she would not sing tonight. She hoped that Devlin would be in the audience again and that when he realized someone else was singing the role of Media he would come quickly to their meeting place.
After sunset, with nothing but a small lantern to light her way, Justine walked purposefully through the Luxembourg Gardens. The trees were like dark skeletons against the sky and
95
the moonless night cast the waters of the Fontaine de Medicis an inky black. Setting her lantern down, she paced and fumed until one sharp turn sent her crashing into Devlin’s chest. He reached out to steady her and she grabbed the lapels of his coat.
“They have her Devlin. They took her right off the streets,”
she cried.
He put his arms around her to steady her. “When?”
“This afternoon.”
“In daylight? Darling are you sure that it is Francois’ men
who have done this?”
“Who else could it be?”
“I don’t know,” he said, absently raking a hand through his short dark hair, “but for vampires to go about in the middle of the day, let alone to abduct a novice off the street, is a sign of insanity or desperation.”
“Or both,” came a voice from the darkness.
Devlin drew his sword and pushed Justine behind him as a vampire she had never seen before stepped from the shadows. He was a handsome man of average height with honey-brown hair and intelligent, pale-green eyes.
“Antoine,” Devlin said, with a nod.
The vampire returned the gesture, spreading his hands out to
show that he was unarmed.
“Who are you?” Justine demanded, “And what have you
done with my sister?”
96
“You are correct, Francois has the girl. She was unharmed
when I last saw her but an hour ago.”
“What do you want Antoine?” Devlin demanded.
“I want to tell you a story and I want you to tell me how it
ends. But first I have a question to ask of you, my friend.”
“All right,” Devlin agreed.
“How is it that you came to be in Paris?”
Justine gritted her teeth, not seeing how such a question was
relevant to her sister’s abduction.
“I was sent here on the command of the High King
himself.”
Antoine nodded, seeming pleased. “Were you sent here to
kill the woman?” he asked, motioning to Justine.
Devlin shook his head. “I was only told to come to Paris.”
“ C’est bon. ”
“Now tell me your story Antoine.”
“The vampires of Paris are divided into two groups. Tjose who enjoy the kill support Francois and demand the death of your slayer. But there are those, such as myself, who would be content to follow the laws of the High King and who consider the abduction of an Ursuline novice to be a sin of the greatest magnitude.”
“Then why don’t you simply overthrow him?” Justine
asked.
97
“A century ago Francois and I challenged the old Regent for the rule of the city. Francois won and I lost. The other vampires will not follow me. Now, if a righteous man, or woman,” Antoine said with a nod to them both, “were to challenge Francois and win then I could guarantee the support of those who would follow the High King’s laws.”
“Your men would follow an English mercenary and a
slayer?” Devlin scoffed.
“My men would follow the representatives of the High King and the woman who brings justice to those of us who break his laws. I don’t guarantee an easy fight, my friend, but I feel that we would prevail.”
“Devlin,” Justine said, tugging on the sleeve of his coat,
“does your offer still stand?”
He looked down at her, confused.
“The offer to turn me,” she explained.
“Do you realize what you’re asking?”
“Devlin, I cannot go into a nest of vampires as a human and hope to survive. And I an assuming that is the only way I will get my sister back?” she asked Antoine.
He nodded gravely. “Francois will use her to draw you out
and then he will kill you both.”
Her blue eyes pleaded with
After sunset, with nothing but a small lantern to light her way, Justine walked purposefully through the Luxembourg Gardens. The trees were like dark skeletons against the sky and
95
the moonless night cast the waters of the Fontaine de Medicis an inky black. Setting her lantern down, she paced and fumed until one sharp turn sent her crashing into Devlin’s chest. He reached out to steady her and she grabbed the lapels of his coat.
“They have her Devlin. They took her right off the streets,”
she cried.
He put his arms around her to steady her. “When?”
“This afternoon.”
“In daylight? Darling are you sure that it is Francois’ men
who have done this?”
“Who else could it be?”
“I don’t know,” he said, absently raking a hand through his short dark hair, “but for vampires to go about in the middle of the day, let alone to abduct a novice off the street, is a sign of insanity or desperation.”
“Or both,” came a voice from the darkness.
Devlin drew his sword and pushed Justine behind him as a vampire she had never seen before stepped from the shadows. He was a handsome man of average height with honey-brown hair and intelligent, pale-green eyes.
“Antoine,” Devlin said, with a nod.
The vampire returned the gesture, spreading his hands out to
show that he was unarmed.
“Who are you?” Justine demanded, “And what have you
done with my sister?”
96
“You are correct, Francois has the girl. She was unharmed
when I last saw her but an hour ago.”
“What do you want Antoine?” Devlin demanded.
“I want to tell you a story and I want you to tell me how it
ends. But first I have a question to ask of you, my friend.”
“All right,” Devlin agreed.
“How is it that you came to be in Paris?”
Justine gritted her teeth, not seeing how such a question was
relevant to her sister’s abduction.
“I was sent here on the command of the High King
himself.”
Antoine nodded, seeming pleased. “Were you sent here to
kill the woman?” he asked, motioning to Justine.
Devlin shook his head. “I was only told to come to Paris.”
“ C’est bon. ”
“Now tell me your story Antoine.”
“The vampires of Paris are divided into two groups. Tjose who enjoy the kill support Francois and demand the death of your slayer. But there are those, such as myself, who would be content to follow the laws of the High King and who consider the abduction of an Ursuline novice to be a sin of the greatest magnitude.”
“Then why don’t you simply overthrow him?” Justine
asked.
97
“A century ago Francois and I challenged the old Regent for the rule of the city. Francois won and I lost. The other vampires will not follow me. Now, if a righteous man, or woman,” Antoine said with a nod to them both, “were to challenge Francois and win then I could guarantee the support of those who would follow the High King’s laws.”
“Your men would follow an English mercenary and a
slayer?” Devlin scoffed.
“My men would follow the representatives of the High King and the woman who brings justice to those of us who break his laws. I don’t guarantee an easy fight, my friend, but I feel that we would prevail.”
“Devlin,” Justine said, tugging on the sleeve of his coat,
“does your offer still stand?”
He looked down at her, confused.
“The offer to turn me,” she explained.
“Do you realize what you’re asking?”
“Devlin, I cannot go into a nest of vampires as a human and hope to survive. And I an assuming that is the only way I will get my sister back?” she asked Antoine.
He nodded gravely. “Francois will use her to draw you out
and then he will kill you both.”
Her blue eyes pleaded with
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