“I’m afraid to admit that it is necromancy, a rarely used spell. It’s usually a mark of trust between a master necromancer-or vampire as you’re fond of calling them-and his or her favorite apprentice. But that’s not important. What is important is that we share a bond, not unlike the one your guardian so easily tossed aside. I can’t hurt you now, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. You have nothing to fear from me, so there is nothing to prevent us from working together.”

“And it never occurred to you to ask if I wanted this?”

“You wouldn’t agree.”

“Damn straight I wouldn’t agree, you manipulative bastard.” I slammed the wineglass down, and red liquid sloshed over the sides. Furious, I hauled back and slapped him. The blow didn’t faze him, but I suddenly felt pain zing to life across my face, mirroring where I’d just struck him. “What the hell!”

“I did warn you. Our pain is shared now, and you’d do well to inform your faerie cousins of that,” he said coldly.

“This isn’t fair.”

“This is how the game is played, Catherine. A Titania should know that.”

“It’s not a game-”

“Yes, it is, and you’d best get used to it. You should be grateful for what I’ve done for you. There are those who wouldn’t be as gentle as I have been, who would’ve capitalized even more on your mistakes.”

“What mistakes?”

“For one, Maureen would never have agreed to stay here.”

“Maureen wouldn’t have left a friend to die,” I protested.

“Yes, she would have. A Titania is expected to sacrifice her own needs in order to protect her people. You should have left your friend, but you didn’t. You shouldn’t have gotten involved in vampire and shapeshifter politics, yet you have. Your path was decided the moment you let Faust into your apartment.”

“And what path is that, pray tell?”

“A greater path than that of Titania. You can be more than a mere go-between for magicians and faeries. You can be a great leader, and change the future of all magicians.”

“But only if I work with you, right?”

“I’m the only one who will offer this to you. Duquesne certainly won’t get involved. He’s ignored this problem for far too long.”

My heart sank. “Lex knows? About the government, and the experiments?” That couldn’t be possible. It was Lex’s job to protect magicians from that sort of thing. Wasn’t it?

“Of course. As always, the guardians are unwilling to get involved in mortal affairs. Oh, they’ll protect us from each other, but not from the outside world.”

Resisting the urge to squirm, I decided to move on. “So what happens next?”

“Tomorrow we’ll attend the gallery event, and then on Sunday you and Mr. MacInnes will leave. After that, I would like you to return, of your own free will.”

“Uh-huh. Leaving the ‘oh hell no’ of it all aside, my bills are probably piling up-”

“I’ve already taken care of those. I made sure your payments were made, including your rent.”

“With what? I barely have anything in my savings.” I blinked at him. Lord and Lady, my account was probably overdrawn by now. There were sure to be many angry messages waiting for me in my voicemail.

“If you remember, I did promise to reimburse you and your friend for the time you’ve both spent here, because it is my fault that you’re losing wages by being my guests. I wanted to pay your debt off entirely, but I had a feeling you wouldn’t thank me for that.”

I nodded in response. The man was right-I probably would have told him off for interfering with my responsibilities.

“Oh. I still need to leave to be proclaimed Titania, they’ll be waiting for me,” I pointed out.

“This is true. When you’re finished with that, will you come back?” Gently he stroked the back of my hand, his gaze imploring.

“No. I can’t operate as Titania in a no-faerie zone.”

“I own other buildings, you can live anywhere you want. A house in the suburbs, a condo on the lakefront, wherever suits you most.”

“You can’t buy my loyalty, Harrison. Look, I was seriously considering working with you, but now I don’t know. I won’t be pushed around like one of your minions. I need to go back to my room.” My head hurt, and I needed space.

“All right.” He reluctantly nodded. “Let’s go then.”

Walking around the bar, he took my arm and escorted me to the elevator. The ride up was short and silent. When we finally reached the door to my suite there was an awkward pause-I could tell Zach was considering kissing me good night as he’d become accustomed to doing. Instead, he looked at me with a terrible sadness in those striking green eyes, then opened the door for me. Without a word I walked into my room, and listened as the door shut behind me and the lock clicked into place.

Deciding on a drink, I headed immediately to the bar and poured a tumbler full of Irish cream-some people drink it by the shot, I prefer it by the glass, with a few ice cubes for elegant presentation. I took a long gulp and closed my eyes, trying to sort through the mess of thoughts flying through my head. Did Zach honestly expect me to come back to him? Even more frightening, was there a possibility I would? No, surely not. No, you’ll just go home to your tiny apartment and live the rest of your wretched life with only a series of housecats for companions.

But I didn’t have to live alone, I had a soul mate, one who’d been envisioning a happily ever after in our future until the faeries scared him away from it. Lex was out there somewhere, waiting for me, and from what he’d said in the last dream it sounded as though he’d decided to become Oberon. Once Zach let me go, I’d be free to run into Lex’s arms and ride off into the sunset. All I had to do was be patient. Maybe Harrison’s spell would wear off eventually…

I heard the door open and the sound of approaching footsteps behind me. Without opening my eyes I sighed wearily. “I so do not want to continue this conversation.”

Before I could turn around my head was slammed forward, colliding hard with the top of the bar. An instant migraine exploded behind my forehead and then I was dragged backwards by my hair.

“I’ll make this quick then,” Lovely Laura growled at me. The room spun and tilted crazily around me, and as I struggled to stand the vampire grabbed for my throat. Her pale eyes almost glowed with hatred and her sharp nails dug into my skin. Terrified, I tried to break her grip, but she was too fast. Drawing her hand back, she tore deep slashes into my throat, producing a huge spray of blood. I grabbed at the wounds, hoping to hold together what was left, then Laura struck me hard and I sailed backwards. I’d have a spectacular black eye from it if I lived.

As I hit the floor with a bone-jarring thud, I thrust my shields out with all the control I could manage. The energy sparked, fizzled, and then faded as Laura kicked me in the stomach, and the breath rushed out of me in a guttural whoosh. I struggled to steady myself and try again, but everything was too scattered and hazy in my mind to attempt any magic, even something as simple as my shields.

“I don’t know what he sees in you.” Jamming the pointed toe of her high-heeled shoe beneath my chin, she turned my head from side to side. “You’re homely, overweight, badly dressed. Ungrateful. Unworthy. Dorian should have drowned you at birth like a mongrel pup.” Moving her foot, she stabbed my stomach with the sharp heel of her shoe, puncturing who knows what internal organs in the process.

“Fuck you,” was the only stinging retort I managed. It was much too difficult to talk and I knew that was a bad sign. The wounds refused to heal, resisting my weak attempt to close them. Warm, slick blood gushed over my hands-I didn’t have long left, and Laura was going to waste the last moments of my life with some bitchy speech.

“And you are crass as well,” she added with another stomp. “What a fool, to think you able to lead. You’re too weak for greatness. He’ll be much better off without you.”