When Sorino strolled through the door at five a.m., Kai leapt to his feet obediently. Katelina noticed the vampire had changed into a beige suit, and his damp hair said he'd showered.

As he clipped the chain to Kai's collar, he commented, "Thank you for keeping an eye on my pet. It's nice to see he hasn't been fed upon."

Kolli didn't get the joke. "You thought we'd hurt him?"

Sorino made an impatient noise and tugged Kai out the door.

Jorick appeared a few ...