"You punish those who do your bidding?"

He shrugged. "I didn't glamour him. I told him that if he did as I asked, I would give him... you. And the fool believed me." His grin flashed. "In his greed to possess you, he put aside his principles. Isn't that evil?"

"Only if desperation is evil."

"You are so droll." Koschei grabbed Charlie by the shoulder and sank his fangs into Charlie's neck. My friend's eyes glazed over, his hands pushing ineffectively at the vampire. After he was done drinking, Koschei grinned at me again, his teeth red with Charlie's blood. "Would you like some?"

My gorge rose. "Leave him alone. Please."

"How prettily you beg. No. No. I have claimed Charlie. He is my donor, drone, and doormat. Aren't you, my boy?"

"Yes, Master."

His dull gaze swept over me without a flicker of recognition. Is this how his life had been for the last few weeks? I pressed my hand to my roiling stomach.

"The more blood you consume, the stronger you are," said Koschei. "The Consortium doesn't reveal that tidbit to its Turn- bloods. No, they are all about humane eating habits and keeping their humans alive. I don't understand all the fuss. There are more than enough humans to feast on whenever we choose."

"You're despicable."

Koschei pulled a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and dabbed at his bloodied mouth. "I tire of your hypocrisy, Eva."

My body was incapable of showing physical signs of fear, but terror and horror bloomed fully. I wasn't an a.s.s-kicker or a smart aleck. I wasn't pretty enough to enamor Koschei and I wasn't brave enough to run away. And even if I'd had the nerve, I would never leave Tamara.

Feeling sorry for all of us standing in Koschei's torture chamber, I watched Charlie shuffle away. My heart broke for him. Then my gaze drifted to Ron. He had expended his energy. He sagged against the wall, his eyes closed. Drool dripped off his chin.

"I was abandoned in a prison cell," I said. "n.o.body knows I'm gone. And if they did, n.o.body cares."

"Pity Town ahead," droned Koschei. "Population: You."

Lord-a-mercy, he was nuts. He grasped my elbow and led me to a shiny metal table.

He patted the table and I shook my head.

"Sit down, Eva."

His tone was beautiful, persuasive. I hopped onto the table because I couldn't resist his command.

Another man came from the shadows. He was short and stooped, with balding gray hair and beady black eyes. Dressed in a coat similar to mine, he studied me as though I were cream and he the cat. Though he was old, he was a vampire; his fangs glinted as he smiled.

A square metal table filled with mundane supplies such as cotton swabs and surgical instruments such as scalpels sat on the right.

He plucked four gloves from the box and put them on.

"Otto, this is Eva. It appears that her failure to murder Lorcan was not a complete loss. In her veins we will find the cure for the taint."

"Excellent," said Otto, his German accent thick. "I look forward to... examining her."

Chapter 26

Eva! Where the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l are you?

I didn't answer Lorcan's sudden, urgent plea when it popped into my mind. Instead, I let Otto take the scalpel to my wrist. The blood welled and he swabbed it, then put the long cotton swab into a plastic vial. The cut stung, but it healed quickly.

He cut again, three quick strokes up my arm.

I cried out. The slicing of my skin hurt. I wasn't brave, not at all. I hated to be in pain. But I wouldn't betray Lorcan again. Not after what I'd done to him. How could he ever trust me again? How could I trust myself, knowing that I was that vulnerable? If I could be glamoured into hurting Lorcan once, then I could be again.

What's wrong? I can feel your pain.

I didn't respond. I wished he would go away.

My heart is within your heart. I will not give up on you. Do not give up on me, a stoirin.

Oh, no. Not the poet. I resisted his mental pleas. I wanted more than anything to be rescued. I refused to trade my life for his.

But I would trade Lorcan for Tamara. Nothing was more important than my child, not even the man I loved.

Otto seemed to enjoy taking the scalpel to me, especially when doing so elicited a pained response. Yet I could see no purpose in his efforts. Finally, Koschei put a hand on the old man's arm. "You can play later, Otto. Once she serves her purpose, she's all yours."

Otto didn't seem particularly happy to have his fun cut short, but he took a syringe from the table and prepared it. Then he swabbed my neck with alcohol and jabbed the needle into my carotid artery. OUCH!

I'm sorry that I locked you up, Eva. After you drank my blood, we were afraid you would change into a hybrid. I didn't abandon you. I swear it.

I wanted to rea.s.sure him, but I suspected Koschei was monitoring my thoughts.

"Why do you want Lorcan to die?" I asked Koschei.

Otto took another jab at my neck, and I flinched.

Koschei's eyes didn't flicker. He neither enjoyed nor empathized with my pain. "He killed my daughter."

"Well, he killed me, too, and you don't see me seeking revenge."

He shrugged. "I have made many vampires, but of the children born to me, only one remained."

"Ina?"

"Ah. You read the old stories." He leaned a hip against the table and clasped his hands. "I managed to Turn her. I lost everyone dear to me, all but her. Vampires must maintain relationships to keep our humanity. We must exercise our emotions, if you will, or we turn droch fola. Lorcan killed that connection when he took Ina's life."

I had no idea what to make of Koschei's accusation. I was feeling dizzy, thanks to Otto's enthusiastic removal of my blood. The doctor yanked my hair. "Ow!"

"For tests," he said gleefully. Then he jerked out a few more strands. I denied him the pleasure of my discomfort, staying still and silent. He scowled and returned to his table of tortures.

Eva? Please, love, answer me!

Oh, G.o.d. He sounded so desperate, so concerned. Would just one quick thought matter? Koschei was watching me closely.

Otto had apparently finished gathering samples from me and returned to the dark recesses from which he'd slithered.

"Why don't you answer him?" asked Koschei.

"Who?"

His lips tugged into an awful smile. "Talk to him, Eva."

The urge to mentally connect with Lorcan was too strong. I fought against the command, but it was a short-lived battle. Koschei had been practicing his skills for more than four millennia. But not even a vampire Ancient is a match for a worried mother. I made a concerted effort to rebuff his glamour. I built a psychic barrier and strengthened it with my love for Tamara and my determination to see her safe.

It worked.

"You are much too powerful for a Turn-blood. What else did Lorcan's blood do to you?" His brows dipped, his lips pinching shut in anger. "Do as I say, Eva, if you value the life of your daughter.""Free her and you can have me and Lorcan."

"Agreed. Tell him to meet us, alone, at the abandoned mini-golf course."

"I want to see Tamara before I agree to anything."

He clamped my shoulder, hatred flaring in his gaze, and the familiar tingling p.r.i.c.ked me. We appeared in the hallway. Koschei hustled me into the living room.

Nefert.i.ti waited on the blue couch. She had a nasty black gun trained on my daughter's forehead.

"Oh, my G.o.d! Tamara, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm f-fine."

Oh, my poor baby. She was dressed in a neon pink stretch top, a pink and black skirt, striped hose, and black platform shoes.

Her body said Goth-punk, but her face said scared-little-girl. Her makeup was smeared from crying; black streaked her still-wet cheeks.

I turned to Koschei. "You made my daughter cry."

"Tears mean nothing to me."

That was it... that was it... that was f.u.c.king it! n.o.body threatened my daughter. Not even the master of my Family. I wrenched out of his grasp. Staring into his eyes, I said, "Freeze."

The word boomed from my lips. He stilled completely. Only his eyes revealed the depth of his fury.

I turned to the b.i.t.c.h on the couch. "Nefert.i.ti, you will obey me."

"Yes, Eva."

"Stay where you are and point the gun at Koschei." I wrapped the words in iron will.

She swung the gun in his direction.

"Tamara, come here."

Eyes wide, she scooted off the couch, rounding the back to avoid getting in front of the gun. She hurried to my side and clung to my arm. "Holy s.h.i.t, Mom."

"That about sums it up."

Hey, door jockey, I mentally called, get your furry b.u.t.t in here.

I heard him scrabbling down the hallway. He took one look at the situation, and lurched forward, snarling.

"Freeze!"

In midlurch, he fell forward, and stayed with legs and feet still curled as if in movement.

"Go outside, Tamara, and wait for me."

For once, I didn't have to ask her twice to do something. She ran out of the room. I heard the front door slam.I looked at Nefert.i.ti. "Shoot Koschei," I ordered. "And don't stop until you're out of bullets."

Chapter 27

As Tamara and I took off across the gra.s.s, we heard the report of the bullets. I steered Tamara in the direction of the compound, which was the most secure place in Broken Heart.

"Did you kill him?" asked Tamara.

"No. Not even a full clip of bullets will take down an Ancient for very long. We just needed time to escape."

"You should've killed him."

"n.o.body knows what would happen to a Family if its Ancient died. Our powers are traced directly to the founder. If I killed Koschei, I might kill all of us from the Romanov line."

"Good point." She looked behind her. "Let's run faster."

I couldn't agree more, so we picked up our pace.

Lorcan?