“Yes. I do.”

He took on his most patronizing air. “You’re making a mistake. I have over fifteen hundred years on you. Do you honestly believe, even for a second, that you can take me?”

Lucian had long ago lost any desire to play by the rules when it came to the master rule-breaker himself. Instead of engaging in conversation, he shot forward, chain spinning, and sent the wheel of silver in an arc that would have taken the head off most vampires.

But Daniel was an Ancestral. He shifted to altered flight and reappeared behind Lucian, using a blade to just graze his shoulder as Lucian darted out of the way.

Lucian’s blood was up and he had just enough blood-madness going on to give him a spurt of strength. He brought forward his new Ancestral powers, and his vision and reflexes improved.

He drew a dagger at lightning speed and let it fly. How surprised Daniel looked when it caught him in his right forearm. The momentum of the hit sent also sent Daniel spiraling backward as he removed the dagger.

Lucian flew after him, and saw the same dagger in Daniel’s hand flying toward him. He shifted his waist, rolled, and two seconds later he heard the small piece of metal buzz past him, then drop into the lake.

By then he had a shorter chain out. He let it fly above Daniel’s head, and wrapped quickly.

But Daniel was fast, and instead of trying to relieve the pressure, he flipped his feet up and slammed into Lucian’s stomach. Lucian somersaulted through the air. By the time he righted himself, Daniel had the short chain from around his neck and threw it toward the lake.

He levitated in the air, smirking at Lucian. Why are you doing this, Lucian? Can’t you see I’m toying with you?

Like hell you are.

Lucian attacked once more, ready to tear his father apart physically. But as he grabbed Daniel’s right arm, he felt the slice as Daniel stuck a blade deep across his ribs.

Lucian had battled for centuries, though, and a little blood and pain weren’t going to stop him. Daniel, believing he’d made a serious score, remained where he was in a fairly relaxed stance, still smiling. When he figured things out, Lucian was on him and had him in a headlock, spinning him again over the lake, holding him.

If he could just keep holding him like this, Daniel would lose consciousness. Then he’d break his neck.

Claire stared at the phone. She kept hearing Rumy call for her: “Claire. Claire. They’re battling midair right now. Claire!”

She set the phone on the bed next to the blood-chain, still uncertain about what course to take.

She stared at the chain.

She’d felt the vibrations when she’d touched it.

Maybe if she just held it, without putting it on, she’d have a sense of what was happening. Maybe then she’d know what to do.

She leaped and grabbed the chain, holding it with both hands, staring at it, willing it to give up the information she needed.

But what came to her had nothing to do with Lucian at all, or Rumy.

Instead, she could hear a new voice in her head, a woman’s voice. Claire. Oh, God, please hear me, Claire. You’ve got to get over to Lake Como. Daniel has us hidden behind a disguise that Lucian can’t see and once he reveals us, Lucian will die. Please, Claire. You’ve got to come. Please.

Claire’s lips parted. She couldn’t breathe.

For a moment she thought she was hearing Eve’s voice. But no, she would have known her friend’s voice anywhere: Zoey.

She blinked.

Zoey.

She shook her head. Impossible.

Zoey? she called telepathically.

Claire. Oh, thank God you’re there. You’ve got to get over here. Lucian doesn’t know what Daniel has planned. He’s lied to you both; I’m still alive, so is Marius. Lucian thinks he’s winning, but Daniel knows about the explosives in the boat. He’ll make Lucian choose and you know what Lucian will do. He’ll sacrifice himself thinking he’ll be saving us. Claire, you’ve got to come. If you don’t save him, he’ll die.

Claire didn’t pause for even a second to figure any of this out. She just accepted what Zoey had told her. Every instinct in her body screamed the truth at her: Lucian was in danger, Zoey was alive, and if she didn’t help the man she loved, he was going to die.

Claire?

I’m coming.

She shut down the telepathy, then slid the chain over her neck and felt it lock in place. Lucian’s power began to flow, even thousands of miles away from him, just like that.

She contacted Rumy and had one of his men come to her. He saw the chains at her neck and said simply, “My orders are to obey your commands.”

“Good.”

She had him assemble Rumy’s security team, the one assigned to her, and the next moment she held on to the lead man. As a unit they shifted into altered flight, heading east.

They moved fast enough that they’d be in Italy in a matter of minutes. Still, she’d flown with Lucian. Never would she have thought altered flight could feel so damn slow.

Lucian had Daniel pinned, one arm behind his back. With his free arm, he surrounded Daniel’s neck in a tight grip, his Ancestral power at full bore, and felt him slowly losing consciousness.

Lucian had achieved the impossible. He’d gained control of the psychopath.

That was when he felt his chains begin to vibrate and an awareness of Claire fill his senses. She was in flight, and somehow she was attempting to speak to him telepathically. But how was this possible?

Despite the slight distraction, he kept Daniel pinned. He wouldn’t let go of him now, even though he didn’t understand how Claire could have made use of the destroyed chain. He’d watched the expert clip every link then break the chain.

But then he remembered Rumy’s gift, and he understood. He smiled and felt the strangest sense of relief: For a little while at least, he’d have Claire back with him.

With Daniel under control and now dangling in the air, his weight growing heavier by the second as the life drained out of him, Lucian opened his telepathy. Claire, is that really you?

Lucian, listen; Something’s wrong. I just heard from Zoey. She’s not dead and she’s there, somewhere near you. So is Marius. They must be hidden behind a disguise you can’t see. She said Daniel knows about the boat and the explosives and he’s going to use Zoey and Marius to guilt you into giving up the weapon. You’ve got to get out of there.

Just as he returned his complete attention to Daniel, who truly felt close to death, Daniel suddenly shifted, broke out of Lucian’s grasp, then whipped into the air. He floated nearby and waved a hand in a wide sweep.

Lucian turned to face him, levitating with arms wide to balance himself, and there they were.

Daniel’s other sons, Quill and Lev, the ones loyal to their father, each held a chained-up prisoner. One was an emaciated woman, and the other …

Lucian’s mind stalled out. He shook his head. Claire had already told him the truth, and now his eyes confirmed it, but he still couldn’t believe that Marius was alive.

Lucian. I’m thirty seconds out.

Claire again.

You were right, both Zoey and Marius are here.

Hold on. I can help.

Daniel moved to float in front of him, just a few feet away, barely out of physical reach. “I was sure you didn’t bring me here to catch up. So I’m going to make this simple for you. No more games, no more trying to battle me to the death. If you want your brother and this human to live, you’ll hand over the weapon now.”

Marius called out, “Don’t do it, Lucian.” Clearly, Daniel had feigned killing Marius while Lucian was caught in blood-madness, but Marius was as dull-eyed as the woman next to him. They’d both be dead soon without help.