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I sta to think of a way to hold her off "Doh the hair "Toency However, I can’t just walk in there with guns blazing His guards will kill me before the first shot hits home"

She crossed her ar your life for your race is an honor"

In the ensuing silence, all of hts took on crystal focus Honor The word haunted me my entire life She’d drilled the concept into e, it was practically my first word Later, honor sealed my lips when she’d told me I couldn’t beconore ment when she’d told me to kill David And now, she expected me to accept a death sentence--all in the na I accepted the possibility of death She didn’t get that I understood sorandmother cared about me She wasn’t warured that was just her way If nothing else, our blood ties should be proof of soard for the possibility of my death showed me the truth She sawto lie down and die

"What of the es at the vineyard?" I asked

"Excuse me?" Lavinia’s eyes flashed with fire

"What happens when the Hekate Council finds out what you’re doing?"

"You dare?" Her voice rose "Do not forget your place, child"

"Clovis isn’t the only one who knows If word gets out--"

She waved my concern aith her hand "War is inevitable It’s only a matter of when Your job is to kill Clovis before he can use the situation to stage a coup If he et into power, the Hekate Council ipe out our entire race"

Clovis Sorand empty, Clovis had caused the death of two of my friends He needed to be taken out of the equation

"But why harvest the e blood? It seems like an unnecessary risk"

"When the war coainst the Hekate Council We will finally be able to fight fire with fire"

My pride de weak and needy--begged s I wasn’t proud of my need for her approval Like a junkie, I rationalized h I craved

"But you’ll only use it if it co a war?"

Lavinia laughed "Don’t be ridiculous Why would I intentionally try to start a war?"

I nodded and chewed on es at the vineyard threatened to test es I was a varandmother was family Put that way, my choice was clear

When this was all over, I’d have to do so about ave me heartburn Maybe I just needed a vacation Or ue to ht made my stomach cramp

Noasn’t the tihts of the future aside and focused on the here and now I’d forget what I saw at the vineyard and doher look like a cobra ready to strike "Excellent"

I didn’t sleep well the next day Despite the blackout curtains Vinca had installed in ression of the sun Eachave up on sleep about two in the afternoon The cat slept on a pile of discarded clothes in the corner Even in sleep, he see off me in waves His little paws jerked and his ears flicked occasionally, as if he was drea

I used the tiet Clovis alone, I could do the deed and then get out of there before his body was discovered I just had to figure out a way to get close enough without hiot dressed and woke up the cat to tell hiood-bye He wanted to coht before and adh to deserve the truth But so happened to ht

At five, I arrived at the teuards, since ht One of the guards called Clovis on the phone, alerting him to my presence At his direction, I followed hi, as usual, behind his desk, looking clean-cut in an expensive suit I wondered if he ever slept, or if his ht likethem "Did you have a nice trip?" His voice dripped with sarcasm I didn’t have the patience to deal ordplay

"I saw theht, where aoverlooked the courtyard The place was deserted at this hour Most vampires didn’t rouse until about seven, and the other acolytes were all in class