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Raphael stood, brushing his hands in disgust, hisfor the one who made his own blood burn

Cyn waited until Raphael’s vaone, until they’d all rushed off to do battle Elke lingered afor Cyn and the battle she could hear already underway She paced back and forth, trading long glaring looks between the trees, where Cyn should have appeared by now, and the sounds of growing violence at Pushkin’s lair in the distance She finally gave a loud curse, threw up her hands in disgust and was gone, speeding toward her fellow vaave her a two iven the speed hich vampires moved But she wanted no interference in what she was about to do Va baby-sitter

Taking the route through the trees she’d identified on her earlier reconnaissance, she followed the line of pale wall, barely visible now beneath the moonless sky Water from the earlier rains dripped steadily froround was soft and wet, pitch black beneath the thick branches On the street far below, she could hear sirens winding up the hill, fading in and out as the fire trucks took the sharp curves leading to the burning house The fire was a deep, steady ruold sparks into the black sky She circled around the house, glad for the dark night, stopping when she saw the red-tiled roof of the s over the wall And then she waited, listening

The darkness was alive as Raphael and his vampires swarmed the cory varunts of pain and screams of terror, as Pushkin’s cohorts discovered they were not the only, nor even the ht

Cyn ran for the wall and leaped up to grip the edge, the Uzi riding her back as she spider-crawled to the top She didn’t pause this ti down to land behind the cottage with a jarring crunch that sent sharp spikes shooting through her shin bones Once on the ground, she crouched, listening Leaving her ther the Uzi down in front of her, she edged closer to the cottage wall and peered around it The rear of the main house seemed deserted Apparently, none of Pushkin’s vaht to make a run for it Or maybe they hadn’t had time to think about it before Raphael and his forces were upon them She wondered if he’d destroy all of Pushkin’sas that bastard Albin was one of the dead ones

With a mental slap to the head, she focused her attention on her own situation If Alexandra was still inside this cottage, it was unlikely she was alone A quick scan of the yard showed nothing Even a vaistered nonetheless She rounded the corner and started down the long side of the guest house, past the boarded up s She ducked quickly when she heardmore But it confire She frowned This was all a little too easy Pushkin had to know by now that his plan had failed, so ouldn’t he have tried to hold Alexandra as a bargaining chip of some sort? A last ditch attempt to save his treacherous hide

She inched up to the next corner and took a darting look out and back The door had a single , but no light was showing inside the cottage either Dae Her night-vision goggles helped, but left her incredibly vulnerable If her eneht, she’d be completely blinded It would last only seconds, but seconds would be enough if a va inside On the other hand, would they expect a huh that door? Raphael hih he euards on his estate She crept over to the entrance as quietly as possible and drew a deep breath

Cynthia hit the door with her body, slale movement As she rolled, she scanned the rooe, one s hot She keptup behind a chair of some sort

"Well, isn’t this a surprise" The voice sounded faure reaching out She braced for les off just in ti lalow lit the small rooh I ain before this was over" He stood on the far side of the roo on a rumpled daybed, her aragged, her hands bound ideto an eyehole bolt set directly into the concrete floor The chain was long enough that she could reach what looked like a small bathroom in the far corner and a couple of feet in front of the bed, but little else Heavy curtains covered the boarded up s to the left and Cyn was crouched behind a large, overstuffed chair which was the only other furniture in the room

"There, Alexandra, you see how little Raphael cares about you? He sends this puny human to rescue you, while he busies himself elsewhere"

After more than a week of imprisonment, the petite vaant, peach satin goas dirty and torn, the ruffles lis ripped away Delicate white skin appeared pasty and unhealthy rather than pans of mistreatment Her eyes, when she looked at Cyn, showed exhaustion and an aline how this had happened to her

"You seeht, Cynthia," the red-haired va Cyn’s attention "I confess I’ave her a vicious grin "I heard the explosion Tell rand plan work?"

Cyn stared at hi her reaction "No, I think not," he said finally "I told the Russian it wouldn’t But he dismissed me, just as Raphael did," he added with a snarl

"You know your proble inquiry