Max screamed in rage. I stopped for one last look.

Lucius put his hand against the small of my back and pressed me forward. "If the situation was reversed, he'd do the same to you," he reminded.

It hadn't been so long ago that I was the one in binds and he was the one with all the power. I steeled myself against his cries and left with Lucius.

I took note of the layout of the palace as he led me to a sitting room with a balcony that overlooked a waterfall. It reminded me of...

"That's why he picked this room. It was the most like home to him."

Through a set of open double doors was a bed with silk sheets on a raised platform. Across from the couches sat a fireplace, above it, a painting of a blonde woman in a red dress. She had perfect posture and her eyes seemed to be judging me even on canvas. If we were in Max's quarters, there was only one woman that could be. "Claudia," I whispered.

"Yes. He would have done anything for her. Though that's not surprising. Beauty, brilliance, breeding, a fair number of men would have done anything for her. But she chose Max. At least until she was out of choices. Claudia understands what it means to be Corvus. For our house to survive we can't fall to weakness."

More irritated than I cared to admit, I interrupted him. "Don't care. You obviously want something from me, else I'd be tied up too. So out with it, what do you want?"

"There is no need to be short Ms. Bates. Since one assassin wasn't enough, I'm sending in a team. You know the island, you know that realm. I want you to lead the team. With you in charge, you can ensure your friend's safety. I just need Julian dead. I don't care about the girl."

"Abigale. Her name is Abigale. Max told me that you wouldn't even acknowledge me because I'm both human and a woman. Why are you willing to let me lead a team of vampires?"

"Believe me, if you weren't so uniquely qualified to fulfill my most urgent need you'd already be chained to my bed with my fangs in your thigh."

I took a step back realizing the apple didn't fall far. My hand absently reached for my gun.

Lucius piercing blue eyes bore into me. "Don't worry. Bring me my nephew's head and you and Abigale will be free to go. I don't care about The Veil. That's a problem for the Deathless. I have my own."

"And if I fail?" I had a feeling what the answer might be, but I wanted to be sure.

He reached over and brushed an auburn curl behind my ear. Then he grabbed me by the chin and lifted my face up. "If you fail me, then you will have intimate knowledge of the methods Julian used to break your friend." Even though his tone was seductive rather than threatening, his words sent chills down my spine.

"I'll get it done," I said, trying to pull my face free of his grasp.

He released me and smiled. "Good girl." He headed to the door. "Given the sensitivity of this mission, it's going to take a few days to gather a team together. Until then, please make yourself comfortable. I'll send a servant to see to your needs and you may explore the palace and surrounding city if you like. It's perfectly safe. Most vampires will only pick up on your surface thoughts, so I ask that you do your best not to think about what we're doing while you're here. After all this is over with, you and Abby might entertain the idea of coming here."

Fat chance of that, buddy.

He smiled, picking up every word. I really had to work on controlling my inner monologues if he was just going to listen to everything I was thinking. "Thank you for the offer, but I think if this all works out, Abby and I will just go home."

I really didn't want to give up the magic of this world, or be stuck hiding from the deathless. But I was even less interested in becoming Lucius's suck buddy.

"Actually, I was thinking about Max," he responded as if we were having a conversation and he wasn't just poking around in my head. "After Julian's gone, he's going to have a hard time. I thought maybe with you here, wouldn't mourn for as long."

I couldn't claim to hate the idea. Though we'd all have to go back to Max's castle, I couldn't trust Abby around these vampires. No telling what kind of mess she'd get herself into. "I'll consider it."

Lucius reached for the handle and I stopped him just realizing something. "You said that you need Julian dead. Not that you want him dead. Do you want him dead?"

He seemed offended by the question. "Of course not, I love my nephew."

Vampires made less than no sense.

"Right now your lover sits in the dungeon while you help plot to murder, his king, his best friend, the man he swore to protect. We both do what we must regardless of the personal cost. This kingdom is my Abby, do you understand?"

I nodded.

After Lucius left, I stepped out on the balcony and stared down at the bustling city below. I couldn't help but wonder how many times Max had stood in that same spot, the weight of worlds on his shoulders.

Could all vampires pick through a person's head, give examples of their treachery and show how they were no better than the people they judged?

No wonder Julian had so much sway over Abby. He would have always known exactly what to say and what to do in order to manipulate her.

Could Lucius do the same to me if I backed out?

Probably.

Before all of this started, I would have thought myself too strong to ever be broken, but Max, not even trying to break me had managed to chip away at my pride.

It was as though he'd lifted a rock and all the icky, slimy filth I tried to hide about myself came squirming out into the light of day. I wanted to cover it up, hide it away, keep thinking of myself as a woman being led by her high angels.

After a few hours in Max's quarters, hunger eventually drove me out. As I wandered the halls, I was drawn to the smell of baking bread. I tried to follow the scent as best I could down the winding pathways, until I slammed into a stranger and landed on my ass.

I looked up at the raven haired man's sharp features and apologized. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

He picked me up by my waist and sat me onto my feet. "Nothing to worry about." He stared long and hard at my neck. "Are you unowned?"

I rubbed my neck searching for the words that didn't end in fangs and chains. "I'm a guest of the regent."

He nodded with understanding. "You must be our secret weapon. Pleasure to meet you, I'm Chancellor Baldric."

So he knew.

"Yes. The regent sent word that he needed more men and I came to see to things personally this time. We can't afford any more mistakes."

I nodded. They should have sent more than one assassin to begin with, though if they had succeeded Abby would have probably died in the attack.

"We thought surprise would be better than heavy numbers. We didn't want too many people to know about it."

I shouldn't have been thinking about that.

"It's my fault. I brought it up. Come. Have dinner with me and I'll be sure to distract you with more pleasant things."

What was up with these guys all wanting to eat me?

"You're incredibly beautiful and you have a defiant spirit that challenges men to tame you."

"Rhetorical Baldric. That was rhetorical."

He offered me his arm. "Come. You'll be in a better mood once you've had dinner."

I took his arm and allowed him to lead me to his quarters which were much different than the rest of the palace. The walls were covered in books and the furniture was all antique wood. Instead of everything being open and wide, it was cozy. A small table sat in a cove near the fireplace. Baldric rang a bell and a girl with a collar around her neck came in carrying a tray with a loaf of that delicious bread I had smelled on it.

She came too fast to not already have the food prepared.

"Yes, I was coming to find you when you slammed into me. But I didn't know you were the person I was looking for at first."

The girl sat down the tray and carried the dishes over one at a time. I noticed she never made eye contact with Baldric even once.

I broke off a piece of bread and started to chew. "I'm surprised you didn't know it was me. After all, the first thing you did was poke around in my head, right?" I did my best impression of an aristocratic vampire trying to fuck me. "You have a defiant spirit that challenges men to tame you."

He laughed, but I wasn't trying to be funny. He filled my cup with wine and I took a sip. And then pointed to the girl standing in front of us with her head down and her hands clasped, wearing nothing but the tiniest square of fabric. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. "Did she have a defiant spirit?"

Baldric filled his own glass with wine and leaned back, highly amused by the exchange. "Why not question her? You are the investigator after all." He turned to the girl. "I want you to answer all of Kiera's questions fully and honestly. If you lie or leave something out, you will be punished severely. Understand?"

She trembled under his gaze. "Yes, Master."

I wanted to tuck her under my arm and jump out the window. And I hated Baldric for whatever he'd done to make her like that. "I don't want to play your game," I answered nonchalantly, finding myself less hungry by the minute.

"Come on, Kiera. I understand where you're from it's wrong to convict a man without a fair trial. Go ahead. Gather your evidence."

I walked across the room and grabbed a chair, I sat it next to mine. "Have a seat."

The girl looked to Baldric for permission. Guilty. Guilty. Fucking guilty.

I knew he could hear my every thought and I didn't care.

He gestured for her to take a seat and she did. I sat down next to her and took her hand in mine. I asked her softly. "What is your name?"

"My Master calls me Ann, Miss."

Baldric cleared his throat and she added. "But I was called Sarah as a child."

I glared at him. "You changed her fucking name?"

He shrugged. "I already had a Sarah, would have been confusing."

I wanted to slap him. No, that wasn't true. I wanted to hold him down while Sarah slapped him.

"Sarah, how did you come to be..." the word stuck in my throat... "owned by him?"

"If Miss doesn't mind, I'd prefer to be called Ann. Master governs our province, I was gifted to him as tribute by my village."

I shot daggers in his direction. But he just watched with bemusement.

"And how'd you get stuck with such an honor?” Sarcasm dripped from my words. “Did they draw lots?"

She finally looked up, her eyes meeting mine because she was aghast by my suggestion. "No Miss. That would be unfair."

What was the fair way to toss someone into slavery?

"I earned my place in Master's house by being the best my village had to offer. I studied night and day; cooking, music, dance, philosophy. I wouldn't let anything keep me from what I wanted."

Now it was my turn to gawk. "You fought for this? You wanted it?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Why?" Max warned me that humans were treated differently in other realms, but I couldn't imagine what would lead this girl to believing that what happened to her was some kind of reward.

"At first my reasons were selfish, I wanted to remain young and triple my lifespan. I also wanted the prestige of being chosen, to live among the aristocracy. But after I was chosen, I came to cherish my position for reasons I don't think you could understand."

She was probably right. Even if vampires had the cure for aging and slit throats, I wouldn't have fought to extend a life not worth living. But since I wasn't going to give up an inch on this topic, I said, "Try me."

"Have you ever loved someone with your entire being? Until there is nothing of you left, just love?"

I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. What the hell was wrong with people? "Do you really think he loves you back? You're nothing but a snack to him."

"How he feels about me is irrelevant."

Her response took me by surprise. I figured she'd argue that he did love her. After all, he let her eat off a plate last Tuesday or skipped Friday's beating.

"You think I mean romantic love, but I don't. I mean the way flowers love the sun. The way wolves love the moon. I'm caught in his wake and it's a happiness most will never know. People are driven by their own selfishness, they can hardly contemplate a selfless love. They get a glimpse of it when they have children. But our children are an extension of ourselves, so not even then do people truly know what it's like. The terror, the awe, to fully surrender yourself to someone else, when it's the right person, it's bliss."

For some reason I thought of Max's cave. My hands against the cold stone. My heart pounding in my chest. Slightly afraid, incredibly aroused. The leer on Baldric's face pulled me from my musings.

I grabbed the roast. Not the few pieces that had already been sliced, but the entire roast, potatoes and everything. "Thank you for the meal," I said lifting the plate in his direction as if I was toasting him with it. "But I really need to get going."

I rushed for the door. "Nice meeting you, Ann," I said over my shoulder and then hurried out.

I wandered the halls of the palace in my Emerald City ball gown carrying a roast. I would have laughed at the absurdity if it wasn't so sad. When I finally admitted I was truly and thoroughly lost, I walked up to the nearest guard to ask for directions back to Max's quarters. "How do I get to the dungeon from here?"

Stupid mouth. The damn thing never said what my brain told it to. The next thing I knew I was on my way to the dungeons in my Disney princess dress, still carrying a roast. It was a miracle Abby managed to go as long as she did without being kidnapped with me being the only thing standing between her and the bad guys.

Two men guarded the door leading down into the dungeon. I expected they would turn me around. "I'm here to see Max." They probably thought I'd come to feed him. They let me go right through without even checking me for lock picks or anything.

The gray stone of the stairs seemed out of place under a structure as majestic as the palace. But like any dungeon it was dark and damp. Rats scurried in the distance. I hated the thought of Max being kept in a place like this, but it was only temporary. After Julian was dead, Lucius would release him.

The dungeon only had four cells and Max was the only current inhabitant. I had expected him to be growling and clawing at the walls, so I was surprised when what I saw instead was a beaten man. He lay limp, his head bowed, shackles around his wrists and neck.

"Max?" I said softly.

He didn't respond.

"Are you okay?" He'd taken a lot of stab wounds. Maybe more than a werewolf could handle. What if he was dead.

"Why do you care?" I'd never heard him so dejected.

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here. It's not my fault you marched us right into a trap. What would you have me do? If I had tried to help you, Lucius would have stopped me."

"You didn't have to offer to team up against Julian."

"He kidnapped Abby!" I argued.

"He took her to save her. She saw him feed. His only other option would have been to kill her."

"He murders people." Why couldn't Max see what a monster Julian was?

"So do I."

John. How long had it been? Not even two weeks and I'd already forgotten about him. When I was in New Orleans, I was more worried about the food then making a call to his family and at least letting them know he wasn't coming back. When did I become like this? How did being with them change me that much, that fast? Or maybe I hadn't changed. Maybe Ann was right and I was driven by my own selfishness, ready to use John as evidence of evil when it suited me and forget about him when it didn't.

"On his orders." If Max wasn't responsible, then letting it go so easily wouldn't be as bad.

"That's a justification. I'm not a slave. I make my own choices."

I started to pace. The weight of the roast became unbearable. I threw it against the wall in frustration. This was stupid. All of it.

"Look, you won't be down here for long. After it's done, Lucius said--"

He looked up at me, his dark wavy strands falling into his eyes. "Ha! What? You think you can help murder my best friend and we'll just pick up where we left off? If you do this, whatever we had, whatever was happening between us dies in infancy. If any part of you cares about me, you won't help him."

"I can't back out now. You don't know what Lucius will do to me if I betray him."

"I know exactly what he'd do. But I need you to trust me. Trust that I can protect you."

I crossed my arms over my chest. Talk about an overestimation of abilities. "You're literally chained to a wall right now."

"I didn't consider Lucius capable of something like this and I was unprepared. I'm going to need your help getting out of here, but believe me when I say, I would tear him apart before allowing him to lay a hand on you."

The sight of Max in that cell, drenched in sweat, his skin caked with blood and dirt was one of the hardest things I had to look at. But so was watching my best friend being kept as a literal slave.

I shouldn't have to accept one terrible thing to remedy another. It wasn't fair. Abby had been my most important person for the majority of my life. I barely knew Max. Sure we had chemistry, but maybe this realm was full of sexy werewolves with romantically tragic pasts, eyes that could break my heart and a smile that took my breath away. I didn't know. I hadn't met any others yet.

Not even I was convinced by my line of bullshit. Max was special. Whatever we had, I wouldn't be able to find it again in someone else. Either way, I would lose. I groaned in frustration. "Fine, how do we bust you out?"