Setting an overturned chair back on its four legs, I sat down on the soft cushion. aHowas Valerio?a aBetter. He should be arriving shortly.a As if summoned by our words, Valerio appeared near the entrance to the room. He gazed about, arching one eyebrow at the chaos. aI see the cleaning service hasnat been through yet. Of course, if youare comfortable with this arrangement, who am I to judge?a he said blandly.

I jumped out of my chair and rushed over to him. The nightwalker gave a slight grunt when I wrapped my arms around him, but he returned the hug. Seeing him strung up on the cross with a stake in his chest had terrified me. I knew Iad come to close to losing him.

aSo glad to see you still alive, old man,a I said, brushing a kiss across his chin.

aI am glad to still be alive,a he said with smile. His cheeks were still a little paler than usual and he didnat look as strong on his feet as he should. He was not up to his full strength yet, but coming back to Budapest was a start. As I stepped away from him, I noticed the smile fade from his lips. aHowever, I am disappointed to hear that you had a chance to kill my captor and you let him go. Iam curious to know why.a His words were deceptively calm and neutral, but I could sense frustration boiling away inside of him.

aI would like to know why you didnat kill Rowe either,a Danaus spoke up. I spun around to find him standing in the bedroom doorway with his arms folded over his chest. At least he looked as he always did, with his dark clothes and st.u.r.dy boots. I, on the other hand, was skipping around the room barefoot, trying to avoid shards of broken gla.s.s, chunks of wood, and spent bullet casings. aHeas hunted you for months, Mira. Heas going to continue to do so. Why take such a risk as leaving him alive?a aI couldnat in good conscience kill him.a aYou couldnat in good conscience kill the creature that was going to end my existence?a Valerio repeated, humor and sarcasm filling his voice.

aIam sorry, but no. Rowe was trapped in a tiny cell with me all throughout the day. He had more than ample opportunity to kill me while I was unconscious and vulnerable, but he didnat. I donat know why he didnat kill me, and in truth, I donat want to know. The only thing that matters is that he didnat. In repayment for that act of clemency, I agreed that no one would attack him so long as he did not attack me or anyone within my party while we attempted to escape Veyronas house. He kept to his part of the agreement, so I kept to mine.a aSo, youare not going to kill him now?a A deep laugh escaped me as I wandered back over to my chair and plopped down. aOf course Iam going to kill him. If I see him on the battlefield again, Iam sure neither one of us will hesitate to attack, but I promised for that brief period of time at Veyronas that I would not attack him. It was the fair thing to do.a aFair thing? He tried to kill me!a Valerio said.

aAnd he had ample opportunity to kill a sleeping vampire that was his enemy for centuries, but he didnat. There is still time, Valerio. We will kill him soon enough. Please say that you understand why I did it.a aI understand. What I do not understand is where you got this strange sense of justice and fair play. Your conscience is going to get you killed,a he warned, frowning at me.

aPossibly, but not tonight.a aNo, Veyron is going to kill you tonight. Or rather, this morning,a Stefan said grimly.

aIf itas okay with Valerio, I would prefer to retreat to Vienna during the daylight hours and regroup here in the evening for our final attack on Veyron.a aYou think Veyron will send another daylight raiding party?a Danaus asked.

aNot really, but I cannot judge Macaireas potential attachment to Sofia,a I said with a shrug. aIf he was fond of her, he may force Veyron to send people after me.a Valerio finally entered the room completely and sat down on the sofa after brushing off some of the debris. aSo, tell us youave got this whole mess figured out. I donat believe that Macaire sent us here simply to get rid of the naturi.a aWhat you have to keep in mind,a I said, ais that he only sent me to Budapest. He knew I would bring Danaus with me. You and Valerio are just expendable.a Stefan grimaced. aNicely put.a I ignored his comment and continued. aThereas a power structure here unlike any of the other domains, and Macaire was counting on it being strong enough to kill both Danaus and me.a Pushing out of my chair, I went over to the desk and picked up the piece of paper I had been scribbling on. As I returned to my chair, I handed it to Valerio, who looked down at it.

aI donat understand,a he said, handing the paper over to Stefan.

aMacaire built a ruling system here similar to the coven, with five shared rulers,a I explained. aMy guess is that he drew Veyron and Odelia, but also struck a deal with Ferko and the warlock Clarion. They held the city in a firm hand, killing off any creature that might have been seen as a threat to their control.a I looked up at Stefan and frowned. aOdelia may have given the excuse of Mich.e.l.leas beauty, but if they knew she belonged to you, they might have feared that she was a scout for you, looking for new territory. She may have been killed simply as a poorly thought out warning against coming into their domain.a Stefan clenched the paper in his fist and stared down at it. aSo, Veyron, Odelia, Ferko, and Clarion all conspired together to be the keepers of Budapest, and Macaire knew.a aMacaire didnat just know, he arranged it,a I said. aWeare not talking keepers. He was setting up a replacement coven. He had the liege role here in Budapest and planned to extend his power once his little group destroyed Danaus and me.a aTh-Thatas treason,a Stefan stuttered. aOur Liege would never allow it.a aI think the hope was that he would never be able to withstand an a.s.sault by all five of them, particularly with the warlock in hand. Macaireas first goal was to get rid of me.a Valerio leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. aThe odd thing is that this should have worked. If they all had acted in concert, we never would have been able to adequately protect you, especially not with Clarion as backup. You should be dead and youare not.a aHow kind of you,a I said with a smirk. aYouare right, though. In a perfect world it should have worked, except that nightwalkers donat play well with other creatures.a aThe agreement between the various members was falling apart?a Danaus asked from the other side of the room.

aOr it never really worked in the first place because it never really had a good test,a I replied.

aThey set up Ferko to take the fall for Mich.e.l.le from the very beginning, knowing we would strike back by wiping out his entire pack along with Ferko, freeing the others from their agreement. They could have come riding to his rescue at any time, particularly earlier tonight at Veyronas house, but they didnat. Someone wanted him out of the way. He was sacrificed.a aAnd Sofia?a Danaus asked.

I frowned, still hating to hear her name pa.s.s his lips. aJust one of Macaireas p.a.w.ns.a I turned to look at Stefan and Valerio, wiping my face clean of expression. aHer job was to separate Danaus and me using his weakness for humans. Their hope was that we would kill each other so they wouldnat have to do the job themselves. If Danaus didnat kill me first, it was a given that I was going to kill Sofia for her trouble, even if I never discovered that she was truly a witch in disguise.a aHow sweet! A crime of pa.s.sion,a Stefan mocked.

I bit my tongue. Stefan had committed his own crime of pa.s.sion when he ripped Ferko to shreds over Mich.e.l.leas death, and I had no doubt that he planned to do the same to Odelia when she crossed his path again.

aSo, weare left with an intimate trio of conspirators against you,a Valerio said, sitting back against the sofa again with a heavy sigh.

aOh, no. This is a quartet, and I fully intend to clean house. I wonat tolerate being hunted. This conspiracy was not only for our death, but yours as well. I donat find myself quite so forgiving as you when it comes to the planned a.s.sa.s.sination of those I consider to be my friends.a Skepticism filled Stefanas expression, and in truth I couldnat blame him. Wead never seen eye-to-eye on anything, and I had no doubt that he would take the first opportunity that presented itself to kill me for my seat on the coven. But by the same token, he had protected and defended me on more than one occasion since Peru. He was proving to be more useful than I initially antic.i.p.ated, though I still didnat trust him. Stefan needed a seat on the coven if he was ever going to be satisfied.

aMira, you canat mean . . .a Valerio started, but his voice faded off. Even as we sat in Budapest, a long distance from Venice, it still didnat feel safe to say the words out loud.

aI do and I will. Itas the only reason that Jabari allowed me to join the coven in the first place. Itas time I fulfilled my purpose so I can move on with my life,a I grumbled, staring at the sparkling gla.s.s-covered floor before me.

aIf you fulfill your purpose, then what reason will Jabari have to keep you around?a Danaus asked softly from the far side of the room.

aNone,a I whispered, then shook my head. aIall deal with that problem when the time comes.a Though I had a feeling I would have to deal with it sooner if Nick had any say in the matter. My time was running out. Soon I would have to deal with two coven Elders, not just one.

aWhat about the naturi?a Stefan inquired, drawing my gaze back to his face. The nightwalker leaned against the wall with his hands shoved into his pockets, looking very content with my plans. If I took on Macaire directly, there was a very good chance that a seat was going to open up on the coven. He honestly didnat care if it was mine or Macaireas. It was a win-win situation for him.

aThey were just a red herring,a Valerio said, his lips twisting around the words. He had been nearly killed by something that wasnat important in the grander scheme of things.

aYes, it was either just luck or coincidence that Rowe happened to be in Budapest at the same time.a I shrugged. aI hadnat seen any sign of the b.a.s.t.a.r.d since Peru.a aOr thereas a chance that Macaire is still in contact with the naturi,a Danaus said, aplotting new plots that would mean your eventual death.a aMacaire is plotting with the naturi?a Valerio nearly came off the sofa.

I inwardly cringed, wishing I could throw something at Danaus. I really wasnat in the mood to get into this with Stefan and Valerio. Neither knew that members of the coven had conspired with the naturi at one time to bring about the end of Our Liege.

aHe did at one time,a I muttered. aWe donat know if he still is. I thought I had killed his contact, and I find it hard to believe that Rowe would cooperate with any nightwalker.a aHe might if it means getting his hands on you,a Danaus countered, sending a shiver down my spine.

aIt doesnat matter. I plan to clean up this mess.a aTonight?a Valerio asked.

aNo. I need you in peak fighting form. I will need everyoneas help to take down not only Veyron but Odelia and Clarion as well. Weare cleaning out Budapest before we return to Venice.a aWill you ever return?a Stefan inquired. aYou are the keeper, after all.a aKeeper,a I grumbled. aI never wanted to be keeper of this city.a aItas not that bad a city. Once you clean out the rabble, of course,a Danaus added, surprising me.

I leaned my head into my hand with my elbow resting on the arm of the chair. aI just want to go home at this point. Iall come back to Budapest eventually. Itas not like weare going to be leaving behind any power players. The shifters are dead, and there arenat any old nightwalkers here.a aThatas just the problem, Mira,a Stefan spoke up. aYouare leaving behind a power vacuum. Anyone will be able to move into this domain and take over.a aWhat? You want it? Take it!a I dropped my hand and glared at Valerio. aOr you. Itas closest to your domain. You take it.a aI donat have a domain,a Valerio said smugly.

I slammed my fist against the arm of the chair, causing the wood to creak. aThen man up and claim one finally!a Valerio just smiled at me, enjoying my evident frustration. I didnat want Budapest. It was a gorgeous city and I had no doubt that I might actually enjoy it once Veyron and the others were cleared out. However, my mind kept drifting back to my sweet Savannah. I had left Tristan and too many others unguarded. I needed to get back there before something horrible happened.

aIf nothing is going to be done tonight,a Valerio said, pushing slowly to his feet, athen we should pull back to Vienna, where itas safer.a aWe need to be at our strongest if weare going to take them on,a I added, rising as well.

aVeyron got you worried?a Danaus asked.

I shook my head as I carefully picked my way over to the bedroom. aClarion. You never know what warlocks are capable of until they have already cast the spell.a Danaus and I quickly packed our bags. Then Stefan placed an arm across my shoulders, while Valerio put his hand on Danausas arm. In a blink of an eye we were whisked across vast empty miles to Valerioas private apartments in downtown Vienna.

Stefan released me once he was sure I was steady on my feet. He walked into the living room and relaxed across a chaise lounge. Valerio and Danaus appeared beside me a second later. The hunter frowned and shook his head as if to clear it of the cobwebs, while Valerio came over and picked up my bag so he could personally escort me to a room that I would use for changing. I would be sleeping in a more secure and private chamber with him and Stefan when the sun finally started to rise in the sky.

aIt seems that you and Danaus have reconciled your differences,a Valerio murmured when we were alone in the other room. He placed my bag down on the bed and leaned against one of the four wooden posters with his arms crossed over his chest.

aWeare trying to make this work,a I admitted, though I was reluctant to speak about it. Valerio and I had a past together that stretched across several centuries. Iad taken different lovers during the times when we were apart, and he had not batted an eye at it. Why had he taken a sudden interest now? aWhatas your concern?a Valerio smiled at me and extended one hand. I took it, allowing him to raise it to his lips and brush a kiss across the knuckles. aYou are my concern. You are always my concern.a aYouare also full of s.h.i.t. Whatas your sudden interest?a I snapped. I tugged at my hand, but he refused to release me.

aA powerful nightwalker hunter has obviously won the heart of one of the most powerful nightwalkers in the world. Certainly that should raise a concern or two among the ma.s.ses.a aShouldnat you also consider that one of the most powerful nightwalkers in the world has potentially won the heart of a powerful nightwalker hunter? Wouldnat that benefit us?a I countered.

aHave you, now?a aIf not now, then soon I think,a I said with a small smile. aHe has stopped hunting us at random. Directed execution is not out of the question for him. He would be protecting the humans, and protecting my interests as well.a Valerio chuckled at me as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my cheek. aYou make it sound as if you planned this.a aHmmm . . . wouldnat that be marvelous,a I purred, and then grew serious. aI have plans for Danaus, but they have nothing to do with the coven or the naturi or anything of this world.a aAnd what plans would those be?a aGoing home to Savannah and letting the world forget about us.a aAhh . . . mi amor , I donat think that will ever be possible.a aYouare probably right, but we have to try. Even if itas only for a little while.a A knock at the door pulled us apart. I turned to find Danaus standing in the hall with his bag slung over his shoulder and his coat folded over his other arm. aIs this a private party?a aNo, we were discussing plans after we are done with Budapest and Venice,a I replied, forcing a smile upon my lips.

aSavannah,a he said with a sigh. Home, I heard whispered through his brain. He then turned his full attention to Valerio. aDoes Clarion know where you reside in Vienna?a aNo, I donat believe so,a Valerio replied. aNo one has seen me come or go from this particular residence. The few times I saw Clarion in Vienna it was in some very public locations. He should not bother us here.a aCan Veyron or Odelia track me like the naturi can?a he asked, turning his attention to me.

aNo. They found us at the hotel because I made no secret of where we were staying. We did not try to hide our movements within the city. We were easily followed, I have no doubt. They may guess that we have left the city with Valerio and Stefan, but they are more likely to believe that we have pulled back to Venice rather than Vienna.a aIt may not be safe for me to stay here with you during the day.a Danaus frowned down at me, tightening one hand on the strap of his bag. aI could go stay in a nearby hotel so you donat have to worry about Clarion getting close during the day.a I walked over and laid my hand against his cheek. I could spend a lifetime touching him. aIf I know Valerio, we will not exactly be here during the daylight hours. He has some secret den tucked away for us to sleep in, which will be safe. You will have the run of the house until sunset.a aYouall be safe?a aCompletely.a I could feel the tension ease from his shoulders. The naturi were able to get to me in the past because they had been able to track him, following him until he finally met up with me. It was trick I was sure Rowe found handy more than once during our a.s.sociation.

aWell, if thatas all for the evening, I must go feed,a Valerio said in a louder than necessary voice to remind us that we werenat alone. I rolled my eyes, but I was still smiling when I turned to look at my old friend. aFeed well, but be back well before sunrise. We have to plan tomorrowas attack.a aMmmm . . . sounds like fun.a Then he disappeared completely.

Yes, the time had come for us to finally be on the offensive. I was done running and chasing my tail. The naturi were out of the way. The lycanthropes were dead. It was time to clean out the rest of the house, and Veyron was on the top of my list for Budapest. I had little doubt that Macaire had pulled back to Venice following the death of Ferko and Odelia. I would deal with the Elder in Venice.

Chapter Twenty-Eight.

The silence was suffocating. I stared up the lonely street interspersed with trees gnarled and twisted by time. Without the presence of the naturi, the wind had gone still, leaving the tree branches standing like silent sentinels in the thick darkness. A fresh powder of snow coated the ground, struggling to glisten in the thin light that poured from the moon as it peeked from behind ma.s.sive clouds.

The earth was holding its breath, waiting for the outcome of yet another battle. But then so was I. Each time I walked into a fight, I weighed the strengths and weaknesses of my opponents. I weighed the strengths and weaknesses of my allies. I played the odds in my head, and too often I came up as the long shot. It was getting old.

Among my kind, being the Fire Starter meant something. With a thought and a casual wave of my hand, I could wipe out an army of nightwalkers. When I faced the naturi, they needed to bring forth only a light clan member to counter my unique ability. A bori merely needed to extend its powers and I was under its immediate control. And a warlock . . . a warlock could counter my powers with a quick spell, leaving me nothing more than another bloodsucker with an att.i.tude problem. In this fight, Valerio and Stefan had the true advantage, with their ability to appear and disappear at will. Sure, the power took its toll on their strength, but the battle wouldnat last more than a few minutes before one side was decimated.

Despite my place on the coven, it only made sense that I go in as bait. I was the ultimate target of Veyron and the others, at Macaireas request. I was also the youngest and the weakest of our quartet. Danaus was not thrilled with the decision, but he said nothing when Stefan took me to the end of Veyronas street and left me. I could feel Danaus as a ghost in my thoughts, along with Valerio. Both men were waiting for the first sign from me that it was time for them to appear.

My footsteps echoed off the concrete, the sound bouncing off the flat front of the homes and flying off into the nothingness. I resisted the urge to nervously check all my weapons once again. I was well-armed with a short sword across my back and an a.s.sortment of knives around my body. To Danausas dismay, I didnat bring a gun with me. Guns were ineffective against nightwalkers, and I didnat think Clarion would allow me to catch him off guard with a spray of bullets.

In truth, I wasnat sure how we were going to kill Clarion. We would try to stop him if he decided to flee, but I wasnat sure if Valerio and Stefan could follow him if he did. I wasnat sure what the warlock was capable of, but I had a feeling he could cast some of the most basic shield spells to block our weapons and attacks. My only hope was that he didnat know how to control fire, but I wasnat counting on it. If Clarion was going to survive this ordeal, he would have taken the time to learn how to manipulate fire.

I paused at the edge of Veyronas yard and sent my powers flowing out from my body so they swept over the ancient structure. A single candle burned in the front window, while the rest of the ma.s.sive house was dark. Inside, I sensed close to a dozen nightwalkers and a handful of humans. These humans would be heavily armed with guns that could blow apart the brain. That was the only way to kill a nightwalker with a guna"destroy the brain or heart so completely that it couldnat grow back. I would need to take out these humans before Danaus and the others stepped foot in the building.

Within their midst was a single powerful magic user. It would be Clarion, who was waiting for us. I could sense him over the aged Veyron and his companion Odelia. Clarion was the true danger here, not the nightwalkers or the humans with their weapons. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to defeat him.

I raised both of my hands out to my sides. Summoning up my powers, I directed them at the house, attempting to set the building on fire. It would have been easy if I could just burn the entire structure and everyone inside all at once. It would all be done in one quick and easy move, and I wouldnat have to worry about putting my companions in danger. But nothing is ever easy.

Electric energy filled the air around the house, sizzling like a lightning bolt looking for a metal pole. The energy dampened my own powers, keeping me from burning the house to the ground. I wasnat particularly surprised. It was a simple spell, one I had known for centuries and used in Peru to protect us from the naturi while we slept at the foot of the Machu Picchu ruins. I knew Clarion wasnat going to make it easy for me, but I had to at least try.

Dropping my hands back to my side, I could feel Valerio chuckling in the back of my brain as I walked toward the house. He could read my thoughts, hear as I cursed the warlock for making this more difficult than it truly had to be. But those fragments of laughter quickly grew still as I stepped to the front door and pushed it open easily.

Darkness waited for me as I stepped across the threshold. Leaves and snow had blown into the open doorway, as if the house had been abandoned for years instead of just a few hours. Standing in the hallway, I waved my right hand, sending my power out, seeking candles, but no lights sprang to life. With a low hiss, I summoned up my powers again, this time attempting a small fireball that would hover just in front of me. Again nothing happened. Not only had Clarion cast a protective spell on the house itself, but he had found a way to dampen all fire. My ability was useless as long as the warlock lived.

Dropping my hand back to my side, I clenched my teeth and continued to walk through the house, weaving through room after room. The furniture was overturned and valuable knickknacks and paintings were now missing. The house had been ransacked in antic.i.p.ation of my arrival. My guess was that Veyron was expecting to live through this fight but didnat believe that his residence would survive. He was planning ahead, but he wasnat planning well. If he was truly smart, he would have run and never shown his face in Europe again.

As I turned a corner to go through what appeared to be the dining room, gunfire opened up. Running across the hardwood floor, I dropped to my knees as I turned, sliding across the floor as I pulled a pair of knives from my side. Despite the heavy darkness in the room, I picked out my two a.s.sailants and flung my knives at them. One screamed as the knife buried up to the hilt in his arm, while the other man simply gurgled as the blade found his throat. He fell back, choking on his own blood, while the other man stumbled backward. He pressed his wounded arm to his stomach as he tried to awkwardly fire the gun with his left hand. He squeezed off several shots with the automatic weapon, sending two bullets clean through me before I finally reached him and snapped his neck.

Are you all right? Danaus instantly demanded as pain flashed through my frame.

Fine, I growled in return. My shoulder and leg burned but I could feel the holes already closing. I wouldnat lose much blood, and the pain was only a minor distraction. Bending down, I pulled the knives out of my two victims and wiped them off on their clothes before returning them to their sheaths.

The house was as quiet as a mausoleum now that the gunfire had stopped. I went completely still, straining to hear something. Above me, I heard the ever so faint creak of floorboards under the weight of heavy boots. There was the occasional deep breath and the slight sound of rapid heartbeats pounding away in antic.i.p.ation. I sent my powers out from my body again. The humans were on the top floors, while the nightwalkers were in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Clarion was completely missing. I could only guess that he was cloaking himself, but I had no doubt he was waiting for me in the bas.e.m.e.nt with Veyron.

If I went directly after my prey, I would have a horde of humans with automatic weapons at my back. I needed to clear out the upper floor first before I went after Veyron and the others. Of course, I didnat trust this setup at all. I knew that Veyron, Odelia, and Clarion cared nothing about sacrificing a few humans if it meant destroying me.

I relayed my plan to Valerio and Danaus, and neither of the two men liked it. They demanded that they be allowed to a.s.sist me, but I told them to hold back. If I could pick off each human without risking more lives than necessary, then I planned to proceed in that manner. They would be taking on enough risk when they went up against Clarion.

Save Odelia for me, Stefan demanded, surprising me. I had not felt his presence in my mind, but then I hadnat been looking for him. Stefan abhorred my touch, and I had no doubt that he thought he was lowering himself to contact me in such a way, but at the moment it was a necessary evil.

Iall see what I can do .

Take a gun, Mira, Danaus ordered as I started to pa.s.s by the bodies.

I swallowed my argument and picked up an ugly black weapon. I didnat know how to load this monster and I could only hope that it didnat have a safety that I needed to flick off. I just wanted to be able to pull the trigger and have the thing send out a spray of bullets at my enemies, but I wasnat going to rely on it. I didnat like guns. Too unreliable and too noisy. Knives were so much more personal.

Heading back to the front of the house, I paused at the foot of the stairs. The second floor was open and overlooked the main foyer. I felt too exposed standing there, and knew I would be pinned against the wall as I climbed to the second floor. Looking around, I spotted an ornate chandelier directly overhead. With a smile, I leapt straight up into the air and grabbed a bottom section of the light fixture. There was a slight groan but the chandelier held. I swung back and forth a couple times like a circus performer on the trapeze before releasing myself. My left foot slipped on the edge of the second floor but my right foot held, allowing me to catch the railing.

As I climbed over the railing, gunfire shattered the silence and lit the darkness. Crouched on one knee, I swiveled from left to right, firing back at the men trained on me. Bullets pockmarked the walls and the wood railing around me. I was. .h.i.t a couple more times but not before I managed to kill the three men that surrounded me with the automatic weapon.

Sitting on the floor, I clutched the gun to my chest while waiting for my body to heal. I was tempted to feed off one of my still dying opponents but decided against it. There was nothing worse than being interrupted in the middle of a meal. I gazed down at the gun in my hand and frowned.

I told ya"

Shut up, Danaus. I had no doubt that the hunter had been waiting months to utter those words, and this time he was right. In a firefight with humans, guns were effective against guns. Well, at least they were effective when I couldnat set them on fire.

Do you need us? Valerio inquired. I wasnat accustomed to having so many people running w.i.l.l.y-nilly though my brain. I was tempted to throw up some barriers and block them all out so I could concentrate but decided against it. They might be needed in an instant, and it was easier to contact them if they were already waiting in the wings of my mind.

Not yet. I sense only two more humans in the house. Let me clean them out and then you can come, I said, forcing myself to calm down and relax. The first stage was nearly complete.

Rising off the floor with ease only a vampire could show, I silently walked down the hall to my right. I eased past one open doorway after another, peering into the vast darkness to see the vague outline of a large bed and what were probably ornate bureaus. Nothing moved.

At the end of the hall was a pair of double doors, with one of them cracked slightly open. I could feel the two humans huddled in the far corner of what seemed to be a large room. With the gun tucked into my shoulder, I eased the door open, its creak echoing through the entire house. Before I took my first step into the room, thirty guns clicked in unison. s.h.i.t.

Get here now! I screamed at my companions as I dove across the hall and into an empty room. Bullets ripped through the double doors and pounded through drywall and timber. A trio of bullets sc.r.a.ped across my flesh in various locations, leaving a burning sensation behind. I clenched my teeth and pulled myself into a sitting position as Stefan, Valerio, and Danaus appeared next to me. Danaus knelt beside me, inspecting the latest laceration on my arm. The bleeding was slowing, helped by his constant pressure.

aThereas a few more of them than I could initially sense,a I said between clenched teeth.

aHow many is a few?a Valerio asked.

I pushed to my feet with Danausas help. aAbout thirty. Must be a freaking ballroom to fit them all.a After handing the automatic weapon over to Danaus, I withdrew a pair of blades. I felt more at ease with the silver knives in my hands, as if I had regained a part of me.

aKill her!a screamed a female voice from the other room.

aOh, and apparently theyave sent Odelia on ahead to deal with me,a I said with a smile as I gazed up at Stefan. aPlease donat kill her right away. I would like to try to get a little information out of her.a aI canat make any promises,a Stefan replied with a bow of his head to me.

I smiled sweetly at him, trying to get under his skin. aPlease.a Neither he nor Valerio said anything as they disappeared again. They would attack the room from behind, but first we had to get their full attention.

aShall we go serve as live bait?a I asked, turning to Danaus.

aYou put a lot of faith in your friends,a he said.

My smile crumpled, but I raised my chin and met his gaze. aYes, I do.a Valerio and Stefan had ample opportunity to easily kill both Danaus and me. We were going to walk in front of this firing squad, dependent on them to strike from behind and save our lives. A momentas hesitation and Macaire would get his wish. Danaus and I would be ripped to shreds by the barrage of bullets, making it easy for Odelia to walk up and claim our hearts. At that moment, I was putting a lot of faith and trust in Stefan. It was more than a little unnerving.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I shoved the air out of my lungs as I stepped back into the hallway and kicked the doors open. Danaus stood beside me and emptied the last of the bullets from the automatic weapon as the humans facing us took aim. Muscles clenched, I scanned the room for an easy target while counting the milliseconds until Valerio and Stefan reappeared. It felt like an eternity.

Screams echoed from the back of the room, followed by the crunching of broken bones and the heavy thud of a limp body hitting hardwood floor. They came. Bullets still flew in my direction, but the concentration was not as thick as they should have been. Danaus partially hid behind the door and picked off attackers with his handgun, while I launched myself into the room, killing whomever I came into contact with.

Silver blades streaked red flashed in the pale streams of moonlight that danced through the windows filling three walls of the large room. Men fell to their knees, throats cut, intestines spilling from their stomachs. Bullets punctured me from all sides, but the wounds were largely superficial. I was moving too fast for them to get a clear shot, and we had them trapped in the room. Surrounded on all sides, there was nowhere to go and no room for mercy.

The entire battle was over in less than three minutes, but the devastation was ma.s.sive. Bodies were flung and piled around the large empty room, while blood pooled in the cracks of the hardwood floors and soaked into the few carpets. When silence filled the room again, I turned to find Stefan leaning over Odelia, his fangs exposed and dripping blood. He had not killed her yet, at my request, but he wouldnat be able to hold out much longer.

Odelia was a b.l.o.o.d.y mess. Her face had a series of three long scratches across the front, and the way her left arm hung at her side made me think that her shoulder had been dislocated. Her dark hair was a matted mess of blood and knots from her struggle with Stefan. Long tears marred her clothes, revealing more wounds. She sat with her back pressed into a corner, her fangs bared as she tried to ward Stefan off, but she wasnat winning that battle.

aMy dear Odelia,a I purred as I walked over to her side. I slowly placed a hand on Stefanas shoulder and squeezed. The nightwalker drew in a slow breath through his nose as he straightened and put his fangs away. He was back in control of his emotions again. aIt seems that Veyron and Clarion have abandoned you to your fate. Sacrificed like poor Ferko and Sofia. Did you know you were so expendable?a aIam not! Veyron will come for me! Just wait!a she cried even as she pressed deeper into the corner.

I laughed, twirling one blade in my hand. aOh, Iam afraid it is far too late for that. Iam just looking for a little information before we kill you.a aAnd why should I tell you anything?a Her voice cracked as she spoke. I think she was beginning to realize that Veyron wasnat going to come riding to her rescue. Otherwise, he would have done so already. He would not have set her up against the Fire Starter and two Ancients with only a group of humans and guns.

I shrugged my shoulders as I kicked away a severed limb sitting near my foot. aIt determines your death. You cooperate and you die quickly and painlessly. You donat, and . . . well, we can be creative.a Stefan glared at me but said nothing. This had not been a part of our agreement, and I wasnat counting on him abiding by my wishes at just this moment.

aDid Macaire approach Veyron?a I demanded.

aMacaire came to Budapest months ago,a she said, her eyes darting away from me.