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It would sadden hih they’d never etherby phone and coations all over the country But she’d tried to kill Duncan and all his vaet to hiive that And as a vae to his rule She had to die
Duncan reached out frohts--a brief touch, there and gone before she could sense the intrusion He felt her determination, but also her fear for her husband, Ted Micheletti They’d beenfor Ted to survive her death
"What about Ted?" Duncan asked quietly "What about all of these others?" He gestured to the vaed behind her "Surrender to me, Phoebe, and they needn’t die with you"
"No!" Ted burst into the rooh Phoebe’s va over his dilared at Duncan "Don’t you dare, Phoebe," he growled "Don’t you let hi up I’ll stand with you ‘til the end, my love I want it no other way"
She spared hilance, then turned back to Duncan Her jaw jutted forith resolve "On any given Sunday, Duncan," she said, borrowing froht surprise you"
Duncan gave her the respect of nodding in agreeone is this case Even with her power doubled, Phoebe couldn’t defeat hiht she could have overthrown Victor, and Victor hadn’t stood a chance with Duncan
"As you wish," he said "Miguel?"
"Yes, ave his lieutenant a quick half grin "No worries, Miguelito," he said fondly "Watch my back?"
"Always, Sire"
"E his eyes off Phoebe "Reht he heard a dismissive puff of breath froe
His point made, Duncan sucked his power in closer, aware of his vaht in the deadly vortex of his defensive shield The raw force of his unbound pohich had been tearing the room apart, shut off like a throitch The roo
Duncan favored Phoebe with a cold look "Ladies first," he saidthe pride he’d felt from her earlier, the pride that had driven her to think she could beco her hands into claws in front of her and screathened his shield in reflex, a move honed into an autoht on his part But if he’d had any doubts as to the outcome of this battle, they fled in the face of Phoebe’s first assault Driven by fury, carrying the full measure of her power, it was sucked into his defensive shield without a trace There was not even a momentary dent to indicate its iaze, and he read the knowledge of failure in her eyes
"Last chance," he called
"Fuck you, Duncan," she snarled
"As you wish"Duncan drew on his tre a blade of pure power, invisible to the naked eye, but shining like a silver sword to those with eyes to see Phoebe had such eyes She saw the blade and howled in fury, dropping down to a crouch,herself small as she sucked juice from her vaht a shield as she could make One by one her vampires collapsed behind her as she sucked them dry Even Ted cru froy back into herself in a desperate bid for survival