“…was able to control the route between Asia and Europe, as well as the passage from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euxinos Pontus. Don’t you think?”

It would seem that only a moment had passed since Casey’s journey into Other Memory began. Camille had not noticed her absence.

Falco had. There was a disapproving glint in his eye.

“Um,” Casey replied uncertainly to Camille, while blushing scarlet under Falco’s stern gaze. “The, ah, Euxinos….” As Usi’s presence dissolved from her mind like a fading dream, her ability to think began to rally back into working order. She gave Camille a soft, abashed laugh to go with the blush. “Mr. Falco always says if I spent more time studying I might actually learn something. I’m afraid I expended pretty much my entire knowledge of the late Roman Empire with that one comment about Byzantine religious art. It sounds very interesting, though.” She smiled sheepishly at the girl, then darted a guiltily apologetic glance at Falco.

His eyes softened, but she heard his voice in her mind. :: Dangerous. :: (continue reading…)

Casey resisted the urge to jerk around and look behind her; instead she let her eyes unfocus as she sipped her tea, reaching out with her psi senses toward the area behind her, searching for minds that felt dangerous or out of place.

She sensed the usual jumble of humanity that she had learned to screen out…

…and then something LEAPT out at her in the crowd… a sense of living hatred… powerful and deadly.

Her eyes widened for a moment, then she carefully schooled her features back into an expression of friendly interest for Camille’s benefit. Leaning back in her chair, she turned slightly and scanned the crowd with what she hoped was a casual gaze. “Yeah, Austin does have more than its share of weirdos, doesn’t it?”

“That it does,” she heard the girl respond.

Casey zeroed in on the chilling, hateful entity, trying to identify its physical presence. A small crowd of darkly clad men and women were milling about across the street. In the center of them was a man wearing a black trench coat. The garment seemed less like a coat than a cloak. The color was not black, but death. His dark hair was long, flowing about his head like a mane.

A lion, she realized. He was not at all unlike a predator, proud in his viciousness — self assured in the knowledge that he was the deadliest most dangerous animal of all.

Casey frowned slightly, taking in the death-cloaked predator and his entourage with an uneasy mix of wariness and fascination. “Some weirder than others,” she commented absently to Camille. And to Falco, **Who is that?**
(continue reading…)

There was clapping and barking from the audience.

Casey hadn’t been expecting so much fanfare, but she was pleased by the People’s welcome and warmed by Falco’s generous words.

“And while I am proud to have Casey with us in this struggle,” Falco continued, “I am grieved to learn of the death of our friend Ramses.”

The room quieted again.

As she sat back down she distinctly heard someone say: “Nice backside, too.” She managed to keep a straight face as she returned her attention to Falco’s solemn eulogy. The People were reminding her more of the Longhorn crowd by the minute.

“Ramses’ life ended the way he lived it. Fighting for his Pack, fighting for the mission. I pray that when my time comes, I exit this world as well as he. A finer dog, I’ve never known. While his spirit has migrated to a kinder world, we will miss him.”

Casey’s gaze wandered across the crowded room, the somber doglike faces. She wondered who her guard would be, and what the choice would be based upon. Strength and power? That Rottweiler near the wall looked positively intimidating; she hoped it wouldn’t be anyone that scary. Intelligence, maybe? She kind of liked the looks of the Border Collie in the second row. He had a friendly, competent look about him. Merciful heavens, hopefully not that Chow Chow in the corner, she’d never liked Chows and this one looked especially vicious….
(continue reading…)

Falco, Casey, and Cerberus returned to dog form all ventured downstairs to the garage where a number of cars awaited.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Falco said, “But I believe I will drive tonight.”

Casey laughed at that in spite of — or maybe because of — her growing nervousness. “I think my old truck’s about had it. Probably best if you do the driving from now on.”

The Immortal glanced over to Cerberus, “The Roadster, I think.”

The dog groaned.

The three stepped over to a sleek, silver 1969 Jaguar XKE Roadster SII, convertible with black leather interior.

“Nice,” Casey smiled, opening the passenger side door and sliding in.

Falco climbed in behind the steering wheel. Cerberus squeezed in between them, backside resting on the trunk.

“Watch the claws,” Falco warned. “Just had it waxed.”

Casey rested her arm companionably on the mastiff’s back to make a bit more room.

Before pulling out of the garage, Falco closed his eyes. Casey felt a buzz of mental energy sweep away from him. She’d seen this before, last night when he’d searched for the presence of vampires near the Longhorn. Experimentally she closed her own eyes and tried to sense what might be on the other side of the garage door. Her mind moved forward, her awareness extending from her in a cone… through the overhead door and out into the street… a mind! She found the mind of a young man passing by… on a bicycle.

Touching his mind, she found that he was excited by his plans for the evening. He had a six pack of beer in his backpack and copy of HOT AND SAUCEY PIZZA GIRLS, Volume 4.

She stifled an amused snort. If there were any vampires in the vicinity, her senses weren’t yet honed enough to ’see’ them.

Falco’s eyes opened, “Clear.”

The garage door opened and they motored out into the evening streets with the top down. Casey looked around, unconsciously wide-eyed, half expecting to see a city teeming with mythical creatures now that Falco had gifted her with the ability to see such things.
(continue reading…)

Casey awakened, cradled in the nook of Falco’s arm. He was applying a cool wash cloth to her face. She lifted a shaky hand to her temple, echoes of agony and revelation lingering in her mind, but already she was feeling better.

Empowered.

She felt knowledge ordering itself in her head… like files in a cabinet….

She understood telekinesis… and telepathy… at a higher level than she had ever imagined possible… she also had some fundamentals of obfuscation, pyrokinetics….

“Why don’t you grab a shower,” Falco suggested as he helped her up. “We’ve got business this evening.” (continue reading…)

Casey nearly jumped out of her skin at the unexpected voice. She turned and saw Cerberus there. The Bull Mastiff took two steps into the kitchen. He held himself up straight and then his flesh rippled, the air blurred around him…

He leaned back on his hind legs, and grew into a dog-man.

Casey should have been prepared for this by now, but somehow she wasn’t. She watched the dog’s transformation in mute astonishment.

He stood an enormous six and a half feet tall, thickly built with a barrel chest. His clothes — which appeared from nowhere — were blue jeans, black cowboy boots, grey sweatshirt.

His body was distinctly human in form, but his head was more dog than man.

“Hello, Casey.”

“Hello, Cerberus,” she managed, a bit unsteadily. “Are you a gazillion years old too?”
(continue reading…)

Casey made her way back to the kitchen, put together a simple lunch of what was on hand, and settled in at the table with a platter of apricot chicken salad, grapes, melon, and pineapple. As hungry as she was, she barely tasted the food she was eating; her mind was buzzing with everything she’d had to absorb today.

Cerberus padded into the kitchen and lay on the floor next to her feet.

She gave the mastiff an absentminded but friendly nudge with one booted toe. “Don’t suppose you’ve got any surprises for me too, Cerberus?” she muttered humorously. “Go ahead, I can take it.”
(continue reading…)

Falco closed up the empty glass case and bundled the wrapped sword under his arm. “Walk with me.” He led her from the room, down the hall, and back into the library, where he placed the sword on a mantle peg over the fireplace. He stood back, appreciating the blade. “I like it better in here.”

Casey nodded absently. “Looks good.”

He smiled, “Thank you.” He glanced back at her. “The past. What you are experiencing, many misconstrue as reincarnation. The memory of past lives.” He shook his head, “That is incorrect. It is genetic memory. You are remembering the lives of your ancestors.”

“You mean, my…my grandfather? Those were his memories?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Obviously, he is the Prima Voce of your genetic memories. You must befriend him… make him your ally. His voice must work with you to control the others. And there will be others. Many, many others. It is all too easy to lose yourself in the noise of those other lives.”

“Prima voce…first voice? I…guess I don’t really understand what you mean. You’re saying that I need to learn to communicate with my dead grandfather?”
(continue reading…)

Falco leaned forward. “Casey… you have no concept of what wonders you are capable of… what good you can sow, and the miracles you may one day reap.”

It was an alluring image. It appealed to her youthful idealism and her sense of adventure. And who was she kidding — that peaceful ranch life had felt downright suffocating once her psionic gifts had begun to develop. There was no reason to believe she’d like it any better now. Her horizons had been permanently broadened.

In fact, at the moment, sitting in this sunlit kitchen and sharing Falco’s capable, reassuring company, it suddenly seemed to her that it would take a whole lot more than just a bunch of vampires to bring her education to such an early end.

“Well then,” she replied with the beginning traces of a smile, “You’ll just have to enlighten me.”
(continue reading…)

Casey awakened, stretching. Daylight was well into the room, the sun warm in the sky. The clock on the bedside table showed that it was just after ten a.m. She’d gotten about six hours of sleep and felt very well rested.

She sat up, looking around the room. In the warm light of day the memory of last night’s bizarre events seemed more unreal than ever, but her unfamiliar surroundings were proof enough that it had all happened. She stretched again, luxuriously. Vampires or no, it was impossible to feel afraid in this sunny, lovely room.

When she opened the bedroom door she saw three bags — her bags, from her apartment.

“Aha!” Delighted, she brought them back into the bedroom and sorted through them until she’d found a complete change of clothes. Taking these to the bathroom, she indulged in a long, hot shower. Then she dressed, simply and comfortably: blue jeans and a sleeveless shirt in a very pale shade of yellow that complemented the healthy tan of her face and slender, leanly-muscled arms. Her boots had tell-tale marks on the heels where now-absent spurs had rubbed the leather dark and glossy. There was a gleam of silver at her throat, but the necklace was mostly concealed by the collar of her shirt. She ran a comb through her shoulder-length blonde hair, then wandered out to explore her surroundings.
(continue reading…)