original statement will require further investigation.”
I found a little smile. “That means you’ll let Kristoff go.”
“No.”
My spirits, which had been frolicking around happily, stumbled to a stop. “What?”
Christian shook his head. “We will investigate further. Once we know the truth of the situation, then we’ll act.”
“That is not acceptable!” I said, slamming my hand down on the table. “I’m not going to let you do this to us!”
“You’re a Zorya,” Mattias said with a gleam in his eye. “Use the power of the light to smite them.”
Sebastian rounded the table to stand near me, obviously prepared to spring if necessary.
Kristoff growled deep in his chest and leaped to his feet.
I jumped up to stop him from doing anything rash. That was impressive. Can you bark, too?
The look he gave me should have dropped me dead on the spot, but for some reason, I just found it amusing.
“I would be very unhappy if you smote Christian,” Allie said calmly, her hand on her husband’s arm. “Tempted though I am to see you use this mysterious moon power. But it’s probably best if you don’t.”
She’s not the only one who’s tempted , I told Kristoff. I don’t suppose if I distracted everyone, you could grab Mattias and escape?
No.
Too bad. I have a horrible feeling we’re going to have to do something drastic to get out of here. I just wish I knew what happened to Alec, whether the Brotherhood really has him, or if he’s off doing something covert. He said nothing to you after that night?
He said a few things, but they are not worth repeating, Kristoff answered, reluctance evident in the brush of his mind against mine.
He was your friend, wasn’t he? I mean, he wouldn’t knowingly leave you in a situation like this?
We have an extensive history, and yes, I’ve considered him my friend.
Then why are you suddenly worried? I turned to face him, peering deep into his eyes. You’re hiding something , I said with a sudden realization . I can feel it. You’re holding something back, hiding it from me. Is that why you refused to speak to me this way?
Everyone has things they wish to keep private , he said stiffly, and gently but firmly pushed me out of his mind.
I was shaken to my very soul by a sudden, horrible fear that the man I thought I’d known never really existed.
“As I see it, there are two choices we can make,” Christian said, nodding toward us.
I took a step closer to Kristoff. Stop looking at me like that. I can’t help it if it makes me feel better standing next to you. Safety in numbers and all that.
Kristoff made an inarticulate noise of disagreement, but he reached out, wrapped an arm around my waist, and hauled me up until I was pressed against him, a defiant look on his face as he eyed the other vampires.
Allie beamed at us.
“Our first option is to incarcerate both of you until such time as one of you three-Pia, Kristoff, or the sacristan-decides to be forthcoming with information regarding the whereabouts of Alec, at which point due justice will be meted out.”
“They will torture you just as they will me!” Mattias shouted. “You see what this has come to, wife? It is the end!”
“Oh, stop it!” I snapped, at my wit’s end with him. “You’re not hurt at all, so you can just stop your belly- aching! No one has tortured you, although right now, I certainly wouldn’t blame them if they did.”
Mattias’s eyes opened wide. “Wife!”
“And stop calling me that!” I was so frustrated, I could have screamed.
“Why don’t you simply light-bind him if you’re tired of his constant whining?” Rowan asked.
Mattias gasped. “She wouldn’t!”
“Light-bind?” I asked, confused by his use of the term. “What’s that?”
“You’re a Zorya. He’s a sacristan,” Rowan said, just as if that explained everything.
“Er . . .” I looked at Kristoff for help. He avoided my eye.
“Do not listen to them, wife,” Mattias said hastily, his eye fixed sternly upon me. “They do not know of what they speak. There is no way you can enslave my mind. That is an old wives’ tale, nothing more.”
I pursed my lips as I looked at him. “There’s a way to enslave his mind? Would that make him shut up about being tortured?”
“Of course,” Christian answered with a shrug.
“Do not listen to the evil ones, Pia. They are trying to confuse you, and to divide our joined strength.”
“How do I do it?” I asked, my gaze still speculatively on Mattias.
He tried to get to his feet, but Rowan pushed him back down in the chair before answering. “You are a Zorya, yes? You wield light. The light is what dazzles reapers, bemusing their minds and leaving them open to your command.”
“Wow. How come Summoners don’t get some sort of brainwashing skill like that?” Allie asked, looking a bit disgruntled. “I think I went into the wrong line of work.”
“Wife, I insist that you cease listening to these devils,” Mattias said with an arrogance that was the last straw.
I summoned up a ball of light and held it for a moment, imagining it bending Mattias to my will before tossing it at him. The ball exploded around his head, swirling slowly around it in a corona of glittering, silver light. It glowed as it slowly revolved, fading away after a few seconds until all that was left was a vague look in Mattias’s blue eyes.
“Mattias?” I asked, concerned that I might have done some harm to his vision.
“Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m quite fine, thank you.”
He looked at peace, a mild expression on his face.
“The vampires are going to torture you now, all right?” I asked, seeing if he really was bedazzled, as they claimed he would be.
“That’s fine. Or would you prefer I torture myself?”
“Er . . . no. You don’t need to do that,” I said, a little taken aback. “You don’t mind if they set your hair on fire, do you?”
“No, that’s fine,” he answered, uncharacteristically agreeable. “Unless, of course, it’s any trouble to you, in which case I would be happy to do it myself. Which would you prefer?”
“I’ll get back to you on that.” I turned to Christian, demanding, “Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me about this before?”
He shrugged again. “I assumed you knew. You are, after all, a Zorya.”
“One who hasn’t been around the Brotherhood block,” I pointed out, watching Mattias. He was humming softly to himself, his body language relaxed and happy. “How long will he stay like that?”
“Him? Probably a couple of hours,” Rowan said with a disgusted look. “The weaker the mind, the easier it is to light-bind.”
“Glory hallelujah,” I murmured, trying to wrap my brain around the idea of such a thing. “Can I do that to anyone?”
Allie laughed. “I was just wondering the same thing.”
Christian hesitated for a second before admitting, “I understand you can, although reapers, as worshipers of the light you wield, are supposedly more susceptible. I assume it has a much shorter duration on someone who is not a reaper, or one who has a very strong presence of mind. And as you can see, the effect on someone who already has a tie to you can be quite . . . profound.”
Mattias made odd little whistling chirrups until I looked at him, at which point he simpered and said, “Pia, Pia, Pia!”
