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Her expression told me plainly that she did not grasp why I would say such a thing.
 Azrael did not strip you of your immortality, no?
She looked at me then, as if I were a spider weaving a cunning little web and she was wary of setting
foot in it.  No, he did not strip us of our immortality, only the King.
 Then should you not, as you expect our kind to honor and respect yours, honor and respect the angel
Azrael?
 What are you are saying, Epiphany? Renata asked.
 I am saying only that the Dracule should pay their respects to Azrael, for he is the one who gave
them, as well as our kind, the ability to bring mortal lovers over.
 There is wisdom in your words, the Dracule said.  You are saying that the vampires are not the
only ones who have acted in slight and disrespect?
 Yes, I said,  that is what I am saying.
I forced myself to hold her incisive gaze.
 You are avoiding answering my question.
 You haven t answered mine, I said,  not fully.
 And what question is that?
 What does bearing your sigil entail? I tilted my head to the side.  If you expect me to bear it, to
allow you to mark me, then I need the details. I will be able to summon you, to contact you?
 Yes.
 Will it make me your slave? I asked.  Will it take away my free will? Will you be able to hear my
thoughts? Will you be able to communicate with me telepathically?
Renata touched my thigh then, but not to distract me sexually, to warn me to tread cautiously.
The Dracule apparently caught the meaning of the gesture, for she said,  I know you have the death
blade and I know that you are able to communicate telepathically with your Queen. I will not invade your
thoughts unless you so wish me to. I will not take away your free will. I will not make you my slave. Her
dark brows furrowed thoughtfully.  Think of it as an alliance, if you will. If you bear my sigil and wear it
with pride  she placed her hand flat on my stomach  and do not hide it from others of your kind, then I
will not lay a hand on any of those you care for. I will spare them, Epiphany.
 Is that all? I asked.
 You will have my protection, she said, the pupils of her eyes expanding and shrinking as a wave of
frustration emitted off her.
 And what will you have? I asked. It was imperative to state specifics when discussing such a
matter.
 You, she said.
 But you said you would not make me your slave. Am I to be at your beck and call, then?
 No, she said, lightly shaking her head, sending the dark tresses slithering about her waist.  We
will merely have an agreement. I would prefer that you come to my bed and body willingly. She cast that
gold and black stare at Renata.  There has not been an alliance between our kinds in many years. Would
you prefer that your pet reject my offer?
Renata s eyes were full of intellectual calculation.  I would advise her to at least consider it, she
said very carefully.
 You think I should take it?
Her shoulders rose in a shrug.  As she says, there has not been an alliance between our kinds in a
very long time, and to have such an alliance on our side is not necessarily a bad thing. When considered,
the price does not seem so very high.
 And if the price was losing me to the Dracule? I asked.  You have never been willing to share me,
Renata. I remember that very clearly.
Renata cupped my cheek in her hand. Her fingers stroked the hair at my temple.
 Would I lose you to her, Epiphany? Have the past two centuries meant so little to you that you
would turn from me and give your heart wholly to the Dracule?
It was almost the same exact thing I d pulled on the Dracule. Had I spent too many years as Renata s
pet that I d accidentally picked up some of her political maneuverings, her subtle manipulations? If so,
had she noticed? I looked at the Dracule. She was beautiful in a heartbreaking sort of way. Then again, so
was Renata. They were both dominant and powerful, both brunette beauties with porcelain skin and
unrealistically magnificent eyes. I looked at them, really looked at them, and realized that out of the two,
the Dracule was surprisingly the softer beauty. She was taller than Renata, which certainly said something
of her height. Yet, in her human form, she seemed closer to six feet than seven. It was not the Dracule s
body that made her the softer one, for the spaded tail and leathery wings made her appear more like some
dark fallen angel, but the bones of her face. Renata was feminine in every sense of the word, but her
features were positively striking. Her beauty was sharper, more immediate. The Dracule s was more
subtle, slowly creeping over one.
Would my harsh and beautiful Queen lose me to the touch of the Dracule?
 You know me. Do you think you will lose me to her?
Renata smiled gently.  No. You are attracted to her, intrigued by her. I would expect nothing less.
The gentle smile stretched into something more wry.  As I do know your type, Epiphany.
 And what is your type? the Dracule asked.  Do I not fit it?
Renata laughed and leaned over, tracing the Dracule s obsidian brow.
 If you did not, she would not have bedded you.
 Is that true?
I licked my lips, because she was staring at me, which made me feel strangely uncomfortable.  Yes.
It is true.
 Not many vampires would admit to such a thing, she said, gold and onyx eyes so intense that I
wanted to fidget.
 I am not one of them.
 Prove it, she said at length.  Accept my mark. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]