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rest of us in jeopardy.”
    Madison knew immediately what Samuel meant. For the most part, the vampires who lived in California enjoyed a peaceful life under the radar of the living. A big part of the council’s job was to make sure the community remained undetected. Anyone—vampires or beaters—who put that peace at risk was dealt with quickly, with no second thoughts.
    Madison raised her chin higher and bored her eyes into Samuel’s. The others remained silent. “You didn’t answer my question, Samuel. What if Keleta is not found worthy by the council?”
    “You know the answer, Madison, so why ask?”
    “Say it, Samuel.”
    Samuel sighed. Although still very young, there was something about Madison’s intensity that touched him deeply. Although she often lacked self-confidence and had little to no tact, she was courageous and driven, and she faced the truth about life head-on like a truck being driven into a brick wall. She didn’t stand for bullshit, and neither did he.
    “If Keleta Kibreab is found by the council to be a threat to himself or to us, then he will be terminated.”
    Madison didn’t need an explanation for that. She knew damn well what it meant.

FOUR
    C ome on, slow poke,” Madison called to Notchey.
    The two of them had gone for a run in Topanga Canyon two mornings after Keleta had been found. Madison was done, back at the car waiting for Notchey to catch up. He’d kept up with her for most of the three-mile hilly jog, mostly out of sheer determination not to let a girl beat him, but in the last mile he’d fallen behind. He’d given up smoking a few months earlier when he’d been shot, but his lungs were still trying to get a handle on his smoke-free lifestyle.
    While she waited for Notchey, Madison slipped into her warm-up jacket and breathed in the earthy scents around her. She nodded good morning to several people she recognized from other morning runs as they made their way from the trail to their own cars. There was a couple—the woman tall and lanky, the man shorter and built like a young bull—she’d been seeing a lot recently. They always wore matching Dodgers ball caps. They both gave her a small wave as they climbed into their black SUV. As one of the familiar male runners passed Madison, he gave her fit figure and flushed face an appreciative scan and smiled. She gave him a small smile back. An older couple were just starting up the trail. They always walked it, going a good pace, hand in hand. As they passed Madison, they nodded and smiled. They reminded her of Doug and Dodie.
    At least three times a week, she ran these trails early in the morning, unless Samuel had kept her up most of the night with vampire business. Madison found it gave her day a kick-start, especially on the days she had classes.
    Before coming to live with the Dedhams, she’d driven over from Culver City to hike the trails on occasion, but now they were practically in her back yard. Madison was naturally slim as a reed, but Dodie Dedham insisted on feeding her like a ranch hand. The running kept her in great condition. It also cleared her head, something she felt she needed more than keeping calories at bay. With the odd life she led, the physical exercise grounded her to the fact that she was the living walking amongst the dead. She’d invited Notchey, who usually ran on a treadmill in a gym, to come with her before. This morning was the third time he’d joined her. The hills were still kicking his ass, but he was getting better at it.
    “Don’t make me hurt you,” Notchey wheezed out once he was beside her. He bent over and placed his hands on his knees, catching his breath. “I do carry a gun, you know.”
    Madison laughed. Opening her car door, she grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to him. He downed half of it. Then she tossed him a towel. “You have time to come back to the house for some eggs and coffee before work?”
    He gave her a tired grin. “I was hoping you’d say that.