by Lora Edwards
“She looked fine, but she has the necklace on again, and I sensed a different magic from it than before. It is going to take more than the spell we concocted when dealing with the society to free her.” Teagan looked sympathetically at Armand. “It may take me awhile to find a way to counteract the necklace spell and the spell she is using to harm those close to her. I know you want to barge in there and save her, but it will be useless until we can neutralize the spell. She will be able to bring us all to our knees if she wishes, and think of the children, Armand. She has the ability to harm them, and if she cannot get to us, she will use them. I cannot allow that.”
Despite the circumstances, Armand smiled faintly at the icy tone of Teagan’s voice. “Of course. We must make sure the children are safe and come up with a solid plan. Victoria knew what she was getting into when we went after the countess, and she is not without her own skills.”
Teagan’s shoulders sagged in relief. “I will start working on it now. We will get everyone protected and then we will find a way to neutralize the necklace spell.”
Armand nodded as Teagan swept down one of the stacks in search of a certain spell book. Llewellyn appeared with a tray of steaming tea, Hugh close behind.
“Let’s sit, old friend. Llewellyn has prepared refreshments for us all. We can formulate a plan for how we will free your mate once my Teagan has figured out how to neutralize the spells. We must rid our world of that witch as she is causing entirely too much upset.”
“That is one way to put it,” Armand said dryly, taking the offered flagon of dark red liquid from Llewellyn, who handed another to a grateful Victor then scurried away.
Armand felt restless. He tried to join in on the conversation as the others plotted and planned ways to get to the countess before she left Russia and went to ground. They would need to rescue Victoria as soon as possible, and the countess had to know they would be back to try to do so.
Armand slammed his empty flagon on the table, causing the others to jump. “All of this plotting and planning is for naught if we cannot get to her before the countess jumps again. She is cunning and could go to ground any time. It would take us years to find her again.”
Victor nodded his head. “This could happen, brother, but you are forgetting an important piece of the puzzle, one our Victoria will keep from the countess if she is smart—and she is.”
“And what would that be,” Armand growled.
“You are mated, and just as with the dragons, you will be able to speak to Victoria mind to mind. I can’t believe you had forgotten this about our kind.”
Armand grinned at his friend and sire. “You are correct. The mating is so new to me that I forget the little things. Do you think this is something Victoria is aware of?”
“I am not sure. The countess is not likely to have taught her much about her own kind, and we did not do so when she was with us. Try the communication gently at first. Urge her to hide her mark if she hasn’t already. She will be able to lead us to the countess if she is not still in Russia.”
Armand stood abruptly and strode from the room. Communicating with his mate for the first time was something he preferred to do in private, and he would need the silence of his rooms in order to concentrate.
Chapter 49
“Victoria, my love, can you hear me?”
The loud voice of Armand boomed inside her mind, causing Victoria to stop her work and wince in pain. She looked around the countess’s chamber, expecting to see him standing there, but she was alone.
She stood still, waiting several seconds to hear the voice again. When it did not speak, she resolved that it was her mind playing tricks on her, the hope she had for rescue manifesting itself into his voice.
She resumed her task. The countess had been messy with her latest meal. They had jumped to one of her properties, and the sound of a lavish party could be heard drifting up between the bloody stones Victoria scrubbed.
“Victoria, please answer me.”
The voice came again, echoing inside her head and causing her to wince once more.
“I wish my imagination weren’t so loud,” she muttered to herself.
“It is not your imagination. I am new to this, so I apologize for the volume, my sweet.”
Victoria stopped her work altogether and sat on the stone floor.
“Armand, is that really you? How is this happening?”
A soft chuckle echoed in her mind. “It is a consequence of the mating ceremony—a good one.”
“I have never heard of this, although I have only seen the ceremony once. The countess had me memorize the words so I could remind her of them if she forgot. I wasn’t told that this would happen.”
“You were not told a great many things, my love. We are working on a rescue and I need you to tell me where you are—Russia?”
“No, we have moved, I believe somewhere in France.”
“Is there a window near you?”
“Yes.”
“Go to the window and concentrate on the view.”
Victoria stood from the floor, her task abandoned, and went to the nearest window. Pulling back the ornate curtain, she looked out on the moonlit fields.
“Can you see it, Armand?”
“Yes, I believe you are in Burgundy, not far from my estate. I can see modern vehicles, so you must have jumped to modern time, yes?”
“Yes, I know that much from the clothing I was given to wear and that of the other staff I have seen.”
“Excellent. Don’t give up hope, my love. We are coming to free you. In the meantime, do not let on that we are mated. Cover your mark as best you can, and please try to communicate with me if you are moved. This form of communication is taxing, and I am not sure if the countess can detect you using it, so only contact me if you are moved.”
“I understand. Not all my magic is blocked by the necklace, and I can use a simple spell to cover it.”
“Will she not be able to sense it?”
“Yes, she will, but I will also use a glamour spell so she will believe the magic she senses is just part of that spell.”
“Excellent. Stay safe, darling.”
“You as well.”
Victoria immediately whispered the spell and the symbol disappeared, only leaving smooth pale flesh in its wake. She knew it was still there, but it would be jarring to look down and have it not be there; it had given her comfort in the days following the events in Russia. She would just have to remember that it was still present and that her friends were working hard to rescue her.
She resumed her chore. She would do nothing to arouse the countess’s suspicions; she would remain docile and compliant until it was time to strike.
Victoria sighed and continued scrubbing the stone floor, trying to hold on to her hope.
Chapter 50
“Teagan, what is taking so long? It has been a week and we are no further along than when we started.” Armand tapped his foot and stood over the harried woman.
Teagan blew out her breath and glared at the former director. She knew he was distraught, knew he wanted to save his mate, but his hovering was not helping.
She summoned what patience she had left and looked up at him. “Armand, I am trying. The countess is ancient and uses the blackest magic, not fearing the consequences of her actions. She will use blood sacrifice and all other grisly means to achieve her ends. As we are not willing to get down and roll in the mud with her, we must find alternative ways to break the spells. I have been working day and night and I believe I am close to making an amulet that will protect us from the magic of the ball.”
He really looked at Teagan and saw what she said was true. Large bags sagged underneath her eyes, her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and her clothes looked as if she hadn’t changed them or showered in days.
She had indeed made some progress, having come up with a spell she believed would release Victoria from the power of the necklace. Armand had been ready to dive in and rescue her at that poin
t, but Teagan refused to give him the spell until she could counteract the ball’s magic. Until that happened, everyone she loved would be in danger, and she knew once the countess found Victoria missing, she would try to use the magic of the ball to punish them all.
“I am sorry, Teagan. I know you have been working nonstop to free my mate, it is just hard with the waiting and the inability to do anything…I don’t do well with having to rely on others.”
Teagan relented, giving him a wan smile. “I know. Bran is just as protective, and he would be going out of his mind if the situation were reversed. I am so close, I can feel it. Hopefully it will be soon and then we can go rescue our friend.”
Armand nodded and strode out of the library, noting Teagan’s sigh of relief. He needed to leave her to do her work, but he wouldn’t sit idle. He had come up with a plan for the rescue portion of their time, and he knew exactly what team he needed to employ.
Delphine arched her back to try to relieve some of the pressure. She briefly considered slipping into her Siren form and taking a dip in her own private sea; the buoyancy of the water always relieved the pain.
“I am sorry you are in pain, my dear.” She smiled as her husband came up behind her and rubbed at the sore spot on her back.
“You are a godsend, Flynn. I know I am not very far along, but supernatural babies grow quickly and our child is already starting to make its presence known.”
“I can’t wait to meet him or her,” he said, kissing her on the mouth. He was lucky he had found her, and she made his life complete. Flynn turned at the knock at their door. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean it is not just a surprise visit from one of our friends.”
Flynn moved to the door and opened it to see Armand on the other side.
He wasted no time. “Flynn, I am in need of your help.”
Flynn opened the door wider to allow him in. “Anything you need—you know that.”
Armand strode in and nodded at Delphine. “To rescue Victoria, we will need to be discrete. We need someone to be able to infiltrate the countess’s liar without detection.”
Flynn nodded. “You need a shifter who can mimic one of her people.”
“Exactly. When Teagan is ready, we will go to France then kidnap one of her followers, sending you in their place. I will need you to whisk Victoria out of the home on the pretense of some errand. She must not know who you are. Once he is out, Delphine, I will need your help to be there in case someone is in need of healing.” She nodded her assent. “We will do our best to keep you safe. Teagan is tired from all her research, and Bran will not allow her to travel once she finds the right spells we need. Plus, you are an accomplished healer.”
“Of course, Armand. Anything to help get Victoria back.”
He nodded. He knew he would be able to count on them.
The door behind them burst open to reveal Teagan with a handful of amulets clutched in her fist. “I did it! It’s showtime.”
Chapter 51
Armand slipped the wooden disk underneath his shirt and looked up to the stone manor house on the hill. It suited the countess; large, medieval, and brooding, it looked like the perfect place for a vampire. It was somewhat secluded, allowing her some privacy, which she needed to conceal the screams of those she tortured.
“All right team, the man we seek should be coming down the road any minute. Victoria has told me the countess is sending him to pick up a few items. Are we all ready?”
The others nodded. The car had been placed to the side of the road, the engine smoking. Delphine stood beside it looking lost and vulnerable on the deserted lane. It was the perfect lure for a vampire.
The car came speeding down the road, and Delphine stepped out, waving her arms back and forth. The vehicle slowed and the pale face of the countess’s trusted advisor could be seen. The look of annoyance on his face faded when he got an eyeful of Delphine.
Beside Armand, Flynn bristled as the man got out of the car and gave her a thorough looking over.
“Flynn, calm yourself. We will not let anything happen to your mate,” Armand whispered forcefully.
Flynn just growled in response, watching Delphine show the man her engine as his eyes zeroed in on the pulse beating in her neck.
Silently, Victor came up behind the pair, stabbing the vampire in the neck with the loaded syringe of sleeping draught they had brought with them. Armand could not condone murder just to meet their needs; that would make him more like the countess than he was comfortable with. No, the vampire would simply sleep for twenty-four hours, and when he groggily awoke in the ditch beside the road, their task would be completed.
The vampire crumpled to the ground and Flynn hurried out and over to Delphine.
“Are you all right?” He folded her into his arms, shaking.
“Flynn, I’m fine. He didn’t even lay a hand on me.”
Flynn placed his hands on either side of her face. “He could have, though.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “He could have.” Delphine’s face softened in understanding and she gave him one more tight hug before stepping back.
Armand watched them with a pang. That was the relationship he wanted with Victoria. No, he corrected himself; that was the relationship he would have with her. This mission was going to end well, they were going to get her back, and this was all going to be over.
“I’ll just toss him the ditch then,” Victor asked, holding the man like he weighed nothing.
“Wait, let me get a good look first.” Flynn came over and studied the man’s features intently before nodding. Victor walked over to the side of the road and unceremoniously dumped the man onto the ground.
“He will be alright,” Delphine asked. She was not one to condone violence if it was not necessary.
“Yes, tomorrow he will wake good as new. He is of the countess’s line and as such is impervious to the sun, much as Victor and I are.”
Delphine nodded.
A bright light surrounded Flynn and where he’d once stood as an attractive Irishman with dark wavy hair and laughing green eyes, there was now a tall pale man. He was still attractive, but in a menacing and dangerous way.
“Well, what do we think,” Flynn asked, doing a runway turn that had all assembled chuckling.
Armand stroked his chin and mimed looking him over. “You will do, lad, just fine.
“Be careful,” Delphine whispered to Flynn. She hugged him once more then got into their car along with Victor.
Armand stuck out his hand. “We will be waiting, and be careful.”
Flynn nodded, got into the man’s car, and drove away. Victoria had given them the list of items he was to bring back to the countess.
“Now we wait.”
Chapter 52
Victoria finished the last button on the countess’s gown. She was again to attend the opera, one of her favorites, and she wanted to look glamorous.
She sighed into the mirror. “Amora, as always, your abilities have no match.” The countess turned and gave her a smile. Things had been smooth, settling back into the old routine over the past week. The countess had been in a rare mood; even after the escape of her captives, she had been sunny and light.
“Who will accompany you to the ball, Countess” Victoria asked as she watched the woman primp and fuss in front of the mirror. She felt her insides clench as the countess’s face darkened at the question.
“Rasputin was to attend with me, but he is in one of his moods. So, I have asked another.” She looked down at the mark on her own wrist, the mark that bound her to Rasputin. They had been mated very shortly after his change. The countess may have dallied with others, may have raged at his behavior, but she would always have a place for Rasputin in her life. In her black heart, they were mated, and she loved him in her own way, as much as she was able to feel that emotion.
Victoria just nodded and busied herself with tidying up from the countess’s dressing.
“Have you see
n Quinn? He made a run to the vault for my jewels, and I would have thought he’d have returned by now.”
“I apologize, your grace, I have not. Would you like me to seek him out?”
“Yes, please, Amora. I would be grateful. I believe he is having a dalliance with Isabella, so you might find him in her rooms.”
Victoria nodded and left the room in search of Quinn. He was an arrogant, self-important man, but he was one of the countess’s inner circle, a vampire who shared her ideals and appetites. Many of the nest of vampires switched around and had dalliances with each other, some lasting centuries. This was the case with Quinn and Isabella, and she believed they had been matched for quite some time. She had always wondered why they’d never mated.
Victoria knocked softly on Isabella’s door, and the woman opened it, looking at her expectantly. “Yes?”
“The countess is looking for Quinn—is he here with you?”
Isabella frowned. “No, I haven’t seen him since he returned from his errand, which is odd. You might check his rooms.”
Victoria nodded and continued down the hall to the rooms Quinn occupied. They were large and ostentatious, another sign of the favor he held with the countess.
She knocked and he came to the door. “The countess wishes to have the jewels you fetched for her,” Victoria said, eyeing the man curiously. There was something different about him; some of the arrogance that always hung about him seemed to be missing.
“All right, I will be right there.” He then winked at her. “Will you be so kind as to escort me back?”
Victoria frowned but nodded. Quinn knew the way to the countess’s rooms as well as anyone in the nest. She shrugged and waited, hoping he didn’t believe she would be one of his flings.
He returned shortly with the velvet boxes containing the jewels the countess had sent out to be cleaned, and they walked in silence through the manor house until reaching her room.