Vampire Philip Archer and his team of successful art thieves -- black panther shifter Duff, ghost Rob, and Duff's human girlfriend Liddy -- are asked by the handsome Ian Croft, a potential client, to break with tradition and rescue a kidnapped child. When the caper turns out rather differently than expected, Philip is bitterly reminded why he has remained single for so long. Yet, surrounded as he is by loving friends, he is not desperate. This is why, when he meets the newly-made vampire Ephram, he suppresses his attraction and focuses on being a mentor to the Fledgling.<br><br>Ephram was turned by Virgil Ionescu, an ancient vampire known for casting off his Children before they are ready. Living off the streets, Ephram's future is precarious until he meets Philip. Ephram is immediately attracted to Philip and only too happy to be taken under his wing and taught the skills of surviving in modern New Orleans.<br><br>But Philip keeps secrets. Ephram can sense it, but he can't penetrate the thousand-year-old Philip's reserve. What will Ephram do when he discovers the big secret his new group of friends are keeping from him? Will his love for Philip trump all, or will he betray them? And, to complicate matters, Ionescu arrives unexpectedly in town, coming to check on his Child.

Art Theft 101

I chuckled low. Anyone who saw me at the moment would have no problem believing that vampires existed and resided in the city. They would be correct, although there weren’t nearly as many as the tour guides would have you believe. A mere handful of us in point of fact. That reminded me of the image I’d plucked from Ian’s mind just before erasing his memories of me and his dream of achieving immortality. I wondered if what Ian had seen was fact or just his over-active imagination. To the best of my knowledge, those of us who live here rarely if ever feed from a live host. We were civilized now, getting our sustenance from bagged blood.


Chapter 22