"Oh, si." Maria Reyes turned back to her and said worriedly, "Si, Chiquita, I need to talk to you."
"What is it?" Sarita asked, her smile fading. "Has something happened?"
"No," she assured her quickly and then sighed unhappily and blurted, "I want to be a part of your life, yes? But I cannot come to Canada with you, Chiquita. Elizabeth would be alone and she needs my help. These poor hybrids, so abused and imprisoned so long. They need help. And you don't need help. You have your Domitian. But they have no one, and Elizabeth has only me and Thorne and-"
"Abuela," Sarita interrupted gently when the woman didn't show signs of winding down. "It's okay."
"Si?" she asked uncertainly.
"Si," Sarita assured her, and then took a deep breath and admitted, "I've been thinking I might like to stay and help with the hybrids too."
"Oh, Sarita!" She hugged her quickly. "That would be wonderful! I know Elizabeth will be so pleased. And then Domitian can stay and keep his restaurants and marry you like he wants and you can make babies for us to spoil and-"
"Yeah, Gran, you maybe want to slow your ponies there," she said dryly. "Domitian hasn't asked me to marry him or anything."
"He asked me for permission to marry you."
"He did?" Sarita asked with surprise. "When?"
"When he took us dancing. He is a true gentleman, that one. He asked for formal permission out of respect. A good boy."
"What did you say?" she asked with curiosity.
"I said yes, of course," she exclaimed as if that should be obvious. "He loves you and you love him and you will make me beautiful little grandbabies to spoil."
It seemed everyone "knew" she loved him, Sarita thought wryly. She was the only holdout . . . and she didn't want to be.
"Oh! There he is now. I will go. You tell him you are staying and will marry him. He will be so happy." Her grandmother rushed off before she could protest and Sarita watched her beam happily at Domitian in passing.
When all he managed was a weak smile in return, Sarita frowned. Something was obviously up, and it didn't look like this was the time to tell him anything. The moment he had passed her grandmother, his smile died and his expression became a combination of anger and concern.
"What is it?" Sarita asked, when he caught her hands and began to urge her farther into the garden.
"I was just talking to Lucian," he said and then announced abruptly, "Dressler went to his apartment when he left here."
"They found him?" she asked with surprise.
"No. They found what he left behind."
Sarita eyed him uncertainly. "Davies?"
"He is alive. He was in a bad way, but they have given blood and he is recovering and talking and told us all he knew," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Raising his head, he added, "Asherah is dead, though."
"How?" she asked at once.
"Her throat ripped out," he said bluntly.
Sarita stiffened. "Davies didn't-"
"No. That is what they first thought when they got on the scene, but he said no and the information on Dressler's computer backs him up. El Doctor apparently left it in his rush to get out, and I guess it was rigged to record everything the cameras saw . . . all the cameras."
"Us on the little island?" she asked and then winced when he nodded. Well, that was embarrassing.
"And us on this island," he said quietly. "Including when I turned you."
"What? But-"
"Lucian sent someone down to search the cottage. There was a camera in every room in the house. The recordings started while Dressler's men were searching the cottage. They were planting and activating the cameras during their 'search.'"
"So he knows how to become immortal," she said with dread, and then realization struck and she glanced at him sharply. "That's why he took Davies."
Domitian nodded.
"He made him turn him," she guessed.
Domitian shook his head. "Apparently he turned himself. Nearly chewed Davies's arm off to do it too."
Sarita winced. "So Dressler killed Asherah."
"He drained them both dry, Davies and Asherah. She died, but most of Davies's nanos moved into his organs. He was suffering until help came, but alive. Poor bastard." He ran a hand through his hair and said, "As for Asherah, she made her own bed. She was never trying to help us when she arranged your escape. That was Dressler thinking his ten steps ahead as usual. His plan was to wound you mortally and let you go so I would turn you in front of the cameras he had placed in the cottage during the search. He did not even stick around until I turned you. Once I had you and was headed back to the cottage, he had Asherah grab Davies and take him to the boat in the cave. They were gone before the hunters made the island."