BLOOD PRICE.

KIT TUNSTALL.

Chapter 1.

Atar hadn't known what to expect when the queen of Corsova summoned him. He wouldn't have been surprised if the guard escorting him led him into an archaic throne room. He certainly hadn't expected the sentry to lead him into the private chambers of the king and queen. Nor had he antic.i.p.ated her serving him tea in the sitting room.

He held the delicate cup in his large hand while he watched the queen through the veil of his lashes. His gaze occasionally darted to the protector's lifemate, whose gaze never wavered from Anca. He liked that about Demi Golina, who had once been a commoner, as was Atar, though Demi had always belonged in Corsova, while Atar didn't.

"Thank you for coming." She held her cup without sipping from it. "Petru, the Chief of Security here at the castle, recommended we call on you."

His colorless eyes narrowed at the mention of Petru's name, a man with whom he was vaguely acquainted. "I have little to offer the royal family."

"Not true," Demi said. "We've heard your kind is adept at tracking."

He shrugged. "The Makheet race has a way with such tasks but I'm not a tracker. I live my days in solitude in theBulgainMountains." A small smile flashed across his chiseled lips when he remembered how bitterly the party searching for him had complained when finding him. They had gotten lost for two days in the mountains and the group included two werewolves. "I don't see how I can help you."

"Please." There was a trace of pleading in Anca's voice. "We need your a.s.sistance, Atar."

He leaned forward from the wingchair to return his full cup to the tray on the table. "Really-"

"It's not just for us," Demi said. "You might be saving our entire way of life and several human lives in the process."

He quirked a brow. "How so?"

The queen turned her cup on the saucer but still didn't lift it. "Few people know the whole story of what happened two years ago, when I took the Blood Oath."

Atar nodded.

"My half-sister tried to take the Oath in my place. Nikia nearly died, ending up in a coma. There are no long-term care facilities here in Corsova that were equipped to deal with her situation, so we sent her to Constanta..." Anca trailed off, her eyes appearing troubled.

He waited for half a minute for the queen to continue before saying, "What does this have to do with me?"

"She woke up," Demi said. "She escaped a high-security facility."

"She'll be coming for me," Anca added. "She believes the throne should be hers."

He shrugged. "Why not wait for her to come to you and lay a trap for her?" Demi's brow furrowed. "She could do much damage during the time she's free. We're concerned about her killing humans. Not just because of the bloodshed, though that worries us. We're afraid human authorities might apprehend her. If the world finds out about vampires, our haven would cease to be."

Atar winced at Demi's subtle warning. Oh, yes, the man had obviously taken the time to learn about him before they summoned Atar to Castle Draganescu. Losing his sanctuary in Corsova was the only thing that could motivate him to take on this obligation. "What should I do with her when I find her?"

Anca and Demi traded a look. The queen's shoulders bowed. "Bring her back alive, if you can. If you can't..."

He nodded once and got to his feet. "I'll deal with her but in return, I want your a.s.surance you'll never send for me again. I have no desire to be the solution to similar problems."

Anca frowned. "Petru said you've done this before."

Atar nodded. "I a.s.sisted your grandfather once. When I was a youngling, I learned all I'll ever want to know about imperial service during the reign of Charlemagne."

Anca's eyes widened. "But that was twelve hundred years ago!"

Atar nodded. "Makheet are long-lived. All I ask is to spend the remainder of my centuries in peace."

"If you do this for us, you'll be a.s.sured a place with solitude in Corsova for the rest of your life."

"You seem confident," Demi added, scowling. "How can you be sure you'll find her?"

"I have my ways. Do you want a breakdown of them or do you want me to find Nikia before she kills someone?"

Anca stood up. "Please find her as quickly as you can."

He nodded. "I'll leave tonight on the last train. I'll have her in my custody by tomorrow night." How difficult could it be to track down a lone vampire? Once he merged with her, it would all be over for Nikia. "I'll need to know everything you know about her-where she was held, how she escaped, where she's likely to go next."

He waited for the queen to send for Petru, grimacing at the inconvenience. He didn't relish tracking this fugitive but it was worth a few days' bother to a.s.sure his solitude in the future. He would deal with her quickly, bring her back to Corsova to face the queen and return to the mountains alone. That was how he liked it.

Nikia pushed her way through the crowd gathered in the large warehouse converted to a dance club.

The hairs on the back of her neck p.r.i.c.kled and she swore eyes followed her. She'd had that sensation for the past three days, since escaping the hospital but it had intensified tonight. Before, the sensation had come more from paranoia without proof but now it had sharpened. Her senses were warning her.

She didn't doubt someone was following her. As soon as Anca had learned of her escape, she would have sent others to apprehend her. They wouldn't be a large force, because her sister wouldn't want todraw attention. The size didn't matter, because in her weakened state, one or two vampires or werewolves might be more than she could deal with.

She hugged herself, burrowing deeper into the oversized men's denim jacket as she slipped along the edges of the crowd. A speaker nearby thundered techno music, contributing to the constant headache she'd had since awakening three days ago. Someone jostled her and she whipped around, seeking the source of attack. When she realized it was a drunken idiot, she slumped and continued on, searching for an exit out the back.

Two streets ago, when she'd sworn she heard the sc.r.a.pe of footsteps behind her on the cobblestone avenue, Nikia had ducked down the nearest alley, following a twisting series of streets, before reemerging in an industrial section. The only signs of life came from the club and she had gone in out of desperation.

In retrospect, it hadn't been a wise decision. The people following her must surely have realized she was inside. Even now, they were probably moving among the crowd like silent shadows, seeking her out.

She moved past the most crowded area and saw a hallway to the right. She turned sharply, ignoring the couples making out along the corridor. She saw three doors at the end of the hallway and she increased her pace.

Two of the doors were restrooms but the third was a way out. She could have sobbed when she saw the shiny padlock barring exit. If she gathered her strength, she might be able to tear it away but someone was bound to notice. It would get the attention of those following her, leaving her trapped in the hallway.

She shivered at the thought, speculating about what awaited her in Corsova. Life imprisoned in the tower would probably be the least she could expect. She wouldn't be surprised to learn Anca had ordered a death sentence.

Tears p.r.i.c.ked the back of her eyes and she wiped them away with the sleeve of the jacket. It wasn't fair that she might be facing a death sentence when she was finally getting the chance to live, but crying wouldn't change anything. She didn't have time to mope about her circ.u.mstances right now.

She glanced behind her and froze when she saw a tall man with long hair step into the hallway. He wore a similar leather outfit to those favored by most of the other patrons but there was something different about him. He didn't fit in with this crowd any more than she did in the cotton trousers and denim jacket she had stolen on her way out of the hospital.

Her gaze darted down the hallway before returning to the doors. She ducked into the ladies' room, praying for a roomy window or at least a few minutes to think things through.

She was disappointed to find it was a communal bathroom with stalls. There was no way to lock the main door. Nikia hurried through the restroom, checking the cubicles. She saw feet in three but the other four remained unoccupied.

Next, she examined the windows, finding just one. It was so far out of reach, she couldn't possibly get to it. If she could manage to reach it, the window was too small to squeeze through, even though she had lost her generous curves during the two years she had been in a coma.

She stiffened when the main door opened behind her. Nikia whirled around to confront the person entering. Her shoulders sagged with relief when she saw it was an unfamiliar woman in leather pants anda loose vest. She was tall, with long, dirty-blond hair and strange eyes that lacked any pigment. She didn't pay any attention to Nikia as she walked to the sink.

Nikia returned her attention to the problem of escaping the bathroom, eyeing the window again.

Reluctantly, she accepted there was no way out of the room. She could lock herself in a stall and wait for them to come get her or surrender.

She twirled a lock of her short hair, toying with the idea of bursting from the bathroom and slamming through the door barring her exit. If she moved quickly enough, she could tear off the lock and run away before they had a chance to get hold of her.

If she could muster enough strength. Nikia sighed, feeling a sense of weakness in her entire body. She must have received physical therapy during her coma or she wouldn't have been able to walk at all but she was in no condition to be breaking through doors. Until she had a chance to feed, her strength would remain tenuous at best.

She jumped with fright when someone touched her arm. Nikia started to turn but the person behind her moved faster, snagging both of her arms and pulling them behind her back. They held her wrists together.

She felt the cold steel of a handcuff bite into one and screamed. Nikia kicked her legs and tried to dislodge the person holding her but he or she cuffed her other hand before releasing her.

She turned around and backed away from him. Her eyes widened when she saw the same man from the hallway. She looked around for the woman who had entered but she wasn't in sight. Nikia's eyes narrowed when she realized this man had the same shade of hair, clear eyes and almost identical garments. How could that be?

"Nikia Draganescu," his voice was rich and deep, with an accent she couldn't place, "I'm here to return you to Corsova. Will you come quietly?"

Nikia bowed her head when a fierce pain shot through it. She gritted her teeth, struggling to block out the commands of Illiana that urged her to strike out at the man. She bit her tongue, hoping that small pain would help her withstand the pain in her head. The agony still thundered over her in waves, making her scream. She fell to her knees without realizing it. As the man walked forward and lifted her over his shoulder, she was barely aware of his touch. "No," she screamed, as Illiana's voice echoed in her head.

She wouldn't give in to it, even long enough to get away. She knew if she lost herself in Illiana again, she would never return. Nikia sought escape in unconsciousness, willing herself to sleep. She didn't know what to expect when she returned but she couldn't let Illiana win, even if it meant she ended up back in Corsova, facing death.

Chapter 2.

She regained consciousness slowly, with a pounding thump resonating through her head. Nikia opened her eyes and saw a smooth white ceiling, with a stain in the left corner that could have been rust or old blood. She struggled to sit up and further identify her location but a sharp pain in her wrist and arms made her pause. She craned her head and saw she was handcuffed to the slats of a headboard. She lay on the bed attached to the board, with her head propped up by a pillow.

Movement from the corner of her eye caused her to turn her head in that direction. She immediately recognized the man who had taken her prisoner in the techno club's bathroom. Only now, he wore a lightsweater and sinfully tight, faded jeans that hugged his muscular legs, instead of the uncomfortable leather outfit from earlier. His colorless eyes seemed to be watching her every move.

Nikia licked her lips. "Who are you?" she asked in a raspy tone.

He didn't bother to answer as he got off the other bed and walked toward her. Her insides crawled with fear and something less definable as he drew nearer. When he lifted a paper cup of soda from the nightstand and brought it to her mouth, guiding the straw through her lips, she experienced a curious sense of letdown and relief. She drank greedily, wondering why her throat was dry.

"Is that better?" He had a smooth voice and it held a slight note of concern.

She nodded. "Why is my throat so sore?"

He lifted a brow. "I imagine it was all the screaming you did." He seemed amused, as he smiled down at her with a small quirk of his lips. "I had a h.e.l.luva time getting you out of the club when three young men decided to be your rescuers, drawn by your shouts."

She frowned, having no memory of that. Her stomach clenched and she wondered if Illiana had taken over again for a short time. "Who are you?" she asked again.

He returned the cup to the nightstand but didn't go back to the other bed. "Consider me an errand boy for your sister."

She had already guessed that. "Do you have a name?"

"Atar," he said, after a brief pause.

She tried to sound dispa.s.sionate when she spoke. "Well, Atar, do you know what will happen to me back in Corsova?"

He shrugged. "Nothing less than you deserve, I'm sure."

She winced, recognizing the truth in his words. Wasn't she equally responsible for the actions her body had committed, despite the fact her mind hadn't been in control? She had learned during the past thirty-five years that life was seldom fair, so why should her opportunity for freedom be more than transitory?

Still, she couldn't help trying to escape the fate in store for her. "Whatever she's paying you, I'll double it." The clandestine account inSwitzerlandwould more than cover the expense of buying this man's loyalty. If it didn't, she could wire funds from one of the other accounts Illiana had secreted around the world.

"The Protector is paying me nothing, aside from the a.s.surance of solitude." Atar shook his head. "You can't top that, Nikia."

His desire for solitude puzzled her but she had spent all of her life, except for the past few days, locked in a tiny corner of someone else's mind. "Is your solitude worth purchasing with my death?"

He shrugged again. "From what I've learned of you, the punishment would fit the crime." A frown settled on his face. "Although, I must admit, your aura isn't what I expected. You're much more innocentthan I antic.i.p.ated."

"I am innocent-"

He didn't let her finish. "Except, there's a core of darkness in you that I can't discern. That is where the real you dwells, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about? Are you a vampire?" He didn't smell like a vampire, who usually bore the faintest trace of copper in their scent. Atar smelled like something alien. She didn't think he could be human.

"No. I am Makheet."

"What is that?"

"I am a shape-shifter but not like the werewolves in your country. I can become anything, as long as the new form's ma.s.s is similar to my own."

That explained the girl in the bathroom, whom she had dismissed in her quest to escape. "Why are you here? You obviously don't care about the safety of Corsovans. You don't even call it your country."

To her surprise, he sat on the edge of her bed. "As I said, my solitude is important to me. I want to ensure your actions don't expose the existence of vampires to the world. If humans eradicate vampires, Corsova would be destroyed and my haven would cease to exist." He looked down at her, and his emotions seemed as bland as his eyes. "I don't care anything for you or the crimes you've committed.

My only reason for coming after you is my own benefit."

Nikia tugged at the cuffs binding her, desperate to free herself. She knew this man would not relent in his duty and he would never believe her, simply because he didn't care to believe. Still, she had to try the truth before resorting to measures that were more drastic. "I'm not who you think I am."

He chuckled. "Nice try, but I merged with your aura back in the hospital. I know you're Nikia Draganescu, illegitimate but acknowledged daughter of Valdemeer Draganescu. You're also a murderer and the attempted executioner of your half-sister, the Protector of Corsova and her lifemate, Demi Golina."

"I am but I'm not." She stopped trying to fight the cuffs when they bit into her wrist. She was too weak to break them with force, so the only way out of them was through the man beside her.

One corner of his mouth lifted. "How very cryptic. What is it that you are but aren't?"

"I am Nikia Draganescu but until three days ago, the spirit of my mother possessed my body. The coma broke Illiana's hold on me."

Atar stared at her for a moment, with a look of bewilderment on his face. Then his confusion pa.s.sed and an expression of boredom replaced it. "I have no time for your lies and games. Perhaps your sister will listen to them, but I won't."