held the girl’s mind and heart in her palm, looking her over, trying not to be harsh in her touch. She knew how it felt to have one violation piled on top of a mountain of others. There was no need for that.
Miranda clamped down on the immediate reaction of her body, which was to charge into the guest suites and rip Hart’s dick off and feed it to him. Right now she had to think of Cora . . . who had risked her life and everything she knew to crawl toward something better. That simple courage sparked something fierce and protective in Miranda.
She would not allow Hart to hurt Cora again. If David didn’t understand, he would just have to, as Kat would say, put on his big-girl panties and deal with it.
“Very well, Cora.” Miranda stood and walked down from the dais to stand eye to eye with her. The girl shrank back, but Miranda caught and held her gaze. “If it is your will to leave Prime Hart’s . . . employ, then as Queen of this territory, I offer you asylum here at our Haven until such time as you are safe and strong again, after which you may choose your own fate. As a refugee you bear the same concomitant rights and responsibilities under the law as any other vampire under the mantle of our authority. Do you accept?”
Cora was shaking hard, tears running down her face, and her relief was like rain coming to the desert. “Yes. I do.”
Miranda nodded. “Then welcome to our Haven, Cora. Let’s see what we can do for you.”
The Queen looked over at Faith. “I want her in one of the suites nearest our wing, with twenty-four-hour guard as long as she’s here. She’s not to go anywhere without a bodyguard and is to be restricted to the gardens and common areas for now. Have the Elite medic look her over, then see to it that she has as much blood as she needs, and for God’s sake, find her some clothes.”
Faith bowed. There was satisfaction in her face. “As you will it, my Lady.”
Cora was still crying, swaying back and forth, but she looked up and met Miranda’s eyes. “La ringrazio,” she whispered. “Grazie mille.”
Miranda smiled. “Prego.”
Just then, the doors opened and David walked in, his expression grave; when Cora saw his Signet and realized who he was, she all but melted into Miranda’s side, trying to hide from him.
The other Elite parted to let him pass and he came up to them, silent for a moment as he stared hard at Miranda.
She stared right back. “Go ahead,” she said. “Look Cora in the face and tell her she has to go back to him.”
David shook his head in exasperation, but when he turned to Cora, his expression softened, and he spoke in a low voice, in perfect Italian that, Miranda had to admit, made her insides shiver a little.
“Welcome to our Haven, young miss,” he said—the Elite translator leaned closer to Miranda and told her so. “I am Prime David Solomon, and I would like to assure you that you are safe here for as long as you need sanctuary. Please allow the guards to escort you to your room.”
She stammered a question, and he smiled. “No, you will not have to share it with anyone. You’ll have a bed of your own and your own bath as well. Once you’ve fed properly, you’ll feel much better.”
He gestured to the guards, and Elite 62 bowed politely to Cora, then took her arm and slowly led her away.
Then he faced Miranda. “She asked for asylum?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Completely of her own volition. I don’t know what motivated her to do it, but I looked into her as deeply as I could, and she’s clean. Innocent. And broken.”
David’s eyes followed the girl and the guards out the door. “Well, she’s safe now.”
“What about Hart declaring war?”
The Prime crossed his arms, giving her an unreadable look. “I told you. Going in and taking the harem would be a declaration. She came to you. That’s different. Cora is a refugee. Under the law we can take her in and Hart has no recourse against her or us. Any action he
Miranda clamped down on the immediate reaction of her body, which was to charge into the guest suites and rip Hart’s dick off and feed it to him. Right now she had to think of Cora . . . who had risked her life and everything she knew to crawl toward something better. That simple courage sparked something fierce and protective in Miranda.
She would not allow Hart to hurt Cora again. If David didn’t understand, he would just have to, as Kat would say, put on his big-girl panties and deal with it.
“Very well, Cora.” Miranda stood and walked down from the dais to stand eye to eye with her. The girl shrank back, but Miranda caught and held her gaze. “If it is your will to leave Prime Hart’s . . . employ, then as Queen of this territory, I offer you asylum here at our Haven until such time as you are safe and strong again, after which you may choose your own fate. As a refugee you bear the same concomitant rights and responsibilities under the law as any other vampire under the mantle of our authority. Do you accept?”
Cora was shaking hard, tears running down her face, and her relief was like rain coming to the desert. “Yes. I do.”
Miranda nodded. “Then welcome to our Haven, Cora. Let’s see what we can do for you.”
The Queen looked over at Faith. “I want her in one of the suites nearest our wing, with twenty-four-hour guard as long as she’s here. She’s not to go anywhere without a bodyguard and is to be restricted to the gardens and common areas for now. Have the Elite medic look her over, then see to it that she has as much blood as she needs, and for God’s sake, find her some clothes.”
Faith bowed. There was satisfaction in her face. “As you will it, my Lady.”
Cora was still crying, swaying back and forth, but she looked up and met Miranda’s eyes. “La ringrazio,” she whispered. “Grazie mille.”
Miranda smiled. “Prego.”
Just then, the doors opened and David walked in, his expression grave; when Cora saw his Signet and realized who he was, she all but melted into Miranda’s side, trying to hide from him.
The other Elite parted to let him pass and he came up to them, silent for a moment as he stared hard at Miranda.
She stared right back. “Go ahead,” she said. “Look Cora in the face and tell her she has to go back to him.”
David shook his head in exasperation, but when he turned to Cora, his expression softened, and he spoke in a low voice, in perfect Italian that, Miranda had to admit, made her insides shiver a little.
“Welcome to our Haven, young miss,” he said—the Elite translator leaned closer to Miranda and told her so. “I am Prime David Solomon, and I would like to assure you that you are safe here for as long as you need sanctuary. Please allow the guards to escort you to your room.”
She stammered a question, and he smiled. “No, you will not have to share it with anyone. You’ll have a bed of your own and your own bath as well. Once you’ve fed properly, you’ll feel much better.”
He gestured to the guards, and Elite 62 bowed politely to Cora, then took her arm and slowly led her away.
Then he faced Miranda. “She asked for asylum?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Completely of her own volition. I don’t know what motivated her to do it, but I looked into her as deeply as I could, and she’s clean. Innocent. And broken.”
David’s eyes followed the girl and the guards out the door. “Well, she’s safe now.”
“What about Hart declaring war?”
The Prime crossed his arms, giving her an unreadable look. “I told you. Going in and taking the harem would be a declaration. She came to you. That’s different. Cora is a refugee. Under the law we can take her in and Hart has no recourse against her or us. Any action he
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