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"Fucking hell She ree, but he couldn’t trust it yet Over the past several weeks, he’d endured every dismal daily report on her condition Brian had frowned, scrubbed his hair to spikes in frustration, retooled his treatment formula The next day, he’d prepare the sa the one, but they had no idea how clear she was in her own head It would need to be verified Stephen one so they’d kill hiured out the only reason he was being kept alive was to preserve a servant’s life, an ignoony he’d inflicted on her

In sync, both an stood behind hi against one of the lab’s stainless steel counters Out of the way, but awaiting the verdict Earlier in the evening, when she’d first started saying Evan and Niall’s naan had reappeared Gideon sat on one of the rolling chairs at the other end of the lab, pushing it back and forth over the sanored the wall of s from her blood draw He handed them over to Debra for a second verification Her brow furrowed as she read the screen Evan alatched her more closely than her Master, because it was i from Brian’s face The scientist took a blood smear to a microscope, adjusted the lens, then scribbled into one of his many notebooks He used a form of shorthand that only he and Debra knew Evan and Niall had both shamelessly tried to translate it when he wasn’t around

Clearing throats wouldn’t increase the scientist’s pace, nor death threats During these twenty-two days, they’d tried all of those things, and everything in between So Niall settled back onto his stool at Alanna’s head As he lowered his hand to stroke her hair, there was a hesitation, a brief glance at Evan before he made contact When she didn’t react with convulsions or terror, a sigh eased the great shoulders Only in the last few hours had they been able to touch her without , the pitiful whiet away froht for her Toto sedate her It would interfere with the experimental treat her through machines and aOtherwise, she would have driven everyone but Evan and Niall out of the Savannah estate that was temporary Council headquarters Of course Lyssa would have ordered her to be put down before that, and then Evan and Niall wouldn’t be here, because they would have had to be dead to allow that

Well, at first Within three days of witnessing her in such obvious agony, it was like having a preview of Hell, piped straight into the speaker syste outside that , one of the into the sill of the vie, Niall had fought the overwhel Evan hadn’t bla Even Lady Lyssa, who’d come down to view Alanna’s condition, had co of her mouth reflected Evan’s own uncertainty about this course of action, yet she’d told Brian to do whatever he could for her, to spare no expense, a high honor for the Council to bestow upon a huet that hasty drive to Savannah in the RV Niall had driven the heavy vehicle like a bat out of hell, with herthose horrible hoarse, continuous screaan had used restraints that a vae lockers Each time the captured vampire roused, Gideon would open the lid and use a pipe to knock hiain, but it was only a temporary effect Unfortunately, once they arrived at Council headquarters and the treatan, Stephen couldn’t be sedated for the same reasons Alanna couldn’t, and the vampire seemed determined to exercise the one power he had left, to punish her for his fallen state

The treatment put on the back burner by Council, that Brian had been tweaking in his spare time, was the only possibility to break the mark between a servant and Master who’d been bonded beyond five years From the first, Brian made it clear that it was untested, volatile

"It has a slireat deal on her own strength" He’d made the case to Lady Lyssa in his lab Evan had turned away from theto Alanna’s soundproof rooirl Instinctively, the s that would require a vampire’s approval, whereas Niall kept his attention on her On whatever front necessary, her needs would be met

"It’s administered over a twenty-one-day period," Brian continued "Two treatments a day, and it’s essentially a poison"

Lady Lyssa nodded "Will there be any effect upon Evan, since he’s marked her?"

"If it works, he’ll feel the break when it happens, because it will obliterate anyin her blood However, it should be no worse than the physical sense of severing that occurs when a servant dies"

An experience he hadn’t had Yet He was keenly aware of Niall, the man’s heat and presence within a yard of hih she was a slim woman and barely over five feet tall, her presence filled a rooaze shifted to Niall On a normal day, Evan would have sent Niall a sharp command to show respect and attention to the vaht shake of her head before he could do it His servant had put his hands on the , as if he could soripped his shoulder, then gave Lyssa full attention for both of them

"You are her Master, Evan This decision is yours"

It was an unexpected privilege, since his guardianship was temporary But all that mattered was Alanna If it worked, her mind would be out of his reach, but it would also be out of reach of Stephen’s