Now that I thought about it, Geoffrey reminded me of a vampire version of Kaylin, only more seductive and dangerous. According to history, he’d been some sort of warlord during the Xiongnu period, in a region that would later become Mongolia.

I nodded and slipped into the seat opposite him. Leo and Rhiannon sat on my right. Just then, the door opened again and Regina and Lannan Altos sauntered in. Well, Lannan sauntered. Regina’s heels clipped on the hardwood floor at a quick, steady pace. Twins and lovers, they were dangerous and both of them were freakshows, though Regina had more restraint than her brother. Regina was the Emissary to the Crimson Court, and she was top dog around here.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Geoffrey held up one hand and I quickly shut up. When the Vein Lords order silence, obey.

“We are waiting on Lainule; save your words for when she arrives.”

And so we sat in silence for another moment until the door opened again and the Queen of Summer came gliding in. Even in the dim light, her brilliance shone against the others. Without thinking, I rose and knelt before her.

Lainule smiled down at me, then leaned down and cupped my chin in her hand. “Take your seat, Cicely.”

I silently obeyed.

Geoffrey cleared his throat. “Welcome, Your Majesty. My home is graced by the presence of the Queen of Rivers and Rushes—”

She waved his words away. The three of us stared. Nobody ever cut off Geoffrey, unless it was Regina. Or the Crimson Queen herself.

“Save your chatter, Regent. We have no time for pleasantries, nor am I in the mood for small talk.” She grew taller in her impatience. “Have you figured out whether the Consortium knows what’s going on?”

He nodded. “I have, Your Majesty. They know nothing, as far as we can tell. And my sources are reliable.”

Considering his words, she finally shrugged. “Very good. We must keep it that way. I cannot imagine what they would do should they find out about the Shadow Hunters. Especially considering what our plan unleashed.” Turning to me, she asked, “Have you ever heard of the Consortium, Cicely?”

I blinked. “The Consortium? Of course, hasn’t everybody?”

With a low chuckle, Geoffrey leaned back in his chair and stared at me, those glowing obsidian eyes following every movement I made. “Oh, Cicely, you can be amusing.”

“Our Cicely is delightful, in so many ways.” Lannan’s voice slid warm and rich over my name, making me shiver as if he’d just stroked my body with those ice-cold hands of his. “She’s also quite the vixen.”

He leaned back against his seat, his legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles, his hand lightly resting on his crotch. Another moment and he’d be wanking off right there.

Regina laughed, rich and throaty, but she gave me a speculative look, which I did not return. Best not to let a vampire catch your gaze—especially one who might consider you set to woo away her lover. Even when you’d rather stake him.

Geoffrey gave Lannan a long, slow shake of the head, then turned back to me, ignoring him. “Not everyone has heard of the Consortium, and many who have wisely stay a good distance from them.”

I pressed my lips together and clenched my fists. I refused to allow Lannan to get a rise out of me. I would not let him goad me. After taking a long, deep breath and exhaling slowly, I nodded. “The Consortium is a volatile and dangerous agency. I have no interest in making their acquaintance.”

A worldwide organization to oversee the magic-born, the Consortium pulled strings behind the scenes and, together with the Vein Lords and the top yummanii officials, were the real power running most of the world. And as in most powerful organizations, corruption was rife, with magic used to remove those who opposed them.

Geoffrey nodded. “Lainule speaks wisely. If they find out about Myst, they may take it upon themselves to fight her. As powerful as they are, they are no match for the Queen of the Indigo Court. She is Vampiric Fae, and as much as I am loath to admit it, we have no clue how far her powers extend.”

“Nobody ever kept track . . .” I shook my head. “What about their history—The Rise of the Indigo Court?”

He shrugged. “A scratch on the surface. Add to that, the members of the Consortium have an arrogance matching that of the Vein Lords. Only they would not admit they need aid. So keep your mouth shut. This is the reason I instructed the police to issue the statement about wild dogs causing the current spate of attacks.” Geoffrey gave me a long look, as if challenging me to argue his decision.

The Regent fascinated me. He was terribly intelligent, and he ran things aboveboard, for the most part. As we held each other’s gaze, it occurred to me that all of this was his fault. He’d been the vampire who decided to try to conquer the Unseelie Court by turning the dark Fae, so many eons ago. But now, as I searched his face, I realized that playing the blame game would be stupid. We had to deal with the present.

Geoffrey’s lips curled at the edges, and all of a sudden we were sitting together, alone in a small room surrounded by mist. He leaned forward and took my hands. “You are curious about me, Cicely. Know that I do not share Lannan’s tastes for games of humiliation. If you should ever want a sire, I would be more than willing to take you into the fold, to turn you, to teach you our ways. My wife is a lovely woman who does not object to sharing our bed with others.”

His hands were as cold as Lannan’s had been, but his lips were full and promised the sting of ecstasy. His tongue flickered out, for just a second, and I wondered if it would be different, having someone drink from me who wasn’t out to crush my spirit.

“Think about it,” he said, and sat back, and suddenly we were in the parlor again, and nothing had changed. No one seemed to notice what had gone on between us but for Lannan, who slowly turned his head toward Geoffrey, then toward me. An angry possessive look stole over his face.

I quickly averted my eyes, but I could feel the Vein Lord staring at me long after I glanced away.

“We have been working on an antidote,” Lainule said. “A way to shift the plague we sent into the Shadow Hunters that will minimize their rage. We had no idea that the light-rage would happen, and to be honest, we have no idea what the counteragent will do to them. We might make things worse. At least we have managed to keep them from wandering abroad during the daylight but . . .”

“How do you intend to get this ‘antidote’ to them? Will it be spread like the first plague?” I asked, ignoring Lannan, who was still staring in my direction. Let him look. We had another couple of weeks until my next blood tithe and by then, who knew? I could be dead. So could he—and that idea, I rather liked.

She shook her head. “First, we have more testing to do. Then we worry about spreading it through the colony. That’s what they are, you know—a colony that’s breeding and spreading. A swarm of destruction, a brilliant and beautiful deadly disease. And we have to eradicate every member we find. Myst and her people aren’t the only offshoots of the Indigo Court—too many years have passed since the first infection for there not to be others.” She looked pointedly at Geoffrey, who said nothing.

I delicately skirted her allusion. No need to get in the middle of a war between vampire and Fae. “What about Grieve?”

Her eyes were limpid, pools of clear water in the middle of a desert. She shook her head. “You cannot save your lover, Cicely. I know that you have been together in more than one life. I know that you love him more than you love anything or anyone else. And I know you are angry at us for using you, but you must understand: You were the easiest weapon we could employ to spread the infection through the colony.”

Weapon. I was a weapon to her. Her calm, collected words made me want to scream, but I knew that wouldn’t help matters any. But I wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Grieve and I are meant to be together, and there’s nothing on this earth that will make me give him up unless he tells me to go. I can’t just leave him in Myst’s arms. She’ll destroy everything that was ever good about him.”

Leo cleared his throat and tugged on my arm. “Cicely—”

“No!” I shook him off. “I’m going to have my say.”

Lannan laughed in the background, and I ignored him.

Lainule frowned. “Leave her to speak. She may say what she likes to me without fear of retribution, unlike with some of her compatriots.” Here, she shot a quick, steely gaze at Lannan, who winked at her.

I brushed Leo’s hand away. “Oh, I will have my say, Your Majesty. I respect you. I truly do, and I’m one of your people—at least on my father’s side—so I will listen to you. But I won’t necessarily obey you on this. Grieve is my soul mate. He’s a prince in your realm. How can you just leave him in her web?”

Lainule stood and faced me, taking me by the shoulders. Her smile was a fading glimpse of summer. “Cicely, I’m telling you this one time and one time only, and I expect you to obey: Walk away. Leave Grieve behind. He was lost to us the day Myst drank from his throat and turned him. The prince of my court is dead, and in his place, a pale Shadow Hunter now follows the hem of Winter. There is no place for him should he return to my realm. I would reject him. Or kill him.”

And with that, she turned away. Stunned, I could only stare at her back as she motioned to Geoffrey. “Vampire, we must talk in private. We have much to discuss.” Over her shoulder, she said, “Cicely, go home. Work your magic and tend your business for the townsfolk. They need the help. Do as Geoffrey and Regina command you, since you’ve seen fit to indenture yourself to them. And leave Grieve in the dust. We will conclude matters later.”

In silence, she passed out of the room. Geoffrey motioned to his servant. “Ensure that Her Majesty is comfortable and tell her I’ll be there shortly.”

He turned to me. “Lainule is right. You will only come to despair if you seek out Grieve. Meanwhile, you will continue to report anything you notice. Lannan will see you out. Good evening.” Opening the door, he escorted Regina out.

I didn’t want them to leave. Even with Leo and Rhiannon in the room, I didn’t feel safe around Lannan. And I was right to be nervous. As soon as Geoffrey and Regina disappeared down the hall, Lannan turned to Leo.

“Cicely will meet you in a few moments. Go and wait for her at the front door.” He waved them off. Though I could see by their faces that they wanted to protest, they were smart enough to keep quiet.

As they passed out of the room, I closed my eyes, steeling myself. Knowing Lannan, anything could be coming my way. He closed the door softly and turned toward me. The golden man, Apollo incarnate, with shimmering hair and obsidian eyes, and oh-so-breathtaking looks. But looks were deceptive.

He circled me.

I stood still, silent. Stifle the feelings, turn on the numbness, barricade the emotions. Let him do what he wants and then get on with life.

He stopped by my side. “Cicely?” He reached out and cupped my chin. His voice was so soft I could barely catch what he was saying. “My lovely, beautiful, breathing woman. Your face is so warm, so vibrant. You’re blushing.” A smile, feral and predatory, crept into the corners of his lips. He held my chin so I couldn’t look away and leaned forward, mere inches from my lips.

I swallowed my fear, forcing myself to remain steady. Lannan had the bite to back up his actions, and he was all about humiliating others.

With breathless lips close to mine, he slid his hand from my chin down my throat, his fingers trailing around the side of my neck, making me shiver despite myself.

“Cicely, listen to me,” he whispered. “You do not belong to Geoffrey. You will never belong to Geoffrey, even if I have to kill you and turn you myself, so don’t bother considering his offer. If I find out he’s touched you, I’ll drain you dry. You’re my toy, and I don’t share my favorites.”

I thought of protesting but stopped. I’d seen this side of Lannan, and I knew what he was capable of when he flew into a rage.

His lips almost on mine, he said, “And Lainule is right. Forget your Fae Prince. You’ve lost him. Join my stable. While Regina is my Queen, you will be the first among my bloodwhores.”

“I am no bloodwhore.” I didn’t try to break free—that would spur him on—but slowly, I tried to ease my head away.

But Lannan had other ideas. His arm was suddenly around my waist and his lips were on mine. I could feel him rigid and hard against me. He slid his tongue inside my mouth.

A warm sensation began to rise through my body as the euphoria of his kiss filtered through every cell. I realized that I had melted; I was pressing against him, wet and warm and aching for release. Furious, I pulled back, pushed his mouth away from mine.

Lannan arched his eyebrows. Grabbing my wrist, he twisted until I was gritting my teeth. “Don’t ever push me away again, girl. Not if you value what life you have left.” Once again, he fastened his lips on mine and ravished me with his tongue, his hands gripping my butt, wandering over my body, stirring heat. I let out a moan, angry and fearful, as my hunger for him grew.

As he broke away, holding me by the back of the head, forcing me to look him in the eye, my cheeks grew hot as I tried to stanch the tears aching to flow.

“Damn you . . . damn you. I hate you. I hate your touch and your icy hands. If I could, I’d stake you right here.” I knew I was playing on dangerous ground, but I couldn’t help it.

But Lannan merely laughed. “I like it when you resist. I want you even more when you try to squirm away. It thrills me to know you’ve creamed your panties when you don’t want to come. Anticipation is so good for the soul. I promise you this, Cicely: Next bloodletting, I’m going to fuck you so hard and long with my fangs that you’ll beg for my cock. I’m going to have you down on your knees begging me to ream your wet little pussy.”