Dark Gold by Christine Feehan Page A

sister on the beach. A faint smile softened the hard line of his mouth. "You are not afraid of me, are you, Joshua?"
    Joshua shrugged and looked away. "No." There was a small, almost defiant silence. "Well, maybe a little."
    Aidan hunkered down beside the boy and looked directly into the blue eyes. His voice dropped an octave, became a pure tone, silver notes that entered Joshua's mind and took possession. "I am an old family friend you have known all your life. We care a great deal for one another and have shared all kinds of adventures." He sent himself outside his body and into the boy, studying the memories the child had of his young life. It was easy to implant a few memories of himself.
    Aidan maintained eye contact with the child. "Your friend
    Henry had a heart attack and died. It was very sad. You called me to come and get you because your sister was so ill. You and Alexandria have been planning to move in with me. The two of you have already brought some of your things into my house, and you have met my housekeeper, Marie. You like her very much. Stefan, her husband, is a good friend to you. We have been arranging the move for weeks. Do you remember?" He implanted memories and images of his housekeeper and caretaker so the two would be familiar and comfortable to the child.
    The little boy nodded solemnly.
    Aidan ruffled Joshua's hair. "You had a bad dream, something about vampires, but you do not really remember it. It is all very hazy. You talked to me about it, and if it ever returns to haunt you, you will come to me, and we will discuss it. You always feel free to talk with me about things that sometimes do not make sense. You want me to be with your sister always. We talk about it together and plot together to make her want to stay with me as my wife, as family. You and I are the best of friends. We always look out for Alexandria. You know she belongs with me, that no one can care for her and protect the two of you as I can. This is very important to you, to both of us."
    Joshua smiled his assent. Aidan held the child's mind a few minutes longer, letting the boy recognize his touch and feel soothed by it. The child had suffered a terrible trauma. Aidan made certain that the method by which he took them home would be instantly forgotten, and the child would remember a large black car, one he would like.
    The trip back was made on the heels of a storm. Swirling black clouds protected the large golden bird and his burdens from any prying eyes as they swept through the sky. Aidan entered the three-story house through the upstairs balcony so no neighbors would see him carry the boy and his sister in.
    "Aidan!" Marie, his housekeeper, rushed to help him as he came down the winding staircase. "Who are these youngsters?" She caught sight of Alexandria's swollen face, the blisters and sores, "Oh, my God. You caught up with the vampire, didn't you? Are you all right? Did he hurt you? Let me call Stefan."
    "I am fine, Marie. Do not worry about me." Even as he said it, he knew it wouldn't change the way she was. She and her husband had been seeing to his needs, to his household, for nearly forty years. Before her, her mother and father had served him. For all his life, members of her family had served him willingly, without the aid of mind control. He had bestowed money enough that none of them ever had to work, but they were loyal to him and his absentee twin brother, Julian. They knew what he was—they were the only humans he had entrusted with the knowledge of his kind—yet it didn't matter to them.
    "The vampire has harmed her?"
    "Yes. I need you to care for the boy. His name is Joshua. I have implanted memories of our friendship so he will not fear being here. Stefan must go to their rooming house and collect their belongings and bring them here. Her car remains in a restaurant parking lot." He told her where. "That must be collected. The boy has the car keys in his pocket. Healing his sister will take some time. The