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Lucien gave her a gruesome smile "You were always my favorite, child I sent you away because I loved you, not because I didn’t"

She nodded impatiently "I know that, but why--"

Lucien stood abruptly, pushing hi a nearby bookcase to rehtened to stand unassisted and look Sophia in the eye

"I surrender to you, Sophia All that I am, all that I haveis yours"

Sophia frowned "What are you saying?"

He closed his eyes

Sophia jerked as he touched her mind She opened her mouth to protest

Lucien shuddered once

And Sophia fell to her knees, screa

Chapter Forty-Five

Sophia’s head was full of voices, crying, screaht toAnd suddenly Lucien was there, showing her how to quiet the tumult, to shuffle the pleas and silence the screams To counter the demands with one of her own I am your lord You will be silent

"Take care of them, cherie," Lucien whispered "Be better than I was" And with a final wash of love, he was gone, the one constant in her life for nearly three hundred years vanished, leaving a gaping hole in her soul

She opened her eyes, sobs choking her throat as she stared at the pile of thin ash that was all that was left of Lucien He’d known Raphael would kill hi it would be fruitless to try Instead, he’d taken the easy way out He was already diminished by his efforts to hide from Raphael, and if his appearance was any indication, he’d taken no blood nourishony by Raphael’s hand, he’d si with his power

Lucien had been her parent far longer than the huiven birth to her, had shown her ht her ers had ever drea But in the end, he’d been true to his selfish nature, leaving Sophia to deal with the carnage he’d left behind, to face the furious Raphael alone

"Sophie" It was Colin’s voice, harsh with stress and fear For her He was standing over her, his gun drawn, his strong legs bracketing her And he was facing down Raphael and his vampires For her

She was not alone, after all

"Colin," she croaked "Don’t"

He dropped down next to her, his voice deep and warhtly to his chest "I’ainst his chest "Lucien is gone"

"I know I know, and I’m sorry"

"Take care of the hu to attention, painfully aware of the target she made at this moment A freshly minted vampire lord, overcome with the shock of transfer despite Lucien’s efforts to ease the transition for her

She cru for coth she’d need She loosened her hold and stood slowly, giving Colin plenty of ti on the far side of the rooer evident but for the occasional flash of silver in his black eyes

"Lord Raphael," she said, her voice still rough with efully "I propose an alliance"

Sophia’s heart was pounding, but she aze evenly She couldn’t afford to shoeakness and yet she would do alet herself and Colin out of here alive But an alliance? She’d never heard of such a thing Not a to reason out Raphael’s e and what he would expect in return In all of this, however, one thing was certain She would be vulnerable for some time as she built her power base essentially from scratch The weaker varateful they had survived the trau to step up and keep theer children, few as they were, would have to be brought to heel, would have to swear loyalty to her in person one by one, and soe her Many of them didn’t know her and even those who did hadn’t seen her in decades and would assume she eak because she was female and, frankly, because Lucien had chosen her His preference for beauty over practicality ell known, even a his children

But if Raphael supported her, if it was known that he at least would not oppose her and would notas she was its rulerThat would go a long way toward sos