin plastered from one side of his face to the other. Keeper left me with more questions than I started with.

"Don't worry. You'll be found by kin, eventually. Perhaps they watch you already. They may reveal what they will, where I will not." Keeper turned distant again. I was starting to think that he became lost in thoughts easily. "Now I must be safe before dawn. Go back inside, stay with her. She will need all the support we can give."

"How are you..." One moment Keeper was there and the next moment completely and utterly gone. I looked around the hallway as it went down one way and back the other, nothing. Darn vampires.

That left me and a door that had sealed itself behind me. The door handle was cool to the touch and refused to budge.

"How do I open this thing?" I wondered.