"You and your Sire?"

"It can happen between anyone. Carly, if there's one thing you have to understand now, it's that the bond isn't always a romantic state. It can be, if the two partic.i.p.ants love one another. It causes a link between the two. Whether that be vampire to vampire, vampire to ghoul, or even vampire to human. It is an unshatterable condition."

"I'm not sure that's a word."

He glanced and glared at me at the same time.

"I understand that. I think I sort of had it briefly with Craft."

"Yes. But you shouldn't have. You drank each other's blood, but you didn't to the one thing that initiates the bond. You didn't mingle your blood."

I thought back over the moments where Craft and I shared ourselves to heal the other and Jared was right. There wasn't an instant where our blood mingled, except in our own bodies. "But then...how did we have that bond? Why was it temporary?"

"I don't know. I have theories-"

"And they are?"

"I'd rather not say. Not yet anyway." He slowed the car down as he came to an exit and drove up the ramp. At the red light he signaled to turn left. The light changed and he went left. We pa.s.sed the shopping center where the coffee shop sat and I thought fondly of simpler days. Days when my extended Family didn't run my life.

"About that little thing you did-"

"Yeah?"

He shook his head. "I got nothing."

Jared hauled b.u.t.t to our old house and I put a hand on his shoulder as he parked the car behind Michel's limo. "If he's hurt Brandon-"

"He won't. But I'm pretty sure he might have snacked. Or Dockal did."

If she did-I swear I'd find a way to toast her a.s.s again.

We arrived with seconds to spare. Jared knocked and I gasped when Craft opened it.

He looked pale, and drawn. Shadows defined his face and I could see the yellowish stain of fading bruises. He'd been beaten. Craft stepped to the side to let us in. "Master Michel is in the living room."

"Craft-" I reached out to touch him, but he pulled back. He wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Come on Carly. He's Michel's again." Jared put his hand on my shoulder and guided me down the hall to the living room. I glanced back to see that Craft was behind us, staring straight ahead.

Michel hadn't redecorated in the few days since the Baroness gave him our home. The Ikea furniture was where we left it. Michel sat in Jared's chair by the fireplace where a flame crackled and popped against the chill from the rainy night.

When he saw us come in, he smiled and gestured with his hand. "Come in, come in. Carly, so happy you've agreed to speed this little event up. Now," he sat forward and gestured for me to take as seat on the sofa to his left. "On the coffee table, you'll see the implements of a bond. They've been in my family a very long time."

I had noticed the silver goblet and dagger on the white table. Everything else we'd piled on it before had been slid off into the floor. The goblet looked as if it'd been carved with grapes and vines, as did the sheath over the dagger.

Michel gestured to the sofa again but I shook my head. "Where's Brandon?"

"He's safe. And unharmed."

"I want to see him."

"Not till after the bond."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You bring him here so I can see him or there is no bond."

"That wasn't the agreement."

I pursed my lips. "Michel-does the Baroness know what you're doing? Does your own Father know what it is you're doing at this moment?"

"No, and they won't until after we've finished and I've claimed what's mine. You want me to keep Brandon and Craft alive-then I'll have your full cooperation."

Craft stood in the doorway of the kitchen. I couldn't see his face in the shadows of the light behind him. Was it me, or was he standing a little lower, his shoulders slumped in defeat?

"What's the matter, Jared. You seem unhappy."

"You do realize you're in contempt of the covenant. Without the council present, this shouldn't happen. It should be witnessed that the bond is entered into voluntarily-"

"Now now, Sir Jared," Michel smiled. "We both know that's not true. If she knew the real purpose for this little communion, she never would have agreed to any of it."

"I don't think this is the time-"

Michel held up a hand. "Oh please Jared. You're not as uninformed as you would like people to believe. You already know how close to war we are-and this is the only thing that the Wyndhams can do to join with the Babineaux for protection."

I looked from Jared to Michel. "Wait a minute-what the h.e.l.l are you two talking about? I'm not doing any blood bond till I see Brandon."

Michel gave me a contemptuous look and nodded to Craft, who turned and headed down the stairs to the bas.e.m.e.nt. I looked at Jared. "You two care to explain to me what it is you're talking about?"

"The old f.u.c.ks are restless and angry," Michel said as he picked up the dagger and unsheathed it absently. "House Dowagers want to return to the old ways and live in dark castles. Limit the Ghouls and dolls, and they almost succeeded in doing that a few years ago."

Jared reached out and took the dagger from Michel's hand. "And for some unknown reason, the Wyndham House wants to form the joining with the Babineaux."

"So you really mean there's a war? Between vampires?"

"Yes," Michel said. "Boring. Four houses left. And the Wyndhams want the playing field to be matched in hopes the council will call it off."

Jared didn't look at me when he spoke. "This union has to happen, Carly. You have to bond with Michel."

"Why?" I looked at Michel. "It's obvious you don't love me. Never have. You're too freak'n full of yourself to see anyone else. So why even agree to this if you find the whole idea of war boring?"

The Babineaux Prince was smiling at me, his fangs exposed. "Because I know who you are. I know what your blood can do. And," he laughed softly. "I know what I can do with the power in your blood. It's what my Father wanted me to do. But you see," he sat forward clasped his hands. "Now he feels he should receive this gift. But I will not give up your power," he hissed.

The door to the bas.e.m.e.nt opened then and Craft had Brandon half in his arms. Brandon was pale and sweating heavily. I could see him shaking against Craft as the Ghoul half carried him to the door.

"Oh my G.o.d...what's wrong with him?" I started forward, shoving Jared out of the way.

Something blurred and I found myself flying through the air just before I smashed into the wall between the two front windows of the living room. The impact jarred me more than hurt me, and it knocked the wind out of me. I shook my head to clear it and looked up to see Dockal bending over me.

"h.e.l.lo, Princess. Time to give us your blood." She held the dagger up in my face and I heard Michel laughing softly.

This close to her I could see small irregular lines on her face, like cracks in dried dirt. And her face wasn't smooth anymore-but wrinkled in places. And her hair was no longer dark black, but wiry and white. She reminded me of a broken apple-head doll.

Sneering she moved back and dropped the dagger back on the table before she took a position behind Michel, near the fire.

Jared helped me stand. Brandon looked half conscious, almost delirious. A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin. Was he sick? Had he been sick like this since Sunday? I started toward him again but this time Jared stopped me.

"Let me go Jared. Brandon's sick." I glared at Michel. "What did you do to him?"

"I've started the process of Ghouling, my Princess," Michel said with a wide smile. "That way if you don't sit your a.s.s down and commit to this ritual," he shrugged. "Then I'll give him the final drink and he'll be mine." He stood slowly and faced me. "I'll own both of them, Carly. Craft and Brandon."

I had never hated as hard as I hated at that moment. I wished the earth would open and swallow that b.a.s.t.a.r.d where he stood. How dare he start Ghouling Brandon! I started shaking I was so mad at him, and I would have lunged at him at that moment if Jared hadn't of had a hold of my arm.

"No Carly. Please...as long as Brandon doesn't get the third drink he'll recover. Let's just get this over with, so we can get him and go and be done with this b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Of all the things I didn't want to do in this world, giving this b.a.s.t.a.r.d my blood was on the top of my list. I wished with all of my being the a.s.s hole would drink my blood and it would burn him from the inside out. I could even visualize it like a special effect-his skin opening in various places where fire came through and devoured his old and wretched flesh.

"I will preform the bond," I said as I reached down and grabbed up the knife. "And then I'm going to kill you."

"Sorry," Michel shook his head. He stood on the other side of the table, the couch and Dockal behind him. "Once we're bonded, you can't hurt me. Just like Craft over there. He can't hurt me...though I'm sure he's wanted to lo these many, many years."

I glanced at Craft, but his face was unreadable. He could have been watching a piano recital for all the emotion I could read in his expression.

I unsheathed the dagger and Michel took up the cup. "What power do you hope to gain from my blood, Michel," I said. "I know the Babineaux's penchant for stealing gifts. I'm a Wyndham and have never developed Father's gift for reading minds."

"No," he shook his head. "You wouldn't. Your power is much more...subtle. And the most powerful gift of all."

I held the knife at my wrist and he moved the cup beneath it. With a quick push and pull down, the blade bit into my skin, through the muscle and severed the artery there, the same one suicide victims always hoped to hit. Blood bubbled up black and spilled down into the cup.

The stream half filled it before the wound healed and the blood stopped.

I handed the dagger to Michel, handle first, and took the cup.

Michel did the same action and when he was done, the cup was full. He took the blade and stirred the two bloods together before he set the bloodied blade on the white table. Spatters of black decorated the surface around the dagger in a halo.

"Now, we drink."

I sneered. "That's it?"

"That's all it takes, Princess. And the blood does the rest."

I watched him tilt the cup up. I heard him swallow as the base of the goblet obscured his face. When he lowered it, he opened his eyes. They were black, no whites. Then he handed it to me.

I took it and looked down into it. Half empty. Half full. What did it matter? Father always said I was born for this. I was chosen. Joining the Babineaux in this manner was my destiny.

I glanced at Jared. His eyes were black, his fangs visible. Beyond him was Craft, his face still unreadable. Dockal moved behind Michel, licking her lips.

With a deep breath, I swallowed the blood. I took in a mouthful and nearly choked as I tasted his bitter blood mingled with my own. It burned as it went down and I choked and the cup was taken from me.

All at once I could see the entire room. The shadows were gone, as if the sun had streamed in and illuminated its truth to me. Everyone was haloed in light...but different colors. Jared was yellow, Dockal was red, Michel was black and Craft and Brandon were...white.

Glorious white. A cleansing white.

"And now her power is mine!" Michel said as he turned to Dockal and held up his hand.

I thought for a second he was going to hit her in the face with his palm. She frowned at him and then hissed. "You...you were going to burn me again!"

Jared moved then and I saw the cup in his hand. "Now Craft," he said and handed it to the Ghoul.

Before anyone could react Craft propped Brandon against the doorframe, grabbed the goblet, took a big mouthful and then poured what was left over Brandon's mouth. Brandon choked but he swallowed.

What...what was he doing? "Craft no! That's got Michel's blood in it too! You're making him a Ghoul!"

"Silence," Michel said as he turned to me and pointed. "You will now submit to me and be my doll. You will obey me and give me your blood when ever I command it."

I looked at Michel, again noting the black light around him and winced. "What the h.e.l.l are you smoking? You don't command me to do anything, Babineaux."

"Nor does he command me," Craft said and moved with Brandon. Jared helped and the two of them moved Brandon into a chair. I knelt beside Brandon and put a hand to his face. His skin felt cool, not hot. And he looked as I he'd stopped shaking.

"Is he a Ghoul now?"

"No," Jared said. "The process has been nullified."

"It has?" I frowned at him and then noticed Craft clutching his chest. "What's wrong?"

Jared grabbed Craft by the collar. "Carly-feed him! Feed him now!"

"W-What?"

"No!" Michel was yelling from behind us. "This...this can't be happening. Her power should be mine!" He lunged at us but Jared dumped Craft on me, spun, and caught Michel in the gut with his elbow.

"Carly, feed him before he turns to dust. Now!"

Dust? I had no idea what was happening, but as long as Brandon was okay, it didn't matter. I bit into my wrist and pierced the vein. Before I could get it to Craft he took my wrist and wrapped his lips around it.

The sound and feel of him sucking my blood calmed every muscle in my body. I felt as if I was going to fall over and felt arms hold me. The urgent pull of him warmed the most intimate parts of my body and I moaned with the pleasure it gave me.

I stood on the edge of the ocean, a rocky sh.o.r.e surrounded me. I sensed someone and turned to see Craft coming toward me. He wore a cream colored tunic and rough sewn pants. His hair was much longer-as if I were looking at Craft in the past. He was barefoot and looked...happy.

He was smiling. I couldn't remembering seeing that kind of smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said as he stood beside me and took my hands in his.

"Why?"

"For freeing me. Now I have a choice, because of your blood. I can move my soul on if I choose, as it should have decades ago. Or I can stay...if you would have me."

"Have you..." I searched his face. "Craft...I'm confused. What's happening?"

"A bond. A blood bond between us, between Master and Ghoul. But not any ordinary one, Carly Piper. Your blood calls to my blood. Your blood broke Michel's claim to me. I can die..." he smiled.