Malik spooned behind me, his arm tight around my waist, his hand a cold fist over my heart. I knew that my heart did not beat, that my body would do only as he commanded, not as I wanted, but my panic was locked away, a prisoner inside a bubble of ice, and all that was left was calm and coldness.

‘Where is the sidhe, Darius?’ Beads of pink sweat pearled in Rio’s hair. ‘How could you lose her?’

Darius stood, arms slack at his sides, submissive. ‘I’m sorry, Master.’

She grabbed his throat, lifted him until his feet dangled inches above the ground. ‘I gave you a task,’ she growled. ‘All you had to do was watch her and tell me what she did and who she spoke to.’ She shook him.

I almost expected him to rattle.

‘You knew I hadn’t finished with her yet,’ she yelled.

Eyes bulging, Darius let her choke him.

Albie brushed down his uniform, had a sneaky scratch, then said calmly, ‘Put him down, Rio. You can play with him later.’

She dropped Darius and backhanded him all in one fast movement, launching him into the air. He hit the filing cabinet face-first, banging it into the wall, and thudded down, blood trickling from his scalp, leaving behind a head-sized dent in the metal.

Ouch! That had to hurt.

‘Why are you fussing about the sidhe?’ Albie inspected his manicure. ‘She must have left.’

‘They say not at the front door.’ Rio kicked the plastic chair, knocking it over.

‘They are such challengingthings, the fae,’ Albie said snidely. ‘Maybe she vanished into thin air.’

Rio snarled, lips pulling back from her fangs, ‘I told you, she can’t do that. She may reek of power, but she lacks any ability to control it.’

Harsh but true. Still I wasn’t too happy about the reeksbit.

‘And you think you are the one to win that prize?’ Albie gave a disbelieving sniff. ‘You smell weak enough that I wonder you ever gained your autonomy.’

‘Don’t push me.’ She crowded him, topping him by a good six inches. ‘You didn’t enjoy it the last time I showed you who’s boss.’

A sly look crossed his face. ‘I won’t help if Hesenses you’re this depleted. Remember I’m not the loyal sort. All I’m interested in is my blood-cut and if you can’t deliver, then I’ll find someone who can.’

‘You always were a snivelling parasite,’ she sneered at him.

‘I prefer to call it judicious pragmatism.’ He reached for the door handle.

Be ready, Genevieve,Malik’s voice sounded in my head. I do not wish to stay for the finale.

He wasn’t the only one. Somehow I didn’t think I’d enjoy the encore.

‘Now if I was you,’ Albie pointed a finger at her, ‘I’d stop fretting about the sidhe and sort yourself out.’

Rio lunged for him.

But he was gone.

She slammed the door shut, leant back against it and glowered at Darius. He was still huddled on the floor, watching her with wide-open eyes.

Our chance is lost. We must wait until she is otherwise occupied.

A long, low hissing escaped Rio’s mouth and she collapsed to her knees. ‘Get over here, you pathetic creature,’ she ordered.

Darius slowly sat up, then dragged his shirt sleeve across his face, wiping away the blood.

Rio’s face contorted in pain. ‘For fuck’s sake, hurry up!’

He lurched forward as if she’d pulled him, then crawled until he knelt before her, his pupils dilating until they almost eclipsed the brown of his iris.

She stroked his cheek. ‘Kiss me.’ Her tone lost its stridency, mesmagiving it promise.

Darius clasped her head in his palms, then mashed his mouth to hers.

Rio looked like she was trying to eat him back.

She’s occupied,I tried to shout. I want to go now.

Rio reared back, her chest rising with harsh gasps, a rosy bloom in her cheeks. She ran her tongue around her fangs, then laughed, the sound of her pleasure echoing around the room. Darius slumped, a thick trickle of blood running between his lips.

‘More,’ she purred, pressing her mouth back against his. Her hands reached blindly for his shirt, ripped it open. She scored long blue nails over his pecs, down his abdominals, and thick lines of blood welled up. Moving her palms in ever-widening circles, she spread the blood like jam over his weeping skin.

Okay.I tried to close my eyes, found I couldn’t. This is not good.

Rio snatched her mouth away and Darius swayed, eyes tightly closed. Her tongue snaked out to lick a smear of blood from his jaw. He moaned, the sound unhappy. She looked down and her gaze turned eager as she tried to lower her head. He stopped her, fingers clamping like limpets to her scalp. A fine trembling started in his body. ‘Please ...’ The word was an anguished whisper.

She grinned, fangs glinting sharp in the overhead light. ‘I know you can beg better than that, my lovely, frightened pet.’ Flattening her hand in the wet slickness on his chest, she shoved him onto his back.

Darius lay awkwardly, his legs bent under him, fingers clutching the small blue curls he’d ripped from her hair.

A ripple shivered through the cold that encased me.

Be calm.Malik’s mouth breathed ice along my neck.

And the ripple smoothed away.

Rio wiped her bloody hand over the burn mark on her chest, then took a slim mobile phone from her back pocket. Sliding the top up, she thumbed a button and held it to her ear.

‘It’s me,’ she said into the phone. ‘There’s a problem. It’s not going to work.’

She flicked Darius, grinned as he flinched.

‘Yes,’ Rio said, ‘she’s been and gone.’

She dug her nails into the tight skin of Darius’s stomach, drawing more bright red blood.

He jerked and cried out, but she silenced him with a look.

‘Yes, I did, just as you wanted,’ she said, her tone placating. ‘Only it didn’t go as we’d expected. Still, we should’ve known it wouldn’t after that little stunt in the police station.’

Malik’s arm tensed around my waist. My ears had already perked up. Now if I could just listen, and not watch ...

Phone still pressed to her ear, Rio dipped a finger in Darius’s blood, painting streaks over his quivering flesh. ‘Interesting.’ She tilted her head to admire her efforts.

Darius’s wide-eyed stare gave new meaning to rabbits and headlights.

‘You really think that’s going to make such a difference?’ Licking her fingers clean, she listened, then squealed with excitement. ‘Oh, that will be so delicious!’

Behind me, another part of Malik stiffened.

Shit. Rio wasn’t the only sucker getting worked up. Agitation swept through the calm peace inside my bubble.

‘So she could still be useful then.’ Rio smiled at the trembling Darius. ‘Yes, later. I’ve got something I want to finish first.’

Be ready, Genevieve.

Rio grinned and said, ‘Me too.’ She tapped the phone shut, sliding it onto the desk. ‘And now, my pet, you can scream all you want.’ She bowed as though praying, and sank her fangs deep into his chest and sucked. The noise was loud and painful in the quiet room.

A tear rolled down Darius’s face and dripped into the dark brown carpet beneath him.

The office disappeared.

I stood in the round stone room of my memory, the candles guttering low. The room stank of lust and terror and my legs were cold and wet from my own piss.

Sally’s blue-white hair was matted, blackened with her own blood. Her blue skin was pale and lifeless. Her eyes were staring up at me, begging.

And I watched as my prince—

Then the office returned as Darius screamed, the sound shattering the ice that held me frozen. Angry heat rolled inside me. My heart beat once. Pain spasmed through me, splintering every nerve I had.

You must not fight me, it will hurt too much.Malik’s voice was urgent in my mind.

A river of molten lava burnt its way through my body: my arms, my legs and my fingers cracked with the heat. My eyes fused shut. Then the itching started, unbearable, tormenting, and I needed to scratch my skin off, but my hands were held frozen in the ice.