flame.”
Aeron smiled at Abigail’s mocking tone. “Yes, like a moth to a flame, not realizing I was pulling in a full-fledged raptor.”
Abigail nodded, and he continued.
“She was dressed like a boy. A beautiful, androgynous little boy. I did not realize at first who she was. I thought ‘the boy’ might provide a brief dalliance, a bit of a distraction.”
“But it ended up being much more than that,” Abigail said.
“Oh yes, I realized very quickly she was Victor’s offspring, which of course was impossible because we all knew Victor had chosen not to reproduce. He had been past the ability to initiate Change for centuries, long before this child had been transformed.”
“And yet there she was,” Abigail prompted.
“Ah yes,” Aeron said, lost in the memory. “There she was. Impossibly powerful for one so young.”
“And so oblivious to her own power,” Abigail added, drawn into the memories despite herself. “Ryan has always had an exquisite mixture of power and vulnerability.”
Aeron gazed at Abigail shrewdly. “You want her, too.”
Abigail gazed back at him. “Everyone wants her.”
Aeron nodded, returning to his story. “Which is why I found it so extraordinary that she had never Shared with anyone except Victor. From the moment her blood touched my lips, I was flooded with images that passed so rapidly I could make no sense of it. But there was no one there except Victor.”
Abigail was thoughtful. “You know, you may have unwittingly been the one to release Ryan’s Memories of her mother.”
Aeron turned to Abigail. This was news to him.
“From the pieces I have put together, those few obtained from Ryan and her even-less verbose father, as well as those obtained from the trial, Ryan began to recover the Memories of her birth only after she went through the shock of your taking her blood.”
Aeron slowly smiled. This gave him great pleasure. To have unknowingly struck a near-mortal blow at his enemy while committing the symbolic equivalent of rape against his child was brilliant. If only he could take credit for having planned it.
Aeron savored the thought a bit longer, then returned to the conversation. “And you have never Shared with Ryan?”
Abigail smoothed her skirt. “I have a standing invitation.”
“Yes, I know, courtesy of her father.”
Abigail smiled, remembering the recent events in her chambers. “I do not think the girl would resist, with or without the blood debt.”
“But you have not tested the waters, so to speak.”
“No,” Abigail replied, “So to speak.”
She was thoughtful for a moment, then turned her gaze upon Aeron, smiling her cool smile. “There are many paths to domination, some far more enjoyable than force.”
Aeron eyed her. “Yes, my dear. I am well-aware of your powers of persuasion. Which is why I avoid the many snares you have laid across the paths of every one of our Kind. Most blindly tumble into your traps and are not even aware they have been taken captive.”
Abigail said nothing, merely smiled. If she was at all perturbed by his comments, it did not show. Except, perhaps, in her next words to him, which would be her last for the evening.
“I just hope you know what you are doing. The plan of action you have chosen is going to cause great instability in Ryan.” Abigail stood, running her cool fingers through Aeron’s hair as she passed. She paused in the doorway, her eyes gleaming in the darkness. “And I know how unstable she can be.”
CHAPTER 8
RYAN KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG the moment the plane landed. Susan Ryerson’s expression would have told her the same thing had she not already sensed it.
“Where is my father?” Ryan asked, coming up the stairs three at a time, knowing the answer.
“He’s in his room. He has requested your presence as soon…”
Susan’s words trailed off because she was speaking to empty air. Ryan had literally disappeared.
Ryan pushed through the double doors of Victor’s
Aeron smiled at Abigail’s mocking tone. “Yes, like a moth to a flame, not realizing I was pulling in a full-fledged raptor.”
Abigail nodded, and he continued.
“She was dressed like a boy. A beautiful, androgynous little boy. I did not realize at first who she was. I thought ‘the boy’ might provide a brief dalliance, a bit of a distraction.”
“But it ended up being much more than that,” Abigail said.
“Oh yes, I realized very quickly she was Victor’s offspring, which of course was impossible because we all knew Victor had chosen not to reproduce. He had been past the ability to initiate Change for centuries, long before this child had been transformed.”
“And yet there she was,” Abigail prompted.
“Ah yes,” Aeron said, lost in the memory. “There she was. Impossibly powerful for one so young.”
“And so oblivious to her own power,” Abigail added, drawn into the memories despite herself. “Ryan has always had an exquisite mixture of power and vulnerability.”
Aeron gazed at Abigail shrewdly. “You want her, too.”
Abigail gazed back at him. “Everyone wants her.”
Aeron nodded, returning to his story. “Which is why I found it so extraordinary that she had never Shared with anyone except Victor. From the moment her blood touched my lips, I was flooded with images that passed so rapidly I could make no sense of it. But there was no one there except Victor.”
Abigail was thoughtful. “You know, you may have unwittingly been the one to release Ryan’s Memories of her mother.”
Aeron turned to Abigail. This was news to him.
“From the pieces I have put together, those few obtained from Ryan and her even-less verbose father, as well as those obtained from the trial, Ryan began to recover the Memories of her birth only after she went through the shock of your taking her blood.”
Aeron slowly smiled. This gave him great pleasure. To have unknowingly struck a near-mortal blow at his enemy while committing the symbolic equivalent of rape against his child was brilliant. If only he could take credit for having planned it.
Aeron savored the thought a bit longer, then returned to the conversation. “And you have never Shared with Ryan?”
Abigail smoothed her skirt. “I have a standing invitation.”
“Yes, I know, courtesy of her father.”
Abigail smiled, remembering the recent events in her chambers. “I do not think the girl would resist, with or without the blood debt.”
“But you have not tested the waters, so to speak.”
“No,” Abigail replied, “So to speak.”
She was thoughtful for a moment, then turned her gaze upon Aeron, smiling her cool smile. “There are many paths to domination, some far more enjoyable than force.”
Aeron eyed her. “Yes, my dear. I am well-aware of your powers of persuasion. Which is why I avoid the many snares you have laid across the paths of every one of our Kind. Most blindly tumble into your traps and are not even aware they have been taken captive.”
Abigail said nothing, merely smiled. If she was at all perturbed by his comments, it did not show. Except, perhaps, in her next words to him, which would be her last for the evening.
“I just hope you know what you are doing. The plan of action you have chosen is going to cause great instability in Ryan.” Abigail stood, running her cool fingers through Aeron’s hair as she passed. She paused in the doorway, her eyes gleaming in the darkness. “And I know how unstable she can be.”
CHAPTER 8
RYAN KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG the moment the plane landed. Susan Ryerson’s expression would have told her the same thing had she not already sensed it.
“Where is my father?” Ryan asked, coming up the stairs three at a time, knowing the answer.
“He’s in his room. He has requested your presence as soon…”
Susan’s words trailed off because she was speaking to empty air. Ryan had literally disappeared.
Ryan pushed through the double doors of Victor’s
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