out in a triangle, three people stood.
A sudden chill spread over me as I thought for a moment they were some sort of inhuman specters floating above the ground, but I realized with a start that they were simply wearing an odd sort of outfit that reminded me of a Renaissance fair I'd visited sometime back. Their long black robes blended into the shadows in a way that made it seem as if they had no legs or heads, their upper halves swathed with silver tabards, the sort Crusaders used to wear, but where the Crusaders bore a bloodred cross, the Brotherhood sported a crimson crescent moon.
I took a hesitant step forward, but at that moment a strange thing happened. The sun, which was moving slowly ever lower on the horizon, dipped to a point where a shaft of light penetrated the obstacles of trees and ruins, unerringly finding me with an impact that I felt to my toes. I stared down at myself, and my mouth opened in surprise when the light bathing me changed from the rich golden amber of the sun to a silvery blue light that seemed to glow along my skin.
The chanting swelled, ending on a high, triumphant note.
'It is done,' Alec said in an odd, choked voice.
I glanced up at him, still stunned by the fact that I now glowed like the moonstone lantern. I raised a hand toward him. He flinched and backed up a step.
'I won't hurt you,' I said, gazing with amazement at my glowing hand.
A cry from behind Alec had me gasping in horror. The vamps had worked faster than I thought to disperse the ghosts, running toward me only to stop a few feet away.
'So,' Christian said, his voice filled with regret. 'It is done.'
'Yes,' I said, suddenly possessed with a strange calm. I eyed him carefully, wondering if my new power would suddenly reveal to me an evil in him that I had not detected, but there was nothing there but what I had first seen. 'And as I said before, you have nothing to fear from me.'
'Am I late?' a panting voice called out, and Ulfur emerged from the woods, hauling a reluctant Ragnar with him. 'Dark Ones! But… Pia, you're glowing.'
'The ritual is completed,' I told him. 'It was as we guessed—the marriage to Kristoff was null. I can take you all to Ostri, assuming the others can gather up their energy.'
'We cannot let you proceed,' Christian said, and I felt a sense of profound sadness from him. 'You are a true Zorya now. You mean death to my people.'
He started toward me on the last words, and I threw up my hands, yelling, 'No, you don't understand—'
The words trailed off when, to my amazement, a ring of brilliant bluish white light sprang up around the vamps, encircling them.
'Er… did I do that?' I asked Alec, staring in disbelief.
Christian started to step through the light, but yelped and jumped back the second it touched him. 'What is this you have done?'
'I don't know,' I said, wanting at the same time to yell at him and apologize. 'I'm sorry, but I have to go stop Frederic. I have a feeling I know who it is they have, and I will not let them hurt him any more than I'll let them hurt you guys. So just… stay there.'
'Pia,' Alec started to say, reaching out a hand to touch the ring of light. He jerked his hand back with an oath. 'I am not sure—'
'It's all right. None of you will get hurt if you just stay here,' I told all of the vampires. 'Ulfur, let's go see about saving husband number one.'
'Husband… Oh, the Dark One? Is he here, too?'
'I will come with you,' Alec said as I turned around and ran toward the ruins.
The vampires confined by the light circle yelled after us, but I didn't listen. I could reason with them later— right now I had a horrible suspicion that Frederic was waiting for me to show up and destroy Kristoff.
'It might be dangerous for you here just now,' I said to Alec as we wove our way through the tumbled boulders.
He shot me an odd look. 'I trust you.'
'Thank you. Ulfur, I think I want you in commando mode.'
'Commando?'
'Invisible and quiet until I call for you. Can you do that?'
He smiled and faded into nothing. 'I'll be here when you need me.'
'I'm counting on it. Holy Mary and all the saints!' I came to a halt as we cleared the last tumbled stone.
The figures in black and silver turned to face us.
Kristoff lay spread-eagle on the nearest stone, his arms and legs tied down to metal hooks that had been driven into the rock. He was covered in blood, and I thought for one horrible moment that they had killed him, but his head turned slowly to me as I stood staring in horror.
'Come to finish me off?' he asked, his lovely voice broken and hoarse. 'May your god damn you for all eternity.'
Chapter 19
'We're here to save you,' I told Kristoff, the strange calmness continuing despite the terrible vision of him covered in his own blood.
'I knew you would come.' One of the hooded figures spoke. He pushed back his hood. It was, as I suspected, Frederic. 'I knew you would not be able to refuse the light. Seize them.'
The two hooded people headed for us, but Alec whipped out a gun. 'Touch her, and you die,' he warned them.
'It's all right,' I started to say, but when I reached out to stop him, a bolt of energy shot down my arm right into him, sending him flying several feet until he smacked into one of the tall fingers of stone.
'Holy Jehoshaphat,' I cried, and would have run to him, but one of the hooded people grabbed me. I struggled, knocking the hood off the person, revealing the rather square face of a blond woman. She was built like a wrestler, though, and quickly twisted one of my arms up behind my back, using her other hand to press down on my throat in a manner that could easily disrupt airflow.
The other person, a man, reached Alec.
'If you hurt him, you'll be more than sorry,' I swore, making a futile effort to get free.
'There is no sense in struggling, Zorya Pia. Greta is a member of the Norwegian military.' Frederic strolled over to where Alec lay prone. He poked him with his foot, rolling Alec over onto his back.
I gasped in horror. The side of Alec's face and neck was a bloody pulp, as if the flesh had been melted away. 'Dear god—did I do that?'
'It is the cleansing power of the light,' Frederic answered, sauntering over to where I was held by Greta.
'Should I bring him to the altar?' the other Brotherhood guy asked, glancing from Alec to Frederic.
'Not yet. We will attend to this one first, then deal with him. My dear, you do us proud.' Frederic stopped in front of me, giving me a benevolent smile. 'Only made a Zorya for a few minutes, and you've already begun to wield the light. We are pleased.'
I blinked back tears as I dragged my gaze from where Alec lay in a bloody heap to the monster who'd so misled me. Could Mattias have been right after all? Was I going to be nothing but a tool to destroy innocent people?
I closed my eyes for a moment, too sickened by what I had done to be able to face anyone, but I knew I couldn't hide from the truth. 'Let justice roll down like waters.'
Frederic raised his eyebrows. 'How very apt, although I believe we will let it flow as light.' He stepped back, indicating Kristoff. 'And here is your first opportunity to see that justice done. We will begin the cleansing ceremony.'
Kristoff turned his head slightly. His face was in shadow, but his eyes glowed with an intensity that burned. The accusation in them stung, but I couldn't blame him for thinking the worst of me, not when he'd seen me come
