Note: Thanks to Mostera1 and Donalde for beta reading for me and thanks to all of you for reading my stories and taking the time to vote and comment. Here is a breakdown on the names that someone requested... Giovanni and Reese are one and the same. Reese changes his name when he meets Dante in the 1800s. Dante and Marco are the same person. Dante changed his name to Marco after he got information from Edgar because he didn't want Edgar to look for him when he disappeared. When I am referring to the past, I will use the name that Reese was born with-Giovanni. I don't plan for any other names changes at this time. Thanks... kal
Reese stood back and watched as guards seemed to come from out of nowhere. He heard Paolo's voice tinged with anger and fear issue orders for the grounds to be searched and that the intruder was to be brought to him unharmed. Reese knew that he was courting trouble, but he wanted to watch as the coin was found. What he really wanted was to see Rossi's face when it was given to him. He knew that he would have no idea of who it came from, but it would send his anxiety level through the roof and he would know that it was someone from the old days. Reese could almost see Rossi's thin face pinched in concentration and fear as he tried to figure out who left the coin. He left when he heard someone yell out that he had found something.
He ended up at a high end men's costume store. Marco told him that all of Paolo's parties were costume parties. Apparently as in the human world, some vampires wanted anonymity. As he looked at the costumes, a flashback of a party came back to him. He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand.
"Can I help you find something?" a male voice from behind him asked.
"I am looking for a suitable costume for a party I am attending," Reese replied.
"Unfortunately we don't have much left," the man replied. "There's a huge party this weekend and things are pretty much picked over, but maybe we can put something together."
The "putting something together" took almost an hour. By the time the man was done, Reese barely recognized himself. His hair was tucked under a piece that made him look bald; contacts turned his eyes from brown to a vivid blue and the outfit was a three piece suit.
"Sometimes the best costumes are the ones that look real," the man said.
It made sense, Reese thought. In a roomful of people those in obvious disguise would be the first to come under suspicion. Paolo would assume that he wasn't afraid to reveal himself and would be intrigued by him. Reese paid the man and then compelled him to forget that he was there. He took his belongings and went home to check on Edgar.
***
Paolo paced his bedroom, his anger and fear palpable. He tried to tamp down his fear especially since there were so many other vampires around. While he could take care of his servants, there was no way in which he could win against the guards. With a thought, he lit every lavender scented candle that he had in the room and tried to relax.
"It was no one," he repeated over and over. "It was just a random stranger."
Even as he said it, he knew that it wasn't true. Edward's warnings clanged in his head, but what was he supposed to do? Cancel the party and run? The urge to do just that was so strong that he almost vanished from where he stood. The only thing that stopped him was his vanity. What would be said about him? What names would he be called? Paolo closed his eyes and regained control of his emotions. He inhaled deeply taking in the aroma of the lavender allowing it to work its magic.
****
Paolo wasn't the only one to sense the presence on the property. Leo was in the kitchen helping with preparations for the party when he felt it. He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed anything and then the sweet smell of fear hit his nostrils. It was much stronger than the time before. So strong that the others in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and sniffed the air. As one, they looked to Leo for guidance.
Just as he was about to lead them to Paolo's rooms, the scent of fear was replaced by the scent of lavender. All but Leo relaxed. He could still smell the underlying scent of fear and wondered why his senses were so much stronger than the others. It didn't matter he decided. The opportunity to destroy Rossi was gone. He did have to wonder about the intruder. His sense was that it wasn't an accidental thing and that whoever it was wanted his presence to be felt. He or she stayed even after the alarm had been raised. Maybe whoever it was would be able to help him.
***
The lead guard examined the coin and shrugged. It meant nothing to him. All he saw was an old coin from another country. He almost pocketed it to take home to his father who collected coins but then decided to show it to Paolo. If it was nothing, then he would ask to keep it.
By the time he reached Paolo's room, the smell of fear was gone. All he smelled was lavender- a smell that he hated. To him it smelled like burning weeds.
"What did you find?" a now calm Paolo asked.
"Nothing except an old coin that could have always been there," the guard replied as he handed the coin to Paolo.
Paolo took the coin and turned it over and over in his hand. He was about to hand it back when something about it caught his eye.
"Where did you find this?"
"In the back where you thought you sensed someone," the guard replied. "It was sitting on top of a pile of sand."
"Then it was just placed there," Paolo said his nervousness returning. "Someone wanted me to find it."
He took a closer look at the coin and froze. He recognized the coin from his time. That meant that whoever had been on the property was from that time or knew someone who was.
"How many more guards can you get here?" Paolo asked.
"As many as you need, but you already have plenty..."
"If that's true, how did an intruder enter my property unseen?" Paolo interrupted. "Where were your men? How was someone able to be here long enough to leave this coin?"
Paolo stopped when he saw the vampire's nose flare. He had allowed some of his fear to show.
"Get more men here now!" he bellowed allowing his anger to cover her fear.
The vampire hesitated and then smiled.
"They will be here within the hour."
After the vampire left, Paolo went to the window that faced the direction of where Reese had been.
"Who in the hell are you?" he asked.
****
Edgar paced the length of the room wondering if his father would do as the man requested. He hoped so, but he wasn't going to hold his breath. He sat down, stood up, paced and then sat down again. Finally he decided to explore his surroundings. Maybe there was a way out. He started with the small closet and systematically worked his way around the room. From there he went to the bathroom and then the tiny office where there was nothing but a desk. Exasperated, he went back to the main room to find Reese sitting at the small table.
"There is no way out of here," Reese said quietly.
"Is my father going to help you?"
"Yes," Reese replied. "You have underestimated his feelings for you."
Edgar's shoulders sagged in relief. He didn't care why his father was helping him, it only mattered that he was. He wasn't fooled; he knew that his captor had mentioned his mother as an additional incentive to get his father to help. Again, he didn't care.
"What will you do with me when this is over?" Edgar asked.
"I have no plans of doing anything to you," Reese replied, "but that can change at any time. Your survival depends on your father doing as he is told. If he doesn't, you die and I take your mother. It's that simple."
Edgar's eyes blurred with tears. He had been so careless and stupid.
"Have you eaten yet?" Reese asked
"N...no," Edgar replied.
"You should eat," Reese said, "the food isn't tampered with."
