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

“Not a problem,” Duff told him before hustling Liddy out of my apartment, tossing a, “Good night” over his shoulder.


“I think I’ll head out too,” Rob said. “Nice to have met you, Ephram. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other now.” He patted Ephram’s arm then strolled casually out, closing the door behind him.


“They’re nice,” Ephram said. “Liddy seems to be a bit of a space case. And I shouldn’t have said that. She’s your friend.”


I chuckled. “She has her moments, especially tonight. I think she’s just suffering from jetlag.”


He nodded. “Do you really think I can handle running the gallery in the evenings?”


“You have the credentials,” I replied. “Vince can train you on the day-to-day…okay, no, he can’t. But I can. It’s not that hard if you have any people-skills and know how to work a credit card machine.”


Chapter 31