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"Lord Raphael," she said, pitching her voice deliberately into a low, sensuous purr "Sophia Micaela Angelina de Sandoval y Rojas, in loyal service to my Sire, Lucien Guiscard, Lord of the Canadian Territories"

She looked up, aze intentionally "But between us, my lord," she said "Sophia will suffice"

Raphael eyed her dispassionately, giving no indication that he considered her anything but a nuisance The skinny human woman draped over his shoulder was another uised dislike, her right hand dipping briefly beneath her short leather jacket whereMeu Deus, the woaze back to Raphael, who had clearly noticed the human’s reaction and would no doubt chastise her for it

But instead, the vampire lord slid his hand off the chair arnal that was not lost on Sophia Nor was the saze or her tiny smile of victory Bitch

Sophia shifted her attention away froister a polite disappointment, even as she bowed her head in respect

"Where is Lucien, Sophia?" Raphael asked, his voice a burr of velvet-sheathed power against her skin

Sophia’s head caain "My lord, I had hoped to find hihtly, heard the intake of breath from the vampires behind her, and kneith cold certainty that her Sire was not in Seattle Or if he was, none of them knew about it

Raphael continued to study her, his expression devoid of any emotion Of them all, only he had shown no reaction to her response and the information it conveyed--not the tiniest bit, not surprise, not puzzlement, and certainly not alarm

"Lucien has not enteredno doubts and feeling no need to elaborate

"Why would you expect to find him here?" Duncan asked from his position to Raphael’s left

Abruptly aware she was still bent into the uncoht She shifted her gaze froain How much should she tell them? Lucien’s letter had sent her here, but had he meant for her to confide to anyone the details of the Vancouver deaths?

In general, the va else--with each other They were viciously territorial and quite openly hostile, at least in North Aer lord to push the territorial boundaries in an attempt to enrich his oer at the expense of another, and frequent disputes erupted, sometiely unsettled, both in terms of people and vampires, and rarely the object of any other lord’s a for Lucien since, as he’d told her hter Sophia wasn’t aware of any open conflict between her Sire and Raphael, or any of the other North Aone so long, and had paid so little attention

An unwelcout Had Lucien known Raphael would be here when he’d sent her on this errand? Or if not known, had he at least suspected it? Could there be a connection between the Vancouver deaths and whatever business had drawn the Western vampire lord away from Malibu and up to this concrete and steel coaze on Raphael, who blinked lazily, letting his eyelids drop slowly over the silvery sheen of power She al? He didn’t need to ask for the information he wanted; he could rip her mind open like a tin can and sio," she said bitterly "It was our first contact in years" She shook her head "Decades," she a in Brazil The lords down there are lax in their enforce as a vampire observes a few basic rules, they don’t care who sired you or whom you call master"

"How did Lucien contact you?" Duncan asked

Sophia glanced at Raphael before answering, but the vampire lord seemed content to let his lieutenant take the lead "Directly," she said si He gave me no reason, siency"

"Do you knohy?"

Sophia shook her head, letting some of her frustration show "No," she ad I went straight to his , but he wasn’t there And no one I spoke with knohere he is"

"What made you think you’d find him here in Seattle, then?"

"A letter He leftevents And then he told me to come here"