Then there was Alex. Alex did not flow from the interior of the car, he flashed into view like a jet-black star. His movements were not sinuous, or sensuous. They crackled with energy and dark intent. He was neither tall, nor broad, but he exuded strength. His presence was intimidating. He moved like a wild animal.

His long blond hair whipped about his features in what seemed to be windswept disarray, though Copper knew it to be painstakingly molded to that ideal. His eyes were dark, almost black, and they held no emotion. They were the eyes of a serpent. Alex never smiled.

Together, Rosa and Alex were like ice and fire. Long ago, when Copper had first met Rosa, he had made the mistake of believing that Alex was the stronger. Logic, and years of hard lessons, had prevailed. Though fire could melt the tips of ice, the ice was old and powerful. It could crush, or freeze. It could end fire so surely that one would have to push the limits of imagination to remember that it ever existed. There was no doubt who was the more powerful of the two, or how much Alex resented it.

Finally there was Alicia. Alicia was the odd cog. She seemed almost shy, at times. Her eyes were full of emotion and compassion. She had power of her own, Copper knew, but she seldom made this fact known in any tangible way – not like the others. She was black, slightly darker than Copper, but still very light skinned compared to some. Her accent was a mixture of French and the deep south.

She was exquisite, and she scared Copper to death. For one thing, she was one of them, and he was not. She could take him at any moment she chose. For another, Rosa had picked her. There was no way to know how Rosa would react to his feelings toward one of her own, and yet, there was no way to deny the feelings.

The limousine door closed behind them with a decisive click. The darkness was different with the three of them loose – charged with purpose. Copper crossed to the far wall, found the latch to the inner door with practiced ease and released the lever. There was no shift in the darkness as the door slid open. Only a small gust of damp air marked the fact that anything had changed.