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Tracylooked up at Dominic, alarmed by the quiet menace in his tone

Kitanaheard it, too

Bryanshifted restlessly, obviously upset by all the talk of killingTracy didn&039;t bla more than a little unsettledherself

Kitanasly atBryan"Do not let such talk bother you" She turned to Dolanced pointedly inTracy &039;s direction

"I remember"

Kitanalaid her hand on Dominic&039;s arm "Take care of yourself"

Tracylooked up at Dominic as Kitana ledBryan away "What did she mean? What did she tell you?"

"Not now," Do to talk about it later"

DouidedTracy to a table and ordered her a drink, thento each of the va for public office shood will Was Do battle with Petrina ? Would they give it to hi he needed help to defeat her?

She tapped her fingernails on the table, took a sip of her drink There was so the back of her neck, so, she gazed around the rooination, or were there fewer vampires than before? She hadn&039;t seen any of thedalena and Landau and Nicholas and some of the others she had seen earlier

With a start, she realized there were only a handful of va with their backs to the barFive males and one female She knew somehow that they had sided with PetrinaBut why had the others gone and left Dominic alone? And even as she asked herself that question, she heard Dominic&039;s voice in the back of her mindThis is h to do it aloneShe knew then that he had sent the others away

She looked at the vaht them all?

A sudden stillness fell over the roo over her skin like ants

There was a faint sound, like static in the air, and Petrina materialized in the center of the room

Dominic turned away froins"

"We don&039;t have to fight," she said "You could leave"

"I will not"

"Nor willI "

Dolanced atTracy"Go home, querida , and lock the doors"

She shook her head "I&039; you"

Dominic nodded She would be as safe here as anywhere else so long as he survived

Blocking everything froathered his power around hih the air as Petrina launched herself at his bared

The other valittering, their nostrils flaring as Petrina drew first blood

A slow smile spread over Dominic&039;s face as the hand he lifted to his cheek ca her draw first blood, but so a woman, even a woman as deterain but he was ready for her now She was an old vampire She carried the blood of ancients in her veins, but she was no er, and carried the sae as he pinned her against the wall, his fangs at her throat

"You are beaten Admit it and leave this place"

She shook her head, and smiled at him

Tracyscreamed, "Dominic, look out!"

He turned, but it was already too late The va his flesh

With a roar, he struck out at his attackers Save for Petrina , they were all young vampires, overconfident of their powers, and yet they were strong and determined He wondered what Petrina had promised them in return for their treachery One on one, he could have destroyed thery gnats, darting in and out, giving aluely aware that Petrina had slipped away

And then he heardTracy cry out

Over the heads of the varound, he saw Franco and Laslo grabTracyThey forced her back into the booth until she was lost froht to his heart With athem aside the way a horse shook water fro fros, he battled the other va him oblivious to the wounds they inflicted on hie

He tore out the throat of the second, ripped the heart out of the third

In the lull that followed, he heard a harsh cry of pain, turned to see Laslo and Franco reeling backward, their faces contorted with anguish as they clawed at their eyes

Tracysat up, a srinned at her, and then felt a neave of fear as Petrina rose up behindTracy and wrapped the fingers of one hand aroundTracy &039;s throat

"Your little bottle is empty," Petrina said with a sneer "And you are mine"

"No!" Dominic started forward, but Petrina held out her free hand "Another step and I will tear out her heart"

"No!"

Petrinaglanced at Franco and Laslo"We are going to go now, and ill take your little mortal with us, to make sure you don&039;t follow"

" Petrina, wait"

"You took Zarabeth and Turk fro from you"

"If you kill her, I will hunt you down There will be no place where you can hide, no place where I will not find you"

Soht have been fear flickered in Petrina&039;s eyes and was quickly gone "I willonTracy &039;s throat "I will not kill her, and you will leave Sea Cliff to me"

"You will not turn her?"

"No"

Do her words, and then sighed in resignation"Very well Leave her and go"

Petrinashook her head "I do not trust you We will take her with us, and leave her where you can find her"

Doaze rested onTracy &039;s face "Do not be afraid, ain "Do not betray me"

"I have your word that you will not follow us?"