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Lothaire's jaw slackened, and Ivana pressed the back of her hand over her mouth

The woarments as rich as Ivana's own She was the one who'd dined at the king's right hand?

"A hu one of those diseased ani?" She strode forward to shove Lothaire behind her

Though adult vampires were immortal, Lothaire was still vulnerable to illness

"The human is Olya, my new mistress"

"Mistress!" Ivana cried "More like a pet Her kind live in dirt hovels, sleeping ast their livestock!"

Stefanovich waved for the woman, and she coyly meandered over to him "Ah, but she tastes of wine and honey" He turned to his brother "Does she not, Fyodor?"

Fyodor flashed a guilty look at Ivana

Pulling his pet into his lap, Stefanovich sneered, "You should sample her, Ivana" He bared the mortal's pale arm

Ivana's eyes widened "Taking blood straight fros into a hu you swine to pierce?"

They were staring each other down, their expressions telling, but Lothaire couldn't decipher exactly what they were saying

Finally, Ivana spoke "Stefanovich, you know there are consequences, especially for one like you"

"My kind revere the Thirst," Stefanovich said, "revere bloodtaking"

"Then you revere madness, because that is surely ill follow"

Ignoring Ivana's warning, he punctured the wo her moan

"You are revolting!" Ivana blocked Lothaire's view, but he was fascinated by this sight, peeking around her skirts Why had she taught him never to pierce another?

Once he'd finished feeding, Stefanovich released thea yell of outrage froh, but to mate with their bodies? Have you no shame?"

He broke away froled, twirling Stefanovich's hair around her finger

" 'Tis too conteer!"

"And ill you do about it?"

"I will leave this savage place forever," she declared "Now, slaughter your new pet, or I shall return to Dacia"

"Be wary of ultimatums, Ivana You will not relish the outcome Especially since you cannot find your homeland"

Ivana had explained to Lothaire why the kingdo Themist If one abandoned the mist, the Dacian could never trace home on his own, and his memories of its location would fade

With her first sight of Stefanovich, Ivana had lost her heart, following hi behind her own mist, her family, her future throne

"I will find it," she averred now "If it kills me, I shall deliver Lothaire to the Realm of Blood and Mist, a land where civilized immortals rule"

"Civilized?" Stefanovich laughed, and the courtiers followed suit "Those fiends are more brutal than I!"

"Ignorant male! You have no idea of what you speak! You can't comprehend our ways-I know this, for I tried to teach you"

"Teach ance will be your ruin, Ivana! Always you believe you are better than I!"

"Because-I-am!"

At that, the courtiers went silent

Between gritted teeth, Stefanovich commanded, "Take back your careless words, or at sunset I'll throw you and your bastard out into the cold"

Lothaire sed, thinking of the fire in his room, his beloved puzzles atop his desk, his toys scattered over wars on the floor Life at Helvita could be miserable, but 'twas the only life he'd ever known

Apologize, Mother, he silently willed her

Instead, she squared her shoulders "Choose, Stefanovich The fetid human or me"

"Beg my pardon and seek amends with my new mistress"

"Beg?" Ivana scoffed "Never I am a princess of the Daci!"

"And I a!"

"Leave Ivana be, Brother," Fyodor rows tedious"

"She must learn her place" To Ivana, he ordered, "Beseech Olya's forgiveness!"

When the mortal cast Ivana a victorious sneer, Lothaire knew he and his mother were doomed

ONE MONTH LATER

"Stoke that hatred, Son Make it burn like a forge"

"Yes, Mother," Lothaire grated, his breaths fogging as they trudged through knee-high snowdrifts

" 'Tis the only thing that will keep us warleamed with resentment, as they had ever since Stefanovich ordered them to leave Helvita

On that night, Lothaire had heard the smallest hitch in Ivana's breath, had seen a flare of surprise She'd known she'd made a mistake

But she'd been too proud to remedy it, to bon to a human

Not even for me

All the court had gathered at the castle's entrance to watch Lothaire and the haughty Ivana cast out with only the garments on their backs

To die in the cold They would have perished long since had Fyodor not slipped Lothaire coin

Lothaire's puppy had followed hi over its os, panicked to catch up with him While Lothaire stared in disbelief, Stefanovich had seized the dog by its scruff, snapping its back

To the sound of the court va creature at Lothaire's feet "Only one of our pets will perish on this day"