Forbidden Blood

House of Comarré - 0.5

by

Kristen Painter

For Laura, who always knows what happens next.

Chapter One

Corvinestri, Romania, 2042

With a wary eye on the vampire across from him, Dominic raised his glass of Brunelo. “You didn’t call me all the way from Tesoro just to share a bottle of wine, Arnaud.” The trip from the House of St. Germain’s hidden city in Italy had not been so long or so tiring. But not knowing what such a powerful member of the Tepes family wanted of him? That set Dominic on edge.

Arnaud smiled and lifted his goblet as well “Enough small talk, then.” He took a sip of the dark wine before putting the glass aside and leaning into the depths of the sofa cushions. With one ankle crossed over his knee, he began. “I have a project for you.”

Dominic relaxed slightly. The nobility often called upon him for his skills, some for very serious reasons, some for simple tasks. He doubted Arnaud’s would be one of the latter. “What can I do for you?”

Arnaud’s smile took on an unpleasantness that brought the Arnaud’s smile took on an unpleasantness that brought the tension back into Dominic’s body. “You have turned your gift of alchemy into something much greater than many of your house.

How is that so?”

Dominic shrugged. “I study. I practice. I take my work very seriously.” And he was willing to use ingredients that others might consider questionable. “I do not merely rest on my inherent abilities. I strive to improve them.”

“Which is exactly why I knew you’d be the right man for this job.” Arnaud picked up his glass and strode to the bar. He waved the servants away. “Leave us.” As they filed out, he refilled his glass, then held the bottle toward Dominic.

“No, grazie.” Al he wanted was to know more about this job.

Arnaud returned to his seat. “This task is not an easy one, I’m sure. Otherwise, someone else would have already asked you to accomplish such a thing, but I’ve heard you don’t shrink from the difficult.”

Dominic raised one brow. “So much buildup.” He swirled the wine in his glass, the thoughts of his past work doing the same in his head. “What is this task?”

Arnaud hesitated, his jaw shifting as his eyes flickered silver for a moment. Whatever this was, he wanted it badly. He cleared his throat. “I wish to be able to see the sun again.”

Relief flooded Dominic. He smiled and nodded. “That is not so hard.”

But Arnaud didn’t seem to share Dominic’s opinion. “I wish to be able to see it whenever I desire.”

“I understand. I can do this.” And he could have done it without Arnaud’s demand for a face-to-face meeting. He stood, buttoning his suit coat. “I will return home immediately and begin work. A few weeks, no more, and I will have something for—”

“Sit.” Silver rimmed Arnaud’s eyes. “I am not merely looking for a potion to drink or an unguent to spread over my skin. I want something more permanent. More…available.”

Dominic unbuttoned his jacket and sat back down, a sense of dread rising in his belly. “I cannot make you a daywalker permanently.”

Sitting back slightly, Arnaud splayed his fingers outward. “Of course. I understand that. We are vampires, after all.” He pinched the pleat of his trousers, straightening it. “I just want you to transform the blood of my comarré so that when I drink from her, I have twenty-four hours of immunity.” He tipped his head and his sly, crooked smile returned. “That is all”

A slow, simmering anger wormed through Dominic’s veins.

“That is all,” he repeated, not caring that his tone was less than respectful. “Hah. Such a small thing you ask.” He stood and paced to the far side of the library. His temper could ruin him— he knew that—so he struggled to control the urge to lash out at Arnaud’s unreasonable desires. “It is not possible.”

Arnaud laughed. “Oh, I think it is, my dear friend.”

They were not friends. Acquaintances, yes, but not friends.

Not now. “You’re asking me to change the physiology of a living being. Permanently. So that she can act as…as…some kind of a miracle dispenser.”

The silver in Arnaud’s gaze tarnished. “This is a comarré we are speaking of. Their sole purpose is to provide us with blood.

They exist for this. I am only asking you to enhance that blood.”

“You understand nothing of the ways of alchemy.” Dominic shook his head, Arnaud’s superiority so typical of Tepes nobles.

“It’s not a matter of pointing a finger and muttering a word. This isn’t the dark arts of the House of Bathory; this is alchemy, an unpredictable science at best. I cannot take a frog and make it forever a sparrow. Temporarily, with the right experimentation, I could transform it for a few hours, but it would always remain a frog beneath its feathers. To take a human and make them something else…the experimentation, the testing, the possibility that something could go irrevocably wrong… No.” He threw his hands up. “I will not do this. There is no amount of money.”

Again, laughter. “You are both right and wrong. No, there is no amount of money because this job is going to be your gift to me. And, yes, you are most definitely going to do this.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes. “I think not.”

Arnaud casually walked back to the bar for another glass of wine. “And I think you will because you value your life.”

“You’re threatening to kill me if I do not agree?” The Tepes house was known for its bloodthirstiness, but he’d not expected house was known for its bloodthirstiness, but he’d not expected his life to be in danger over a job.

“Not kill you, no. Not directly anyway. Merely expose you.”

A chill settled into Dominic’s bones. Surely Arnaud did not know enough to accomplish that. “Expose me how?”

“The special services you offer? I’m sure the Council of Dominus would be very interested to hear about those. How many have you turned to ash over the years? Ten? Twenty?

More?” He drained the last drops of red into his glass and discarded the empty bottle. “I have evidence of only three, but the precision with which you work, the confidence with which you enable your clients to move so gracefully into their end, well, that speaks of practice, doesn’t it? And you did say that’s how you’ve become so good at your trade.”

Dumbstruck, Dominic stared at him.

“You should not trust the kine to keep the secrets of their masters.” Arnaud tapped the side of his temple. “So easy to persuade.”

“I helped them.” It was the best he could come up with in the moment.

“I have no doubt of that. But you know as well as I that killing another vampire is the one unbreakable rule among our kind.

Doesn’t matter if they ask you to kill them. Or even if they pay you. It is still a crime punishable by death.”

Dominic stood very still His “special services,” as Arnaud referred to them, had paved the way to his fortune. So many referred to them, had paved the way to his fortune. So many vampires grew tired of eternity, tired of the endless nights, the repetition of hours with little more to do than struggle for something to occupy their time. He provided them a painless way out of the life they no longer desired.

He straightened, smoothed his jacket, and lifted his chin slightly. He had no wish to follow after the clients he’d helped.

“So the comarré has agreed to this?”

Arnaud shrugged. “She will do as she’s told.”

“And if something goes wrong? What then?”

Arnaud pursed his mouth. “Do you expect something to go wrong?”

“No. But it is a possibility.” Dominic tried to appeal to the man’s pocketbook. “Surely you won’t expect me to reimburse you for her blood rights?”

Arnaud snorted. “No. She’s a good comarré—from the Corvinestri Primoris Domus—but her blood rights cost half what they should. Seems she’d caused some trouble for the headmistress and the woman was willing to let her go cheaply under the condition I would not return her.”

Dominic’s curiosity rose. What kind of trouble could a comarré cause? His had some attitude problems, but nothing he’d really call trouble. “You expect me to explain things to her?”

Arnaud yanked a belpul near the door. “Do what you need to. You’ll take her home with you for two weeks. After that time, you’ll both return here and I’ll expect her transformed.”

“Two weeks? That’s hardly enough time to—”

A servant entered. “You rang, my lord?”

Arnaud nodded. “Send her in.”

“Very good, my lord.” The servant disappeared.

Dominic tried again. “Two weeks is insufficient for what you ask. I need two months at minimum.”

“A month. Not a day longer.”

A knock this time.

“Come in,” Arnaud called.

The door opened and his comarré entered, head down, her golden glow suffusing the room with the warmth it had been lacking. The sweet aroma of burnt sugar followed closely behind.

Dominic’s gums ached as the perfume invaded his senses.

She nodded at Arnaud. “Master.”

Arnaud ignored her to speak to Dominic. “Is there anything you need of her before you leave?”

Dominic began to shake his head, his gaze still lingering on the blond creature before him. She was no different in coloring than his own comarré, Catarina, but he spent little time with her due to his work and her increasingly poor attitude. She usually sent him blood so that he never had to leave his laboratory, an arrangement that worked well for both of them. Seeing this one up close reminded him what extraordinarily beautiful beings they were, and the part of him that still clutched the last shreds of his humanity stirred with longing. “No, I can’t think of anything— humanity stirred with longing. “No, I can’t think of anything— Wait, yes. I need to know her name.”

She lifted her head and her crystal-blue eyes pierced him to the bone. “I am Marissa.”

Chapter Two

Marissa knew whatever lay ahead of her would not be pleasant, but the thought of escaping Arnaud’s estate for a month filed her with such joy she didn’t care. She glanced across the aisle of the plane to where her new temporary patron sat.

Dominic Falconetti. He was rumored to be one of the most skilled alchemists the House of St. Germain had ever produced.

What that meant for her she couldn’t imagine. She worried the ring on her finger, flicking the tiny, hidden blade in and out. How was this was all going to go? She prayed to the holy mother he was not as difficult as Arnaud. He was certainly easier to look at than Arnaud.

Dominic glanced up, his mossy green eyes flickering briefly with silver that did nothing to diminish the kindness they held.

Kindness she could not comprehend. “Si, bella, what can I do for you?”

He could start by not calling her beautiful or treating her like she mattered. It wasn’t the way Arnaud acted and it unsettled her. She turned her gaze back to her ring. Too bad the little curved blade wasn’t large enough to do more than pierce a vein.

“Nothing, thank you, my lord.”

Out of her peripheral vision, she saw his eyes stayed on her.

“I am not your lord, nor am I your patron. No, you must treat me more like…your equal, capsice?”

Her head jerked up. “Your equal? My lord, I cannot do that.

You shouldn’t even speak it.”

He laughed. “Perchè? Who is going to hear me? The pilot?

He works for me and he is tucked away in the cockpit.”

She relaxed, knowing he was right but shaking her head nonetheless. “Yes, but we are not equals.” No matter what she felt deep in her heart. “Why would you say such a thing?” The question was bold, but he didn’t seem the type to care.

He sighed. “I am as much in the service of Arnaud as you are.” He rolled his eyes and muttered something derogatory in Italian that sounded like a comparison between Arnaud’s private parts and a festering corpse.

She laughed, stopping abruptly when she realized the sound came out of her. “Forgive me.”

“For what, cara mia?” He slipped across the aisle to sit in the seat opposite her.

She scooted back to keep their knees from touching. “For laughing at my patron. It was improper.”

“I like the sound of your laugh. I shall endeavor to bring it out of you again.”

She studied him for a long moment, suddenly very aware that her preconceived notions about this vampire, this man, were wrong. Just how wrong, she wasn’t sure. “You don’t care much for…propriety, do you?”

“Rules and respect have their place.” He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button on his crisp white shirt, revealing a triangle of olive skin. “But some rules are foolish and some people do not deserve respect.”

“Like Lord Arnaud.” She clapped her hand over her mouth, but the words had already slipped out.

He reached over, his cool fingers pulling her hand down.

“Exactly like Arnaud. He is a bully. You know this to be true.”

She tried not to react to his touch, but her pulse betrayed her.

Contact outside of feeding was such a rare thing. Beneath her clothing, her skin pebbled with the sensation. She crooked her head toward the window and stared into the blackness beyond.

Answering him would mean exposing herself more than she already had. What if this was a test? What if Dominic and Arnaud were good friends? Her belly coiled at the thought that her every move might be reported upon.

Dominic’s thumb brushed her ring. “Pretty.”

She turned but didn’t make eye contact. “Thank you. It was a gift from Lord Arnaud.” The only thing he’d ever given her.

“You were playing with it. I heard it clicking. What does it do?” He lifted her hand, studying the ring.

“Do?” He lifted her hand, studying the ring.

“This.” She caught the tiny indentation disguised in the ring’s filigree and notched the hidden blade out. “Al comarré wear one so we may drain excess blood in an emergency. Too much in our systems makes us sick.”

His forehead crinkled. “Arnaud gave this to you? How do all comarré wear one, then?”

“We are all issued one, but the one I had previously wasn’t as nice as this one, although this one is a bit larger.” She’d initially worn Arnaud’s gift because not wearing it would have created more trouble than it was worth. Now she’d grown used to it.

He let go of her hand, leaving her oddly bereft at the loss of his touch, and sat back. His appraising gaze seemed to peer into her soul. “I did not mean to upset you, bella. I just want you to know that while you are with me, you needn’t be afraid or walk on eggshells I am not Arnaud. You are human, as I once was.

Given different circumstances, our positions could be reversed, could they not?”

They could, but for him to acknowledge that? It scared her that he could be so aware. She turned back to the window and tried to ignore the scared woman staring back at her. “I would like to sleep a little.”

“Rest, Marissa. I will bother you no more this trip.” He went back across the aisle.

What had she gotten herself into? Already she felt his words sinking into her like a balm of hope. If he really meant what he said… She squeezed her hands into fists. She always wanted too said… She squeezed her hands into fists. She always wanted too much. Rennata had told her so and she knew it to be true, but she couldn’t stop the desire for something more than this life. To give up that hope would be to die.

She closed her eyes, the reckless thoughts of the last few days heavy on her mind. Holy mother, if you want me to pursue this, give me a sign. Show me a path. Show me a way out.

Chapter Three

Dominic called out directives for his staff as soon as he and Marissa entered his palazzo. The trip had tired him only slightly, so no doubt she would be feeling it more. What he was feeling was sunrise, only minutes away now. If not for the potion he’d taken, the pull of daysleep would have been impossible to overcome. “Prepare the guest bedroom near the laboratory, and get some food together. Whatever you make for Catarina.” He turned to Marissa. “You must be hungry, si?”

“Yes, I am. Thank you. Catarina is…”

“My comarré. You’ll meet her soon. I’m sure she’s asleep —”

“No, I’m not.” Catarina walked into the foyer, her slippers almost soundless on the intricate mosaic floor.

With a few nods, the staff dispersed to do as he’d asked.

“Catarina, this is Marissa. She’s going to be staying here for a few weeks.”

Catarina’s brows arched in judgment. “If you think you’re replacing me—”

“I’m not. Marissa belongs to another. She is here on her patron’s bequest. And you will make her welcome.”

Beside him, Marissa stepped forward, the sternness of her expression something new. “What house are you from? I’m curious, as speaking to one’s patron so boldly was considered a punishable behavior at the Primoris Domus in Corvinestri.”

Catarina faltered, her cheeks coloring. She dipped her head so that her long blond hair swung down to hide her face. “I am from the Secundis Domus outside of Tesoro.” She looked up and made brief eye contact with Dominic. “My apologies, my lord. If I may be excused?”

“Si.” When Catarina’s footsteps faded, he turned to Marissa.

“Masterfully done. In one small moment, you let her know who you are and you put her in her place.” She’d also defended him, but he didn’t dwell on an aspect he might have only imagined.

Marissa lowered her head slightly. “I apologize. I overstepped my bounds. I am a guest, after all I spoke without thinking.”

He laughed softly. “You spoke with your heart.” He came a few steps closer and slipped his knuckles beneath her chin to raise her eyes. She was only a few inches shorter than he.

“Although I don’t believe you do much without thinking.” He dropped his hand. “There is a time and place for both. Too many let their emotions rule them and end up paying the price, but without emotion, life is a tame existence best left for the weak without emotion, life is a tame existence best left for the weak and infirm.”

“She is young.”

“And you are not?”

“Not…as young as Catarina, no.” She turned away but not before the shadow of some greater emotion crossed her face.

When she looked at him again, her smile was slightly disconnected. “I do not mean to keep you from daysleep. I’m sure your staff can direct me to the kitchen and my room.”

What had upset her? He raised a brow. “Are you dismissing me?”

Horror broke the smile. “No. Never. I would never—”

He laughed. “It’s all right, Marissa. I know how Arnaud runs his house, but I don’t stand so much on formality. The only thing I never joke about is my work.” He held his hand out, knowing he’d already touched her more than was proper but not caring.

Contact was sorely missing in his life. “Let me show you to the dining room.”

She hesitated, staring at his outstretched hand. “Arnaud runs his house very strictly.” Slowly, she lifted her hand and her fingers coasted over his, teasingly warm but with a delicate friction that spoke to places deep inside him. She raised her gaze to meet his eyes. “This will be something of a holiday, then.”

“Perhaps.” He gathered her hand into his completely and led her down the hall. The heat of her skin recalled summers on the Amalfi coast, but those were memories from another life. He Amalfi coast, but those were memories from another life. He glanced at her. How innocent she was. No more than a possession to Arnaud. And now Dominic must tell her of Arnaud’s plans. He must explain how he’d been commissioned to experiment on her these next few weeks, to gently make clear the dangers of his work, but not now. There would be time enough for that in the evening. Now, as he felt the sun break the horizon, he wanted nothing to do with any of that. He would not give her a reason to fear him, not in this moment.

As they approached the dining room, a servant opened the door. Dominic dropped her hand to let her go ahead of him.

“Serve Lady Marissa here.”

“Yes, your lordship.” The servant nodded and left.

In the quiet of the room, she shook her head. “It is wrong to call me Lady Marissa.”

“In my house, I do as I please.” And right now, what he wanted to do was something he knew she would not abide, but lack of sleep made him reckless. He picked up her hand and pressed it to his mouth, inhaling her scent as he kissed her smooth, gilded skin.

She jumped, but not enough to wrench her hand from his grasp. “My lord,” she whispered.

“Do I frighten you?” Her heartbeat had increased the moment he’d touched her. If he had a pulse, it would have done the same. “That is not my desire.”

“Then what”—she swallowed, the delicate lines of her neck flexing—“what is your desire, my lord?”

Flexing—“what is your desire, my lord?”

Not what, but who. But wanting her was dangerous at best.

He released her hand and took a step back, his control teetering.

“Only company.” He pulled a chair out for her, then sat on the other side of the table. That would give her room to breathe.

She sat very straight. “Catarina does not provide that for you?”

“Catarina is first and foremost a comarré.”

“As am I.”

He shook his head. “You are a comarré second.”

She tensed. “Why would you say—”

“You are a woman first, cara mia.”

Unbelievably, she blushed. The signum on her cheeks blazed against the rising color. “You are a most unusual man.”

He nodded. “You are getting to know me very quickly.”

Servants entered with her dinner and a goblet of blood for him. He took it from the extended tray. It was warm. “This isn’t from the reserves?”

The servant tucked the tray under his arm. “Catarina thought you might want something fresher, my lord.”

With a nod, Dominic dismissed his staff with a wave.

Marissa spoke when they’d left. “She wishes to make amends.”

He lifted the glass. “Perhaps, but I rarely drink from her vein.

She is only doing what is required of her.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it abruptly, only to take a She opened her mouth, then closed it abruptly, only to take a bite of the meal before her instead.

“You want to know why that is?” He shrugged. “I am often busy and do not wish to be disturbed or pulled from my work, and she…does not complain that we have so little interaction. It is odd, perhaps, but it suits.”

She nodded and set her fork down. “It suits you not to have as much power as you could?” She lifted her hands and stroked the inside of one wrist. “I’ve never known a vampire who didn’t care whether or not he sank his teeth into the soft flesh of the comarré he owned. You are a rare creature, Lord Falconetti, to give up both power and pleasure.”

He stared at her, the embers of his desire rekindled by her words and fanned by what was clearly a challenge she was not the innocent he’d thought. No, indeed. She must know what her words were doing to him. But for what purpose? Did she think she could take Catarina’s place? That Arnaud would give her up? Was this the kind of trouble she’d caused to make her house declare her unreturnable? If so, he was not opposed to it. He smiled, lids lowered, while a thousand questions filed his head.

“Are you playing a game with me, Marissa?”

She looked genuinely shocked. “Game? No, I swear I am not.” She pushed her chair back and dropped her napkin beside her plate. “I am tired and I have once again let my mouth get the best of me. If you’ll excuse me, I should retire.”

A small burst of speed and he was at her side, blocking her way. “You’re right. There is little to be gained from giving up way. “You’re right. There is little to be gained from giving up power and pleasure, as you so eloquently put it. I shall turn over a new leaf this very moment.”

She held very still “I should leave you to it, then.” She pointed lamely past him. “If you would be so kind as to let me by.”

Now it was his turn to see what she was made of. To call her bluff in this delicate, delicious dance they engaged in. “Your freedom for a kiss.”

“Freedom? For a…a kiss?” For a brief moment, she looked shaken. Then, with the lift of her chin, her confidence returned and she laughed. “You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?” She lifted her hand toward his shoulder as if to push him aside but stopped before touching him.

He moved forward, forcing the contact. “No, cara mia, I do not tease.” When she didn’t take her hand away, he leaned in, lowered his voice, and repeated his words. “Your freedom for a kiss.”

Chapter Four

Marissa inhaled, trying to buy time. Instead she succeeded only in breathing in Dominic’s dark spicy scent and further discombobulating herself. He’d said the word freedom. Was that the sign she’d asked for? Nothing about him meshed with anything she’d come to expect from a vampire. “I belong to another. And what you ask is against comarré rules. You know that.”

“And I don’t care. As I told you, my house, my rules.”

Suddenly, he backed out of her path and held his hands up. “I do not wish to make you uncomfortable and I see that I have.

Go to bed, Marissa. We have much ahead of us tomorrow evening.” He turned to go.

“Wait.” Why she’d said that, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t ready for him to leave her. Not yet. Not with her emotions a jumbled mess and the possibility of escape so close. Liar.

Escape was the last thing on her mind.

“Si?” He faced her, his eyes flecked with silver and his body tensed. There was no question he felt something, too, just…

What?

She didn’t know how to ask him to explain what he was doing, not without sounding foolish, so she changed the subject.

“What time should I be ready for you?”

His eyes flashed completely silver, then went back to mossy green. “As soon as the sun sets, come to my laboratory. A servant can direct you.”

But that wasn’t really the question she wanted answered. She found her tongue. “What exactly is Arnaud paying you to do to me?”

Dominic hesitated.

“I have the right to know.”

“Si, you do.” He sighed. “I did not wish to discuss this now, but I will not withhold the truth from you, either. He wishes me to alter your blood.”

“Alter it? Isn’t it good enough the way it is?” The thought of undergoing such a thing doubled her with fear and hatred for Arnaud. She was truly nothing to him but a possession.

“He wants your blood to make him impervious to sunlight.”

“That’s impossible. And if you somehow accomplish it, you will relegate every other comarré to the same procedure.” She ground her teeth as her anger grew. “That pompous fool, he wants too much, thinks too little—” The realization that she’d just spoken her thoughts aloud stopped her abruptly. Her strength drained from her. She collapsed back into her chair.

Strength drained from her. She collapsed back into her chair.

“Please, I beg you, forget I said those things.”

Dominic pulled out the chair next to hers and sat. His knees brushed hers. “Arnaud is everything you said and worse. I am sorry for what I must do, but I have no choice.”

She frowned. “Of course you have a choice. Refuse his money.”

“He isn’t paying me. He has forced my hand by obtaining information about me that, if revealed, would ruin me.”

She stared at him. Why would Dominic willingly share such facts with her? “He’s blackmailing you?”

“Si.” He smiled weakly. “And now you are wondering what I have done.”

Her mind raced. “No, I—”

“It’s all right. I would be wondering myself. I can assure you, I did nothing that wasn’t wanted, nothing that caused anyone trouble. But it was enough that should Arnaud wish it, he could destroy me.”

He seemed so genuine she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him. But he was still a vampire and she’d known enough of them to know they couldn’t be trusted, no matter what her instincts said about him. “So you will destroy me instead.”

“Marissa, I give you my word, I will do nothing to harm you.”

Without thinking, she snorted softly. “Your word?”

He rested one arm over the back of the chair. “Because I am a vampire, my word is no good?”

“Would you trust a vampire if you were me?”

His smile spread slowly. “Excellent point. How do I convince you otherwise?”

She didn’t return his smile. “Find another way to give Arnaud what he wants.”

“I intend to, but I am an alchemist, not a magician.”

“Then how can I trust you? I can’t.” She stood and started past him. She’d find her room on her own. If she even stayed the night. Running seemed more and more like her only way out.

His fingers wrapped around her arm. “Sit.” The gravity in his voice hadn’t been present before. “I will tell you the crimes Arnaud holds over my head.”

She went back to her seat. “You would do that?”

“It will earn your trust, no?”

“Why do you care if I trust you?”

His brows furrowed. “You ask much of me. So much explaining.” He shook his head. “I do not wish to spend four weeks with an angry woman. And I like the”—he waved his hand between them as he seemingly searched for words—“the easiness of speaking to you. Catarina does not want conversation with me. Or much else, for that matter.”

“Why is she like that with you?” A comarré was supposed to provide companionship if her patron desired it.

“Aren’t most comarré that way? Keeping to themselves when possible? I just assumed it was your way.”

“Not if their patron wishes otherwise. If you don’t drink from “Not if their patron wishes otherwise. If you don’t drink from the vein, how does Catarina maintain her youthfulness and her stamina? You know the bite works both ways.”

“I said I rarely drink from the vein, not never.”

“I see.” She nodded, wondering if Dominic had done something to Catarina or if Catarina just didn’t appreciate the patron she had in Dominic.

“I like drinking from the vein very much.” His gaze flickered over her throat. “Do not mistake that.”

She leaned back, raising her chin enough to give him a little more to stare at. “So, these crimes of yours. What are they?”

He rested his face against his hand and stared directly into her eyes. “I am a killer”

“You’re a vampire. That comes with the position.”

He inched closer and planted his elbows on his knees. The twinkle in his eye was unmistakably devilish. “Si, but I kill other vampires.”

She straightened. “You’re caedo?” The word was rarely spoken aloud, but all knew and understood the role of the caedo. Even vampires needed assassins once in a while.

A barking laugh answered her. “Mamma mia, no! But I am honored you think me that dangerous.”

“Then explain.” She felt far too comfortable around him, despite what he’d just confessed. Or perhaps because of it. A vampire who killed other vampires? Exactly just how different was he from the rest of the nobility?

Was he from the rest of the nobility?

“There are those among us who grow weary of eternity.

Those who lack the will to face the sun. I provide a gentler alternative. No pain, just one last, final daysleep.”

“But it’s still breaking the rule all vampires live by.”

“Thou shall not kill your brethren.” He nodded. “With this information, Arnaud could cause me to become anathema. Or worse.”

“So you either do what he tells you to do—”

“At your expense,” Dominic interjected.

“Or lose everything.”

He nodded. “Now you understand my dilemma.”

“I do. And I thank you for sharing it with me. I will not betray that trust. And I believe that you are worthy of trusting as well”

She canted her head at him. “You are unlike any vampire I have ever known.”

He smiled broadly. “Imagine what you’ll think of me in a few more days.” He stood and held out his hand to her. “It’s late.

“I’ve kept you up too long. I’ll show you to your room.”

She took his hand and let him help her up, but then pointed to the untouched goblet of blood, now congealed. “I’m afraid I’ve ruined your dinner. Catarina will not be pleased.”

“Catarina will never know.” He pushed both chairs in before offering her his arm.

She looped her arm through the crook of his elbow, every moment becoming more surreal. “Are you like this with all your guests?”

“Guests?”

“Like what?” he asked as they headed down the hall

“So… accommodating.”

“I never have guests, but if I did and they were as beautiful and charming as you, I guess I would be.”

“There you go again.” She tried not to focus on the way his hip subtly brushed hers, how the breadth of his body accentuated the slenderness of hers. How being this close amplified how very male he was. “Being accommodating.”

He stopped and the first thought was that he would try to kiss her again and how this time she might not refuse him. “Your room.”

“What?” She blinked, trying to parse out what he’d said.

He released her arm and opened the door before them.

“Your room. If anything isn’t to your liking, please let me know.”

She didn’t take her gaze from his face. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Until this evening, then.” And with that, he was gone.

Chapter Five

“Sciocco,” Dominic muttered to himself as he entered his suite.

He’d been a fool in more ways than one this morning. He’d let Marissa’s beauty and intelligence sway him into revealing far more than was prudent. He’d let his desires get the best of him.

He’d been without wiling companionship for so long that the smallest encouragement from her and he’d become a blathering loon with the libido of a schoolboy.

He’d even been so distracted he’d ignored an entire goblet of blood. Now he would face the coming night hungry. And that meant he’d be even more vulnerable to Marissa’s charms.

He threw his suit jacket onto a chair. His valet rushed forward to retrieve it. Dominic waved the man off. “Leave it until this evening. I wish to be alone.”

“Yes, my lord.” The man ducked out.

Impatient with the buttons of his shirt, Dominic tore it off and added it to the pile. The rest of his clothes followed He tugged on a pair of silk pajama pants, then headed for his bed. He stopped as he passed a floor-length mirror. The gold backing meant he’d see whatever face he wished, human or vampire.

Tonight, both sides had betrayed him.

He stared at his reflection, scowling. “You chose this life. And now one woman makes you question it? A woman who belongs to another? A woman who could be your undoing? She would laugh if she knew your thoughts.” Or would she? Marissa made it plain her life with Arnaud was less than ideal. He growled at his image. “Travel and lack of blood has muddled your brain.”

He stalked to the bed, got under the linens, and stared into the silk canopy draped from its four posters. How was he going to appease Arnaud without hurting Marissa? Nothing he’d done in the past gave him any answers. Even alchemy had its limitations.

His choices in this were narrow. Do as Arnaud commanded, or spare Marissa. Both had consequences. If Dominic succeeded in this task for Arnaud, the man would never leave him alone. Nor would any other vampire who heard of it.

Spending his life turning vampires into daywalkers held no appeal. He knew his kind could be monsters. He still had familia in the world, generations removed, but blood was blood.

He felt duty bound to protect them from what he’d become as much as he felt duty bound to protect Marissa from harm.

But sparing her meant his days as nobility would end. Arnaud did not make empty threats. He’d expose Dominic without compunction. Once that happened, Dominic would have little compunction. Once that happened, Dominic would have little time to flee, leaving behind everything he’d worked so hard for.

Or worse, if they captured him, they’d turn him to ash.

No matter how much life was behind him, he wasn’t ready to give up his future so quickly. Not when he’d just remembered how enjoyable the company of the right female could be.

Daysleep closed in as the potion he’d taken wore off.

Perhaps the twilight would bring him an answer. But even as his eyes closed, he knew what lay ahead would change his life forever.

* * *

Evening brought him no solutions, so as he did most nights, he secluded himself in his laboratory and went to work while he awaited Marissa’s arrival. She didn’t keep him waiting long.

His head lifted from his tools at her entrance. “Buona sera. I trust you slept well?”

She nodded and greeted him with a weak smile. “As well as I could knowing what I’m here for.” She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. “I don’t blame you for it, you know.

You are as much a pawn in this game as I am.”

“I appreciate your understanding. You would be well within your rights to be cross with me.”

She laughed, a sad sound very different from the one he’d first heard on the plane. “I am a comarré. I have very few rights.”

He put his things down and moved away from his He put his things down and moved away from his workbench. There was little he could say that would make her feel better. Instead, he fell back on his heritage. “Would you care for an espresso? I don’t drink it, but I still enjoy the smell” He smiled. “That must seem foolish to you.”

“No, not at all” She came toward him, her gaze flitting from the overflowing shelves to the stuffed-until-they-could-barely-close cabinets. His laboratory must look like a junk shop to her.

“I imagine there are a great many things you must miss. Thank you for the offer of espresso, but I’m still full from breakfast. I’d rather we just get on with whatever it is you intend to do.” She raised her brows as she leaned against his workbench and gave him an intimately appraising look. “What do you intend to do?

“Did you come up with a plan?”

“At the moment, the only plan I can think of is trying to introduce my existing daywalking serum into your bloodstream.

“There will be testing required, but it should give Arnaud the desired effect. It won’t last, of course, so the next time he attempts to breach the day, he’ll be in for a shock.”

She frowned. “He’ll be furious with you.”

He shrugged. “I’ve already told him what he wants is impossible. If he calls me back, I’ll simply tell him I’ve done everything I can.”

“And then he’ll turn you in to the Council of Dominus.”

Dominic arranged a few things on his bench, trying to focus on something else. “I will deal with that when it happens.”

On something else. “I will deal with that when it happens.”

He stopped moving when her hand alighted on his arm. Her burnt-sugar scent rolled over him, making his body tighten and his gums ache. She tipped her head toward him. “You’re putting yourself in danger for me.”

The softness of her voice combined with the warmth of her touch and his growing hunger made it impossible for him to think.

“Si. No. I mean…” He pulled away from her, his face shifting from human to vampire. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

“Because I ruined your dinner. Should I get Catarina?”

“No.” He turned abruptly.

Marissa made a derogatory sound. “You need blood. That’s her job. If she’s not doing it, you can return her to her house and pick another.”

“I didn’t buy her blood rights. I inherited them.” He was glad for the distraction. “Her former patron was one of my clients.”

“One that you killed?”

“One I assisted in ending his life. He included her blood rights as part of our contract.” He sighed, remembering the transaction.

He’d thought it such a good idea at the time. “Things were fine between us at first, but when she realized that I was not going to dote on her like her previous patron, showering her with gifts and taking her on every trip, she soured toward me.”

Marissa pursed her mouth. “You don’t venture out much, I take it?”

“No more than I need to. And now that my reputation has grown, I go out very little. I prefer my clients come to me. Saves me time.”

She lifted her hands and looked around. “You prefer this space to the ballrooms of the nobility?”

He raised his head. “I do. Does that make me boring?”

She smirked. “Maybe. But I don’t care for them much myself, either.” She nodded at the array of tools before him. “Do you want me to leave you alone now?”

“No. I need you here, at least for a little while.” He tapped one of the syringes. “I need a sample of your blood.” He cleared the notebooks off the top of a nearby stool and pulled it closer to the bench. “Please, sit.”

She did, rolling back the sleeve of her white tunic and exposing her arm. The overhead lighting set her signum on fire.

He stared, transfixed. “Forgive me. I’ve never seen signum this closely before. They are beautiful, aren’t they?” He cradled her arm in his hands, turning her slightly to see the marks better and savoring the heat spilling off her delicate flesh. Every inch of her was a revelation. “Is there meaning behind them?”

“You ask questions I cannot answer.” She leaned closer, enough that her warmth radiated over him. “Would you tell me how to make your potions?”

He looked up from the gilding and met her elfin gaze directly.

Was there anything he wouldn’t tell her if she asked the right questions? Each moment with her drew him deeper under her spell “Which one would you like to learn first?”

She smiled slightly. “I still cannot answer you.” She rolled her arm in his hands, exposing her naked wrist.

Not a single signum marked the skin there, leaving the pale expanse as it had been the day she was born. He stroked his finger over the spot and instantly felt as though he’d touched a part of her he had no right to. “This is…”

She finished what he could not. “Where Arnaud bites me.

Yes.”

Unfounded jealousy sprang up in Dominic. He had no license to such feelings and yet they swelled within him like wind filing a sail.

“Does that bother you?” she asked. “Thinking of Arnaud doing that to me?”

More than he cared to admit. Not that he would. He broke contact and picked up a syringe. “It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. That is his business with you and certainly none of mine.”

“Then why did your eyes go silver?” She fiddled with a nearby pestle and mortar, rolling the pestle back and forth. “A vampire’s eyes turn when they feel emotion. I’ve never known one who could control it.”

This was not a conversation that would do either of them any good. He held up a length of rubber tubing. “I need your blood.”

She stretched out her arm, watching him so intently he wanted to ask her to stop. Instead, he tied off her arm and waited for the veins to rise. It didn’t take long. He took up the syringe. “You’ll feel a pinch.”

“I’ve felt worse.”

He slid the needle in. Blood spilled into the syringe’s chamber, unctuous and deep red. The imagined taste of it caused his fangs to punch through his gums. He had to feed soon or he was going to lose control around her. He stuck a bit of cotton wool on the site and slid the needle out.

“I barely felt that. You’re very gentle.” She bent her arm, keeping the cotton in place. “What now?”

His brain was so muddled by her blood scent he didn’t know if she was deliberately provoking him or not. He chose not to look at her. “Now I see how your blood reacts with one of my existing potions. If all goes well, I’ll inject you with it.”

“And then?”

“Then we see if it works.”

She slipped off the stool and stood very close to him. “How will you know?”

Slightly frustrated by all her questions, he growled softly. “If your blood makes me impervious to sunlight.”

She stared at him, completely unfazed by his snarling. An easy, wicked smile bent her mouth. “So tomorrow morning, then?”

“Yes.” What was she playing at? Confound it, he felt like he was missing something.

“I’ll see you then. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” Smile “I’ll see you then. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” Smile still firmly in place, she turned and left.

The moment the door shut behind her, the laboratory stopped closing in around him, but the air remained redolent with her. He collapsed onto the stool and let his lids drop. Breathing wasn’t necessary to know the sweetness of her scent or imagine how she would taste.

His lids shot open. How she would taste. Is that why she’d been coy and smiling? Tomorrow, when he tested the serum on her, did she expect him to bite her?

Mamma mia, she must. In fact, she’d acted like she was looking forward to it.

Chapter Six

Marissa smiled all the way back to her room. Dominic may not have come up with a plan, but she had. And it didn’t involve becoming Arnaud’s personal UV protection. Not since she’d met Dominic. He was everything Arnaud was not, including a gentleman, a word she’d never used in conjunction with a vampire before.

She discarded the cotton wool and lay back on the bed. If Dominic didn’t like her plan, he had only himself to blame for giving her an ounce of hope, a glimmer of what could be.

Somehow, she would escape Arnaud’s clutches and persuade Dominic to help her.

She just had to make him fall in love with her first. Or at least desire her deeply enough that he would come to her aid. She told herself she wasn’t using him, even though she knew that was a lie. Or part of a lie. Dominic would use her, too, for blood or for…other pleasures if that’s what it took.

But she had a child to think of. A child who didn’t even know Marissa existed. A daughter who at this very moment might be under the fangs of her own patron. If Marissa did nothing else with her life, she would find a way to rescue her daughter from the comarré life. If only her son had lived…but perhaps he was the lucky one.

It was her heart’s desire to see her daughter set free, and the only reason she’d not run from Arnaud. The break had to be clean. She couldn’t build a safe place for her daughter if she was being hunted. Because Arnaud would hunt her down, of that she was sure. No one crossed him without paying.

Which led her back to Dominic and the price Arnaud would extract from him. She swallowed down the guilt already clogging her throat. Maybe there was a way for both of them to escape.

Would he go? Would he leave this life behind?

She turned her face into the pillow. She already knew that answer. No. What vampire would willingly leave the noble life to live as an anathema? Because they would cast him out, if not for his crimes against his brethren, then surely for helping her.

Pushing upright, she sighed at the enormity of what lay before her. Maybe she should just run. Could she get Dominic to tell Arnaud that she’d died during an experiment? The thought lightened the weight pressing down on her. Yes, that might work.

Except Arnaud would want to see a body.

The weight grew heavy again and she covered her face with her hands. She was a fool. How would she make Dominic fall in love with her? With what skills? Being part of the comarré love with her? With what skills? Being part of the comarré breeding program only meant she’d been impregnated; it hadn’t educated her on the finer points of male/female relationships.

She knew nothing about love, except what she felt for her child. Knew even less about men. Her heart felt like lead in her chest as hope receded. Liquid welled in her eyes. She squeezed her lids tightly, trying to make the tears go away.

The door to her room burst open and Dominic flew into the space. “I am not going to bite you.”

“What?”

As if he’d just realized he was on the edge of losing control, he straightened himself, calmly closed the door, and came toward her, his voice low and even. “I know you expect me to bite you in order to test the sunlight serum, but I’m not going to.

You’ll simply drain some blood into a glass for me.”

She pushed off the bed to stand before him. She took a breath and focused on his eyes. He really was a handsome man when not in full vampire mode. “That’s not how it works. You know the comarré benefit from the bite. Would you allow me to weaken during the time I’m to be here? What if your potion doesn’t work and I’m forced to defend myself against Arnaud?

What then?”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he shook his head. “It isn’t proper. You are not my comarré. And you’d have to drain the blood anyway. I know how the comarré system works. Too much blood in your system and you’ll become sick.”

She decided on a different tactic. “Hmph. You’re afraid of Arnaud.” She leaned in and poked her finger into his hard chest.

“You’re a fool.”

He grabbed her wrist, the tiniest shards of silver dancing in his eyes. She hoped it was desire and not anger. “And you’re as disrespectful as Catarina. If you’re not afraid of Arnaud, then you’re the fool. He could ruin me.”

She refused to back down, puling herself up a little taller

“And he’ll kill me.”

The silver resurfaced in Dominic’s eyes. He turned and paced across the room, muttering in Italian and waving his hands. She sat on the bed, waiting for him to stop. When he did, he glared at her. “You will be the death of me.”

She slid back her sleeve and extended her bare wrist to him.

“I disagree.”

His face shifted and his eyes went full silver. “I am too hungry to argue with you now.” He put his hand up and headed for the door.

She got up and stepped into his path. “I’m not Catarina. I don’t care if you bite me.” She cared if he didn’t, though. She knew what kind of bond the intimate experience could create between a patron and his comarré. At least she’d heard about it.

Her bond with Arnaud was nonexistent. Based on Dominic’s lack of interaction with Catarina, it was doubtful they shared any connection either.

Dominic closed his eyes briefly, as if steeling himself; then he Dominic closed his eyes briefly, as if steeling himself; then he took her by the shoulders. His voice was calmer when he spoke.

“Cara mia, I have work to do. Your willingness to provide me with blood is”—he shrugged—“not what I am used to. But you belong to a very dangerous man. For both our sakes, it is better if we don’t do this. I’m sure you understand.”

She did, but her need to save her child overrode all that. “If that’s what you wish.”

“It…is. Because it must be.” His eyes betrayed his lie.

She stepped aside and opened the door. “I’m sure you’ll call me when you’re ready.”

“Si.” He looked disappointed. Had he expected her to fight harder? “Until then.” He left.

She waited, thinking she should have asked him how long until he needed her, but the serum couldn’t be tested until the sun rose, so she had plenty of time to strengthen her plan.

If Dominic wasn’t willing to bite her yet, she’d give him a better reason to. She’d make him need her.

By eliminating the competition.

* * *

“Come in.”

Marissa entered cautiously. She could imagine how Catarina would respond to her visit, at least initially

The other comarré’s eyes narrowed. She set her e-reader aside and leaned back on the sofa. “What do you want?”

“To apologize.” She pointed to an empty chair in the sitting room. “May I sit?”

Catarina nodded, still wary.

Marissa took a breath. “I shouldn’t have said what I did to you. I was tired from travel, and to be honest, my nerves have been rather frayed since I found out my patron was turning me over to Lord Falconetti to be experimented upon.” She wrung her hands for effect while staring at them. “It’s been a difficult couple of days.”

“I can imagine.” Catarina cleared her throat. “Look, what happened, happened and I hate to admit it, but you were right. I shouldn’t have spoken to Dominic that way. He’s not a bad patron. He’s just not the patron I signed on for.”

Marissa looked up, relieved her apology had done the trick.

“What do you mean?” Playing dumb always got one so much more information.

Catarina got up and went to the tea service on the side table.

“Would you care for a cup?”

“That would be lovely, thank you. Extra sugar.”

Catarina began to pour. “Dominic inherited me. My patron was a very wealthy, very old vampire. He treated me like a treasure, not a possession. Our life together was wonderful until the eldest of his sired children was killed under very mysterious circumstances. He was convinced the murder was the work of the caedo and that he’d be next.” She brought a cup of tea to the caedo and that he’d be next.” She brought a cup of tea to Marissa, then sat with hers. “Eventually he became so paranoid he hired Dominic to help him end things on his own terms.”

She sipped her tea, looking over the cup’s rim at Marissa.

“That’s where Dominic’s wealth comes from, you know. Al this”—she slanted her eyes toward the suite—“paid for by the deaths of other vampires.” Another sip of tea. “Very black market and highly illegal if the council ever finds out…”

“But you’d never say anything.”

Catarina laughed and put her cup down. “Of course not.

Dominic’s one of the best unsuspecting allies the comarré have.

He’s removed more aged vampires these last few years than infighting ever could.” She sighed, her fingers working the fabric of the silk throw resting on the arm of the chair. “Still, I miss Lord Itsak.”

Marissa nodded. Catarina was a strange one. “Did you go directly from his house to Lord Falconetti’s?”

“Yes.”

“Really? I’ve never heard of that. Usually one takes a small sabbatical at their house of origin. It seems to me you were never allowed time to grieve.”

Catarina shook her head, her memories reflected through the sadness in her eyes. “No, I wasn’t. I should have gone back to the Secundis Domus for a few weeks. It never really occurred to me.”

Marissa laid a gentle hand on Catarina’s arm. “I’m sorry Marissa laid a gentle hand on Catarina’s arm. “I’m sorry things have been so hard for you, and I’m sorry you’ve been unable to properly say good-bye to Lord Itsak.” She gripped Catarina’s arm a little tighter. “You know, you could still go.

Take some time off as it were.”

“I don’t think I could. That would mean leaving Dominic—”

“Would he notice? He’s been locked up in that laboratory since we returned from Corvinestri, and now with this dictate from my patron, I can’t imagine that will change.”

Catarina nodded. “That’s how he spends every day.” She seemed lost in thought. “He rarely drinks from my wrist anyway.” She looked a little sheepish. “I’m afraid that’s my fault.

I haven’t been the most accommodating.”

Marissa sat back. “Drain some blood before you go. As long as you have some in cold storage, he’ll be fine.”

“There’s plenty there already.” The other comarré’s eyes brightened. “Do you think he’d really let me go?”

Marissa tipped her head to one side and made a show of thinking. “What if I told him that you and I had argued again and I sent you away? Then I can take the blame if he disapproves.”

“You would do that for me?”

To save her daughter, Marissa would do anything. “I would be happy to. After all, I owe you for being so inconsiderate when we first met.”

Catarina jumped up. “I’m going to pack immediately. Thank you. I feel better already.”

Marissa nodded. So did she.

Chapter Seven

For the third time in what had been a very long evening, Dominic lowered the lens of his microscope too far and cracked the glass slide protecting his sample. “Vacca Boia!”

His inability to concentrate was Marissa’s fault. No, that wasn’t right. He could concentrate, but only on the blue of Marissa’s eyes, the curve of her pale neck and the way her sweet aroma made his jaw ache.

She’d tried to get him to bite her and she’d almost gotten her way.

But he was stronger than that. Wasn’t he?

His body said no. And his body was right. He sat back on the stool, arching his back and feeling his hunger right down to his bones. He’d gone without feeding for too long. Also Marissa’s fault. Maybe he should bite her. Take the blood he’d been denied. She’d given him every indication that’s what she wanted.

No.

Arnaud already had reason enough to destroy him. Drinking from Marissa would be a very wrong step in a very bad direction. What he needed to do was get Catarina in here and feed, regardless of her mood or how she felt about it. As patrons went, he was beginning to realize he was much too permissive.

He yanked the belpul near the door. Several long minutes later, a servant entered. “You rang, my lord?”

“Send Catarina in to me.”

“Very well, my lord.” The servant left and Dominic returned to his work. The sun would be up in less than an hour and he was only now just finalizing the sunlight serum.

The door opened a second time, but he didn’t bother looking up from the microscope. The sweet scent of comarré rolled over him as he added a drop of heliotrope essence and watched the serum come together perfectly. “I don’t want any discussion.

Just give me your wrist and we’ll get this over with as quickly as possible; then we can both go back to tolerating each other.”

Warmth invaded his space and the air stirred as pale, gilded flesh filed his periphery. “I’d prefer you take your time.”

He jerked at the sound of Marissa’s voice, his body instantly primed, his fangs descending. “Where’s Catarina?”

“She’s taking a little time off, going back to the Secundis Domus for a couple of weeks. She needs to grieve for her first patron; then she’ll come back to you. And probably be better for it.” She held her hands up like she knew he’d protest. “It’s perfectly within her privileges as a comarré. If you’d obtained her through proper channels, you’d know that.”

She lifted her wrist a little higher. “Please, take what you need. There is no one who will know but us.”

Everything human in him said no, but the human side of him had died centuries ago. He stood and took her wrist in his grasp.

“We should not be doing this.”

Her other hand lifted and her fingers delicately followed the lines of his vampire face. “You treat me with such kindness. I wonder if you mean to turn my head, but then you refuse to take what I offer—”

“I am not trying to turn your head.” Or was he? He didn’t know what he was doing when she was around. He brought her wrist to his mouth and kissed the tender flesh. “My refusal is for your safety. Something you seem to care very little about. What makes you so bold, comarré?”

She leaned into him, closing her eyes slightly. She swallowed and the sound drew his eyes to her throat. “You make me bold,”

She confessed, regret shading her face as soon as the words left her tongue.

He dropped her wrist, slid his hands into her hair, and kissed her, hard. For a moment, she went utterly still, only to melt into him a second later, but her acquiescence was short-lived. She yelped in surprise as though she’d just realized what was happening. His mouth muffled the sound.

He let her go, threw his hands up, and walked away. “Mi fai impazzire!” He growled softly, and muttered admonitions to impazzire!” He growled softly, and muttered admonitions to himself. “Pazzo! This between us is wrong, crazy, and yet I do not care.” He spun on his heels and came back toward her. “In fact, I tell you, I do care—I care that Arnaud does not touch you again.” He beat his hand against his chest. “I should not feel that way, but I do.”

Her hands covered her mouth. “Because I am comarré and you are vampire.”

“Si. As foolish as the lion falling in love with the lamb.”

She went very still and he realized what he’d said too late.

Her hands dropped from her mouth. “You…love me?”

He hesitated, frozen by his own words. Then he threw one hand into the air as if none of it mattered. “I love many things.

Wine. A well-tailored suit. Art.”

Her expression darkened. “So I am just another thing to you.”

“That is not what I meant.” This was going poorly. Very poorly. “I only meant that…” He shook his head. “You make me crazy. I cannot think when you’re around.”

“Why?” She came closer. “What fills your head?”

He stared at her. “What do you think? You. Your sweet scent. Your gilded skin. Your damnable glow. You are like a sickness in my blood.” A sickness he no longer cared to be healed of.

“And Catarina never made you feel that way?”

“Catarina, pah. I am a plague Catarina has not yet found a cure for.” He shook his head. “Why do you not treat me the cure for.” He shook his head. “Why do you not treat me the same way? It would be so much easier.”

“Perhaps if you drank from me, being around me would not be so difficult?” She held her wrist out to him again.

But it wasn’t her wrist he wanted. The depths of his vampire soul cried out for the taut column of her neck. “Perhaps you are right.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, cradling her head and bending over her before she could protest.

Swiftly, he sank his fangs into her throat and drank deeply.

She moaned softly, a sound he’d not heard since he’d last bedded a woman. It spurred him on. He held her tightly, his other hand pressed into the small of her back. The taste of her spun light through his veins and heat into his bones.

In a word, paradiso.

He let it spill through him, willingly giving himself over to her forbidden blood. Catarina had never tasted like this.

Then, afraid he would take too much, he released her. Her eyes were wide, her chest heaving. The tiny wounds at her neck began to close almost immediately. She blinked a few times.

“You are a very powerful vampire. Already I feel renewed.”

A sharp pain racked his body as the strength of her blood became his. He grabbed on to the workbench and let it run its course. His muscles tensed as hot and cold warred within him, and as the pain subsided, his heart began to beat. He inhaled, filing his lungs with her perfume. “So much…different than Catarina. That’s twice the reaction I get from her.” He blew out Catarina. That’s twice the reaction I get from her.” He blew out a breath and the storm of sensation inside him leveled out. “Are you all right, cara mia? You look shocked. I was too rough.”

He took her hand and led her to the stool. She sat, looking a little dazed. “No, you weren’t too rough. You were fine. I just…

Arnaud always takes my wrist. Or maybe it was”—her chest rose and fell with a deep breath—“the kiss.”

Her skin was flushed and the rhythm of her pulse matched the beat of his own. Perhaps he was falling in love with her. Either way, the thought of her returning to Arnaud made him want to run a sword through Arnaud’s heart. “That was too forward of me. But I am not sorry.”

She smiled a little. “I’m not either. I just never knew a kiss could make you dizzy.”

“Then you’ve never really been kissed before.”

She laughed. “Of course I’ve never been kissed before. I’m comarré.”

“So I am the first to kiss you? And the only one to have pierced your throat?”

She nodded, her cheeks faintly pink. “Yes. You have ruined me,” she teased. “How will I go back to Arnaud now?”

Possessiveness griped Dominic’s spine like steel claws. “You will not go back to him at all”

“What?”

He glanced over at the sunlight serum still awaiting testing on his workbench. “Arnaud is too dangerous. He doesn’t need the ability to walk in the sun any more than he deserves to have your ability to walk in the sun any more than he deserves to have you as his comarré. You will not return to him. I have enough wealth.

We’ll leave, start over somewhere new. Then neither of us will ever have to face him again.”

The color bled from her face. “I can’t do that,” she whispered. “I cannot spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.” She grabbed his hands. “You know Arnaud. You know he won’t let either of us leave like that. I cost him money.

He would consider you a thief. He will have you made anathema.”

The word cooled Dominic’s ardor, but not by much. He wanted this woman, but if protecting her meant losing his status, could he do it? Could he give up everything for…love? For companionship? The physical contact alone nearly swayed him.

He’d lived this solitary life for centuries, long ago accepting that the bulk of his years would be spent alone. With Marissa’s arrival, that acceptance had begun to erode. The ground beneath his feet grew dangerously thin. “There must be a way for you to leave him.”

She went paler still “There is, but…it’s not something I’ve ever known another comarré to do.”

“Tel me.”

She hesitated, staring deeply into his eyes as if hoping to find her courage there. “I could claim libertas. But then I must fight Arnaud and if I lose, I die.”

Chapter Eight

Libertas. The word erased the last whorls of pleasure from Dominic’s kiss and left fear in their wake. Marissa had thought about it, but thoughts and going forward were two very different things.

“What do you mean, die?” he asked.

“I don’t know how to make it any clearer. Either I kill Arnaud or he kills me. It’s a death match. The winner gets their freedom.

Or a new comarré.” She shuddered. “There’s no way Arnaud would turn me down, either. He’d relish getting a new comarré and the chance he’d lose would never enter his mind.”

“You cannot fight him. I will not allow you to do that.”

She straightened. “You will not allow me? You don’t have that kind of say in my life.”

He held up a hand. “You’re right; I do not. I spoke out of turn, but it is insanity to think you could fight Arnaud and win.”

“Hah.” She glared at him. As much as she wanted to tell Dominic about her years of training in many different types of combat and her skills with daggers and swords, she didn’t.

Those were comarré secrets. Revealing them could get her into deeper trouble. If only she could just run away with Dominic, but that would simply give her a life of fear. She needed a life of freedom.

“Why do you laugh? You think you have a chance against him?”

“I don’t think it. I know it. I just don’t know how much of a chance.”

Dominic leaned against the workbench and studied her. “You could beat him?”

“I could.” Maybe. “Or at least come close.”

“Close still means you would be dead.” He shook his head.

“No, I do not want to be a part of this. Perhaps it is my own foolishness, but I find myself having…feelings for you. I am a passionate man, and I tend to give those passions free rein. What they want most is you. So you can understand why I do not wish you to go through this. Or anything that might harm you.”

Despite his declaration, her frustration built. “There is no other way for me to get free. No other way for us to be together.”

“We will find a place safe from Arnaud.”

“That place does not exist.” She got to her feet and paced toward the other end of the room, thinking. Books, bottles, and papers crammed every available space, making it hard to believe Dominic couldn’t find an answer among them somewhere. She Dominic couldn’t find an answer among them somewhere. She shook her head. “I will have to go back to him. And you will have to find a way to change my blood.”

He was quiet for a while, letting her pace. At last he spoke. “I have another idea.”

She turned and looked at him. “I’m listening.”

“You say libertas is the only way you’ll feel safe leaving him?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think you could ever care for me? Not as a patron but as a man?”

Tiny sparks went off in her belly, the kind she’d never felt before. The kind that promised both pleasure and trouble. The kind that said her plan to use Dominic for her own end was quickly turning into something very different. “I have very little experience with this kind of thing, but I believe I have already begun to care for you.” There was no point in lying to him. They could both be dead in less than a month, depending on what Arnaud decided.

His eyes glimmered silver and his face relaxed with confidence. “Then what if I give you an advantage?”

“What kind of advantage?”

“What kind do you want? Strength? Speed? Agility?”

For the first time since they’d begun the discussion, her footing felt firm and even, not like she was struggling to climb an insurmountable cliff. “Al of the above.”

* * *

Two nights later, she and Dominic were in his recreation hall, a space big enough to hold a variety of sports events normally reserved for outdoor arenas. He lounged in a chair at the edge of the floor while she faced off with a fringe vampire she assumed was one of his staff. Nero was a half meter taller and outweighed her by probably thirty kilos. Essentially, Nero was a beast.

Dominic probably employed him as security.

“Ready, Nero?” Dominic’s voice echoed through the cavernous space. “Don’t hurt her.”

Nero grunted. Presumably that meant he understood.

She frowned at Dominic. “Does that mean you have no faith in your work?” He’d injected her with a large dose of a new serum. Something he named Belona, after the Roman goddess of war.

“I have great faith in my serum. It’s your abilities, cara mia, I do not know enough about.”

“Prepare to learn, then.” She’d keep things simple but efficient while trying to hide her true skills enough that he wouldn’t suspect the comarré’s greater purpose.

“I am prepared.” Dominic gave her a wink. “Nero, down.”

The giant fringe went to his knees.

Marissa backed up a few steps, took a running start, and leaped over him. She landed lightly and looked back at Dominic.

“That wasn’t a challenge” She snapped her fingers. “Nero, “That wasn’t a challenge” She snapped her fingers. “Nero, stand up, please.”

He did as she asked. This time, she crouched and jumped from where she stood. She sailed over him, coming down a little bit harder. She gave Dominic a thumbs-up. “That was half me, half Belona.”

Dominic just nodded. “What else can you do?”

She walked toward Nero, stopping in front of him. “Keep your body very stiff.”

He grunted.

She grabbed his upper arm and midthigh, barely getting a grip on the thick muscle, then bent and pressed him overhead. He went rigid so fast she knew he’d been shocked at her actions.

She wobbled a little but held her ground.

Dominic’s brows lifted. “Strength is not an issue, then.”

She dropped Nero to his feet. He growled softly and looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Dominic stood but didn’t approach. “The two of you race to the end and back to this spot on my mark. Ready? Go!”

She took off, covering the distance faster than she’d ever gone. She dug her feet in as she approached the wall, skidded enough to turn, then headed back. She passed Nero on the way and reached the starting point a few seconds later.

Dominic walked toward her but held his hand out to Nero.

“Stay.”

The giant lumbered to a stop several meters away.

“This is all very impressive, but you’re not challenging Arnaud to an evening of track and field. I still have no proof you can hold your own against him in a fight to the death.” His countenance darkened. “There is only one way I can agree to this.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “What’s that?”

He lowered his voice. “Kill Nero.”

“What? He’s a member of your staff.”

“He was found by a member of my staff. He’s a local thug, one of the fringe who’s come to Tesoro in hopes of working for a noble. Spent a good deal of time terrorizing the mortals who reside here.” Dominic shrugged. “No one’s going to miss him.

He’s only here because he thinks I’m going to hire him permanently.”

“I don’t care who he is. I won’t do it.” Nero might not be the poster boy for vampire reformation, but it wasn’t enough reason for her to end his existence. She was not without rational thinking.

He leaned in. “If you can’t take a fringe down, how do you think you’ll be able to handle Arnaud with his age and abilities?”

“I have a reason to kill Arnaud.” That she would have no issue with.

“You have a reason to kill Nero, too. If you don’t, I won’t go through with this.”

She needed Dominic. Going up against Arnaud in libertas would undoubtedly leave her broken even if she did win.

Without Dominic’s resources, what would she do? Where would Without Dominic’s resources, what would she do? Where would she go, and how would she get there? She’d be banished from the Primoris Domus. Being turned out onto the streets of Corvinestri without the protection of her house would be a death sentence.

Dominic was her best, if not only, hope. She glanced at Nero.

In all her training days, she’d never faced an opponent that large.

Al it really meant was that he’d make a louder noise when he hit the ground.

Dominic gently gripped her arm. “Listen to me. What you feel for Arnaud? The way you loathe him? Channel that toward Nero. There is power in emotion. Harness it, and he cannot beat you. Let it control you and you’ll be lost.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She looked back at Nero. There was no point in hiding her abilities from Dominic. Not at this stage in the game.

“I won’t let him kill you.” He cupped her cheek. “And if you lose, we will just find another way to deal with Arnaud.

“Together.”

Together. That was not a word she’d much used. Alone, yes. She took a second long look at Nero, then lifted her chin and faced Dominic. Compassion shone in his eyes like a promise. “Bring me a weapon.”

Chapter Nine

Dominic waited until Marissa and Nero had taken ten paces back from the center of the boccie ball court. He hated to destroy the carefully cultivated sod there, but there was every chance he’d be leaving this estate in a few weeks and never looking back. Unblemished grass wouldn’t matter then.

He raised his hand, pride and fear warring in his chest.

Marissa had chosen a long sword, a weapon he’d tried to dissuade her from, but she’d held firm. It was a smart choice, even if she didn’t know how to use it. A blade of that length would give her a little protection against Nero’s reach. He, on the other hand, had laughed and refused any kind of weapon, raising his cleaver-sized hands instead.

“There are no rules to this fight. Nero, to win, you must simply incapacitate Marissa. She needn’t be harmed. A cry of mercy on her behalf would be sufficient. A clean win will also earn you a job. You harm her and I’ll kill you myself.

Understood?”

“Si,” he grunted.

“That doesn’t seem fair,” Marissa argued. She gave Nero a stare that would have been more at home on the face of a weathered soldier. “After all, I intend to kill him.”

Nero growled at her statement. Of course, this was news to him. Dominic wished Marissa hadn’t shared that bit. By doing so, she’d lost any advantage it had given her.

Dominic raised his hand. “Prego?”

Nero hunkered down, arms hanging loosely at his sides.

“Prego,” he snarled.

Marissa’s posture changed very little, other than the subtle turning out of her front foot; then she, too, answered, “Ready.”

Dominic dropped his hand. “Begin.”

He watched it unfold as though time had slowed, but he knew it was only his heightened sight that made it possible to catch each detail of the action.

Marissa leaped, tucking her body into a ball as she went over Nero’s lunging form. She landed on his back, flattening him. He roared, but by the time he’d pushed to all fours, she spun around and planted her feet on his shoulder blades. The sword, already held high, came swishing down. A hard glint of silver preceded a brilliant, wet flash of red.

Followed by a cloud of ash.

Dominic’s mouth fell open.

She strode toward him, tiny whirls of gray spinning out behind her steps. She held the sword hilt out. He took it, still speechless.

her steps. She held the sword hilt out. He took it, still speechless.

She smiled. “How’s your faith in me now?”

“That wasn’t even a fight.”

“Did you want me to draw it out? You said kill him; you didn’t say make a show of it.”

He narrowed his eyes, too amazed to let her sauciness affect him. Much. Mamma mia, she was a curious creature. One he was coming to desire more than was prudent. Perhaps that explained the pride he felt in what she’d just done. “How do you know how to do this?”

“Never underestimate a comarré.” She brushed her hands off.

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a bath before dinner.”

“How much of that was the Belona and how much of that was you?”

She smiled. “Your eyes are so silver right now I can see myself reflected in them. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Wicked, improper thoughts about her. “I am trying to understand you.” And what it would be like to wake up next to her, if he was honest.

“Buona fortuna.” Laughing softly, she leaned up, kissed his cheek, then walked out of the recreation hall

Good luck might not be enough. He stared at the smattering of ash that had once been Nero. “What have I created?” He sank down into a chair. Maybe nothing. His serum may have made her faster and stronger, but it hadn’t taught her how to move or wield a sword.

move or wield a sword.

Three things became very clear to him. One was that Marissa was a woman of many secrets. Two was that he was very glad he was not Arnaud. And three was that his desire for her showed no signs of diminishing.

He didn’t see her again until mealtime. When she entered the dining room in a simple flowing gown of white silk, her long blond hair pulled back and woven through with a few thin braids, it was difficult to accept that this was the same woman who’d dispatched Nero so effortlessly. He lost himself in her glow and the sugary perfume that surrounded her. “Bella. You look beautiful.”

Her smile was hesitant. “Does that mean my sword skills haven’t changed the way you feel about me?”

He laughed. “No, your skills have definitely changed the way I feel about you. Al for the good, I promise. And I will be very careful not to upset you.”

She reached up to touch his face the way she’d done earlier.

Her hands were so warm he pressed his cheek farther into her palm as she spoke. “You are the most interesting vampire I’ve ever met. Why are you so different from your brethren? You make me think dangerous thoughts about the future.”

“A future together would be dangerous, would it not?” The joy in her eyes died at his words and her hand slipped from his face, but he caught it and held it to his cheek. “To me, that makes it all the more interesting. I understand why so many of my kind call upon me to end their boredom. Life grows my kind call upon me to end their boredom. Life grows commonplace.” He turned and kissed her palm. “With you, life would never be commonplace.”

“So, you’re still willing to proceed?”

“With all my being.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “I feel like you have rescued me. For many years now, I have been a slave to the responsibilities of the nobility. My need to serve them and please them outweighed my true passion—the quest to discover new things, to expand my abilities, to conquer new difficulties. I no longer feel that way anymore. I feel…free.”

She shook her head, the smile still on her red lips. “Am I your new difficulty?”

He laughed and pulled out a chair for her. “Is that so terrible?”

“I’ve been called worse. And will be again after I ask Arnaud for libertas.”

Dominic rang the crystal bell beside his wineglass. A servant entered and put a rare steak and a steaming baked potato before Marissa. “Is that what you like to eat? I guess it’s what they prepare for Catarina. I must pay more attention.”

She dug into the steak. “The better a comarré eats, the better their blood tastes.” She took a bite and chewed.

“Speaking of comarré, what will become of Catarina if— when—we leave?”

Marissa swallowed and tipped her head. “The easiest thing would be for you to grant her freedom.” She took a sip of water.

would be for you to grant her freedom.” She took a sip of water.

“Then she can live at the Secundis Domus and do whatever she likes. There she can choose whether to make herself available for another patron.”

“Very good. That is what I’ll do. I can have a message sent to the Secundis Domus tomorrow.”

“Not so fast. We’ll need her with us when we get to Arnaud’s.”

“Why? I’d prefer not to involve her in this.”

“In order for my request for libertas to be binding, it must be witnessed by another vampire—you—and another comarré— her. Otherwise, Arnaud can ignore the claim and we’ll be back where we started.”

“You think Catarina will do this for you?”

“In exchange for her freedom?” Marissa smiled. “I don’t think it will be an issue.” She went back to her food.

“After this is over and we are free to leave—or forced to leave, which might be more likely, as I am sure I will be made anathema—where would you like to go?”

She added butter to her potato. The pale yellow melted into the snowy white flesh as she thought. “Somewhere…fresh. A place where we can start over without prejudice. Maybe somewhere warm. I’m tired of Romanian winters. Do you have any ideas?”

He sat back and tapped his fingers on the table. “I will find somewhere perfect. Somewhere exactly as you wish.”

She ate a little more, both of them in silence until he broke it She ate a little more, both of them in silence until he broke it once again. “Are you afraid?”

Her face went solemn with thought as she swallowed Then she nodded. “Yes. Everything changes the moment I utter that word. Everything.”

He nodded. “I’m glad you said that. I would be worried if you weren’t.” He twisted his wineglass, causing small ripples in the Brunelo. “Few good things in life come easy.”

She set her fork down. “Are you afraid?”

“I am a noble vampire with more strength and power than most men ever dream of.” His eyes stayed on the wine. “Even my bones fear what is about to happen.”

“Then why do it? What do you have to gain?” Even as the words left her mouth, fear dulled her eyes.

He looked up and smiled, trying to reassure himself as much as her. “I have lived this life a very long time. It has been good to me. But Arnaud is about to change all that. I will either become his slave or suffer the consequences of refusing him.” He looked deeper into her eyes. “What do I have to gain by helping you?

Freedom from Arnaud and a new life. A life with something this one has long been lacking—companionship.” He relaxed as the fear in her eyes faded. “We will go through this together.”

“To a point.”

His smile disappeared. “What do you mean?”

“I will tell Arnaud you had nothing to do with this. That I refused to allow you to touch me or alter my blood in any way refused to allow you to touch me or alter my blood in any way despite your efforts. Then, if he kills me, you can go back to your life without incident.”

Chapter Ten

Marissa had spent the last three weeks very simply. Training to fight Arnaud and spending time with Dominic. He sat with her while she ate, went for walks with her in his garden, listened to her hopes and fears, entertained her with stories from his youth and made her realize that her feelings for him had become something much greater than just a plan. Love had taken hold of her heart, and denying it was no longer possible.

But love was not on her mind at the moment. Now, bent over, sword in one hand, fists on her thighs, Marissa took a moment to let her breathing even out. “Well, that made a difference. How much did you give him?” These past weeks, she’d dispatched a handful of fringe vampires, but this last one had been more of an effort.

Dominic came to her side, concern marring his handsome face. “A full vial of the Belona.”

“How much did you give me?”

“Half.” The furrow between his brows narrowed. “I will give you the full vial as well before you face Arnaud.” He checked his pocket watch. “Almost four minutes.”

She straightened and lifted her braid to cool her damp neck.

“The fight with Arnaud won’t go much longer.” She smiled, trying to ease the alarm in his eyes. “Because I’m ready for him.”

Dominic tucked his watch away and nodded unconvincingly.

“I hope you are right. I cannot help my worry.”

“Don’t. Not one of these fringe has laid a hand on me. I’m not saying the fight ahead will be easy, but with this practice and your serum, I feel very confident.” Her smile deepened and reached out to him, taking his hand. In these past weeks, he’d fed from her numerous times and the bond between them was now almost a tangible thing. But more than that, the unthinkable had happened. She’d come to genuinely care for him. To miss him during the daylight hours when he slept and her mind wandered to unhappy outcomes. “I don’t like it when you worry.”

His mouth bent in a half smile. “How can I not? The prospect of an eternity without you, bella mia, is not something I care to contemplate. Not after this wonderful time we have shared. I want more of that. Much more.”

“So do I.” And that was the truth, so help her. She let him pull her in close, protesting only slightly. “I need a shower.”

He ignored her words to kiss her wrist, his fangs grazing her skin, his eyes shutting briefly. “Our time comes to a close.” Still clasping her hand, he pressed her palm to where his heart had clasping her hand, he pressed her palm to where his heart had once beaten. “You’re sure you feel confident?”

“Very.” Or at least as much as she could feel when her next meeting with Arnaud could be her last. In more ways than one.

“I could fight him tomorrow.”

“Three days from now is time enough.” Dominic nodded.

“But I am glad you feel this way. And… I would like to propose we take a break from the training.”

“And do what?”

His eyes crackled silver. “Get to know one another more than we already have. We are anticipating a very long future in each other’s company.” The silver died a bit. “Or perhaps not.” He squeezed her hand. “Either way, I know better ways to spend these nights before we return to Corvinestri.”

She tipped her head back. A shiver of anticipation ran through her already-flush body. She was no innocent virgin. If she was going to die at Arnaud’s hands, she would prefer one memory that was purely her own, untouched by comarré law. If that’s what Dominic was suggesting, she would gladly agree.

“Such as?”

“Wine and song, revelry, and the chance to be whoever we desire.” He stroked a fingertip over the signum on her cheek and whispered, “Carnevale di Venezi,” like he tasted sunlight on his tongue. “We shall go and lose ourselves in the crowd and forget, at least for these few last days, what awaits.”

He stepped away and held out his hand to her. “What say He stepped away and held out his hand to her. “What say you, cara mia? Shall we dance in the streets of Venice and take our pleasure where we find it?”

The idea of walking among mortals, hidden by masks that would allow them to go unnoticed and unfeared caused her head to spin. Embolden by the ephemeral ticking of fate’s clock, she reached for his hand. “I say we go. I say we live like we have no tomorrow.”

Because she knew very well they might not.

* * *

Waves of masked revelers flowed through Venice, turning the streets into a sea of iridescent silk and shimmering satin. “It’s unbelievable,” Marissa whispered as their gondola passed beneath a bridge and turned toward the Grand Canal. Lights from other gondolas dotted the waterway, bobbing up and down on the gentle swells “I can see why you keep a home here. It’s perfect.”

Beside her, Dominic nodded, but his gaze picked through the crowd peering over the bridge. “It’s only perfect because we are here together.”

She smiled and leaned into him a little more. Thanks to his wide web of influence, they were also perfectly outfitted. A favor owed turned into matching costumes and masks, both elaborate designs in white and gold. They looked like a grand lord and lady from centuries past. Her hair was tucked into a tall white lady from centuries past. Her hair was tucked into a tall white wig, while long, white curls covered Dominic’s dark locks.

Pearls and crystals decorated the gold masks that hid everything but their mouths.

Dominic had insisted on that, refusing, he said, to be kept from kissing her. His bold words had made her blush; she was thankful that she’d have the mask to hide behind all evening.

“When are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

He tipped his head toward a grand palazzo ahead of them.

“Now. We’ve arrived. The ball will already be under way.”

She studied the gorgeous coral mansion ahead of them on the Grand Canal. Colored smoke curled up from large gold pots outside the entrance. “A ball? What house is that?”

“The Palazzo Pisani Moretta. And the ball is the Il Ballo del Doge. The most famous ball in Venice.” He smiled. “Impossible to get tickets for.”

She laughed. “But somehow you managed two.”

“Of course.” He nodded as the gondola pulled up to the steps, looking once behind them and scanning the other gondolas.

Masked footmen helped her out, and as soon as Dominic was beside her, he took her hand and led her forward. At the door, he showed a gold coin, and after its inspection, they were granted entrance.

Inside was another world.

Fire-eaters, jugglers, and musicians greeted them as they strolled through the house. Acrobats hung from the ceiling in the main ballroom, twisting and spinning on yards of red and purple silk, while others dangled from enormous metal hoops dressed as exotic birds. There were so many things to look at, she felt a little dizzy. “Wow.”

Dominic laughed and snagged two glasses of champagne from a passing server. He held one out to her.

“No, thank you, I can’t. At least not until…things are settled.”

“Ah, yes. The comarré laws prohibit alcohol, don’t they?” He smiled sadly. “It’s unfortunate you won’t taste this, considering…” He moved to set both glasses down on a side table.

“Wait.” A thousand alarms went off in her head, all telling her what she was about to do was wrong. Let the blasted alarms ring. She might die in a few days. A sip of champagne was not going to change that. “Give me the glass.”

With a new smile, he handed her a flute, then lifted his and clinked it against hers. “To us, cara mia, and whatever future lies ahead.”

She raised hers a little higher. “And to this evening. Whatever it may bring.” She drank and the bubbles tickled her nose. Her quick swallow was followed with a laugh. “Oh! That is fun. It tastes…how I feel.” She took another long sip. “I might have another of those.”

He laughed and took her hand. “We should find you something to eat. Too much champagne and the night will end something to eat. Too much champagne and the night will end before you wish it to.”

Across the great hall, music swelled as the orchestra began.

Couples filed the floor, each more elaborately costumed than the next. The longing to join in was too great to be denied. And for once, it didn’t have to be. “I can eat later,” she said. “Right now, I want to dance.”

And dance they did. So long, she forgot that she was not a free woman. In Dominic’s arms, her bonds fell away. He treated her like a queen, doting on her the whole evening. Anything she wanted to do, they did, whether it was watching the magic show or simply escaping for a moment of quiet on one of the secluded terraces overlooking the Grand Canal.

There, with the night sky wrapping the city in a blanket of stars and the gentle lapping of the water below them, she again remembered what awaited her. Her deep sigh must have betrayed her, because Dominic leaned in behind her, his hands beside hers on the balcony, his broad chest pressed to her back.

He nuzzled his mouth near her ear. “What is it, tesora? Are you not enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, I am. I just remembered that this night will end.” She glanced at the horizon. “And in only a few hours.” She turned to face him, her hands coming up to his shoulders. “You have given me so many wonderful new memories, I could almost accept my lot if death awaits.”

“Almost?” Behind his mask, his eyes filed with confusion.

“Almost?” Behind his mask, his eyes filed with confusion.

“What else can I do for you, amore mio? Name it and it will be so.”

She smiled, his sweet words mingling with the champagne she’d been sipping all night. Courage swelled in her chest, filing her with a lightness born of pure joy. She took his face in her hands, his mask cold from his skin, and kissed him. “I want to be alone with you. Do you understand? Alone the way a man and woman who love each other are.” She smiled at her boldness, but she was past caring what she said or how she acted so long as it did nothing to derail her plan. Her skills in the art of love might be limited, but that wouldn’t stop her from taking this last step with him.

Desire swept the confusion from his eyes. “Cara mia, what you ask is not allowed, is it?”

“No,” she whispered. “Which makes the breaking of it that much sweeter.”

“Are you sure?” He breathed the words out like a plea. Or a prayer.

“Never more so.” The truth of the words surprised her. She did want him and not just because he was helping her.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, then took her hand. “Come.” Without pretense, he led her through the crowd and back down to the gondolas, commanding one immediately to return them to his palazzo.

Several times on the ride back, his gaze left her to scan a passing boat or examine someone on the street, but it was never passing boat or examine someone on the street, but it was never for more than a moment and then he was hers again, whispering things in Italian that spun her head and body to the point of near madness.

Once they disembarked, he swept her into his arms and raced them through the lingering crowds. They were back in his palazzo before she knew it. After a brief word to the servants that they were not to be disturbed, he carried her to the bedroom and deposited her gently on the bed.

She reached for her mask, but he held up his hand. “Let me, bellissima. I want to savor every moment.” He untied his mask first and tossed it away, then removed hers, kissing her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose. “Since I first saw you, I dreamed of this. Now that you are finally in my arms, I will not let you go. No matter what happens.”

A shout from downstairs stilled them both. Then the doors burst open and three black-masked figures stormed in, brandishing swords. One pointed at Dominic. “Take your hands off the comarré. She belongs to Lord Arnaud.”

“Caedo,” Dominic snarled, reaching for a wall-mounted short sword. “Get out of my house before I turn you all to ash.”

One of the men grabbed Marissa and hauled her off the bed.

“We plan on leaving. But you’re both coming with us. You have a lot to answer for.”

Dominic swung, slicing through the shirt of the intruder closest to him, but the second sprayed Dominic in the face with to him, but the second sprayed Dominic in the face with something. His eyes rolled back in his head; then he collapsed to the ground.

Marissa screamed. “What are you doing?”

The intruder turned toward her while the third restrained her.

He aimed the small canister toward her and sprayed her with it as well “Exactly what I was paid to.”

A cloud of sweet mist covered her face. She held her breath, but it was too late. She’d already inhaled. A second later, everything went black.

Chapter Eleven

Dominic awoke with claws scratching at the inside of his skull and the taste of pine coating his tongue. “Marissa,” he mumbled.

When there was no response, he opened his eyes. They were not in Venice anymore.

At least they were upright. Marissa sat on the couch beside him, slumped against the arm. The well-appointed room’s beauty was marred by Arnaud sitting across from them.

“It’s about time you woke.”

Dominic cleared his throat. “You had us drugged.”

Arnaud nodded to an older comarré. “Wake her up. I’m tired of waiting.”

The older woman snapped a small white tube, then waved it under Marissa’s nose. She came to with a start. “What…where are we…oh.” She blew out a breath. “The Primoris Domus.”

She eyed the woman who’d woken her. “Rennata.”

“What have you done, woman?” Rennata slanted her gaze at Dominic, her words an angry hiss. “Lord Arnaud says you were taken in flagrante delicto.”

“Worse than that,” Arnaud added. “I believe he’s fed from her. And all the while doing nothing to fulfill the task I’d given him.”

“How do you know?” Dominic asked. “Were you watching us?”

“Yes. I almost lost you when you went to Venice, but my comarré is easy to track.”

Marissa lifted her head. “How?”

With a snort, Arnaud’s gaze dropped to her hands. “Your ring. Did you think I would give you a gift for no reason? I am no fool. I actually expected you to run.”

Rennata tsked. “I do apologize, Lord Arnaud.”

Arnaud stood. “It’s not your concern, Madame Rennata.

From you, all I expect is that this comarré is dealt with. I did not pay good money for her blood rights only to have my authority disregarded. She is—”

Rennata spun. “As I told you when you arrived, Lord Arnaud, I am sorry for your troubles, but you signed a contract agreeing not to return her. If she has caused you a problem, deal with it as you see fit.”

Silver gleamed in his eyes. “I do not believe you will care for my solution.”

Marissa struggled to her feet. “You would give me over to his whims, Rennata? Do you know what he wanted done with me?

To have my blood—”

Arnaud flashed to her side and backhanded her. “From now on, you will not speak unless you are spoken to. Is that understood?”

Rage propelled Dominic forward. He caught Arnaud by the waist and took him to the ground, rearing back to strike him.

“Touch her again and I’ll kill you myself.”

Marissa gasped.

“Enough!” The shush of metal punctuated Rennata’s command. A long ornate sword glimmered in the space between Dominic and Arnaud. This close, Dominic could feel the weapon was hot with holy magic. “This is my house,” she continued. “If you want to kill each other, do so on your own property. I do not wish to breathe ash for the next week.”

Neither vampire moved for a moment. Then slowly, Dominic retreated. He struggled not to show the residual effects of whatever he’d been drugged with, but his head swam and he knew his leap across the room had taxed his strength. He held his hands up in surrender for Rennata’s sake. “As you wish.”

Arnaud jumped to his feet and brushed himself off, his eyes never leaving Dominic. “You’ve made a fatal mistake, Falconetti.”

“No,” Marissa said. “You have, Arnaud. Because one way or another, I’m done with you.”

Arnaud looked past Dominic and laughed. “I own you, comarré.”

comarré.”

Dominic turned to see her. Even after their abduction, with her hair wild about her face and her eyes like shards of blue ice, she looked like a goddess. Like Belona come to life.

“You don’t own me, vampire, just my blood rights. And I’m about to change that.” With hard purpose, she glared at Rennata.

“In front of you and Lord Falconetti as my witnesses, I claim libertas.”

Dominic wished he could go to her and tell her how proud she made him, but any show of emotion between them would serve no purpose at this point. He stayed quiet but hoped she saw the pride in his eyes.

Rennata’s face blanked, then twisted into contempt. “You cannot be serious.”

Marissa straightened. “I am.” Her voice was eerily quiet.

“How soon can the challenge take place?”

“Challenge? Libertas?” Arnaud pushed past Dominic to stand beside Rennata. “What is this bloody nonsense?”

Rennata raised her brows and pursed her lips, her look coolly appraising. “Marissa has claimed libertas. It is every comarré’s right, although I’ve never known one to do it.” She glanced at Marissa before turning back to Arnaud. “It means that she believes she has the right to her freedom.”

“Like hell she does—”

Rennata held her hand up. “This is all detailed in the contract every vampire signs upon purchase of a comarré’s blood rights.

Not that any of you bother to read the fine print.”

Not that any of you bother to read the fine print.”

Dominic snorted. He hadn’t. But then the thing was nearly three hundred pages long and he’d merely inherited his copy.

When Arnaud stayed silent, Rennata continued. “The challenge of libertas is that the comarré and her patron must battle each other. If the comarré wins, she also wins her freedom.”

Arnaud grinned like he’d just heard something funny. Dominic sneered and wished for a short blade to run him through then and there. Arnaud crossed his arms. “And if I win?”

“You may have your choice of a new comarré.”

He practically beamed, which did nothing for Dominic’s disposition. “Then by all means, let us do battle and see who comes out the victor. Tomorrow at sundown?” He shook his head at Dominic. “That should coincide nicely with Lord Zephrim’s arrival.”

“You called the Dominus of the House of St. Germain?” Not that it mattered. Too much had been set in motion already.

“Yes,” Arnaud hissed. “I thought he should decide what to do with you.”

Rennata glared at him. “There is a little more you should know.”

Arnaud waved his hand and strode toward the door as though he’d just been invited to a picnic. “I’m sure it’s all fine.”

“It’s a battle to the death,” Rennata called after him.

He paused, then slowly turned around, eyes sparkling He paused, then slowly turned around, eyes sparkling metallic, smile unchanged. He tipped his head and stared directly at Marissa. “Even better.”

Chapter Twelve

For the third time, Marissa closed her eyes and tried to meditate, but failed. Twilight’s purple gloaming cast her suite at the Primoris Domus in long shadows. The moment she’d been working toward had arrived. She would face Arnaud, win her freedom, and begin the second part of her plan to give that same gift to her daughter.

She’d just hoped to see Dominic alone one last time.

A knock on her door brought her to her feet with a sense of hope, but then she exhaled. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be.

Vampires weren’t allowed in this part of the Primoris Domus.

Which meant…

She opened the door. “Rennata.”

The elder comarré pushed in, then shut the door behind her.

“I cannot say enough times what a foolish, selfish thing you’ve done.”

“Apparently.” Holy mother, the woman was insufferable.

Marissa pointed to the bags next to the door. “I’m packed and ready. When will the car be here?”

“It’s here now.” Rennata shook her head. “Do the right thing.

Forget your training, ignore your instincts, and let him kill you.

Protect us. Serve the greater good.”

Marissa’s jaw ached from clenching it so hard. “Twice I have given up children I wasn’t allowed to know, and now you want me to play the sacrificial lamb to protect this way of life?” She took a step closer. “We’ve all been raised to believe that someday we’re going to be called upon to rise up and destroy our host.” She poked a finger at Rennata. “How do you know that day isn’t today?”

Rennata shoved Marissa’s hand away. “Because you are a tiny cog in a very large machine, and that machine wasn’t built to save you. Or your remaining child.” She sniffed. “You should have stayed in the breeding program. At least you were good at that. Instead, you’re throwing your life away. Pointless,” she muttered.

Marissa picked up her bags and hefted the larger one over her shoulder. Too bad the sacre inside couldn’t come to the fight with her. She’d make short work of Arnaud if she could use her sword. “The only thing pointless is this conversation.” She shoved past Rennata, walked into the hall, then stopped and took one last look at the rooms she’d never see again.

Rennata scowled. “Having second thoughts?”

“Yes.” Marissa laughed with nervous energy, knowing it would only upset Rennata further. “About exactly how I plan to would only upset Rennata further. “About exactly how I plan to kill him.” With that, she turned and made her way through the estate’s vast corridors. One by one, doors opened and the comarré in residence stepped out of their rooms. Most stared at her as if she were a leper, but a few nodded as if they understood. As if they hoped they could be as brave.

As if they wished she could fight for them.

It buoyed her and when she finally stepped out the front door, her fear was gone, replaced by the calm of acceptance. What was to be would be.

A passenger door on the waiting limo swung open and Dominic got out. “Cara mia.” His smile broke with concern as he rushed to her side. Something unspoken danced in his eyes.

“How are you?”

“I’m well” She nodded and smiled back, hoping to reassure him. “And ready. Did you sleep?”

“No, but I used the time for good purposes. I have a plane waiting for us when this is over.” He took her bags and handed them off to the driver, who deposited them in the trunk; then Dominic ushered her into the car. “There is something I must tell you.”

“Me first.” She put her hand on his arm, her smile never faltering. “If it doesn’t go well today—”

“Do not say such things.”

She squeezed his arm and let her smile fade. “Listen to me.

This is important. If things don’t go well, take me with you. I This is important. If things don’t go well, take me with you. I don’t want to be buried here. I want to be somewhere free.”

He swallowed but nodded. “Si, I understand. And I promise you, I will”

“Thank you.” She stuck her arm out. “You should give me the serum now.”

His face fell “Cara mia, that is what I wanted to tell you.

The vial is gone, along with a few others I kept for personal use.

Al I can guess is that while we were incapacitated, Arnaud had my things searched. Anything that looked interesting, he took.”

Her calm ebbed away. “So I am to face Arnaud with only what the holy mother has provided me with.” She nodded. “Very well Perhaps that is how it should be.”

He took her hands. “You can still do this.”

“I have to. I have no choice.” She slid back in the seat until the cool leather pressed against the thin silk of her tunic and reminded her that she was not going into the fight completely unarmed. She reached behind to her waistband. “I do have this.”

She pulled out the slim wooden dagger given to all Primoris Domus comarré.

Dominic recoiled. “Holy magic. Just like Rennata’s sword.”

She nodded. “All comarré weapons are hot. Our sacres are quenched in holy water and this”—she hefted the narrow blade in one hand—“this is Golgotha steel.”

“I know what it is.” He kept his distance from it. “The things I could do with a sliver of the True Cross.” He laughed nervously.

“I do not wish to touch it, though.”

“Neither will Arnaud, but he won’t have a choice when it’s buried in his chest.” She tucked the blade under the front of her tunic and into the tight camisole she wore before settling back in her seat. Dominic reached over and took her hand. She let him, accepting the comfort and the support with a thankful heart.

Even if he was a vampire, he was a good man and on her side.

Better to go through this with him than alone. Just his belief in her made her stronger. For that, she would be forever grateful to him.

She closed her eyes as the car wound through the streets of Corvinestri, taking them to Arnaud’s home. A thousand thoughts whirled through her mind, most of them trying to anticipate the fight.

Dominic’s hand tightened over hers. “Marissa, we’re here.”

The car slowed and she opened her eyes. Arnaud’s estate was a sprawl of weathered stone and climbing ivy. The house might have been enchanting had it belonged to someone else, but knowing who occupied its walls gave it a menacing air instead.

With a deep breath, she climbed out of the car.

The next few minutes passed in a rush. Arnaud’s servants pulled her away from Dominic and shuttled her to a small anteroom. She was scanned for metal and patted down, but with her flowing tunic, there was no chance of the Golgotha steel being detected in her snug camisole. “I assume you’re treating Lord Arnaud the same way?”

Lord Arnaud the same way?”

“Yes,” Rennata answered from behind her. “He’s being checked for weapons as well You should be grateful he agreed to that much.”

“Yes, it’s such a boon.” Marissa turned. She hadn’t heard the woman come in. “And if he secrets one in anyway?”

“He probably will You should be prepared for that.”

I am, Marissa thought, but Rennata didn’t need to know that.

“Out,” Rennata commanded, and Arnaud’s servants departed. Once they were alone, Rennata sighed and took the nearest chair. “Are you certain you want to go through with this?

You might still be able to apologize and—”

“No.” Marissa planted her hands on her hips to keep them from shaking. “If I die at his hand, at least I go out having tasted freedom and all its earthly pleasures.”

Rennata’s face scrunched in confusion, then flattened into understanding. “I don’t care to hear about your exploits with Lord Falconetti.” She stood. “I say, Marissa, you’ve given the whole lot of us a bad name and jeopardized everything we hold secret.”

Ignoring her, Marissa looked toward the door that would lead her into the ballroom “Is Dominic out there?”

“He’ll be in there to observe as he was your witness.”

Rennata’s mouth thinned. “And thanks to you involving him, so will the Dominus of his house.” She threw her hands up. “This whole thing has become a spectacle!”

“So that’s it, then? No words of encouragement in my last “So that’s it, then? No words of encouragement in my last moments, just more condemnation?” Marissa had had her fill of Rennata. “You make me sick. Al these years you’ve had it out for me and why? Because I was chosen for the breeding program and you weren’t? You’re a sad, small woman who will never see beyond the bars of her cage.”

A chime sounded.

“It’s time.” Rennata’s eyes narrowed as her lip curled. “May the holy mother have mercy on your soul.”

Chapter Thirteen

With only five bodies in it, the ballroom seemed like a vast cavern. Every step rang hollow as Marissa made her way to the middle where Arnaud stood waiting. Rennata followed her, but stopped an equal distance away from where Dominic and Dominus Zephrim were on the opposite side.

Arnaud’s eyes silvered as Marissa took her place across from him. From his proud stance to his almost haughty disposition, everything about him said he expected to win. He hadn’t even changed out of his suit, the pompous fool. She kept her shoulders rounded and her head down like she was worried.

Scared. Out of her depth. She wanted him to think that. To underestimate her. That would be her greatest advantage in the beginning.

Once he understood she knew how to fight…everything would change. Which is why she had to kill him as quickly and decisively as she had the fringe vampires at Dominic’s.

Thinking of Dominic, she slanted her eyes his way. He caught her gaze and nodded slightly, making a fist at his side and squeezing it in support. She held her blank expression, but her spirit soared and in that moment, she knew there would always be a place in her heart for him. He could sustain her in the years to come, no matter what trials they faced.

Just so long as she made it through this one.

“There are no rules to libertas,” Rennata announced. “Only that the victor is decided by death.” Marissa raised her head to watch Rennata as she went on. “Lord Arnaud, are you ready?”

“Quite,” he replied, studying his nails.

“Comarré Marissa, are you ready?”

“Yes.” Marissa kept her voice soft. Almost timid. She slid her left foot back and calculated the distance to Arnaud.

Rennata took an audible breath. “Then let the challenge begin.”

Just as Marissa had expected, Arnaud lunged immediately.

She dodged him, but not enough to keep the tops of his knuckles from brushing her temple.

She twisted as he whipped around. Without pause, he went for her again, this time raking his nails across her side, tearing her tunic and breaking her skin.

The soft scent of her blood filed her nose. She ducked as he swung, but he was fast. For the second time, his knuckles made contact, catching the side of her head and spinning her around.

The blow stung, but it was nothing like it could have been. In fact, he’d touched her three times and barely done any damage.

fact, he’d touched her three times and barely done any damage.

Realization dawned. Arnaud was playing with her. She turned and met the jackal’s gaze. The tiniest uplift in the corners of his mouth gave him away. She was right. Not only was he playing with her, he was punishing her. Drawing this out to show how superior he was.

The insight only made her want to kill him more. But the idea of letting him think he was superior for just a few moments longer appealed. He might get careless if he thought he’d been right about her, that he could finish her whenever he wished. He might even make a mistake.

She allowed a little fear into her eyes.

He took the bait instantly. “Regretting your decision already, I see.” His semi-smile stayed fixed in place. “What a hard lesson to learn. Fatal, even.” He struck with a closed fist.

She moved enough so that it grazed her ribs instead of her belly, but she bowed over anyway as though she’d lost her breath. She caught a glimpse of Dominic on the sidelines. His face was an angry storm, his body poised to move, even though they both knew he couldn’t lift a finger to help her.

Arnaud circled. “Pity you’ll have to die, but then I’ll get a new comarré, won’t I? Hopefully one without your…issues.” He lifted his foot to shove her.

Playtime was over. She grabbed his ankle and used his momentum to toss him across the room.

A second later he was on his feet and charging, clearly A second later he was on his feet and charging, clearly unhappy with her retaliation. His hand went inside his coat and returned with a three-finger set of steel knuckles in place. A row of sharp spines topped the weapon.

So much for Arnaud’s inspection. He swiped at her but she dropped to a crouch. A few strands of blond hair drifted down, sliced by the razor spines. Holy mother, that was going to hurt if it found her skin.

Kicking out one leg, she tripped him and sprang to her feet.

The tactic gave her just enough time to free her Golgotha steel and hide it in her hand.

But Arnaud didn’t get up. He lay on his stomach, moaning softly. “Damn you, comarré,” he ground out.

Had he fallen on his own weapon? She inhaled. The pungent scent of vampire blood tainted the air. So he had. This was her chance.

She approached, dagger ready. An inch away and he leaped to his feet. Dominic yelled a warning. She twisted as Arnaud started to strike. The bite of the three spines across her low back told her she’d moved too late. Pain radiated up her spine. Then her legs went numb and she collapsed Dominic’s yell turned into a howl.

Still gripping the wooden dagger, she used her upper body strength to turn over and prepared to look death in the eyes.

Arnaud pounced, pinning her with his cold, lanky form. His face was inches from hers, his fangs gleaming in the light of the ballroom’s glittering chandeliers. The scent of her blood ballroom’s glittering chandeliers. The scent of her blood thickened as the red puddle beneath her spread. Every nerve above her waist fired in pain. Below, nothing.

He leaned in a little closer until his silver gaze filed her vision.

“You’re going to die now, comarré, but before you do, I want you to know that I feel no remorse. In fact, you’re going to get exactly what you deserve.”

“That’s what you think.” She got the words out between her gritted teeth. Her strength was leaving her, seeping out of her body with her life’s blood, but all she could think of was how she’d never hated anyone the way she hated him. Then Dominic’s words came back to her. There is power in emotion. Harness it, and he cannot beat you.

“It’s what I know,” Arnaud hissed. Mouth open, he reared back to strike, no doubt to tear her throat out.

Holy mother, help me. She focused on one small movement, one tiny use of the rage boiling inside her. Her fist came up, and as he descended, they met. Her dagger. His chest.

The look of surprise in his eyes almost made her smile. “Go to hell,” she whispered as her body went cold. A cloud of ash drifted down over her, quieting the sounds around her.

“Dominic?” She called for him, unsure if she was actually vocalizing or just hearing his name in her head. Dominic, help me.

Each fragment of ash blocked more and more of the room’s light as it fell until the light dimmed to nothing. And then, nothing light as it fell until the light dimmed to nothing. And then, nothing was all that remained.

* * *

At the sound of his name on Marissa’s lips, Dominic rushed forward, sliding onto his knees at her side. He cradled her head.

“I’m here, cara mia.” She still had breath in her body but her heartbeat was weak and thready.

“Get help,” he snarled at the older comarré standing dumbstruck at the ballroom’s edge. “Now,” he yelled

The woman shook her head. “No.”

“No?” he snarled. “Porca puttana, she’s dying.”

“She’s not dying. She’s comarré. Eventually, she’ll heal. But not here.” Rennata lifted her chin, but something close to envy glazed her eyes. “She wanted her freedom; she has it. With libertas, the Primoris Domus is no longer responsible for her.”

She shifted her gaze to Marissa. “Comarré Marissa Lapointe, I hereby declare you free. The Primoris Domus no longer claims you and you may no longer claim it. You have twenty-four hours to vacate the city of Corvinestri. Be well” With that, she turned on her heel and strode away.

“Be well?” Fury suffused the emptiness where Dominic’s soul had once been. He would have gone after Rennata, but that would not serve Marissa. She needed him. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms. “I’ve got you, bella mia,” he whispered as her blood soaked through the sleeves of his coat. “You’re safe now.

blood soaked through the sleeves of his coat. “You’re safe now.

Stay with me, my love.” He turned toward the door. “Stay with me.”

Lord Zephrim stood in his way. “You choose to side with this comarré?”

“Si. Now move.” There wasn’t time for this.

But he stayed put. “Are you mad?”

The moment for subterfuge was gone. “I love her. I plan to spend the rest of my days with her. Now get the hell out of my way.” Dominic started for the doors again.

“You love a comarré?” He stared, mouth agape, still blocking Dominic’s path.

“Yes,” Dominic hissed. “Enough that I would have killed Arnaud myself if she would have let me.”

Zephrim’s jaw snapped shut in obvious horror. “You leave me no choice. The rest of your days will not be spent here, nor will they be spent as nobility.” He shook slightly, perhaps in anger. “Dominic Falconetti, because of your association with this comarré and the death of one of our own she has caused, I declare you anathema.”

The word chilled Dominic, but he kept moving. It was what he had expected.

Zephrim yelled after him. “Al your material possessions are considered forfeit and will be retained by the House of St.

Germain for redistribution as I see fit. Do you understand me?

As far as the council is concerned, you’re as much to blame for As far as the council is concerned, you’re as much to blame for Arnaud’s death as she is. There is no coming back. You have nothing because of this. Nothing because of her.”

“You’re wrong.” Dominic turned so he could push the double doors open with his back and avoid jarring Marissa. “Because of her, I have everything.”

Chapter Fourteen

Paradise City, New Florida, three months later Here?” the doctor asked.

“No.” Maris stared at the clinic ceiling. Water spots browned several of the tiles.

He moved lower and pricked the skin above her ankle.

“Here?”

“No.” She sighed in frustration and tried not to grit her teeth.

The feeling had been coming back slowly, but that was her business and hers alone. “Nothing anywhere.”

The doctor shook his head. “No change, then.”

She shoved the cheap cloth gown down over her legs.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. A little feeling in my hips, but nothing more.” Admitting that much had been an accident, but with practice, she’d raised her pain threshold. The scratch of his little metal tines barely registered now.

He made a note in his tablet. “I’ll leave you to get dressed, then.”

then.”

As soon as he shut the door, she hoisted her legs over the side and stared at her feet. Her toes were painted a soft pink.

Dominic had bought the polish to surprise her, but what had surprised her more was her dangerous, anathema vampire had then painted her toes as well She laughed softly. He was something else.

Her smile faded. So long as that something else didn’t turn dark. She knew how hard things would get once they’d run through the remainder of her funds, something they were already close to thanks to the medical care she’d needed. Poor Dominic.

Because of her, he’d been forced to leave everything behind but the clothes on his back. If he hadn’t paid for the chartered plane that had brought them here before he’d been thrown out of Corvinestri, they might still be stuck there.

Like her daughter.

That thought alone was enough to refocus her efforts. She stared at her toes, wiling her body to pay attention, praying the holy mother would give her one last chance to— Her pinkie toe curled a half centimeter toward the floor.

A knock on the door drowned out her excited gasp. She shook herself, blinking hard and trying to act normal. “C-come in.”

“Marissa, it’s me.” Dominic entered, his sad but sweet smile letting her know he’d already spoken to the doctor.

“Maris,” she reminded him. Changing her name had felt right.

He’d changed his surname to Scarnato, so he should understand, but he’d yet to call her by anything but Marissa.

“Bella mia, I am so sorry there is nothing new.” He took her hands and kissed each one. “Perhaps I should find a different doctor.”

“No.” She smiled to soothe him and hide her excitement over the first sign of movement. “We can barely afford this one.” Nor did she want to explain her signum to another doctor. As it was, she knew this one didn’t believe her story about an ex-boyfriend being an experimental tattooist. She tugged off the gown and pulled her tunic over her head.

“Things are about to change for us. You’ll see.” He helped her dress the rest of the way, gently lifting her legs and easing them into the loose linen pants she’d adopted as her new uniform. Beige wasn’t white, but it wasn’t much color either. Old habits died hard.

“Why?” She looped her arm around his neck as he picked her up. She leaned in to inhale his spicy scent. Instantly, it calmed her. He placed her carefully into her wheelchair, but she held on to his hand. “What are you working on?”

“Just a few new serums. Nothing special, but enough that I should be able to employ someone to help you soon.”

She grabbed his hand, the softest clanging of an alarm sounding in her head. “What kind of serums?”

“Just a few things that will make us some money.” He gave her a wink as he went to open the door. When he came back, he kissed the top of her head, then stepped behind the chair to push her out of the room.

His refusal to explain made her stomach twist. She wished she could see his face and read his eyes. Keeping her voice low as he wheeled her through the small clinic, she whispered, “Please, Dominic, don’t do anything dangerous.”

A nurse glanced their way. He laughed unconvincingly and gently squeezed her shoulder. “Tesora, what is danger after what you and I have been through?”

It was everything that appealed to him and everything she was trying to avoid. At least until she had a plan and was healed enough to fight again, because there was no chance she’d get her daughter away from the comarré life without spilling blood. It was a reality Maris had already accepted.

Even if the blood required was hers.

Meet the Author

Kristen Painter’s writing résumé boasts multiple Golden Heart nominations and advance praise from a handful of bestselling authors, including Gena Showalter and Roxanne St. Claire. A former New Yorker now living in Florida, Kristen has a wealth of fascinating experiences from which to flavor her stories, including time spent working in fashion for Christian Dior and as a maitre d’ for Wolfgang Puck. Find out more about Kristen Painter at www.kristenpainter.com and on Twitter @Kristen_Painter.

Kristen Painter. Photo © Kevin Roberts, Intimate Images.

Also by Kristen Painter

HOUSE OF COMARRÉ

Blood Rights

Flesh and Blood

Bad Blood

Out for Blood

If you enjoyed FORBIDDEN BLOOD,

look out for

Content

Forbidden Blood
House of Comarré - 0.5
by
Kristen Painter

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Meet the Author