Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(99)

Enhard's went from surprise to disbelief to shock and finally to anger. "What do you mean?" he snapped.

"How do you think I was able to do magic here, in this place?" she said. Enhard still looked unconvinced. She sighed; she had expected this and there was only one way to prove it to him beyond the shadow of a doubt. "Do you have a knife?"

Victoria did not want to take out the amulet even though she was there requesting Enhard's help. That was private.

"Are you serious?" he said. "You do remember what I am, what we are here?"

"Yes. A knife, please."

Enhard reached into a drawer and handed her a small pocketknife. Without hesitation, Victoria ran it across her palm, the black blood welling. She healed it immediately and watched Enhard as he struggled for control, his eyes bright and wild. It was a losing battle she knew, her blood was like an aphrodisiac even to the most seasoned vampire, and she was unsurprised when he bounded over the table in one leap snarling hungrily. Victoria wasn't worried, she'd been under a shield charm since she had entered the chamber—he couldn't touch her. Still, she didn't prolong his agony and reached out to gently touch his hand.

"Vicissitudo normalis," she said, watching as his glistening, sharp teeth retracted and his wild eyes calmed in immediate response to her command. He stared at her in incredulous silence.

"What did you do? Am I human?" he asked, running his tongue against his blunt teeth and still smelling the blood but feeling no answering, immediate desire.

"No, not really, I just took away your hunger temporarily," she said. "My blood would have killed you had you taken it. But it was the only way I could make you believe that I am who I say I am."

Victoria explained what had happened with Gabriel and finally to Christian.

"Do you have any proof that what you say is true?" Enhard said.

"Call Lucian and ask if he can reach Christian. He'll know."

She waited as Enhard made the call and watched as his face darkened. He shut the tiny cell phone and stared at her. "He said that Christian is fine."

"He's lying!" Victoria said. "Enhard, listen to me. You know our secret, I love Christian, but I also know how you feel about us, and yet here I am in front of you asking for help. You want to see Christian with your own eyes, here!"

Victoria grasped Enhard's face and shoved the images of her last view of Christian into Enhard's head, not even knowing beforehand whether it was possible or even dangerous. She just did it, demolishing his walls like tissue paper, and watched as knowledge followed by horror crossed his face. She pulled back and he slumped in his chair.

"We must be quick. Tell me what you need me to do," he said weakly, after he had regained his composure.

A plan in place, they made their way to the lobby. They would meet in New York at Enhard's home. In spite of the precious added time, Victoria didn't trust herself to teleport Enhard safely. If anything happened during the transfer, all would be lost. She needed him, and she could only pray that Christian would hold on.

"How fast can you get there, Enhard?" she asked, her face worried.

"I will fly."

Victoria calculated the distance and time in her head, panicked. "But that's seven hours if we're lucky!"

"No, you misunderstand me, I can fly," Enhard said calmly. Victoria looked at him, confused, until comprehension dawned.

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know you could do that."

"I will meet you there in an hour," Enhard said. "Do you have transport?" Victoria lifted an eyebrow, and he inclined his head at her silent jibe. She would teleport from somewhere safe. She entered the elevator.

"Thank you, Enhard." His face remained inscrutable.

Victoria allowed herself to breathe the minute the elevator doors closed. It had been nerve-wracking to try to convince a vampire predestined to mistrust her every word to help her, but somehow she'd done it.

The elevator stopped on the fortieth floor, and as the doors opened, the heat of her amulet scorched her chest. Her eyes snapped to a pair of slate-gray ones. The shock of recognition was followed by the immediate souring of her stomach as Christian's twin brother stepped in.

Again, she was struck by the similarities between them, although each time she saw Lucian, their resemblance became less and less pronounced. Their height, coloring and eyes would always be the same, but Lucian's face was narrower and colder, and his hair was shorter, emphasizing the harsh angularity of his face. Victoria knew in no uncertain terms the danger she was in from the minute he crossed the threshold. The elevator felt suddenly very confined. She felt the steel handrail digging into her hips. Lucian smile was filled with malice.

"Well, isn't this a charming surprise," he said. "So to what do we owe the honor of your presence in Paris?"

"Why did you lie about Christian?" she countered. A good offense was a better defense. He smiled wider.

"I didn't lie. I said he was fine. And he is fine, for now anyway," he said. "But you know more about that than I do, don't you? Where is my dear brother then?"

"As if I would tell you."

"I could make you, you know," he said.

"You could try," Victoria shot back.

Her defiance and complete fearlessness threw Lucian for a loop. All he had to do was take one step and her neck would be in his hands, and he would be ready to tear her limb from limb. Yet here she was openly taunting him and being excessively bold about it, her green eyes flashing fire. He liked it. When he finally got rid of Christian, maybe he would keep her as his own private entertainment.