Page 64 (1/2)

That got her attention back Her brow furrowed "What do you h "Danny’s been busy At my request, she called Janus to her station for further questioning"

Janus was the only survivor of the four adult ally turned to serve as his "sons,"--s He was under the supervision of one of Danny’s territory overlords now Elisa sed, re when Danny had called all four of them out in the courtyard at Ruskin’s Darwin fortress Dev hadn’t known until too late that Elisa was standing at an upperWith a deadly calm, Danny had tossed each a weapon, told them to defend themselves Then, with a speed and skill that had been bloodcurdling, she’d decapitated three of them before Elisa could even turn her head away

When Janus dropped his blade, his fingers tre too hard to hold it, she’d ordered him to his knees Then she’d told hi molecule of belief that the four of them had been a different kind of victiave her a shadow of a doubt that she’ddecision, he should stake himself Because otherwise she’d make sure his death was slow and painful

Since that day, realizing what the four had done to the children, no matter that it was done under Ruskin’s twisted supervision, Elisa had sometimes wished her Mistress had killed all of them But at least he wasn’t at their station

"What did she find out from him?"

"That the four of the turn other fledglings is always a risky, unstable proposition William, Matthew, Nerida and Miah were turned by Ruskin, as a five-hundred-year-old mature vampire We’ve all noticed there’s a marked difference in the severity and types of attacks they experience versus Jeremiah or Leonidas As I told you earlier, a nor the first three e of their turning, the trauma they’ve endured, have exacerbated that, but it’s possible as we give them a semblance of normalcy, and time passes, it will eventually pass, the same way it does for an adult va weaker than adult vaht, that makes their future sos, he never gave her empty reassurances, so heBut she couldn’t bring herself to say anything just yet He shifted, bracing his wrist on the wheel "We’ll head to the ed for those four Lord Marshall’s household is still an excellent potential haven for two of theood"

Nothing has changed for those four "But not for Jere to happen with hi out of the Jeep, she walked to the front and looked out at the view "I won’t survive losing hiht sky, to the darkness, and to the vampire as deep inside of herShe’d told herself it was okay he could never feel the saht of what she felt, even if he didn’t feel it hin it all to God’s will and wisdoht seeodliness to her at the ht hihtI’ive him comfort, to help hiain Would the tears ever stop? When he got out, ca his T-shirt It wasn’t a cathartic cry this ti broken glass, all of it ground up inside her chest and choked out, because this wasn’t going to be made better by the tears

I knohat he h this, one way or another Whatever you need to survive, you will, because you have me

The sobs broke loose, because she needed to believe hirabbed at co swept out on that tide, the one Jere

Every creature feared such a feeling Particularly a fledgling vampire child, one who knew exactly what it was to be lost and forgotten, thrown to the jaws of merciless Fate

31

FLORIDA Elisa stood on the back balcony of Lord Marshall Grant’s intracoastal ay ho by with thru motors They’d arrived at the airport so close to dawn that when they reached the house, the host had turned in for the day, but a very efficient staff had shown Mal to his accoh check of the surroundings, ensuring Marshall was the only varounds She was to use her propensity forfriends with household staff to learn the ht be useful to their purpose here