B006P1R39O EBOK by Lorraine Kennedy

the laws of his kind. The child of an immortal can only be killed by their own blood. That is where you and your sisters come in.”
    “She needs my help. If she goes against him now … he will destroy her.” Luciano narrowed his eyes on Summer.
    Kathrina was grateful that Summer was immune to the mind power of the vampire. Marius had turned her, but her shifter blood seemed to provide her some protection. If it hadn’t, there was no doubt that Summer would have been dead already.
    “You have until tomorrow night to give us your answer,” Summer told him. “We will be waiting for you at the Jazz Palace on Bourbon Street.”
    Summer turned to Kathrina. “Take care,” she said before turning to leave.
    Kathrina glanced at Luciano and was shocked that the rage that she’d been expecting to see, wasn’t there. Instead she saw sadness and despair. As much as she wanted to look away and continue to view him as a monster, she couldn’t.
    Kathrina took his hand in hers. Startled, he looked down at her, but said nothing.
    Encouraged by the fact that he hadn’t pulled away, she squeezed his hand. “There has to be a way to make everyone happy.”
    It was then that Luciano appeared to come to some kind of decision. “I can’t let you go after Omar.”
    “I have to.”
    Luciano retrieved the paper bag with his free hand and then led her out of the gazebo. “After you make your first kill … I will let you.”
    “I can’t,” she told him.
    “You must or you will die.”
    The two of them walked through the French Quarter. Luciano had said nothing since they’d left Donavan’s house. Kathrina felt that if she spoke, she would break the spell that kept him from pushing her away. He still held her hand in his.
    When they reached Jackson Square, he led her to a bench that was hidden within the shadows. Only then did he let go of her hand.
    “Let’s sit for a while.”
    The square was so deserted that it almost made her feel like the two of them were the only people left on earth. Kathrina sat on the bench beside Luciano. She thought that he might be ready to talk, but she didn’t want to push him. Instead, she waited patiently for him to tell her what was on his mind.
    After several minutes he still had said nothing so she finally asked, “What will happen to you if you can’t cure your vampirism?”
    Luciano smiled. “It isn’t vampirism that is the disease. That is simply part of our nature. We have always needed blood to survive. The disease is what keeps me from going into the light … it is actually a side effect of the virus. So is immortality. The immortals live for a very long time, but not forever.” Closing his eyes, he appeared to drift off to sleep.”
    “And you don’t want to live forever?” she asked.
    “Forever is too long, especially when you are the object of such fear and hatred … and when you must go through eternity alone, ” he finished, a frown marring his perfect face.
    Kathrina rested her hand on his. “I’m sorry.”
    “It doesn’t have anything to do with you,” he told her.
    “What happened … how did you get this disease?”
    “It doesn’t matter,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
    Kathrina moved closer to him and brushed his lips with hers, kissing him softly.
    Luciano reached up to caress her cheek. “Most people would be terrified to be this close to me … even vampires.” His dark eyes peered into hers, searching for the motive that had stirred her tenderness.
    “Do you think that killing me will rid your cousin and friend of the curse?” he asked.
    “Will it?”
    “You read the journal. What did you discover?”
    “It was stolen from me before I could get it translated,” she admitted.
    “By whom?”
    Kathrina found his sudden change in mood unsettling. “ One of Omar’s followers.”
    Luciano laughed. “What a fool! He thinks that he will find a way to hasten their return.”
    “Are they really coming?” Kathrina