Suddenly Eirik stood still and hissed, "You never had an interest in play."

"Oh no, darling," Valeria whispered. "I never had an interest in playing with a man who doesn't know how to use his c.o.c.k. One who does is very different."

Franka emitted a purring chuckle.

Garik looked to his eldest brother. "Just to say, at this point, I don't know whether to vomit or cut off my ears."

Apollo was done as well.

And he communicated this by saying quietly, "Frey."

Frey looked to Apollo and nodded.

Then he moved his gaze from one brother to the next. "You might wish to leave."

"I'll be staying," Calder announced immediately.

"And I wouldn't miss this for the world," Garik murmured, pushing his father off and moving toward Finnie. He settled in, leaning his shoulders close to where she was still lounging.

Frey looked to Apollo. "Oleg or Laures?"

"Let's see what Laures can get," Apollo answered.

He felt Maddie's hand convulse in his and he reconsidered his decision to allow her to enter, especially as she was close to Laures and he did not like to think of her perception of him changing as he went about the unpleasant necessities of his work.

Before he could make his decision, Laures moved forward.

Valeria and Eirik came alert and started moving back as Franka watched Laures move toward her brethren. She did this with a face showing only mild interest.

"Are you...do you mean to...to...torture us?" Eirik asked, his eyes glued to Laures.

"No," Frey answered then finished, "If you don't make that necessary."

Eirik's eyes shot to his son. "I've told you, I know nothing of a conspiracy!"

"Can I go last?" Franka put in at this point. "I'd like to watch."

Frey looked to her but Apollo had been finished with her games earlier that evening.

He was most a.s.suredly done with her now.

To communicate this, he told her, "The last conspirator I faced who proved of no use got his throat slit."

Her eyes slid to him and she raised her brows. "You'd take a blade to a woman?"

"Maybe not," Maddie b.u.t.ted in. "But I would."

Apollo stifled a sigh, looked down at her and murmured a warning, "Madeleine."

She turned her eyes up to him. "She's not very nice, Lo. The world would hardly be a poorer place without her in it."

"And you?" Franka's voice came at them, dripping with scorn. "The woman who uses a dead wife's charms to enchant her heartbroken husband so she can warm his bed in order to wear his jewels and earn her place on his arm? Is the world richer for your presence?"

Momentarily frozen with fury, Apollo went completely still even as he felt the air in the room turn thick at the same he time he watched Maddie's face pale and she turned woodenly to Franka.

"Franka," Valeria surprisingly whispered, her voice cautious. "Take heed, dear."

Apollo forced himself to turn, drawing Maddie's stiff frame closer as he did so and caught Franka looking to Valeria.

"I'll hardly be insulted in the seat of my own family by a wh.o.r.e who doesn't even have the courage to claim herself as such."

And that was when Apollo let Maddie go.

A second later, he had Franka pressed to the stone with his hand at her throat squeezing, his face dipped to hers.

"She battled hewcrows this evening," he growled.

Franka tore at his wrist with her nails, her mouth opening and closing, fighting for air.

"And"-he got nose-to-nose with her-"she has my arm."

He felt her throat convulse under his hand as strangled noises escaped her mouth.

But Apollo had no patience for further delay.

So he finally got to the point.

"And last, a Keer parcel was found in your brother's rooms," Apollo went on and her wide eyes widened further. "You've had your play for the evening. You...are...done," he growled. "Now, we move to my games. Tell me, is it you ensnaring your brother in your schemes or are they his alone?"

"Honey, what's a Keer parcel?" Apollo heard Finnie ask her husband.

"Wee one, not now," Frey replied and this reply came close to Apollo's back.

"There was no Keer parcel in my room."

That came from Kristian and Apollo looked to his left to see Kristian had come out of his crouch and was staring with wild eyes at Apollo and his sister.

The weak link bends.

"Why do you think you're here?" Frey asked his cousin.

"I had no Keer parcel," Kristian whispered, his eyes quickly moving from person to person through the room. "I don't even know a witch who could conjure a Keer parcel."

"Kristian, it was found in your rooms this eve when the floorboards were torn up after Madeleine was taken," Frey informed him.

Kristian frantically shook his head. "I have no knowledge of it."

"Intelligence came to me that a Drakkar was aligned with a conspiracy involving Minerva, her collaborators, and Baldur," Apollo informed him and Kristian's panicked eyes grew wider.

"I have no involvement with Baldur!" he cried.

"Ah...pah...lo," Franka forced out and Apollo looked to her to see her beautiful face mottled, her eyes bugged out and her mouth still opening and closing as she tried to get air.

So he moved his face again close to hers and whispered, "This night for you is not over. But, if you leave this room intact and you ever again utter a word to or about my Madeleine, or even look her way should you again be in her presence, I will squeeze the life out of your throat, Franka. Do not mistake me. It will be done."

She nodded as best she could with his hand at her throat and he released her.

Instantly, she jerked to the side, folded double and lifted her hands to her throat, gasping in air.

Apollo dismissed her and looked to Frey.

"My Madeleine was under attack tonight, Frey. I grow weary of this banter. We remove the women and let Laures work."

"Apollo," Maddie called in protest at the same time Finnie said, "I don't think so, Frey."

Frey turned to his woman.

Apollo turned to his.

"You're a distraction, dove," he said quietly. She opened her mouth but he saw her face was pale, her eyes haunted. He knew she would not spend one more minute in that room and he didn't care if he had to carry her out himself.

But first he tried, "Please."

She shut her mouth.

Thank the G.o.ds, that worked.

"Take the women to the witch," Frey ordered and Thad moved toward Finnie.

Apollo looked to Draven, jerked his chin Madeleine's way and Draven moved toward her.

He watched them leave the room, noting Maddie left without looking back. He then watched the door close behind them. Only when the door closed did he turned his eyes to Laures.

"Start with Franka," he ordered.

"What? No!" she cried, all her audacity lost, her eyes were huge and staring at Laures.

Laures looked to Apollo and Apollo knew why.

He drew a line at woman.

Apollo cut his eyes to Frey.

Frey nodded then looked to Oleg.

Oleg moved forward.

"I know nothing of conspiracy!" Franka exclaimed.

"Annar, get me a hook," Oleg said.

Franka's face lost all color.

Annar moved to the door and her eyes followed him.

"I...you can't..." Her eyes shot to Frey. "Frey, you can't really believe I'd-"

Frey interrupted her. "Convince me you wouldn't, cousin, but do it fast."

Apollo saw her gaze flick in the direction of her brother before it moved back to Apollo. "The Drakkars are the most powerful family in Lunwyn. You know I value my ties to my family. You know why. We've been here before during the last conspiracy. What reason would any Drakkar have to-?"

But Frey had seen the glance too.

"Oleg, not Franka. Kristian," he ordered.

"No!" Franka shrieked as Kristian cowered into the wall.

"What has he done, Franka?" Apollo asked.

"He...he..." She shook her head. "Nothing."

Oleg started to move to Kristian and Kristian turned his side to the corner, pressing in like the stone could absorb him.

"What has he done, Franka?" Apollo asked.

Oleg made it to Kristian.

"Nothing!" Franka shouted and started toward Kristian but Apollo caught her in the chest and shoved her back roughly. He watched without remorse as she lost her footing and went down on her a.r.s.e.

He bent deep, leaning into her and roared, "What has he done?"

"Nothing!" she shrieked.

There was a thud of flesh hitting the wall and Franka's eyes flew there. Apollo looked over his shoulder to see Kristian shoved face first in the wall, one of Oleg's hands at his neck keeping him there, the other wrapped around his wrist, twisting it behind his back.

Kristian was struggling and panting.

Oleg was looking at Frey.

"How ugly to start?" he asked.

"Mark him," Frey ordered.

Oleg turned back to Kristian.

"I have a lover!" Franka cried and Apollo looked back to her.

"Continue!" he barked when she said no more.