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Lilith forbore to answer Instead, she ent pose on the throne Her body angled in the massive stone seat so that one elbow rested close on an armrest, and she positioned her wrist on the other arm "So it is you" She sounded contemplative, but Victoria knew better than to look closely at the vampire to confirm

Instead, she scanned the room Clearly, Lilith meant her no immediate harm--otherwise she would not have been left to awaken on her own--or, even, to awaken at all

They weren’t alone in the room Two Guardian vah which Victoria and Sebastian had entered less than a week ago

Lilith rose fro over her gaunt figure "You are the one I should have known it fro as if to herself, butcloser to Victoria The s sweetness nothing like the delicate tea rose Lady Melly wore

"It’s your vis bulla that he wears"

Victoria forgot herself, and her gaze snapped to the undead queen’s Malice burned in those blue-red eyes; she fairly saw flaed her eyelids closed even as the va in the room

Max wore her vis bulla

She heard the rustle of silk and forced her eyes open This was not the time to think about itLilith stood much too close Victoria could see each hair of her slender brows and the tiny pores of her skin She sed at her--pulled from the center of her torso, as if a rope had wrapped around her rib cage, drawing her closer

Victoria let out the breath she’d been holding, and sidled the stake between them

"How brave you are, Venator" Lilith smiled The expression was one of such depravity that it sent an ugly, chilling shiver down Victoria’s spine and shooting through her lih they’d been subed in icy water for hours "But in vain"

Victoria’s heartbeat struggled, fighting to keep its own rhyths felt heavy, clogged, paralyticyet she stayed steady, forcing the breaths, focusing on the power radiating from the two holy silver crosses in her navel

Lilith moved, and suddenly Victoria felt vises close around her ar them to the side The Guardian va her off balance as the other kicked her legs far apart so that she stood as if straddling a wide river, unable to raise a leg to lash out

She still held the stake, though the grip of the Guardian on her left wrist threatened to squeeze it froers

Victoria looked defiantly at Lilith, careful not to be ensnared by that enthralling gaze, fighting deep within to remain the mistress of her breath and heartbeat "Surely you jest You, the queen of the vampires, cannot face me without assistance?"

Lilith stepped closer, her breath warm on Victoria’s face She turned away, but the vaernails closed around her chin and forced her head back to face her Victoria didn’t waste the energy trying to fight it Her heart was pounding now, as though ready to leap fros

"I prefer to feed in peace" In a sudden, horrific movement, she reached up and yanked the top of Victoria’s head to the side, releasing her chin, and baring her throat "We shall see what he thinks of you now"

Victoria couldn’t move; she was held firmly from wrist to shoulder, and her ankles were spread apart and kept immobile by heavy boots planted next to them Only her hips were unhampered; but she could do little but twist and turn--and even that was ineffectual against the strength of her undead captors

Lilith moved closer, her breath hot on Victoria’s bare neck, where the vein lurched and throbbed, pulsing as though ready to surge free Diers loosen and the stake fall as she struggled s into flesh is rarely painful They cut so cleanly and sly joyful releasethe war into the waiting vessel

Victoria was stupidly conscious of the warmth of Lilith’s upper lip and the chill of her lower oneof the way her tongue lapped against her flesh and the fangs bored deeplythe suction of cold and heat tugging deeply through her as Lilith drank, sing against her in an absurdly gentle manner

And, suddenly, the va at Victoria ide eyes All at once her guards dropped their hands, and she was free

"So it’s true"

Victoria lunged for her stake, forcing herself to ignore the war down her neck Fro her yellon as she surged upright

She faced the vaht around the stake "Is my blood too pure for your taste?"

The shocked look faded from Lilith’s face, to be replaced by one of unadulterated pleasure "Oh no, not at all It was my errorfor I discounted the tales told ard, and he fro not take place" Her eyes narroith malice "But I have tasted the truth You have vah your veins, Victoria Gardella"

She turned and walked back to her throne as casually as if she were entertaining a guest "I meant to destroy youbut there’s no need If I let nature take its coursenot only will you become despicable to him, but you’ll becoain, her full blue-gray lips curling into a smile "I see it in your eyes You know that I speak the truth Already you feel it, don’t you? You’ve been fighting it, likely for er" She shook her head, the s her mouth like that of a coquette "But how could it be?" she le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>