Jule took it. Rourk had highlighted several portions of Sean's tiny, neat writing.

"The girl visited the town nearly every weekend, and her father accompanied her once every few weeks. It's all pretty boring stuff: shit they ate and drank, the license plates on their vehicles, typical surveillance stuff," Rourk said. He leaned forward to flip a couple of pages. "Until you get to here. This was only a few days ago, when we all lost our magic."

Jule read through the portion dated four days ago, when the Black God's mantle had changed hands.

They stayed till closing, and I followed him out. He was driving … Jule skipped through the details of Yully's car.… Another figure followed them. The unidentified male was seven feet tall, dark hair, with eyes that glowed like a vamp's. I couldn't read him; my powers were gone as of that morning. I obeyed the emergency protocol issued earlier in the day and didn't approach the vamp. He followed the Other and the girl. The Other didn't notice him, perhaps because of the strange issues affecting magic. The entry went on with no more mention of the mysterious vamp.

"I thought it was weird, because we haven't seen a vamp in over a year anywhere in Ireland. I'd have noticed a seven-foot-tall vamp, and even if we didn't, the Other would've," Rourk said. "It might mean nothing, but I wanted to tell you."

Xander. Jule recognized the description of the Original Vamp.

Another memory emerged, one that reminded him that long ago, he'd been assigned to ease Damian's transition to the White God, which was how he met Cassandra, a human, in the mortal realm. An Original was released at the transition of a Black or White God in the mortal world to ensure the immortals didn't try to take over during the vulnerable period when a new God learned his powers. Jule had chosen to stay with Cassandra instead of returning to the immortal realm when the Schism occurred.

Find me when you're ready. The Oracle will know where I am, Xander had said.

"Jule?" Rourk asked at his silence.

"It means nothing." Pulling himself from his spotty memories, Jule looked up at an expectant Rourk. He wasn't sure what was going on, and he wasn't about to worry Rourk more by admitting there was a seven-foot vamp with unlimited power loose somewhere. "I think Sean made a mistake."

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"I suspected as much," Rourk said. "I think we'd know if there was one in town."




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