In the end, they sat her down in a chair and had Gretchen hold her down with those strong, iron-hard hands pressing on her shoulders. Claire continued to struggle, but fear and shock were winning out over anger. And Shane wasnt moving. He was watching her, but he couldnt say anything around the gag, and if Shane wasnt struggling, maybe there wasnt anything to be gained from it.

Eve spun around and slapped Oliver. An open-hand, hard smack that echoed like a gunshot off of all the marble in the room. There was a collective intake of breath. You son of a bitch! she spit. Let Shane go! He has nothing to do with this!

Really. A flat word, not even really a question. Unlike a humans, Olivers face didnt show any sign of a handprint from the slap, and it had definitely been hard enough. He barely looked as if hed felt it at all. Sit down, Eve, while I tell you the facts of your rather pathetic life.

She didnt. Oliver put his hand flat on her chest, right at the notch of her collarbone, and shoved. Eve sprawled in a chair, glaring at him.

Detective Hess, Oliver said. I suggest you explain to my dear ex-employee exactly what she risks the next time she touches me in anger. Or, come to think of it, touches me at all.

Hess was already moving, sitting in the chair beside Eve and leaning toward her. He whispered to her, urgent words that Claire couldnt catch. Eve shook her head violently. A trickle of sweat ran from her messy hair down the side of her face, making a flesh-colored track through the white makeup.

Now, Oliver continued once Hess stopped, and Eve was sitting still. Were not technological idiots, Eve. And we do own the telephone providers in this area, particularly the cell phone providers. Shane placed a call from your home to a number that, much to our surprise, we found to be assigned to a device we located on his friend Mr. Wallace. Oliver pointed to the biker. GPS is a marvelous invention, by the way. Were quite grateful for all the hard work humanity has put into keeping track of itself. It makes finding people so much easier than it used to be in the old days.

Shane didnt do anything, Claire said. Please. You have to let him go.

Shane was found at the crime scene, Oliver said. With Brandons body. And I hardly think we can say he wasnt involved, if he was friendly enough with Mr. Wallace to be exchanging telephone calls.

No, he didnt!

Oliver slapped her. She never saw it coming, just felt the impact and saw red for a second. Her whole body shook with the force of how much she wanted to hit him back, and she felt the stinging imprint of his hand on her cheek like a brand.

You see, Eve? Oliver asked. An eye for an eye. Of course, my interpretation is a bit free of the Scriptures.

Shane was screaming around his gag, and now he was fighting, but the vampires were holding him down on his knees without breaking a sweat. Eves eyes were huge and dark, and Hess was holding her down in the chair as she struggled to come after Oliver.

Dont, Claire thought wildly. Because her friends had just told Oliver exactly what he wanted to know: that hurting her would get something out of them.

Oliver, Amelie said. Her voice was soft and very gentle. Is there a question you are posing to the children? Or are you merely indulging yourself? You say you already know the boy called this man. What more information do you need?

I want to know where his father has gone, Oliver said. One of them knows.

The girls? Amelie shook her head. It seems unlikely that someone like Mr. Collins would trust in either of them.

The boy knows, then.

Possibly. She tapped her lips with one pale finger. Yet somehow, I doubt he will tell you. And there is no need for any cruelty to discover the truth, I believe.

Meaning? Oliver turned fully toward her, crossing his arms.

Meaning that he will come to us, Oliver, as you very well know. In order to save the boy from the consequences of his actions.

So you withdraw your Protection from the boy?

Amelie looked at the body lying on the slab. After a moment of silence, she rose gracefully and walked to what was left of Brandon, trailed ghost white fingers over his distorted face, and said, He was born before King John, did you know that? Born a prince. All those years, ending. I grieve for the loss of all that he saw that we will never know. All the memories that can never enrich us.

Amelie. Oliver sounded impatient. We cant allow his killers to run free. You know that.

He was yours, Oliver. You might spare a moment for his loss before you run baying after blood.

Amelies back was to him, so she couldnt have seen it, but Claire did: there was hate in Olivers eyes, hate twisting his face. He got it under control before Amelie turned toward him.

Brandon had his flaws, Oliver said. Of all of us, he was the one who enjoyed the hunt the most. I dont think he ever came to terms with the rules of Morganville. But its those rules we have to observe now. By sentencing these criminals.

Sentencing? What about a trial? Claire started to ask, but a cold hand clapped over her mouth from behind, and she looked up to see Gretchen bending over her, fangs out, holding a hushing finger to her own mouth. Eve was likewise gagged by Hans. Next to them,Detective Hess folded his arms and looked deeply troubled, but he didnt speak.

Amelie looked at Oliver, then past him, at Shane.

I warned you, she said quietly. My Protection can only extend to you so far. You betrayed my trust, Shane. For the sake of kindness, I will not break faith with your friends; they remain under my Protection. She shifted her pale gaze to Oliver, and gave him a slow, regal incline of her head. He is yours. I withdraw Protection.

Claire screamed out a protest, but it was lost against the gag of Gretchens hand. Amelie bent over and placed a kiss on Brandons waxy forehead.

Good-bye, child, she said. Flawed as you were, you were still one of the eternal. We wont forget.

Claire heard someone yell outside the room, and Amelie whipped around so quickly that she was a blur, then movedand something hit the marble pillar next to where shed been and exploded with a sharp popping sound.

A bottle. Claire smelled gas, and then heard a thick, whooshing sound.

And then the curtains exploded into flame.

Amelie snarled, bone white and utterly not people, all of a sudden, and then she was dragged out of the way and down, with a moving bunker of bodyguards crowding around her. Gunfire exploded in the room, and somebodyDetective Hess?shoved Claire forward to the carpet and covered her, too. Eve was down, too, curled into a protective ball, her black-fingernailed hands covering her head.

And then, there was fightinggrunts and smacks and wood being thrown against walls and smashed during struggles. Claire couldnt get any sense of what was going on, except that it was brutal and it was over fast, and when the choking fog of smoke began to clear, Hess finally backed off and let her sit up.

There were two men dead in the entrance of the room. Big guys, in leather. There was one still moving.

Amelie pushed aside her bodyguards and stalked past Claire as if she didnt exist. She glided down the aisle and to the one biker still feebly trying to crawl away. He was trailing a dark streak on the maroon carpet. Claire got slowly to her feet, grateful for Detective Hesss arm around her, and exchanged a look of sheer horror with Eve, on his other side.

Amelie never got to the biker. Oliver was there ahead of her, dragging the wounded man up and, before Claire could blink, snapping his neck with a dry sound.

The body dropped to the carpet with a limp thump. Claire turned and hid her face against Hesss jacket, trying to control a surge of nausea.

When she looked back, Amelie was staring at Oliver. He was staring right back. No point in taking chances, he said, and gave her a slow, full smile. He might have killed you, Amelie.

Yes, she said softly. And that wouldnt have been in anyones best interests, would it, Oliver? How fortunate I am that you were here tosave me.

She didnt move or gesture, but her bodyguards swarmed and surrounded her, and the whole mass of them moved out, walking around (or over) the dead men.

Oliver watched her go, then turned back to sweep a glare around the entire room, stopping on Shane.

Your father thinks he can act without consequences, I see, he said. How sad for you. Put these two where they belong. In cages.

The biker and Shane were pulled to their knees and dragged off, behind the curtains. Claire lunged forward, but Gretchen grabbed her and put her hand over Claires mouth. Claire winced as her arm was twisted up behind her back, and she realized she was crying, unable to breathe for the pressure of the hand on her mouth and the stuffiness building up in her nose.

Eve wasnt crying. Eve was staring at Oliver, and even when Detective Hess let go of her, she didnt move.

What are you going to do to them? she asked. She sounded unnaturally calm.

You know the laws, Oliver said. Dont you, Eve?

You cant. Shane had nothing to do with this.

Oliver shook his head. I wont debate my judgment with you. Mayor? Youll sign the papers? If youre done cowering, that is.

The mayor had been down in a defensive crouch behind an urn; he got up now, looking flushed and angry. Of course Ill sign, he said. The nerve of these bastards! Striking here? Threatening

Yes, very traumatic, Oliver said. The papers.

I brought a notary. Itll be all nice and legal.

Gretchen let go of Claire, sensing her will to fight was trickling away. Legal? Claire gasped. Butthere hasnt even been a trial! What about a jury?

He had a jury, Detective Hess told her. His tone was gentle, but what he was saying was harsh. A jury of the victims peers. Thats the way the law works here. Same for humans. If a vampire ever got brought up on murder charges, it would be humans deciding whether he lived or died.

Except no vampire has ever been brought up on charges, Eve said. She looked nearly cold and pale enough to be a vampire herself. Or ever will. Dont kid yourself, Joe. Its only the humans who get the sharp end of justice around here. She looked at the dead guys lying on the carpet at the entrance to the room. Scared the shit out of you, though, didnt they?

Dont flatter them. They had no hope of succeeding, Oliver said. He looked at Hans. I have no further use for these two.

Wait! I want to talk to Shane! Claire yelled. Gretchen propelled her toward the exit with a shove. It was move, or fall over the dead, bloody bodies.

Claire moved. Behind her, she heard Eve doing the same.

She blinked away tears, wiped angrily at her face and nose, and tried to think what to do next. Shanes dad, she thought. Shanes dad will save him. Although, of course, the dead guys she was stepping over indicated that rescue had already been attempted, and that hadnt gone so well. Besides, Shanes dad wasnt here. He hadnt stuck around when Shane got caught. Maybe he didnt care. Maybe nobody cared but her.

Easy, Detective Hess said, and stepped in beside her to take her by the elbow. He managed to make it feel like escorting, instead of arresting. Theres still time. The law says that the convicts have to be displayed on the square for two nights so that everyone can see them. Theyll be in cages, so theyll be safe enough. Its not the Ritz, but it keeps Brandons friends from ripping them apart without due process.

How Claires throat closed up on her. She cleared it and tried again. How are they going to?

Hess patted her hand. He looked tired and worried and grim. You wont be here when it happens, he said. So dont think about it. If you want to talk to him, you can. Theyre putting them in cages now, at the center of the park.

Oliver said take them back, Gretchen said from behind them. Hess shrugged.

Well, he didnt say when, did he?

The Founders Park was a large circle, with walkways like spokes in a wheel, all leading to the center.

And at the center were two cages. Cells just big enough for a man to stand up, not wide enough to stretch out. Shane would have to sleep sitting up, if he slept, or curled in a fetal position.

He was sitting, knees up, head resting on his arms, when Eve and Claire arrived. The biker was yelling and rattling his bars. Not Shane. He wasquiet.

Shane! Claire almost flew across the open space, grabbed the cold iron bars in both hands, and pressed her face between them. Shane!

He looked up. His eyes were red, but he wasnt crying. At least, not now. He managed to move around in the small, cramped cage until he was sitting closer to her, and reached through the bars to lay his hand against her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. It was the cheek that Oliver had slapped, she realized. She wondered if it was still red.

Im sorry, Shane said. My dadI had to go. I couldnt let him do this. I had to try to stop it, Claire, I had to

She was crying again, silently. With his thumb, he wiped away the tear that fell. She could feel his hand shaking. You didnt do anything, did you? To Brandon?

I didnt like the son of a bitch, but I didnt hurt him, and I didnt kill him. That was already done when I got there. Shane laughed, but it sounded forced. Just my luck, huh? Charging off to be the hero, I get to be the villain instead.

Your dad

He nodded. Dadll get us out. Dont worry, Claire. Itll be okay.

But the way he said it, she knew he didnt believe it, either. She bit her lip to hold back a fresh wave of sobbing, and turned her head to kiss his palm.

Hey, he said softly. He moved closer to the bars, pressing his face between them. I always said you were jailbait, but this is ridiculous.

She tried to laugh. She really did.

His smile looked broken. Im going to consider this protective custody. At least this way, I cant do anything thatd get me in real trouble, right?

She leaned forward to kiss him. His lips felt just the same, soft and warm and damp, and she didnt want to move away. Not ever.

He sat back first, leaving her stranded there tingling and once again on the verge of tears. Dammit! Shane could not be blamed for this. It wasnt fair!

Ill talk to Michael, she said.

Yeah. Shane nodded. Tell himwell, hell. Tell him Im sorry, okay? And he can have the PlayStation.

Stop it! Stop ityoure not going to die, Shane!

He looked at her, and she saw the bright spark of fear in his eyes. Yeah, he said softly. Right.

Claire clenched her fists until they ached, and looked at Eve, whod been standing quietly in the background. As Eve came toward the cage, Claire turned away and went to Detective Hess. How? she asked again. How are they going to kill him?

He looked deeply uncomfortable, but he looked down and said, Fire. Its always fire.

That nearly made her cry again. Nearly. Shane already knew, she thought, and so did Eve. Theyd known all along. You have to help him, she said. You have to! He didnt do anything!

I cant, he said. Im sorry.

But

Claire. He put both hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She realized she was trembling, and then the tears came, a huge flood of them, and she held to the lapels on his coat and cried like her heart was breaking. Hess stroked her hair. You bring me proof that he had nothing to do with Brandons death, and I swear to you, Ill do everything I can. But until then, my hands are tied.

The idea of Shane burning in that cage was the most horrible thing she had ever imagined. Get hold of yourself, she thought furiously. Youre all he has! So she pulled in deep, shaking breaths and stepped back from Hesss embrace, scrubbing the tears from her face with the sleeve of her T-shirt. Hess offered her a tissue. She took it and blew her nose, feeling stupid, and felt Eves hand on her shoulder before she even knew Eve was there behind her.

Lets go, Eve said. Weve got things to do.