Much Ado About Vampires

"Are you sure this is a good idea? There's a whole bunch of people after us, and they're bound to know we're here." I turned the lock on the door, just to make sure no one could get into our room.

"What people?" Alec asked.

"Eleanor, for one. That lichmaster dude for another."

"Bah." He waved them away, moving toward me with a familiar glint to his eye.

"Maybe I should feed you again. You only got enough blood to get your engine running before Pia and Kristoff left to take Ulfur back to Italy with them. I know you're still hungry."

"I'll feed in a bit."

I hesitated, worry riding uppermost in my mind. "Not only are those vamps still out there, and likely to come back and drag you off to the Akasha, but more importantly, you were literally almost ripped in half. Perhaps we need a bit of caution here. The healer did say that your injuries might take a bit longer to fully heal."

Alec gave me a sloe-eyed look, and before I could so much as rip off my clothing and fling myself on him, he had me naked and on the bed in one of Sally's non-Abaddon spare rooms.

"I'm fine," he answered, rubbing his hips against me, the bulging nature of his fly more than enough proof that he was just as anticipatory as I was. But still, I had to be sure.

"No, seriously, I think we should wait." It was a feeble protest at best, but I couldn't in all good conscience give in to the hunger that claimed us both.

"You want me as much as I want you," he murmured in my ear, his breath hot on my neck, his hands tormenting and teasing me with sensual little touches that immediately aroused my deepest passion. "I know you do. I can feel that you do."

"I think the fact that I can't keep my hands off you is a dead giveaway to that little fact," I said, grabbing his hands to keep them from further investigating my chest.

He stopped nibbling my neck and pulled back enough to frown at me, his beautiful green eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you reject me?"

"I'm not rejecting, just delaying, and I'm doing that because I want to make sure that you're OK."

"I'm fine," he repeated, his hands ping back into breast central.

I squirmed out of his hold, rolled off the bed, snatched up his shirt, pulling it on quickly lest my own needs and desire drive me back into his arms. Luckily for my good intentions, the stark, horrifying memory of Alec lying torn apart and bleeding against the ballroom wall was more than enough to sober me up. "So you say, but I'm a doubting kind of person until I can see things for myself."

"The best way for me to prove to you that I have healed is to make love to you," he said, gliding toward me with a look that a panther probably gave a particularly succulent bunny in his path.

"No, the best way to prove it is to strip and let me see your - "

He was naked before the words had left my lips.

It took me a few minutes of allowing my gaze to caress the long, mouthwatering stretches of muscle lying so sleekly under skin that I knew was warm and satiny and tasted so very good.... With an effort, I stopped the path down which my brain was heading, and reminded myself that just a short time earlier he had been almost killed. "Nice try, but I refuse to allow you to distract me that way. Now, let me see. . . ."

The blast of power hadn't acted on Alec with the precision of a bladed instrument, meaning the thick scar that ran from the center of his chest to the top of his shoulder was jagged and uneven. It was also thick, and still red, and when I laid my hand on it, I could feel the heat as the flesh continued to repair itself. I let my fingers move upward to his neck, gently touching the twisting, angry-looking red seam that stretched from his collarbone around the side to the back of his neck. It, too, was hot to the touch.

Alec was clearly in no condition for the acts he so obviously desired, but if I told him that outright, he'd just scorn my concern and do what he wanted - giving me the most profound, intense pleasure without a single thought of whether it would harm him. I couldn't let him stress himself, obviously, but how was I to stop him? It was useless to tell myself to just ignore the lure he posed, because that just wasn't possible, and we both knew it.

No, I'd have to tell him he was going to take a new, much more passive role for the afternoon's activities.

"Are you finished touching me?" Alec inquired politely. "If you are, it's my turn."

"No," I said with a laugh as I pointed to the bed. "Lie down."

His frown returned. "You are being dominant. Evidently you are under the impression I like that in my Beloved. While it's true that I'm prepared to explore new things with you, I have never been one to take enjoyment from being passive."

"Alec, less than an hour ago I thought you were dead. I know you think you're perfectly fit for lovemaking, but I don't think you are, not really. However" - I held up a hand to interrupt his protest - "I am willing to admit that you're absolutely right in that I want you more than anything I can think of, so I'm willing to indulge us both, providing you let me do things my way."

"What way is that?"

"For one, you let me seduce you. I know that you don't normally like that, but - " I blinked as Alec, after staring at me for a moment, ripped the blankets from the bed standing across the room, and flung himself down on his back, his hands clasped behind his head, his feet wiggling in anticipation. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Come and seduce me, Beloved," he said in an arrogant, demanding voice. "I am willing to let you take the lead this once, so long as you do it now, and don't waste any more time in telling me I'm not healed enough to pleasure you as you deserve."

I laughed again, and slowly, so as to tease just a little, unbuttoned his shirt that I still wore. His eyes lit with faux outrage as I deliberately took my time working my way down the line of buttons, making sure I stroked my hands over my hips (which seemed to hold some fascination for him) all the way up to my breasts.

"Take off the shirt," he demanded, his breathing erratic as I stood, considering him for a moment.

"You're the only man I know who can be simultaneously demanding and submissive." I started to take off the shirt, pausing at the heat shining so brightly in his gorgeous green eyes. You're going to seize me the minute I get within range, aren't you?

Absolutely.

That's what I thought.

His eyes widened as I grabbed my jeans and jerked them on before turning on my heel and marching out of the room.

Corazon! Where are you going?

Stay there. Alec, I mean it, stay there! Don't think I don't know you're putting your clothes back on and going to come after me, because I know you are, and you can just stop it. I'm going to get something . . . fun. Just get back into bed, and consider how lucky you are to have a Beloved who plans on making you wild with delight.

You make me wild with delight without fetching anything else. And what is it you're getting? His tone was grumpy, but I knew he could feel the sincerity in my intentions, and was doing as I asked even though it wasn't what he wanted.

You get extra bonus points for that, I told him. And you'll see.

He spent the next ten minutes alternating between ranting at the way he would punish me if I didn't return to him that exact moment and telling me exactly how he wanted to make love to me. The former I ignored, but the latter made it extremely hard to carry on a coherent conversation with Sally, whom I found sitting in a sunny bow-fronted room with Terrin, sipping tea and eating petits fours.

Alec was scowling when I returned to the room Sally had given to us, his glare a truly magnificent thing to behold. "You have been gone exactly twelve min - what the hell do you think you're going to do with those?"

I twirled the red silk braided rope in one hand, while draping the matching scarf over my shoulder. "Sally gave them to me. I'm going to use them, my sexy vampire, to keep you from doing everything you want to do. You're still healing, so it's important you don't put too much stress on your wounds. The rope will ensure you don't."

"You don't seriously believe you can tie me down."

"Oh, yes, yes I do."

He rolled his eyes and tried to hide a smug thought that he would indulge me for a few minutes before simply ripping his hands free from the restraint. I smiled a secret smile to myself, and peeled off my jeans and shirt.

"You're not happy anymore," I said, gesturing toward his penis, now in a dormant state.

"You were gone for twelve minutes," he said, giving me a tolerant look as I slipped one of his hands through the adjustable loop in one end of the rope, snaking it through a couple of bars on the metal headboard before repeating the process with his remaining hand.

He tried to catch the nipple of my breast nearest him in his mouth as I leaned over him, but I shifted to the side, saying, "I would have thought you might have entertained yourself with thoughts of how you wanted me to pleasure you."

"I didn't, although I did spend some time on various punishment methods that will be meted out to you if you don't stop stalling and let me make love to you."

I smiled as he tested the bonds, distracted for a moment with the way the muscles in his arms and chest moved as he did so. The silk rope gave a little, but not so much that he could reach past his ears.

"What a delicious picture this is," I said, leaning forward to nip his lower lip. "A handsome-as-sin vampire all tied up, just like a smorgasbord for me to taste. But I think . . . yes, I think we can improve on this experience."

"I hope so, because I'm fast losing patience with you."

He tried to sound stern and unhappy, but I could feel that his interest and curiosity had been piqued.

Has no woman ever taken the lead with you in lovemaking?

Not like this, no. What are you doing with that scarf?

"It's a blindfold. Oooh, tricky!" As I leaned over him to tie the silken scarf over his eyes, he twisted and caught me with his legs, the powerful muscles in his thighs almost spelling an end to my plan. Just stroking my hand up their hard lengths was enough to have me giving in to all the wicked thoughts Alec was currently transmitting to me, especially when he added a sense of how much pleasure he received from me touching him. "But it will do you no good."

I pried myself out of the leg vise, and quickly tied the scarf over his eyes, making sure his nose was free for breathing. "Would you like a safe word?"

"Hell, no."

He was still smugly of the belief that he was in control of the situation. I let him continue thinking it as I cooed softly, stroking a hand down his chest from the jagged scar at his breastbone down to his penis. "Sooo hot, Alec. Your skin burns, but in a good way. I want to lick every inch of you. And since you are at my mercy and unable to distract me with your hands and mouth, I think I will."

I hummed a jaunty little song to myself as I bent over his chest, swirling a tongue around first one nipple, hidden in the soft curls of hair, before turning my attention to the other, allowing my fingers to stroke the ridged muscles of his abdomen. I don't think I've ever slept with a man who had an actual six-pack, Alec. Do you work out?

Sometimes, when I'm not doing anything else.

I mentally damned his genes for allowing him to be in such good shape without working at it, while lesser folks like me were at the mercy of sadistic personal trainers.

Do not pretend that your body does anything but please me, he chastised me. You know it does, and it would not matter what shape it was.

"OK, that right there would make just about every woman on the planet your love slave for life." I moved my kisses down his chest to his belly, swirling my tongue around his belly button as his hips jerked upward, his breath hissing when I bit the lovely indentation below his hips. "Luckily, no one but me is going to know you're so wonderful. Why, what do we have here? It looks like a penis."

"You love toying with me this way, don't you?" he asked in a voice tinged with amused exasperation. "You truly think you have me in your power?"

"I know I do." I let my fingers go wild on his groin, stroking and gently pulling, and generally just getting to know the scenery. I bent down and gently bit his inner thigh, enjoying the sheer spurt of pleasure that coiled through him as a result. His hunger was riding him hotly now, but I knew part of it was triggered by sexual need, and I couldn't help but want to push that just a bit higher before giving in to him. I looked up and gave him a saucy grin. "You don't know where I'm going to touch next, do you? You're wholly in my power, Alec. I can touch you here, or here, or even nibble you here . . ."

He groaned deep in his chest.

". . . and there's not a darned thing you can do about it. I have to say, I really enjoy having you spread out before me like this. Let's see, are you ticklish here?"

"Dammit, woman, you are deliberately baiting me!"

"Mmm." I looked up from where I was nipping gently at his inner thighs. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Cease your teasing."

"Or what?" I asked sweetly, gently squeezing his testicles. "Oh, didn't I mention that Sally said those ropes are magic? You can't break them, you can't slip your hands out, and you can't untie them from the bed. In other words, my sexy vampire, you are well and truly bound until such time as I want you free."

"Is that so?" I couldn't see them beneath the scarf, but I knew his eyes were filled with heat and passion and hunger, promising retribution for both my tone and actions. I allowed my grin to grow before dipping my head and taking him into my mouth.

He swore in Latin, his hips thrusting upward as I tasted, and swirled, and generally drove us both close to the breaking point.

"Yes," I said somewhat breathlessly a short time later, admittedly smirking to myself.

He whipped the scarf off to give me a heated look that came close to making my blood boil . . . until I realized just what that meant.

"Hey - " I started to say, but suddenly, I was on my belly at the bottom of the bed, Alec hard and hot behind me, the scarf twisted around underneath me. Alec used it to pull my hips up, parting my legs with his knees as he bent over me. "Alec! How did you get out of the magic ropes?"

"They weren't magic, mi corazon."

"Damn that Sally! She lied to me!"

"I'm sure she would think of it simply as being naughty," he said, kissing a path from my spine over to one hip before giving in to the hunger that threatened to swamp us both. Pain flared for a fraction of a second before melting into the most exquisite pleasure as he drank, my body aching with need for him.

"God shouldn't . . . oh Mother Mary, that is so good.... God shouldn't lie."

Alec's tongue swiped across the spot he'd been drinking from before he pulled my hips up with the scarf. "Now we shall see who is the one in power, and who is helpless."

"What are you doing? " I asked, every atom of my body quivering with anticipation and desire. "Are we doing it doggy-style?"

"You wanted bondage. Now you shall have it," he said, pulling up on the scarf as he thrust inside my body.

I had been about to protest that I had never done bondage, even bondage light, as I suspected this would be classified, but the sensation of the scarf pulling up on my pubic bone as he entered me was enough to push everything from my mind but that of the rapture he was giving me just by flexing his hips.

What's that, Corazon? Not going to protest that you are now my helpless captive?

I moaned in his mind as he slackened the scarf when he withdrew before pulling me upward again as he stroked back in.

Not going to deny that you can't escape my touch?

The angle was different than if I'd just been on my hands and knees, allowing him to plunge into depths that had not been reached before, waves of pleasure rippling outward with increasing intensity.

Not even going to demand I stop dominating you?

Oh, god, no! For the love of all that's holy, dominate me some more!

My approaching orgasm mingled with his sensations, tangling together until we were both poised on the brink.

Corazon?

Nnrng?

I love you, he said as he jerked upward on the scarf, sliding deeper and harder into me than he had before, his mouth hot on my shoulder as he bit.

It was too much for me, far too much. The orgasm, the sense of profound satisfaction he felt when drinking from me, and the knowledge that his love would burn eternally was all just too much. My body and soul seemed to explode simultaneously in rapture, a bright supernova of love and ecstasy that shone so brightly, I was surprised it didn't consume us both.

When I stopped being a brilliant, glittering ball of orgasmic wonder, I found myself lying panting on Alec's still-heaving chest, his arms holding tight to me.

I lifted my head. He opened one eye and rolled it down to meet my gaze. "Still think I haven't healed?"

"Oh, you've healed," I said, gasping for breath. "You're definitely cleared for duty. Jesus wept, Alec! That was . . . hoo! I'm totally a go on bondage from here on out. Do you think Sally will notice if we run out with the rope and scarf? Because frankly, I would give her just about anything to keep them."

He laughed and hugged me despite the fact that he was also struggling to catch his breath. Ah, my heart, what would I do without you?

"Luckily, my studmuffin extraordinaire - really, where did you learn to do that thing with the scarf? - you won't have to find out. Although I suppose we should get moving soon. Sally never did say where she sent the vampires, and Eleanor, not to mention Brother Ailwin, although I doubt if he cares about us anymore now that Bael is gone. But still, we should be moving on just in case people show up to nab you."

Alec closed his eye again. "Women. I'll never understand how they can talk after sex. I need sleep."

"Don't be silly, you're immortal," I said, pulling up the sheet and snuggling into him nonetheless.

"Immortal doesn't mean we don't need sleep. And stop worrying, Cora; I won't allow anyone to interfere with us any longer."

"Oh really? What do you plan on doing?" I looked up when he didn't answer, but he was telling the truth - he really did need sleep. His face was relaxed as I felt him drift off on a cloud of sated male satisfaction. I spent a long, long time holding him, wondering how we were going to untangle all the threads that seemed to weave around us into a knot. Uppermost in my mind were the vampires and their council who were still obviously intent on punishing Alec, but also niggling at the back of my mind was a concern that we weren't through seeing Eleanor. And then there was the lichmaster de Marco; he seemed to be overly interested in vampires. I made a mental note to ask Alec about it later. Last on my list was Brother Ailwin - would he decide to get revenge against us, or would he give up now that I couldn't be used?

I fell asleep worrying about it all, secure, at least, in the knowledge that Alec returned my love. If nothing else, that made the world seem infinitely more wonderful.

It was night again when I woke up to find the bed empty, and Alec gone.

"What do you mean, he left?" I asked ten minutes later, catching myself wanting to yell at Sally. She might not be God, but she was awfully close to that. More importantly, I had a feeling if I gave in to my frustration and vented my spleen upon her, she'd just get "naughty" again with me. "Left for where?"

She started to give me one of her smiles that I knew prefaced some outrageous comment or other, but with a glance at Terrin, who was glaring at a laptop as he punched angrily at the keys, she sighed and shook her head. "You make it too easy, you really do, sugar. You take all the fun out of it. And much though I should like tormenting you just a bit, just a tiny little smidgen, you know, to keep my hand in should I ever get the chance to be a demon lord again, even though I'd like to indulge in a bit of teasing, I won't."

I eyed her. "Asmodeus finally kicked you out of Abaddon, did he?"

Terrin said something rude under his breath. Sally sighed again. "Yes. Asmo really is very single-minded. He simply did not see the benefit in having one-half of the Sovereign being a prince of Abaddon. Such narrowminded thinking has never been to my taste, but it takes all kinds, doesn't it? Alec went to see the vampires."

"The council?" My blood froze in my veins. Alec?

There was no answer. I couldn't tell if he just couldn't hear me, or if he didn't want to. Damn him. "He went to see them without me? Mother of God! He's gone to sacrifice himself so they don't put me in the Akasha with him! You have to do something, Sally!"

"I do?"

"Yes, you do! You can't just sit there doing nothing!" My hands waved in the air as my inner devil prompted me to snatch the glossy magazine from her hands and beat her over the head with it.

"I'm doing something, sweetness. I'm reading a very informative article about cuticle health." She glanced at my hands. "One that is sorely needed in some people's lives."

I took a deep breath. "Alec is a good guy. You are the head honcho of good guys. That means you have to do something when he needs help."

She looked puzzled as she consulted Terrin, who was now swearing under his breath as he plugged in an iPod. "Do I have to do something, punkin?"

"I swear, I know what projects that Guardian who was proscribed used her minions on.... Hmm? Do you have to do what?"

"Do I have to help Cora?"

Terrin looked from Sally to me. "I thought you already did? Surely you offered them sanctuary so the Dark One could heal his wounds in safety?"

"Well, I thought that's what I'd done, but evidently Cora here is feeling slighted." Sally plucked a sugar cube from a bowl sitting on the table next to her, and sucked it thoughtfully. "And then there was the matter of the rope and scarf. They were my favorites, but I gave them to her willingly, because I could see that she wanted to indulge herself in a little nooky but was afraid he'd hurt himself. I thought that was quite generous and beneficent on my part, but evidently it wasn't enough."

I slumped against the wall, running my hand through my hair. Alec, please answer me. Please. I'm worried about you. Just tell me you're OK.

Silence was the only thing that filled my head. I slumped even more. He might not want to discuss the fact that he ran off without me, but he wouldn't let me worry unduly. That meant that either he was physically unable to talk to me, or something else was prohibiting communication. Either boded ill.

"I'm sorry, Sally, it was generous and beneficent, as was giving us a room overnight so Alec could rest and heal. Although . . . if you're no longer a demon lord, why do you still have this house?"

She crunched the remainder of the sugar cube with very white teeth. "Oh, the palace part that was in Abaddon is gone. All that's left is the original house, here in the mortal plane."

"Gotcha. Where exactly did Alec go to meet the vampires, do you know?" I straightened up, wondering where my wallet had gotten to. So much had happened since we arrived in France, I had lost track of my belongings.

"Vienna, I believe. Why? Oh, you wish to go and rescue him, do you?" Sally tipped her head to the side and gave me a once-over, a definite twinkle in her eyes. "Yes, I can see that's exactly what you intend to do. Good luck."

"Thanks," I said grimly, disappointed that she hadn't offered to fix everything with a wave of her omnipotent hand. Tempted though I was to beg them both to do just that, it was quite clear that Sally felt no further obligation to do anything for us, and really, I couldn't blame her. She had done what we asked - toppled Bael from power, ending my Tooldom. She had given us a place for Alec to rest after removing from the immediate location everyone who threatened us. She had even given us that lovely silk rope and scarf. "I'll just gather up what things I have here and be on my way."

"Ta-ta," she said, returning to her magazine.

I returned to the bedroom we'd occupied, but found no luggage, no purse, and certainly no wallet or passport. How on earth was I supposed to get to Vienna?

"I'll get there if I have to hitchhike the entire way," I growled as I wrapped the scarf around my waist like a sash, tying the rope on top of it. "Pia and Kristoff will loan me some money for one of those portals, I bet. And maybe I could call - " As I stepped out the door, I had a mental image of Terrin chastising Sally, who gave a little laugh in response before suddenly the floor was yanked out from underneath my feet, and I went tumbling into a black void of nothing.

"Hruh?" The black void was filled with a sharp pain. "Wha'?"

"You did not keep your arms and legs inside the portal at all times," a brusque male German voice chided me.

I opened my eyes to find myself on a mat in a small room filled with pale sunshine. A spot on my head hurt - obviously I'd conked it on the floor when I . . . memory returned at that moment. "Jesus wept!"

"You were warned to do so. If you are unkempt now, it is not the fault of Portals Elite, Ltd. Please to move off the receiving cushion."

I got somewhat painfully to my feet, dusting myself off as I limped out of the portal room, saying under my breath, "Thank you, Sally. I don't know how you did it, but zapping me to Vienna was a very nice thing to do."

Fifteen minutes later I was navigating the process of making an international collect call to Pia and Kristoff, who were unhappy, but not surprised, to find that Alec had abandoned me in order to take care of the vampires on his own.

"He wishes to protect you from the council, that is all," Kristoff said at the same time Pia said, "Stupid man. Doesn't he realize you guys are stronger together than apart?"

I agreed with both statements, and would have moved on to asking for the address of the Moravian Council's headquarters, when Kristoff's words struck me.

"What do you mean, Alec wants to protect me from the council? I haven't done anything to them. They're mad at Alec, not me. Aren't they?"

"You had Sally remove them from her palace," Kristoff said with a pronounced note of regret in his voice. "I'm afraid that means they consider you have directly opposed them in the act of completing their duty."

"So what?" I snarled into the pay phone, startling an elderly woman standing at a bus stop next to me. I turned my back on her and lowered my voice. "You did the same thing. Defied them, that is."

"Yes, but the difference is that they don't know for a fact that we had Alec in our house," Pia pointed out. "They suspect it, but have no proof beyond seeing us together in France, and I told them that was because of Ulfur."

I sighed yet again and rubbed my forehead. "Great, so that's why Alec ran off without me? To keep them from punishing me?"

"It's what I would do," Kristoff allowed.

"Well, screw that! I'm not going to sit around and let some damned holier-than-thou group punish Alec or me! Do you hear me? I won't stand for it!"

"You go, girl," Pia said with approval. "Boo, maybe we should go to Vienna - "

"No," he said quickly. "Alec does not wish for our interference. Cora, you must have faith that he will do what is best for you both."

Faith I had in buckets. It was the man of my dreams - literally - who was missing from my life, and I didn't intend on letting him martyr himself to save me. "Why won't he talk to me? Have they done something to him? Something heinous? Oh dear lord, did they already send him back to the Akasha?"

"No, they wouldn't banish him, not with you still here," Kristoff answered. "Most likely he has closed you from his mind so he can deal with the situation. It is, again, what I would do."

"Men!" Pia snorted.

"Agreed. What's the address of the council?"

Reluctantly, he gave it to me, along with the phone number I requested.

"Cora - "

"I know. Let Alec handle it. The only problem is that's the man I love in there with all those judgmental vampires, and I'm not going to let them touch so much as one hair on his adorable if sometimes far too stubborn head. Thank you for the information and advice. We'll give you a call when the dust has settled."

"Dust? What - "

I hung up the phone, dug around in my pockets to see what sort of change I had there, and resigned myself to making another collect call.

A half hour later I retraced my steps to the portal shop where Sally had dumped me, and greeted the first batch of arrivals.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Jane asked as she pulled out a cell phone. "It'll be very expensive having the entire union portalled here."

"Do it. Alec will just have to foot the bill."

She took one look at the grim expression on my face, and called her lieutenant to instruct the union members to begin the process of transporting them all from France to Vienna.

"And now the time has come for you to do penance for your attempt at killing Alec," I said a short time later, grabbing the body that plummeted out of nothing to whomp hard on the receiving-end mats. I jerked Eleanor to her feet before she could even suck in her breath, twisting one of her arms up behind her back. "You're going to be at the front of the group that storms the vampires' castle."

Eleanor sputtered something rude. I jerked her arm upward, causing her to squawk. "You're going to do this, and then you're going to get the hell out of our lives forever. You got that?"

"You are not the boss of me - "

"No, but Jane, as the head of the union, is. Jane?"

"I'm sorry," Jane said, spreading her hands and moving out of the way as the union members started arriving with frequency now, one barely rolling out of the way before another appeared to drop onto the mats. "The donation Cora is offering the union is just too great to ignore, so I am forced to issue you with a direct command to obey Cora in all things."

"I'm not bound to you," Eleanor protested. "You can't command me like that!"

"You are not bound to me personally, but you are bound to the union, and as its leader, you are obligated to follow the rules I put into place. This is one of the rules."

Eleanor argued, as I knew she would, but I didn't have the time or patience to put up with it. "Either you agree to do this, or I get hold of Sally and have you sent to the Akasha," I bluffed, holding up my hand to stop her when she would have protested. "And don't think I can't do it, because Sally and I see eye to eye, and besides, I think she's aching to send someone to the Akasha."

Eleanor's lips tightened. "Very well," she finally said. "But I'm only doing this so I can wash my hands of the pair of you forever."

It took another thirty-five minutes before the entire union, all 112 members, were assembled. We spilled out of the building into the street, and Jane had to resort to the use of a megaphone before she finally got everyone organized in a long line of liches, three abreast, that snaked around the block and across a pedestrian mall. The walk to the Moravian Council house took another half hour, but at last we had the tall, elegant house in our sights.

"Charge!" I yelled, not waiting for Jane to give the command. To my surprise, the liches did exactly as I ordered - they ran forward, streaming into the house once the door was battered down.

I was at the head of the group as it entered the elegantly furnished hall, and leaped onto a couch to scream, "Alec!"

Noise drifted down the stairs as the liches poured into the house. I pushed past them on the stairs, ignoring a scuffle that had broken out between a couple of vampires and the liches on the landing. "This way!" I yelled, urging them up after me as I ran to two double doors that the vampires had obviously been guarding. I flung open the door, dashing inside, the liches swarming behind me.

"Aha!" I yelled, pausing to point a dramatic finger at the scene before me. "I knew it! I knew you people had Alec!"

There were four men at a long table. Facing them, seated in a chair, was Alec, flanked on either side by the messenger and his buddy.

All seven heads swiveled to look at us, identical expressions of surprise on all their faces.

Are you OK? I asked Alec. Did they hurt you? Have they tortured you yet? And just what the hell do you think you're doing leaving me to go off and be Mr. Brave on your own, huh?

What are you doing here? Alec answered, looking annoyed rather than relieved I'd come to save him from being St. Alec the vampire martyr. And what the hell have you brought all of them for?

"To save you, you idiot man!" I stomped forward, waving at the occupants of the room. "Liches, attack!"

"No!" Alec bellowed, leaping to his feet as the other vamps did likewise. "Stand down!"

"Who is this woman? The rest of you will not take one more step into this room!" commanded one of the vamps at the table, a dark-haired man with a pissed-off expression. To my surprise, the liches seemed to heed him as well as Alec, since all of them came to an awkward halt just inside the doorway. "Is this the Beloved of whom you spoke?"

Cora, you can't attack the Moravian Council.

Want to bet?

I am in no danger, love. "Yes. This is Corazon, my Beloved, and the one you have to thank for the actions of the day."

"And just so you know, Mr. Whoever You Are, I'm not going to let you send Alec to the Akasha or anywhere else evil like that," I said, swaggering toward him, my words dripping with implied threat that I prayed I could actually back up. "I know you guys are conducting some sort of a vendetta against him, but that ends now, do you hear?"

"Very well," the spokesman said, inclining his head, his expression now somewhat blank, although I could have sworn I saw his lips twitch once or twice like he was trying to hold back laughter.

Just the thought that he could laugh at something so heinous as Alec's life freedom being threatened made my blood boil. I would sic the liches on him, first, I swore to myself.

Cora, you're not listening to me.

"Who are you?" I asked, ignoring Alec as he tried to stop me from marching forward to the vampire. "Are you the head guy?"

"I am Christian Dante," the man said, giving me a little bow. I had to admit, as bows went, it was a pretty nice one, almost as smooth as Alec's. "And yes, I do lead the Moravian Council. Now, you will please remove your liches from the building before I have them removed for you."

Corazon! Alec all but yelled in my brain. Will you stop?

Alec, I know you're peeved at me for being here, but you're just going to have to deal with the fact that we're a couple now. I take that very seriously, and it does not mean that I'm going to expect you to solve all our problems by yourself.

To my utter surprise, he started laughing.

"Oh, they're not Cora's servants," Jane said, rushing forward to stand next to me before Christian. She bobbed a little awkward curtsy, gesturing toward her chest. "We're a union, you see. Technically the liches are under my control - "

Alec, are you insane?

"Oh, for the love of Pete," Eleanor said, pushing her way through the mob of slowly retreating liches. She gave Alec a sour look before running her gaze over the remainder of the vampires present.

No, just amused.

" - most of them are under my control, technically, as I said, but we are a cooperative, and under most circumstances function along the lines of a self-policing commune rather than a dictatorship. I'm Jane, by the way."

Amused because I expect you to give me the respect due to your partner in life? I asked, outraged and ready to punch him in the arm.

No, I'm grateful beyond human understanding for that, mi querida.

Christian made a bow at Jane before turning to give Eleanor his attention. "And you are?"

"She is my Beloved," Alec said, finally giving in to my glares enough that he stopped laughing, and, taking my hand in his, kissed my fingers.

Christian raised one eyebrow. The other vampires looked vaguely scandalized. "You have two, as well?"

"I do. Eleanor was my first Beloved, the one who was killed by Kristoff's first wife some five hundred years ago. Corazon is her reincarnation, and thus it is she who is now my true Beloved."

"You know," Eleanor said to the vampire nearest her, the one everyone called the messenger, "I'm really getting tired of being referred to as the disposable Beloved."

The vampire just stared at her.

"I don't suppose you'd like me for your own?" she asked him.

"Er . . ."

"That's it," Eleanor said, shoving the vamp aside. "I've had more rejection than is right for any one woman to have. Send me back to the Underworld. Right now. You can all go to hell for all I care - I just want to go back to my adorable little house, and garden, and friend with benefits who never, ever rejects me."

"Er . . ." I leaned into Alec. Do you know how to send someone to the Underworld?

Yes. You kill them.

My eyes widened as I looked at Eleanor standing angrily in front of us. "Uh . . ." Is there no other way?

Yes.

"Well?" Eleanor asked.

I looked at Alec. He looked back at me. Well? I asked him in turn.

Well, what? Are you trying to imply that you'd like me to take over this matter, rather than let you deal with it as you obviously prefer to do with problems?

I jabbed him in the side with my elbow. "You are so incredibly funny. Get over yourself already, would you? You know full well what I mean."

He laughed again, wrapped an arm around me, and addressed Christian. "Is your Beloved available for a Release ceremony?"

Christian pursed his lips slightly as he glanced at Eleanor's angry expression. "I have no doubt she would be happy to do so, although she has not yet conducted such ceremonies on the living. Allegra is nothing if not dedicated, however, and I'm sure she would be delighted to tackle the situation. Madame, if you would please follow August, he will take you to my Beloved."

The messenger's companion gestured toward the doorway, still filled with liches who were watching the proceedings with unabashed interest. They parted to allow Eleanor and the vampire through.

"You're welcome," I yelled after Eleanor when she turned on her heel and marched off without anything but an annoyed sniff in our direction. "I hope you stay there this time," I added in a much softer tone.

Alec's arm tightened around my waist, no doubt in warning to behave myself. That reminded me of just why I was there with Jane's lich army. I turned back to the four council members, who were now clustered around the messenger, who was gesturing at Alec and me as he spoke in a low tone.

"I am not going to let you send Alec anywhere," I announced in a firm, no-nonsense voice. "Or me, if that's what Mr. Nosy there is telling you that you should do. I know you guys are angry at Alec about some mix-up in the past, but that was then, and this is now, and although I may not be a lichmaster like Jane, I think you can see that Alec and I mean business."

Thank you for including me in that statement.

I told you, we're a couple now. That means we do important things together. I glanced at him, suddenly worried that he didn't really want to be part of a team.

He leaned to the side and kissed me, very gently. There is nothing I want more than to be a team with you , Beloved.

I smiled, all warm and fuzzy inside at the emotion behind the words.

"Yes, we can see that you mean business," Christian said, taking his own sweet time to finish his conversation before turning back to us. He made a dismissive gesture. "You're free to go."

I gawked at him for a minute. "Both of us?" I asked, just to make sure I was understanding him correctly.

"Both of you." He gave a pointed look toward the mass of people at the door. "I'd be appreciative if you took your lich army with you."

"We're not really an army," Jane said quickly. "We're fully unionized, so that each member can feel he or she is an important part of our family."

"Wait. . . . You're letting us go?" Alec laughed again as I shook my head. "You're really that worried about the liches?"

"On the contrary, with all due respect to the lich union, they are nothing more than an annoyance."

I thought for a moment. "Is it because Sally is helping us? Did she threaten you guys?"

"Sally?" Christian frowned. "Do I know of a Sally?"

"I mentioned her earlier," the messenger said with a dark look toward me.

"Ah, her." Christian's eyes widened for a moment. "No, it is not the threat of the - " He bit off the word with a look toward the liches. "It is not due to her that we have released Alec."

I looked at the love of my life. "Did they just come to their senses?"

"Something like that," he said, kissing me again.

"I didn't need to rouse the liches?"

"No. If you'd stayed put, I would have been back there by now, and it all would have been taken care of."

I smacked him on the chest. "Dammit, I hate being left out of things. What did you do to get them to let up on you?"

"He helped rid the mortal world of Bael," Christian answered. "That, along with continued petitions by Kristoff and Pia, have been deemed as suitable punishment for the acts of the past."

"But . . . I thought you guys didn't mind Bael? I mean, wasn't there some sort of a pact you had with him?"

"One he honored only when he felt like it," Christian said with a wry twist to his lips. "Bael was a danger to us, as well as mortals."

"Oh. So we really can go?"

"Yes." This time he did smile. "Although Allegra would like to meet you. She enjoys meeting other Beloveds. If you decide to stay in Vienna, I would be happy to introduce you to her, perhaps over dinner."

I looked from him to Alec. "The man who put you in the Akasha to die wants to do dinner."

"We would be delighted," Alec said politely, pinching my behind as I tried to wrap my brain around this sudden change in the situation.

Dammit, Alec, I was all prepared to fight for you!

I know you were, and I appreciate that. But there is no need. I had a feeling that once the council realized that you were instrumental in ridding the mortal and immortal worlds of Bael, they would look kindly upon my case, since they could not damn you to any punishment they wished to mete out upon me.

If you thought that, I said as Alec bowed his good-byes and gently herded me toward the doorway full of liches, then why did you not take me with you?

Ah, he said, somewhat abashed, there was the issue of you having the messenger removed from Abaddon. I simply wished to ensure that they weren't going to make a case out of that before I brought you here.

"From now on, we tackle trouble together, OK?" I told him as we stopped in front of the mass of liches. "It's what couples do."

"So long as it doesn't endanger you, yes," he said as Jane shooed her liches out the door ahead of her. We followed behind her.

"Not acceptable. Oh, by the way, we owe Jane a whole ton of money for portalling everyone here to save your butt."

"You portalled all the liches? " he asked, looking horrified as his eyes roamed over the stream of bodies moving their way down the stairs and out of the house.

"You said you were rich, and I had to do something to save you," I muttered to him.

"Comfortable, mi corazon. I'm comfortable, not rich."

I shot him a look.

"All right, I'm relatively wealthy. But still, you couldn't have had them take the train?"

"A lich army doesn't ride a train," I scoffed, my heart singing a song of lightness and happiness, one that would be suitable for the end of a Disney movie, the kind where birds sing, squirrels dance with chipmunks, and the hero and heroine gaze swooningly at each other.

The squirrels and chipmunks have gone to bed, Alec said, his eyes alight with a familiar glint. But I will tell you how much I love you if it makes you look swoonily at me.

I would, but there's still that one concern. That de Marco guy - why did he want Ulfur to lock you away? Do you think he had some evil plans for you?

Possibly.

And what about Brother Ailwin? He seemed pretty pissed at us. I wouldn't put it past him to try to get revenge for the fact that I'm no longer a Tool. Man, I have got to stop saying that!

He laughed into my brain and, as we reached the street, pulled me up tight against his body, his breath mingling with mine just as our souls seemed to do. My love, my heart, all will be well. Let go of those concerns, and give yourself up to your happy ending with your prince.

"You are so not a prince," I said, punching him in the shoulder as he scooped me up and carried me down the street to where one of those horse-drawn carriages that drove tourists around Vienna was slowly making its way. He yelled something in German at the driver, who obligingly stopped. "You're an annoyingly arrogant bloodsucker who thinks he's going to get his way in everything, and you're dead wrong there, Alec. I mean it. Stop thinking that you're going to let me believe I can have my way but you'll secretly have yours anyway. Alec! You just did it again! Oooh, with the silk rope? Really? That sounds . . . oooh! All right, maybe you can have your way about that, although the feathers and leg restraints are just downright kinky. . . ."