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trying to escape a snare. But what could cause that kind of interference?
    Just as it occurred to Lilith that she might not be the only one inside the dealer’s head, a girl she had never seen before stepped out from behind the other side of the outcropping. The stranger was dressed in a pair of gray skinny jeans, purple tweed boots, a long black shirt, and a cropped, faded black leather bomber jacket. Her dark hair was worn in a blunt, jagged bob that, along with her full lips and high cheekbones, made her look like a semi-feral pixie. With a start Lilith realized she was standing face-to-face with a New Blood.
    â€œThis one is mine!” the New Blood growled, pointing to the dealer, who stood pinned like a butterfly against the outcropping, drool dripping from his mouth.
    â€œGet lost, skank,” Lilith hissed, unsheathing her fangs in ritual challenge. “He belongs to me!”
    â€œ You get lost, bitch,” the New Blood snarled in response, her eyes glowing. “I was here first !”
    Lilith stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists. “How dare you speak to me like that! Don’t you know who I am ?”
    â€œYeah,” the New Blood sneered. “You’re the snooty uptown bitch whose ass I’m gonna kick !”
    The two glared at each other as they circled like boxers getting ready to fight. Lilith took a swipe at her rival, eager to slice the New Blood’s clothes and flesh to ribbons with her razor-sharp talons. However, the New Blood proved unexpectedly agile, sidestepping her charge with the grace of a matador. Lilith whirled around, surprised by the other girl’s speed.
    The New Blood laughed at the startled look on Lilith’s face. “You oldies talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, you’re nothing but a wuss!” The New Blood’s laughter was abruptly replaced by a screech of pain as Lilith drove her nails into her opponent’s right side.
    â€œFirst blood is mine!” Lilith sneered as she yanked her hand free. “So who’s the wuss now, newbie?”
    The New Blood staggered, her right hand clamping her side, bright red blood oozing from between her fingers. Although her body was already rapidly healing, she would be vulnerable to attack for the next minute—more than enough time for Lilith to deliver the coup de grace. The New Blood’s eyes rolled back in their sockets until only the whites were visible.
    â€œWhat’s the matter, newbie?” Lilith taunted. “You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”
    If the New Blood had a response to Lilith’s jeers, it was lost in the howling wind that suddenly churned every piece of trash in the plaza into a maelstrom of gritand refuse, chasing most of the remaining dealers from the park.
    As Lilith raised her arms to shield her face from the stinging lash of the maelstrom, she saw Tanith and Jules running toward her from their hiding place.
    Eyes still rolled back in her head, the New Blood raised a hand, as if reaching for an invisible rope, and then closed it into a fist. There was a sound like someone running through dry autumn leaves, and a nimbus of pale blue fire blinked into existence around her clenched fist.
    â€œLilith!” Tanith shouted over the roar of the wind. “Get away from her! She’s a stormgatherer!”
    Lilith turned to stare at her adversary, who now held a ball of bluish-white lightning in the palm of her hand. Her previous bravado was quickly replaced by fear. Although vampires can resist every human disease and have regenerative powers that make every wound except decapitation or a stake through the heart a matter of inconvenience, electricity can kill them.
    As she backed away from the New Blood, Lilith saw Jules running toward her. “Jules! Help me!” she yelled.
    Lilith’s shout broke the New Blood’s concentration, causing her eyes to suddenly drop back into their sockets like the