Leo grabbed my arm even as a tiny voice inside shrieked, Don't look in his eyes . . . don't listen too deeply to his voice . . . don't let him smell your fear . . . Don't look in his eyes . . . don't listen too deeply to his voice . . . don't let him smell your fear . . .

Regina laughed. "I see you respond to my brother's charms. Most women do. Lannan, this is Cicely Waters. Cicely-my brother. Now, onto our proposition: We know of your connection to the Fae named Grieve. He's a member of the Indigo Court."

I struggled to keep my voice neutral, but inside, I jumped. The vamps held no love for the Indigo Court, so I wasn't surprised they were aware of Grieve's presence. What did surprise me was that they knew about Grieve and me. But I couldn't let them think they'd thrown me for a loop.

"And . . . ?"

"All we want is for you to continue what you're doing. Keep an eye on him. Infiltrate his world, and apprise us of all you see and hear. Before you say no, consider this: We know you understand the nature of the Indigo Court . . . the history of what they are, and how they got that way. There will be no playing off sides here. You will be our our agent." Her eyes, like steel marbles, glistened in the dim light. agent." Her eyes, like steel marbles, glistened in the dim light.

"Why me?"

"The Queen has her reasons. If you choose to work for us, you will receive a handsome monetary recompense and other . . . shall we say, perks perks? And you will be under our protection. But if you refuse to volunteer your help . . . we'll be forced to think of other ways in which to ensure your cooperation cooperation." Her voice dropped and I gazed into her face again. The primal fierceness in her gaze sent me reeling back into my chair.

"So, I either cooperate or . . ."

"Or we'll find less generous methods of engaging your services." Regina leaned down and planted a kiss on my forehead, her lipstick forming a burning pout on my skin. I wanted to wipe it off but she might consider that an insult.

"Can I think it over tonight and give you an answer tomorrow?" Stall for time, any time. I hadn't expected to be offered a job, and one that came with such steep ramifications.

"No. We have to know your answer now. Will you help us?"

I stared at her, feeling trapped. Either I helped, or they'd punish me. And perhaps my friends. "Why do you want me to do this? I have the right to know."

Lannan spoke, laughing gently through his words. "Let's take her to see Crawl. He might convince her." He looked too eager, and I wanted to scrunch away, out of sight, unnoticed.

Regina gave him a hard glance. "Crawl? Are you joking?"

"No. Take her to Crawl. He's hard to resist."

Geoffrey shifted, looking uncomfortable, but he held his tongue and a look pa.s.sed between him and Leo. Leo hung his head, even though Rhiannon was not-so-gently poking his arm.

"Perhaps you are right." Regina motioned to me. "But I'll be the one to take her. Between you and the Blood Oracle, there'd be nothing left of the girl to help us." She slid her arm around my shoulder and led me over to a bookshelf.

"Wait-where are you taking her?" Rhiannon called behind me.

"Patience, firecracker," Lannan said behind me. "You and Leo stay here. Have a drink with me. My sister will keep your cousin safe. As long as she behaves herself."

Regina pressed a book on the bookshelf-I didn't notice which one, and it slid open, silently, to reveal a dark pa.s.sage. I followed her in, knowing that I had no choice. I'd left choice behind when I walked through the front door.

"I would not do this," she said once it closed, "but my brother makes a point. This will perhaps convince you more than what we have to say."

"What's the Blood Oracle?" Better forewarned than be taken by surprise.

"Better to ask who who." She blinked. "The Blood Oracle is the seer of the Crimson Court. He's held his office for two thousand years. His name is Crawl, but never address him directly. You must ask all questions through me. He will no longer speak to mortals, be they magic-born or human."

We pa.s.sed into a dark room. A table sat in the center, illuminated by a single bulb from the ceiling, and on the octagonal-shaped table rested a crystal, hovering above a clear crimson slab of gla.s.s that softly glowed. The feel of magic hung heavy in the room and crawled up my arms like scuttling needles, p.r.i.c.kling my nerves. This was heavy magic, old magic. Dark and ominous. The rest of the room was cloaked in inky shadows and I had the feeling that to step outside of the dim illumination would be to put my life in danger.

I started to ask what it was, then stopped. Regina was staring intently at the crystal, her fingers hovering above it, and I didn't want to interrupt her train of thought because I could feel how deep she was sliding. I folded my arms, suddenly cold and dizzy. The magic churned like waves cresting over a boat, and the room started to spin. Regina reached out and grabbed me by the wrist, and the next thing I knew, everything had gone black in a ma.s.sive rush of wind.

Chapter 11.

The scent of a thousand years raced by, turning back the calendar month by dusty month. Smog and dust and the smoke from a million fires gusted past. Voices-cries lost in the depths of time, whispers from old ghosts wandering past, and the howling of wolves rocked the wind.

My wolf let out a whimper, waking as he stretched to learn what was going on. I tried to comfort him-for I knew it was Grieve feeling my fear, sensing my tailspin, but he snarled as I brushed my hand over my stomach.

A cacophony of sound a.s.saulted my ears and I tried to pull away from Regina, to cover my ears, but then all fell silent.

We stood in a softly lit room. The chamber was huge, with a table in the center identical to the one back at the mansion, crystal and all. The same hum of energy rang through the gem and I tried to memorize exactly what it looked like so I could figure out what it was later.

The chamber we were in stretched farther than I could see, and the ceiling was a good thirty feet high. The walls were covered with a crimson paper, and the light came from some hidden source. Benches lined the walls, and the floor was covered with magical symbols. Heavy magic rolled like mist around my ankles, making my skin twitch. Whatever had been done here had upset the balance and created a force greater than just about anything I'd ever felt.

Regina touched my shoulder. "Come. Stay on the walkway."

She began to move toward what appeared to be the back of the chamber and I followed, wondering where the h.e.l.l we were going. We walked along a narrow path of Tuscan gold, bounded by thick black lines on either side. There were no symbols on the tiles and, as we made our way up the walk, I began to realize that if I stepped off the path I'd land on one of the sigils. The runes were active and aware-there was no telling just what sort of spell I'd set off.

As we came to the end of the chamber, a dais rose a good five feet off the floor and Regina lithely glided up and on it. She stopped, turning back to me, and leaned over, extending her hand. I reached up to grasp her fingers and, with barely a murmur, she yanked me up and onto the dais. Blinking at her strength, I waited for her to make the next move.

The curtains covering the back of the dais parted.

"What the f.u.c.k . . ." I caught myself before I said anything I'd regret.

Regina gave me a sharp look and I nodded, understanding her meaning. Shut the f.u.c.k up and do what I tell you. Shut the f.u.c.k up and do what I tell you.

There, sitting in front of us, sat a bent and twisted creature. Maybe he'd been human. Once. Once. It was hard to tell. He sat on a cushion raised a good five feet above the dais, hunched over, his skin blackened from what looked like old, leathery burns-charred and long dried. His hair had devolved into ratted clumps, dreadlocks of the worst kind, and his eyes were gla.s.sy, unfettered by eyelids, which seemed to have been burnt away. He wore nothing but a crimson loincloth, and his ribs protruded so strongly that he looked like a stick figure or a praying mantis. It was hard to tell. He sat on a cushion raised a good five feet above the dais, hunched over, his skin blackened from what looked like old, leathery burns-charred and long dried. His hair had devolved into ratted clumps, dreadlocks of the worst kind, and his eyes were gla.s.sy, unfettered by eyelids, which seemed to have been burnt away. He wore nothing but a crimson loincloth, and his ribs protruded so strongly that he looked like a stick figure or a praying mantis.

In front of him, a fountain of blood bubbled merrily, ringed by perpetual flames that neither wavered nor changed in intensity. They burned brightly, and the blood in the center smelled warm and sticky and fresh.

Regina stepped up to a pillow on the floor next to the fountain and knelt, her head down. "Great Father of the Sight, I come seeking your wisdom. Crawl, Blood Oracle of the Crimson Court, I seek your vision."

He let out a laughter that sounded like the wind whistling through dried corn husks and I smelled decay and dust and the scent of the tomb. "Regina, Crawl's favorite. The Blood Oracle recognizes you. Stand and ask, lovely b.l.o.o.d.y daughter, and offer payment for the Oracle's services."

She rose, her skirt brushing the ground. She was wearing a crimson leather bustier and a long black chiffon skirt. Now, she brushed back the skirt where it slit up one side to the thigh and pulled out a golden dagger. She turned toward me and motioned me forward.

"Wait-you aren't going to open my vein with that." I'd keep quiet as long as I thought I was relatively safe but this whole scenario wasn't quite what I'd expected, and things were looking worse the deeper into the night we went.

"You will make a small donation for his service. And you will do so without complaint. Do you understand?" She leaned close and her lips brushed my lips, soft and silken and utterly inviting. I sucked in a deep breath and her tongue slid inside my mouth for just a moment-just long enough to wake my hunger. I tried to pull away but found myself firmly wrapped in her arms.

"Do as I say," she whispered in my ear. "If you resist, he will come off that throne of his and eat you down to the bones. Crawl is older than almost every vampire alive and you'd do best to appease him with a measly quarter cup of your blood. I'm trying to save your life here."

Her voice cut through the sudden haze of l.u.s.t that her kiss had sparked off and, shaking, I nodded. She backed away and held up the dagger. "Give me your hand, child."

I held out my hand, trembling, praying to whatever G.o.d might be listening that she wasn't going to turn on me and slice me to ribbons for a feeding frenzy. She poised the blade above my palm and with one quick motion sliced through the pad near my thumb. The blade was ultra-sharp and a thin weal of blood rose up.

Crawl leaned forward, his eyes gleaming as he watched the blood seep out of my flesh. Convinced I'd been insane to allow her to bring me here, I tried to control my fear. Regina dragged me to the fountain and waved her hand over two of the flames, which died down immediately. She held my hand over the bubbling blood so my own dribbled into it. After about a quarter cup had been spilt, she gently pulled me back and leaned down, licking my hand clean. As it began to heal remarkably fast, a shudder ran through her and for yet another moment I worried about her self-control, but she let out a long breath and stood again.

The flames around the fountain rose once more and she turned to Crawl. "The payment has been made. Now tell me what I need to know."

Crawl scuttled forward, reminding me of a spider or a long-jointed crab, and leered at me. "She is the one. Tell her that you are correct. She will bring about the war and start the road to our reclamation. You've done well, lovely daughter."

I wanted to pull back, to turn tail and run because Crawl was giving me the creeps big-time and it seemed only a matter of time before he lunged for me and I'd be dead as a bug on the windshield. Splat. Splat.

Regina let out a soft laugh. "I thought so." She turned to me. "Long ago, Crawl advised the Vein Lords to form a tight net on every continent, to watch over the Indigo Court and keep track of where they were spreading. There is a war coming, Cicely." Her tone told me to ask no questions about it, but her words were icy and so confident that I believed her.

I glanced up at the Blood Oracle, who was leaning off the dais, like a long stick bug. He thrust his face through the flames surrounding the fountain and screamed as he lapped up the bubbling blood.

Regina gave me a soft smile, bowed low before Crawl who took no further notice of us, and led me back to the walkway. I was afraid he might come after us and kept glancing over my shoulder, but a few feet away from the dais, she said, "Have no fear. He is trapped there, unable to leave."

"Who is he?" I softly asked.

Still speaking softly, she said, "Crawl, descended from the blood of ancient warrior kings, is one of the most dangerous vampires walking the earth today, second only to the Queen. She made him. He's her pet. Not only do his second sight and psychic abilities defy categorization, but his entire focus is on preserving the Vampire Nation from harm, no matter what the cost, through his abilities to see into the future. He has no mercy, no fear, no love."

"Is he mad?"

"I suppose, in a way, seeing that he's so old no one knows when he was turned. But as for crazy, no-crazy like a fox, perhaps, but he knows what he does. He has full comprehension. He simply has outgrown any shred of humanity that he's ever had. If he was human to begin with."

"I know you may not want to tell me, but this war . . . it's with the Indigo Court, right? You say I'm a catalyst. Is that why you asked me here tonight?"

I was trying to sort out things. Crawl's words had sent more than shivers through me. There was a ring of truth about them that echoed in my gut.

"Cicely, I will be honest with you. We need you. And regardless of what you think, you need us. The Indigo Court is dangerous. Myst knows you are to bring about her downfall-she will not let you live. You know how they began."

"Yes, Geoffrey sired Myst. He did, didn't he? He's the Geoffrey who led the raid on the Unseelie Court."

Regina let out a soft huff. "Yes. Geoffrey was younger then, and had not developed the patience and foresight he now wields. The Vampire Nation simply seeks to be prepared to rectify a mistake we made so many years ago. So, we need you . . . and we are prepared to help you in return. If you do not agree, we will make your life a living h.e.l.l. If you join forces with us, we'll do everything in our power to protect you and your friends. No more now, till we return to the others."

I decided to dare one last question, brought about by what Crawl had said to her. "Can I ask . . . are you Crawl's daughter? Did he sire you?"

She glanced down at me and her smile faded. "Lannan and I carry the power of the Blood Oracle within our veins. It has been a long and heavy life for my brother and me since Crawl first came to our land and took us."

And then, she motioned for me to step up to the crystal with her, and within a few moments, we were back in the hidden room.

As we entered Geoffrey's office, Regina motioned for me to sit down next to Leo and Rhiannon. Shaken and wanting nothing more than to go home, I acquiesced.

"We need your answer, Cicely. Will you accept our contract and hire your services out to us? Or will we be forced to take more drastic means?"

"You realize that you've left me with no choice," I said, already knowing what I was going to do. They were convinced they needed me. They'd as good as said that I was going to help them whether it was voluntary or not. I might as well get what I could out of it.

I cleared my throat. "a.s.sent under threat of punishment isn't exactly conducive to good will. But before we get into semantics, yes, I will help you. On one condition. The Indigo Court has captured my aunt and our friend Peyton. If there's any way you can help us rescue them, then I willingly accept your offer."

"The offer is to you, only, but your friends are tacitly included by a.s.sociation," Geoffrey said. "I'm pleased that you've decided to make things easier. We will do what we can to help you rescue your loved ones. I was appalled to hear Myst's forces would dare to capture Heather, or to kill Marta. Speaking of the offer, Emissary, your brother stepped out to get the contract and the first month's payment."

Regina smiled at him. "Lannan will help on occasion. He's not always a stubborn mule." Turning to me, she added, "We believe in paying in advance for services." She beamed and I truly believed she was proud of what she was saying. "We don't want you to feel used in any way."

I bit my tongue. Pointing out again that I didn't have much of a choice, that they'd use me with or without my permission, didn't seem like the wisest move to make. After meeting Crawl, I really really didn't want to get on their bad side or they might send me back to him to let him convince me to cooperate. didn't want to get on their bad side or they might send me back to him to let him convince me to cooperate.

Rhiannon slowly held up her hand.

Regina laughed. "You have a question?"

"Yes," she said, softly. "We have some information on the Indigo Court, but there's so much we still don't know about them. They kidnapped my mother. Do you know what they want with her?"

Geoffrey stood, pacing behind his chair. After a moment, he let out a hollow sigh that had no breath behind it. "We have our suspicions. The members of the Vampire Nation generally don't pretend to be fond of most mortals. We-true vampires-abide by the Treaty of Supernatural Conduct because it allows us to live alongside your kind without being hunted except by those bearing grudges. But we do do abide by the treaty-except for the rogues-and we honor our promises. The Indigo Court . . ." He paused and glanced at Regina. abide by the treaty-except for the rogues-and we honor our promises. The Indigo Court . . ." He paused and glanced at Regina.

"The Vampiric Fae are chaotic, far more chaotic than we are," she said, after a moment. "You may think us arrogant, but trust me, the world of the Indigo Court is far more dangerous than ours. They honor no treaty, no promises, and consider themselves above every rule except their own. They feed on blood and they feed on magic."

"Where we strive to find some compromise to walk among the living, they seek to make the living their slaves," Geoffrey said. "They hate us. We are their makers and they will never forgive us for being first to walk among the living dead. So they seek those with strength to ever add to their court, in order to eventually destroy us."

While I knew the feeling was mutual, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"We have a long history-" Regina paused as the door opened and Lannan Altos walked in. "Brother-you're back."

After an exaggerated bow in our direction, he handed a manila envelope to her. She kissed him deeply, tongue and all. I blinked. They'd apparently taken their brother-sister relationship to a whole new level.

"You're lovers? But you're related!" Leo blinked as the words burst out of his lips.

They looked at him, and Regina laughed. "Oh, truly, even the magic-born can seem so human human at times. Yes, we are lovers, and yes, we are brother and sister. We are also best of friends and mated to rule over our family line." at times. Yes, we are lovers, and yes, we are brother and sister. We are also best of friends and mated to rule over our family line."

Leo gulped out an "Oh."

"Any more questions?" she asked.

I decided to chance it. "Yes, actually. On that subject . . . if you are brother and sister, and mated, then why isn't Lannan an emissary, too?"

As she shook the papers out of the envelope and handed them to me, she shrugged. "The Crimson Queen doesn't care for my brother."

I quickly glanced at Lannan, hoping her answer hadn't brought up baggage he might be happy to take out on us, but he just let out a low laugh.

"True, very true. Regina is the mistress of courtly attendance. I do not suffer sycophants and toadies, and you must be diplomatic in order to do what my sister does. I am far from diplomatic."

Geoffrey let out a snort. "Lannan, you are the epitome of politeness when you choose to be and the biggest a.s.s in the world when you choose to be. To work for the Queen," he added, "one must put aside one's ego and submit one's will directly to our beloved liege. And that, you will never do. You want to be c.o.c.k of the walk, my friend."

Lannan shrugged and cracked a smile. "Can you blame me? I bow to no man, though I answer to the Queen when I must. I answer only to myself at all other times. And," he turned to Regina, "to my love." He reached out and brushed her fingertips with his and an audible spark broke the silence.

At that moment, they both swiveled their heads to look at me and I suddenly felt like fresh meat on the hoof. I quickly buried my nose in the contracts. They were clearly written, though I noticed one loophole that stipulated if I should fail to report to them daily, the Crimson Court had the right to "administer remedy." I also noticed they were offering me twenty-five hundred dollars a month to report to them on whatever I found out. Not bad money, for a job that didn't require eight-to-five or asking, "Do you want fries with that?"

"I'm not sure what this means, but it could mean, oh, so many things." I pointed to the clause. "What kind of remedies are you talking about?" Actually, I had some idea, thanks to skimming through A History of the Vampire Nation A History of the Vampire Nation. "The wording on this has to change somehow."

Regina glanced at it, then looked at Geoffrey. "Actually, nothing has has to change, but perhaps we can amend it. There must be some guarantee she will not default or neglect her duties." to change, but perhaps we can amend it. There must be some guarantee she will not default or neglect her duties."

Lannan leaned his elbows on the back of Regina's chair. "Word it so that for every day she misses sending her report-which can be via e-mail if she likes-she must spend an hour with me, and I, alone, will be allowed to punish her during that time."