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She was half vaht that sheShe had rarely tapped into her vampire half, never tested the liht, but it had been swift and she had taken no pleasure in it The fact that it had been self-defense made it only nominally easier to bear She wondered if he had a wife and family, tried to tell herself it wasn’t her fault, but Nadiya’s But the man was still dead, his blood on her hands

She had collapsed in her father’s arms when the battle was over He represented home and security, but even as he had stroked her hair, she had been wishing it was Zack holding her tight, Zack whispering words of comfort in her ear

Now, alone in her roorips with herthat Zack and her father could kill so quickly, so efficiently Still, it was co to know that the two men she loved the ainst therotesque ies of torn flesh, the sickly sweet smell of blood and death--was forever burned into her memory And yet, the horror of it would fade, in tiht as she crawled into bed, the one truth that would forever ree that they both loved her enough to risk their lives for her

Drake and Zack were sitting in the main hall when Elena entered the room

"How is she?" Drake asked

"She’s asleep"

"Did you have any trouble re the shackle from her ankle?"

"No" Elena shuddered "I threw it away"

Drake nodded, his ar around Elena’s shoulders as she took a seat beside hilanced at Ravenscroft "What do you think?"

Zack shrugged "I found it kind of exhilarating myself"

Elena stared at hiuess that doesn’t uy, but I don’t care I’ll rip the heart out of anybody, male or female, who hurts Katy And that includes Nadiya and anyone else she sends against us"

"You should have seen him," Drake said, a note of adht like that" He clucked softly "Oneout throats, and the next he was a va out hearts"

Elena shuddered "Sorry, but I’ at Zack "I’ I’d want to watchalthough that changing into a wolf thingto see"

Zack looked at Sherrad, one brow raised in arinned

Sherrad scowled at him

"So," Zack said, "what’s our next move?"

"What do you lanced at Sherrad, but said nothing

"It is not over," Drake said quietly "It will never be over so long as Nadiya lives She must be punished for her treachery And Lucien, as well"

"What do you mean to do?" Elena asked

"I mean to confront thehtly together

"I cannot let this go," Sherrad said, seeing her disapproval "The Fortress has been governed by the Sherrad faht to defend it I will not surrender it without a fight"

"We can leave here," Elena said "Go somewhere else To America Or Canada"

"You and Kaitlyn will be no safer there than you are here as long as Nadiya wants revenge Next tiet Kaitlyn back alive I will not risk her safety again Or yours" He looked at Zack "Have you nothing to say?"

"I think you’re right I’ainst twelve wasn’t so bad Two against Nadiya and Lucien’s arht be a stretch, even for me"

Chapter 34

Lucien sat in what had once been Drake’s chair on the dais in the council cha the arms as he stared at the two men before him

"Where is Drake now?" he asked curtly

Gavril, the taller of the two, shook his head "I do not know We were lucky to get out of there alive"

Lucien’s gaze shifted to E his throat, Emilian shifted from one foot to the other "I left shortly after Gavril"