J.L. shrugged. "They like it. It helps them be more . . . helpful."
She snorted. "You mean you're bribing them."
"Could be worse," J.L. muttered.
Rajiv nodded. "Village people like J.L. very much."
They reached the edge of the forest. Gregori's flashlight beam caught the bright yellow color of a canola field to the left.
"Oh, how pretty," Abigail breathed.
"This way." J.L. led them toward the canola field. "The healer said it grew in great clumps in this area."
They spread out to search for it, although Gregori stayed close to Abby. Their flashlight beams moved back and forth over the green vegetation.
She gasped. "There it is!" She grinned at Gregori, then flung her arms around him. "I found it!"
Rajiv, J.L., and Russell rushed toward her.
"Here." Rajiv dug into his canvas bag and handed her clippers and a plastic bag.
"There's a trowel in there, too, and some plastic pots." J.L. motioned to the canvas bag. "We weren't sure if you wanted clippings or the whole plant."
"Oh, the whole plant would be wonderful. Sometimes the root is the best part. And then I can get a soil sample, too." Abigail grinned. "You guys are the best!"
Gregori grabbed the trowel and located a cluster of small Tiger Paw plants. Soon they had three unearthed and planted in the plastic pots.
"Let me see if I can get through to Angus." J.L. called on his phone. "Hey, boss. We've got a pickup for you. Three plants."
Angus, Robby, and Kyo materialized close by.
"Are ye all right, lass?" Angus asked Abigail.
"Yes." She smiled. "We're making wonderful progress!"
"We'll have Mikhail teleport these to Moscow." Robby lifted one of the pots. "And then he can take them on to London. We'll have them safe at Romatech within twenty-four hours."
"That's fantastic." Her smile widened. "Thank you!"
Gregori wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "One down, and two to go."
Russell turned to J.L. "Did the healer tell you where the second plant is located?"
J.L. exchanged a worried look with Rajiv. "He said the Demon Herb is west of here. Close to the village that's three miles away on the other side of the lake."
"Let's go get it," Gregori said. "Then we'll be done here tonight, and we can move on to the next base."
Rajiv shook his head. "We should not look for it. It is very bad."
"What do you mean?" Gregori asked. "Is it some kind of narcotic?"
"I'm not sure," J.L. replied. "The healer just told us to stay away. Apparently it's called the Demon Herb because it's so powerful. People say it's cursed."
"Surely that's just an old superstition," Abigail said.
Rajiv shook his head again. "It is very bad."
"What makes it so bad?" Robby asked.
J.L. sighed. "Those who go looking for it are never seen again."
Chapter Twenty-three
"Abby, is that you?" Madison asked on the phone. "Are you in China?"
"I was about thirty minutes ago. Is Mom okay?"
"She's asleep, so I answered her phone. I'm in her hospital room. Where are you?"
"I'm close to Tokyo," Abigail explained. "Kyo's place. I needed to use the bathroom, and Gregori said I could either try the bamboo forest or he'd teleport me to a real bathroom. Guess which one I chose?"
Madison laughed. "That teleporting sure does come in handy."
"Yes." Abigail suspected Gregori had a hidden motive for offering to take her back to Kyo's house. The guys were worried about the accursed Demon Herb. Instead of spending the rest of the night going after the plant, they were trying to keep her safely ensconced at Kyo's luxurious estate.
She leaned back in the Jacuzzi tub. "You wouldn't believe the size of this bathtub I'm in."
Madison giggled. "Are you alone?"
Abigail snorted. "Yes." She'd locked the door so she could enjoy a long hot soak in the tub. "This place is beautiful. Full of art and antiques. And the garden outside is heavenly. Kyo must be awfully wealthy."
"Really?" Madison sounded impressed. "Can I meet him?"
Abigail laughed.
Gregori suddenly materialized inside the room. She gasped and nearly dropped the phone in the water.
"Something wrong?" Madison asked.
"I . . . dropped the soap." So much for locking a vampire out.
Gregori winked at her, then pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor.
She watched as his trousers hit the floor. Then his underwear. Good Lord, could any man be more gorgeous?
"Abby? Are you still there?"
"Yeah." Abigail sat up so she could observe Gregori in the glass shower stall. "Tell Mom and Dad I'm fine."
"Okay. What about the plants?"
What plants? Abigail watched as Gregori soaped up his body. Oh God, he was lathering up his groin.
"Abby? Hello? I think there's something wrong with our connection. Did you look for your plants?"
Oh, plants! "Yes! We're making excellent progress. We've already collected one and we know the location of the second."
"Wow! That's awesome!"
"Yes. Awesome," she murmured as Gregori rinsed off. He turned his back to her, and rivulets of white lather slid down his back, then over his muscular bu**ocks and down his legs. "I need to go now, Maddie. Tell everyone I'm fine." She hung up and dropped her phone on a white bathrobe she'd left on a nearby bench.
Gregori stepped out of the shower and smiled at her, his dimples showing. "Did you enjoy the show?"
"Yes." Her gaze lowered to his groin. Wow. He was already semi-aroused.
He walked toward her. "That's an awfully big tub."
"Yes." She sighed. "Totally selfish of me to keep it all to myself."
"Naughty girl." He grinned as he climbed in.
She moved over to make room for him, but he pulled her close into his arms. His eyes darkened to a red glow as he skimmed his hands over her rump.
"There's something I need to tell you," he began. "I don't want you to get scared later."
"You want me to stay here, don't you?" She ran her fingers along his whiskered jaw.
"In the tub? Actually, I thought we might move to a bed."
She poked a finger in one of his dimples. "I meant you want to keep me here in Japan."
"Ah." He teased the crevice between her bu**ocks. "You have to admit it's much more pleasant here than a cave."
"The plants are over there."
"Yeah, but you're safer here." His eyes returned to their normal grayish-green. "Why not let us do the dangerous stuff?"
"How can it be dangerous? I have three Vamps, a tiger, and a bear to keep me safe."
He gave her a dubious look.
"I can be very persuasive." She smoothed her hand down his chest to his abs. "What can I do to convince you?"
He sucked in a breath when her hand circled his penis. "You're on the right track." His eyes turned red again.
"Well, it's a big track." She tugged gently. "Hard to miss."
He winced. "You're too smart for me, Scholar. I came in here to seduce you into staying, and you . . . you . . ." With a groan, he leaned his head back.
"Shame on you." She kissed his ear. "Using sex to persuade me."
He snorted. "And you're not?" He grabbed her, and everything went black.
He tumbled her onto a bed. "We'll see who can be more persuasive."
Abigail smiled as she reached for him. He tried for several hours to persuade her, but in the end, she teleported back to the cave with him.
She woke hours later, cuddled beside Gregori on their sleeping bags. It seemed dark in the back of the cave, but then she noticed a wooden screen had been stretched across the cave, piding it in half and blocking any sunlight that filtered through the entrance.
Back in the dark recesses of the cave, J.L. and Russell were in their sleeping bags sound asleep. It had to be daylight outside. The numbers on her digital watch glowed two-fifteen P.M. Good Lord, she'd slept most of the day away. Her body no longer knew night from day.
"Good afternoon," she murmured to Gregori, wondering just how deeply a vampire could sleep. She kissed his cheek. Goodness, he was cold.