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He had, in fact, declined any invitations for dinner or parties since the ill-fated carriage ride during which they’d gone to view the night sky

When Victoria had returned froun to attend to reat skepticisards to James Either he had been fully aware and involved in her kidnapping--which would make him a vampire or, at the least, a norant of it, as he clai to Kritanu, Jahtti that there had been an accident, he’d been knocked unconscious, and when he ca According to Kritanu, thehis hands and paced the parlor as he accepted the bla that word should be sent to him the moment there was any news

Victoria listened to Kritanu’s description of the itation with a skeptical ear, and decided that, instead of returning his call or sending word of her return, she would find out the truth her oay tonight Unlike Max, Sebastian had been delighted to see her, and hted to join her in the excursion

Max she had not seen since he stalked past her, and she had no need for his company anyway She’d kept herself busy the rest of the day, and had sent an urgent eon She prayed that the oman would have some advice or information about Lilith’s prediction

The unobtrusive servant’s door ell oiled in preparation for late-night assignations, and Victoria led Sebastian through the narrow hallway She’d never had occasion to traverse the backstairs area of St Heath’s Row, but she obviously knew the layout of the portions of the house common to the ave an option for right or left navigation, Victoria started off to the rightbut a firm hand on her arm drew her back "This way," Sebastian whispered, close to her ear

"How do you know?" she whispered back "You haven’t spent as much tiht"

An a to kiss her right there, to which she would have put an iht recall that I visited yourhere She did, in fact, sleep four floors directly above us here To the right is the kitchen To the left are the stairs"

Chagrined, and reation et turned around when inside a building--she followed Sebastian as he swiftly e And soon they calanced down at her, but she sailed past him, nose in the air Even Illa Gardella wasn’t perfect Once they were on the third floor, Victoria knew her way around the bedchambers

Soearing itself up to toll the hour, and moments later, as they reached the third floor, Victoria heard the rolling strokes of two o’clock

And she realized that the back of her neck was cold She smiled in the dark

He was here He wouldn’t need to drink the elixir at night, unless he expected to be near her

Which he obviously didn’t

Stake in hand, holding it close to the loose black trousers she hen she ht, Victoria continued on her way A h her h behind that she felt the brush of his coat, eased through the rear hallway

Of course Ja such a visit Or the undead she sensed ht not be the new ht she would do so once and for all She kneas in the house; the only question hat condition she ht find him in

When she and Sebastian reached the door to theroom, she opened it and slipped in Once inside the cha, Victoria turned to Sebastian and planted a hand against his chest in a clear e She’d already told hi for any unforeseen problems This was a reminder that she expected hirasped her wrist and she thought for a o with her Or to tell her to be careful, or to try to kiss his way into changing her mind None of which would be effective He drew a breath, his chest expanding under her hand, and squeezed his fingers around her skin in a quick little caress Then he reluctantly released her

Good At least the

Victoria cracked the door fro rooid, and unless James had company in his chamber, she knew she had found her dayti to the shadows, she moved across the floor The thin soles of her black slippers slid across polished wood, and then found the cushier texture of a fringed rug When she stood at the side of Ja, she had asoundly during the night?

She’d at least expected to find hi her with those red eyes

But he was actually snoring

Victoria looked down at hirip She could shove it into his chest with a quick thrust, and it would be all over If she wasn’t mistaken