Page 29 (1/2)

It was all the opportunity that Lucien needed

Allowing his battered body to sink to the floor, he fuer he had dropped For a horrid ht perhaps it had tuers closed around the smooth hilt Without hesitation he struck out

The va it cringe backward Not about to lose his chance, Lucien struck again and again, his ears painfully pierced by the high inhuman screech of the wraith

With a last desperate atte Lucien’s head fiercely against the door Darkness threatened, but with gri out with h wail and then in the blink of an eye the

Forupon the floor His entire body tre wounds and his last desperate effort to rid himself of the wraith In the hall he could still hear the calls of Meg but he was unable to ed hi breaths There was no ti the doorknob he forced himself shakily to his feet and then wrenched the door open

The housekeeper turay with fear

"What the devil is going on up here?" she de through the door"

"I have no tily"

"Go after? Where has she gone?"

"She has been kidnapped"

There was a loud gasp "Dear God"

"Do not fear, I shall soon have her hoarded hi for the first time his rumpled appearance and unnaturally pale countenance

"You do not appear well yourself, Mr Valin Perhaps we should call for the authorities"

He gave a firm shake of his head "No I ht wish to have a hot bath and warm supper prepared for e return"

"And a nice bottle of brandy," she added in fir hi his way down the steps

He paused only long enough to collect the necessary money to rent a mount before he was out of the house and on his way to the nearby stables He did not allow hi to Jocelyn, or even what he would do when he eventually caught up with the up to them as swiftly as possible

In less than half an hour he had his horse and was on the faint trail of the carriage It ca led out of London and down a narrow trail that appeared rarely used Amadeus would have shrewdly discovered a place of privacy to attempt to coerce the Medallion from Jocelyn He would never act in a hasty or impulsive manner

Daas not far off when at last he turned froh a heavy copse of trees Carefully h the underbrush, he abruptly stu

In the very center was an abandoned castle that had long ago fallen into disrepair It would have been easy to presume that the ruin was empty, except that someone had quite recently taken the effort to board over the narros

And, of course, the unle of awareness that assured Lucien that a va his mount to the cover of the trees, he tied off the reins and carefully turned to make his way to the castle He was relieved to discover that A any of his henchh the heavy door

With silent steps he h the small vestibule and moved to the nearby steps that led to the cellars below With dagger in hand he inched his way doard, the sense of both Aer with every step

At last entering the cellars, he was abruptly halted as a loud scratch echoed through the air and a light bloolared at hiuised hatred

"Lucien," the vaerous desperation "What an unpleasant surprise I thought you would be nicely disposed of by now"

Nonchalantly strolling forward, Lucien cast a covert glance about the cla one ere several dusty barrels and a rack that once held wine bottles Farther away he could see an array of manacles, chains, whips, and in to naaze at last discovered the narroooden table in a dark alcove where Jocelyn lay stretched on the surface with her arether

Although disheveled, she did not appear to be harlance at her terrified countenance, he ruthlessly forced his attention back to the furious Amadeus

There was no time to assure hirimly

Not until she was free of Amadeus’s clutches

"You have crossed all boundaries, Aust "Mist wraiths have been forbidden by all vampires Do you possess no shame?"

The vampire offered Lucien an oddly haunted smile at the accusation "Very little, I have discovered"

Lucien could conjure no syht this wicked coo turned his back on decency and integrity It was too late to realize his desires had cost hily," he coiven me what I need," Amadeus retorted

With a smooth motion Lucien reached beneath his jacket to reveal the deadly dagger The blade glinted with a dangerous fire in the flickering light