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Lord Ambrose bristled "Soul-sucker! What have you done?"

"Hoas I to remember one little invitation from way back?"

The countess went momentarily still, like a wasp atop a slice of melon "Lady Maccon, who is it that wants to kill me?"

"Oh, too many to choose from? I am similarly blessed"

"Lady Maccon!"

Alexia had hoped not to reveal the identity of the culprit It was one thing to warn the hive of imminent attack; it was quite another to expose Mada her motives Well, perhaps if ht not now be forced into this situation But in the end, I am muhjah, and I must remember that my duty is to maintain the solidarity of the peace between hurounds, we cannot have a hive arbitrarily attacked by an inventor It is not only impolitic, it is impolite

So, Lady Maccon took a deep breath and told the truth "Madame Lefoux has built the octo cornflower-blue eyes narrowed

"What!" That was Lord Ambrose

The Duke of Heood would co in that French maid"

The countess held up a hand "She’s after the boy"

"Of course she is after the boy!" The duke’s voice was harsh with annoyance "Dabble in the affairs of mortal women and this is what transpires Octomaton at your doorstep I warned you"

"Your complaint was recorded by the edict keeper at the time"

Lady Maccon blinked "Quesnel? What has he to do with any of this? Wait" She tilted her head and gave the countess a look "Did you kidnap Madame Lefoux’s son?"

Alexia often felt it wasn’t possible for a va the expression a fair facsioodness’ sake" Lady Maccon shook her finger at the hive queen as though the ancient vaht with her hand in the jam jar "Shame on you! Bad vampire"

The countess tsked dismissively "Oh, really There’s no cause for condescension, soul-sucker The boy was prouardian to her child We didn’t even know he existed until that moment Madame Lefoux wouldn’t hear of it, of course But he is ours And we never let go of what is rightfully ours We didn’t kidnap hiht of her own child, now promised away to Lord Akelda interference and assassination attempts "Oh, really, Countess I mean to say! What is it with you vampires? Don’t you ever relax your machinations? No wonder Genevieve wants to kill you Kidnapping That’s very low Very low, indeed What could you possibly ith the boy anyway? He’s a terrible scamp"

The countess’s round, pleasant face went very hard "We want him because he is ours! What more reason do we need? The law is on our side in this We have copies of the will"

Lady Maccon demanded details "Does it name the hive, or you specifically, Countess?"

"Me alone, I believe"

Lady Maccon cast her hands heavenward, although there was no one up there for her to appeal to It was an accepted fact that preternaturals had no spiritual recourse, only pragotten her out of sticky situations, whereas the forhly unreliable when one was in a bind "Well, there you have it With no legal recourse, Genevieve only has to see you dead in order to get her child back Plus, she has the added pleasure of killing the woh she had not thought of matters in such a way

"You cannot be serious"

Alexia shrugged "Consider her perspective"

The countess stood "Good point And she is French They get terribly emotional, don’t they? Ambrose, arm the defenses Hematol, send out runners If it really is an octo to need additionalout the aethertronic Gatling gun"

Lady Maccon could not help but admire the countess’s command of the situation Alexia herself was soeneral Of course, the gentlemen in question believed their mistress unaware of this o into fits of autocratic deruht she couldn’t hear Werewolves tended to believe allher people in order, her uor, stirred The young blonde raised herself slowly up onto her elbows and looked about foggily

"Felicity!"

"Oh, dear, Alexia? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Me! Me?" Lady Maccon was reduced to sputtering "What about you? I’ll have you know, sister mine, that I came here because I had an invitation to the party!"

Felicity wiped delicately at the side of her neck with a tea cloth "I didn’t know you ran in the countess’s circles"

"You oodness’ sake! Must you keep forgetting that tiny little detail?"

"Yes, but on full-ht, shouldn’t you be with hi to be out in public?"

Lady Maccon practically growled "Felicity My presence here is not of concern But yoursa vampire--and not just any vampire, mind you, but the ruddy Westminster queen herself--to feed on you? You’re????you’re????not even chaperoned!" she sputtered

Felicity’s expression beca Alexia had seen that look before but had never given it much credence beyond s realization that she ht have underestiave a huoing on?" Alexia tried to think back When had her sister first started wearing high-necked dresses and lace collars?

"Oh, Alexia, you can be so di, of course He very kindly said that I looked like just the type of creative and a lady ould have excess soul He asked if I would like to live forever I thought to myself, well, of course I have excess soul Maood artist I would be, should I ever try, and what a good musician I would be, should I ever learn to play And, most assuredly, I should like to live forever! Not to mention be courted by Lord Ambrose! Then what should the other ladies have to say?"