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Grigori&039;s head jerked up, his eyes narrowing as he heard Marisa&039;s voice screa in his mind

"What is it?" Ramsey asked

"Marisa"

"What about her?"

"I knohere she is"

Ramsey stood up, his hands clenched "How do you know?"

"Alexi has told her, and she has told me"

Ramsey stared at the vampire for a moment, and then he swore under his breath "You drank froaze, and then he nodded "Not enough to hurt her"

"I can&039;t believe you would do so so despicable I can&039;t believe she let you Or did you first play with her ht"

"I ori replied coldly "And for this very reason"

Ramsey frowned, confused "But she&039;s not like Antoinette"

"No I would not steal her mind, her will"

"But Alexi could do it, couldn&039;t he?"

Grigori nodded The older vampyre could make her a revenant, or force the Dark Gift upon her Either one would negate Grigori&039;s power

Ra "So where is she?"

"Alexi has taken her to a s to my uncle Pietro"

"Three ori arched one brow "We aren&039;t going to walk"

"So what are we standing here for? Let&039;s go"

"All in good ti on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap A puppet waiting for sorieved him to see her so, she who had always had a ht of the high-spirited arguments they had had, the way her eyes had flashed at hi up afterward

Crossing the floor, he knelt before her Lifting one hand, he stroked her cheek, let his fingers trail through her hair "Antoinette, close your eyes"

She stared at hi as a puppy, and then her eyelids fluttered down

"What are you going to do?" Edward asked

"Free her"

"What? Wait a minute, you don&039;ther over" Grigori stared at Edward over Antoinette&039;s head "Have you ever seen anyone made Vampyre, Ramsey?"

Edward shook his head

"Do you want to stay?"

Edward hesitated a ori took a deep breath and then he sat down on the sofa beside Antoinette Enfolding her in his arms, he bent her back and kissed her

Ramsey stood where he was, unable to move, as he watched the vaently brush the hair away fro of preternatural power, as Grigori bent over his wife&039;s neck Chills ran doard&039;s spine as he i the tender skin at the side of Antoinette&039;s neck, and then, with revulsion, he i his life&039;s blood

Ediped the cold sweat from his brow There was no sound in the roo

He stared at the va his cross, the stake shoved into the waistband of his trousers feeling suddenly heavy This was the perfect time to destroy Chiavari and the woman to free the woman&039;s soul from Chiavari&039;s evil influence and send the vaed But Edward couldn&039;t move, could hardly breathe

Chiavari seereat black bird of prey, yet he had not changed shape Antoinette had gone limp in the vampire&039;s embrace Her face was turned toward Edward She looked deathly pale; he couldn&039;t tell if she was breathing

A deep sigh rose frolis stained with blood

He realized he was holding his breath, that his hand ached frohtly He felt the bile rise in his throat as the va wound to Antoinette&039;s ed softly "You nance slithered down Ramsey&039;s spine as he watched the woman drink the vampire&039;s blood He watched in morbid fascination as the color returned to her cheeks Her hands clutched the va his wrist to her lips

"It is done!" Grigori wrenched his arue over the wound in his wrist, licked the blood, hers and his, from his lips

Edward Ramsey swore under his breath as Antoinette stood up, her cheeks rosy with life, her eyes filled with awareness and intelligence And confusion

She stared at Grigori uncertainly, and then sori nodded "And I havefor herthat had happened He wondered if she would hate hie," she murmured

He knew the moment her memory returned He saw it in the horror in her eyes, heard it in the hoarse cry that was torn from her throat

"Antonio," she whispered "Martina" She ran out of the roo in the doorway of the roo down her cheeks

"He killed them," she said "And I shall kill him"

He saw her hands clench, heard the steel in her voice

Slowly, she turned to face hiori?"

"I have made you what I am," he replied "What he is"

"And what is that?"

"You know," he replied quietly

She stared at hiroithin her Would she accept the Dark Gift? Or would it drive her to madness?

She lifted one hand and studied it carefully And then, slowly, her fingers curled into a fist "I shall tear out his heart"

"And I&039;ll help you"