He led her into a small study, closed the door, and stood waiting, his hands on the back of a large wing chair. “Well?”

“Damian, it’s me, Chrysabelle.” He would know who she was, wouldn’t he? “You stayed at my house in Paradise City.”

His brow furrowed. “You don’t look like the Chrysabelle I remember from the Primoris Domus.”

“I’m disguised. I have friends with me and we’re here to get you out and bring you back to New Florida with us.”

He blinked long and slow. “Why would you do that?”

She wanted to take his hand but refrained. “Because you’re my brother.”

He rolled his eyes and came around to sit in the chair. “I find it hard to believe you’d do all this out of some sense of comarré obligation.”

She shook her head. “No, I mean you are genuinely my brother. We are blood relatives.”

“You can’t know that. Those kinds of records are sealed.” He slumped a little lower, his posture defeated. “I get you think you’re here to help me, but—”

She stepped into his personal space, her gown brushing his knees. “What is wrong with you? Creek told me about how you helped him get rid of Aliza, but you barely seem capable of killing a fly right now. I can’t believe you ever had the wherewithal to run from Tatiana in the first place.”

With a full-body sigh, Damian let his head drop back against the chair. “The way I feel lately, I can’t believe I did either. I think she drugged my food this evening. Probably afraid I was going to make a scene at her precious ball. Like I care.”

“She can’t be drugging you if she’s feeding from you. It would affect her, too.”

“She’s not feeding from me. Not since her Elder bought a comar a few days ago.”

Tatiana’s audaciousness made Chrysabelle’s hands long for her blades again. “You are coming with us. No argument.” She pushed enough of her anger down to concentrate on what needed to be done. “Can you manage this?”

He stared at her for a long moment. “You’re really my sister?”

“Yes. And I knew our mother.”

For the first time, a spark of life flared in his eyes. “Knew?”

“She died at Tatiana’s hands.”

The spark of life turned to fire. “What do you need me to do?”

Chapter Forty-One

Talking to every noble who stopped her made Tatiana’s patience grow thin. She did what was expected of her, answering their questions, thanking them for coming, accepting their compliments and empty words of support, but the result was that it took far too long to reach the noble she’d been watching. She kept glancing at him, but not once did he move or take his gaze from her. Almost as though he waited for her.

She liked a man who accepted her superiority, but a small bit of disappointment crept into her that he posed no challenge. At last she broke free and waded through the crowd toward him again.

His size seemed to increase as she advanced, but it pleased her to think she’d soon have the brute at her command, because there was no question that she would woo him to her bidding. Men were all very much the same, vampire or human; they all responded to the proper application of female charm.

She extended her hand and offered him the smile that had opened more doors for her than her current position of power. “Thank you for coming. I don’t believe we’ve met. I suppose you know who I am.”

“I suppose I do.” The timbre of his voice was oddly familiar. Perhaps she had spoken to him at another ball. “My… pleasure.” Something flickered in his dark eyes, but his face remained unchanged. After a moment, he finally lifted his hand to take hers. The contact was brief and she barely felt it through the silk of her elbow-length gloves.

His cool disinterest unnerved her. “And you are?”

“Lord Moreau. House of Tepes.”

“So we are family, then. How lovely. Do you live in Corvinestri? I think we would have met if you did.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I spend a great deal of time in Singapore.” He glanced past her and tipped his head toward where Octavian sat on the dais, Lilith on his lap and a crowd of nobles jockeying for his attention. “A daywalker. Interesting.”

Tatiana acknowledged her family. “Yes. She’s quite remarkable.” The next sentence came out before she could close her mouth. “I fear for her safety, though.”

Lord Moreau nodded. “And well you should. There are many who would consider her an asset to their own families. Or a threat.”

That was all the opening she needed. She moved a few centimeters closer and let as much helplessness come into her expression as possible. At least she hoped that’s how it read. Helplessness wasn’t something she did well. “There have been threats already.”

Interest widened his eyes slightly. “From who?”

She shook her head as if the whole thing was too terrible for words. “There is a rogue comarré in New Florida. Horrible, horrible creature. She killed the Elder before me, you know, Lord Algernon. Sliced his head clean off.”

Lord Moreau appeared unmoved. “A comarré killed an Elder?”

“Yes,” Tatiana insisted. “Then she took up with the most awful anathema vampire, but he’s dead now. Killed by a human, of all things. It’s been on the news.” She smiled. “I’m sure you’ve heard that I lifted the restrictions on electronic communications. Lord Syler is going to do the same for the House of Bathory.”