Enhard.
He was the only one powerful enough to protect Christian if she failed. If she invoked her blood's deadly power and lost control, then Christian too would be at risk. Enhard could get Christian to safety should anything go wrong.
The blood magic swirled, cognitive. Every shred of her wanted to teleport into the main room where Christian lay so weakly on the marble floor and whisk him away, but she didn't trust herself to control her blood. And she could never leave Holly.
Gabriel was powerful, and cunning, if the last few days had taught her anything. Underestimating him would be her downfall. The only solution was to go for help.
She wrapped her consciousness around Christian, willing him to hear her.
Don't give up, Christian.
The slight flutter could have been her imagination but she grasped it as hope. She would do whatever it took, she vowed fiercely, whatever it took.
ANGIE? ANGIE, I hope you can hear me. You're in danger. Gabriel knows you helped Christian. Get away if you can.
Victoria hoped that Angie would be able to hear her. She wouldn't want her to come to any more pain from Gabriel's sadistic ways, and she knew without a doubt that her brother would punish her severely for what he would consider to be unforgivable disloyalty.
Despite Charla's cruelty and duplicity, Victoria couldn't believe that Gabriel had killed her so heartlessly when her only mistake had been to fall in love with him. He had used her and then abused her in the worst possible way, murdering her while she had been helping him. He was sick and twisted. Victoria knew that she would have to be the one to end him.
She looked around her small prison, looking for a weapon, anything she could use to cut through her skin. She needed to spill her blood, and a lot of it, for Victoria intended to invoke the blood craft she had been born with, something she should have done even before Christian became involved. But she'd been afraid—afraid to release the blood magic and not be able to control its terrifying power. She'd almost killed Christian the last time! Now, she had no choice.
After a frantic search, she disconnected a thin wire she'd found behind the rusty radiator in the room and inspected it critically, touching its sharp ends. With some pressure it would do. She sat in the middle of the room and pulled her energy into herself, commanding her blood into action. She could feel it surging through her body waiting for the release it would soon be granted, and she awarded it decisively, digging the thin wire across her wrist and severing the skin with barely any pressure. Brackish dark blood spurted out and she felt the magic of the blood craft suffuse her as her blood welled from the wound. It was sacrificial blood.
Murmuring a word, she healed her wound and felt the magic soaking her soul, until her eyes were black with it and her body trembled. It was almost too easy, the binding wards falling before her fingertips like they were air, and the confidence it gave her made her think for a second that maybe she could take Gabriel on her own. But she knew that would be her destruction. She was well aware of the risks that came with invoking the blood magic's devastating power—it would take advantage of any weakness, including pride. She needed to be smart and stick to her plan.
As the amulet warmed at her breast, Victoria belatedly realized that she could have used the amulet to release the blood—after all, that was the purpose of its sharp edge, she realized with dawning understanding. It made sense ... sacrifice to summon the blood magic. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Holly first.
"Transeo," she said, and the room disappeared into nothingness; the power of the word combining with the power of the blood was consummate. Victoria's mind envisioned the room two doors down where she'd seen Holly. Before she could even take a breath as her body re-materialized, she grabbed Holly and teleported again, this time to Christian's home in Canville. Holly would be safest there under Anton's care.
The third and final time she murmured, "Transeo," holding the destination clearly in her head, she emerged in Christian's Paris apartment. Victoria felt none of the normal effects of the teleportation. In fact, she felt even better than she had when she had left earlier.
Unable to teleport safely given her unfamiliarity with the building, she took the metro to La Défense and entered the looming black monolith that was the Tour Areva. She went to the top floor without hesitation, expanding her awareness, searching. She found what she was looking for in the boardroom where they'd had the Council meeting. Without knocking she walked straight in, and found herself face to face with seven furious vampires. The leader stood slowly and stared at her with incredulous surprise.
"Enhard," she said by way of greeting. She stared coolly at the other six vampires watching her with varying degrees of shock and fury. After all, she had just entered their haven without having been invited. Remembering that Christian's life hung in the balance, she moved toward Enhard and was immediately surrounded by four snarling vampires. "Wait!" she said. They ignored her, their faces feral. She was the enemy.
"Confuto," she said, waving her hand. Incredibly they all froze, unable to move. She could feel their shock and hatred burning through her as she walked toward Enhard whom she had left free of the hold charm. She knew that they were stunned that she had been able to use magic against them in their own space. Too bad it wasn't warded for blood magic. Knowing she had to be careful whom to trust, she turned to Enhard.
"I need to speak with you privately," she said urgently. Just because she had put a hold charm on the other vampires didn't mean that they couldn't hear what she was saying. Enhard stared at her and then nodded. She released the charm, and the vampires exited staring at her with caution. She waited until they were alone before beginning. Enhard stared at her, guarded but curious as to her intent.
"Enhard, I need your help," she said. His dark eyes reflected their surprise. "Christian is in great danger and I know that he is considered a royal—" She had barely finished the sentence when he jumped to his feet. She could read the alarm in his face.
"You know of Le Sang Noir? What my people call the Cruentus Curse?" she asked. At his nod, she continued. "Well, it's real." Enhard's face remained unmoved. Victoria took a deep breath and looked him full in the face. "I'm the one you've been looking for."
Enhard's went from surprise to disbelief to shock and finally to anger. "What do you mean?" he snapped.
"How do you think I was able to do magic here, in this place?" she said. Enhard still looked unconvinced. She sighed; she had expected this and there was only one way to prove it to him beyond the shadow of a doubt. "Do you have a knife?"
Victoria did not want to take out the amulet even though she was there requesting Enhard's help. That was private.
"Are you serious?" he said. "You do remember what I am, what we are here?"
"Yes. A knife, please."
Enhard reached into a drawer and handed her a small pocketknife. Without hesitation, Victoria ran it across her palm, the black blood welling. She healed it immediately and watched Enhard as he struggled for control, his eyes bright and wild. It was a losing battle she knew, her blood was like an aphrodisiac even to the most seasoned vampire, and she was unsurprised when he bounded over the table in one leap snarling hungrily. Victoria wasn't worried, she'd been under a shield charm since she had entered the chamber—he couldn't touch her. Still, she didn't prolong his agony and reached out to gently touch his hand.
"Vicissitudo normalis," she said, watching as his glistening, sharp teeth retracted and his wild eyes calmed in immediate response to her command. He stared at her in incredulous silence.
"What did you do? Am I human?" he asked, running his tongue against his blunt teeth and still smelling the blood but feeling no answering, immediate desire.
"No, not really, I just took away your hunger temporarily," she said. "My blood would have killed you had you taken it. But it was the only way I could make you believe that I am who I say I am."
Victoria explained what had happened with Gabriel and finally to Christian
.
"Do you have any proof that what you say is true?" Enhard said.
"Call Lucian and ask if he can reach Christian. He'll know."
She waited as Enhard made the call and watched as his face darkened. He shut the tiny cell phone and stared at her. "He said that Christian is fine."
"He's lying!" Victoria said. "Enhard, listen to me. You know our secret, I love Christian, but I also know how you feel about us, and yet here I am in front of you asking for help. You want to see Christian with your own eyes, here!"
Victoria grasped Enhard's face and shoved the images of her last view of Christian into Enhard's head, not even knowing beforehand whether it was possible or even dangerous. She just did it, demolishing his walls like tissue paper, and watched as knowledge followed by horror crossed his face. She pulled back and he slumped in his chair.
"We must be quick. Tell me what you need me to do," he said weakly, after he had regained his composure.
A plan in place, they made their way to the lobby. They would meet in New York at Enhard's home. In spite of the precious added time, Victoria didn't trust herself to teleport Enhard safely. If anything happened during the transfer, all would be lost. She needed him, and she could only pray that Christian would hold on.
"How fast can you get there, Enhard?" she asked, her face worried.
"I will fly."
Victoria calculated the distance and time in her head, panicked. "But that's seven hours if we're lucky!"
"No, you misunderstand me, I can fly," Enhard said calmly. Victoria looked at him, confused, until comprehension dawned.
"Oh," she said. "I didn't know you could do that."
"I will meet you there in an hour," Enhard said. "Do you have transport?" Victoria lifted an eyebrow, and he inclined his head at her silent jibe. She would teleport from somewhere safe. She entered the elevator.
"Thank you, Enhard." His face remained inscrutable.
Victoria allowed herself to breathe the minute the elevator doors closed. It had been nerve-wracking to try to convince a vampire predestined to mistrust her every word to help her, but somehow she'd done it.
The elevator stopped on the fortieth floor, and as the doors opened, the heat of her amulet scorched her chest. Her eyes snapped to a pair of slate-gray ones. The shock of recognition was followed by the immediate souring of her stomach as Christian's twin brother stepped in.
Again, she was struck by the similarities between them, although each time she saw Lucian, their resemblance became less and less pronounced. Their height, coloring and eyes would always be the same, but Lucian's face was narrower and colder, and his hair was shorter, emphasizing the harsh angularity of his face. Victoria knew in no uncertain terms the danger she was in from the minute he crossed the threshold. The elevator felt suddenly very confined. She felt the steel handrail digging into her hips. Lucian smile was filled with malice.
"Well, isn't this a charming surprise," he said. "So to what do we owe the honor of your presence in Paris?"
"Why did you lie about Christian?" she countered. A good offense was a better defense. He smiled wider.
"I didn't lie. I said he was fine. And he is fine, for now anyway," he said. "But you know more about that than I do, don't you? Where is my dear brother then?"
"As if I would tell you."
"I could make you, you know," he said.
"You could try," Victoria shot back.
Her defiance and complete fearlessness threw Lucian for a loop. All he had to do was take one step and her neck would be in his hands, and he would be ready to tear her limb from limb. Yet here she was openly taunting him and being excessively bold about it, her green eyes flashing fire. He liked it. When he finally got rid of Christian, maybe he would keep her as his own private entertainment.
He pulled the stop button in a smooth motion and the elevator lurched to a sudden stop. Her hands gripped the rail, white-knuckled.
"So why are you here, Tori?" He said her name with a caress, and it sickened her just like it had the last time he had used that suggestive tone at the masquerade.
"It's not really any of your business, is it? After all, you won't even help your own brother. You disgust me," she said. His eyes widened at her arrogance. "For everything between you and Christian, if you were in danger, he would be the first person at your side, just like he was the first person here when the Council wanted to kill you. He saved you from that fate." The bored expression on Lucian's face incensed her, but when he finally raised his eyes to hers, they were filled with a simmering, dark hatred.
"That's one of my brother's greatest flaws. His need to save people who don't need saving," he said. "I, on the other hand, leave the cards to fall as they must."
"So you would just let him die?"
"If it is meant to be, who am I to stop it?" He looked at her with hooded eyes.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," she said, staring at him with undisguised loathing, wanting nothing more than to escape his cloying presence. She glanced at the control panel, releasing the stop button with a quick thought. The elevator whirred to life. Lucian smiled his despicable smile.
"Why in such a hurry? Care to stay for a bite?" he asked, grinning widely, his teeth gleaming and sharp.
"Trust me, Lucian, you won't like what you get," she said. "And I don't want to hurt you." Lucian laughed, a deep full-throated sound that echoed in the elevator.
"You ... don't ... want ... to ... hurt ... me?" he repeated with staccato-like mockery. At that precise moment the elevator glided to a stop on the tenth floor, and they stared at each other in the charged silence. As if things couldn't get any worse, Lena walked in, her face the picture of surprise at its unexpected occupant. Lucian looked even more infuriated by her untimely entrance.
"You did say to meet you on ten," she said, addressing Lucian and eyeing Victoria with barely veiled distaste. The venom from their last encounter before the Council hung thick in the air, and Lena's flawless face with its ice-blue eyes, generous lips and white-blond hair taunted her with its perfection. Victoria stifled her jealousy, knowing that she was in a very small space with two hostile vampires who would kill her without a second thought if she faltered for an instant.
Christian loved her, and that was all that mattered.
"Lena," she acknowledged.
"Baroness, actually," Lena returned coolly.
Lucian had settled back into his teasing humor after the passing flash of annoyance had disappeared. He'd enjoy watching Lena have her way with her after he was done. The witch had been stupid to come to Paris without his brother's protection, although Christian had certainly seemed incapacitated when he had checked. Before they broke her, he would find out exactly where Christian was and save himself the legwork of trying to locate him to ensure his long-awaited demise.
"Tori and I were just discussing dinner plans," he said to Lena.
Lena's eyes narrowed. She had warned Lucian about this witch's abilities and still he didn't listen. His arrogance would cost him. She glanced at Victoria, whose skin was flushed as if she'd just finished running a marathon, even though her breathing was slow, calm. Lena couldn't see why Christian was infatuated with her, this woman-child. She was quite ordinary, with the exception of her eyes, which were an unusual emerald color.
Victoria turned from Lucian to Lena, her look measured. It was at that same moment Lena realized that she had been mistaken about the color of Victoria's eyes. They weren't green at all ... they were jet black.
"Lucian," Victoria said carefully, watching them both, "if you try to hurt Christian in any way, I will forget my promise not to hurt you because you are his brother."
Lucian was incredulous. He couldn't believe that she was still threatening him. Why he ought to kill her right there! His glance dropped to his mother's ring gleaming on her right hand and anger flooded into him, fueling his rage. With inhuman speed he lunged toward Victoria but to her magical, blood-inspired senses, it looked like he was moving in slow motio
n. She let him get within inches of her.
"Confuto," she said, as she'd done with the other vampires. Lucian's body froze in mid-leap. Lena snarled but she found that she couldn't move either. Victoria's blood boiled and without thinking, she almost said the words of death it whispered seductively.
Careful, she warned herself, the blood would kill deviously and without conscience, and losing control to it was the one thing she could not afford. She tore her eyes away from Lena with effort.
For the first time since he'd met her, Lucian looked at her with new awareness. Too late. She leaned forward and touched his face, feeling his muscle flex beneath her touch. "Like I said, because you are his brother, I'll be generous, but come near him, Lucian, and I won't be this kind," she said.
She could see the rage, the hatred and the new fear burning in his eyes. He wanted to hurt her so badly that she could smell it. Slowly, unhurriedly, she took out the pocketknife she had used with Enhard, and Lucian's eyes narrowed. "It's not for you, don't worry."
Victoria repeated the cut, slicing diagonally across her palm, letting the blood pool in her cupped palm. She knew they could smell its heady scent in the confined space and she was careful not to let a single drop fall. Lucian's body strained against the magical bonds and his eyes were feral with uncontrollable hunger, as were Lena's. Victoria smiled and said, "Transeo."
As before, her body melted into the air and the last thing she saw was Lucian's enraged face as he lunged into open air just where she had been standing.
Lucian stood in the elevator, clenching and unclenching his fists. The hunger was so fierce he could barely control himself.
He had never been so deliriously happy in all his life.
"Did you see it?" he said. Lena stared at him confused.
"The blood?" she asked. When he nodded, she continued. "I could barely stand to look at it. The smell alone was like nothing else I have ever smelled, it felt like my stomach was eating itself I became so ravenous. Why?"
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