Blood Legacy: Heir to the Throne (23 page)

Ryan stood upright and Victor clenched his jaw as she winced with pain. She looked up at him and her expression was guarded, giving him all the warning he needed. She did not look well, appearing both tired and pale. She squared her shoulders, however, and started up the steps toward him, moving quickly enough that her captors had to hurry to catch up with her. Victor smiled grimly. His child was waging a very subtle rebellion.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Ryan stopped in front of her father. For a moment, all she did was stare at him, drinking in the beauty of the man she had so desperately missed. All she wanted to do was fall into the arms of her father. It was all Victor wanted as well, but he sensed Ryan’s taut reservation and honored her judgment. His gaze turned to Madelyn, who stood at Ryan’s side.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Victor asked, his anger barely contained.

Madelyn gazed at him mockingly. “Are you telling me you do not wish to see your daughter?”

“Are you telling me you are returning her to me?” Victor fired back.

“No,” Madelyn responded coldly, “I am not.” She glanced about, noting he had not invited them inside. “And is this the extent of your hospitality?”

“This is my home,” Ryan interjected into the conversation, her own anger seething, “any hospitality extended or not is my discretion.” She turned fully to Madelyn, her sarcasm distinct. “Won’t you please come inside?”

Without waiting for a response, Ryan started through the doors, again requiring Madelyn’s familiars to scramble to keep up with her. Victor eyed Madelyn a moment longer, then gave a short, mocking bow. “After you,” he said.

Ryan strode through the foyer and into her den, followed by her complement of guards. Both Edward and Abigail got to their feet at her entrance, reaching out to her, but she quickly mentally warned them not to correspond with thought. She gave Abigail a long look, trying to communicate so many things, uncertain if she was at all successful.

She turned back to Victor, and the anguish evident in his eyes caused a lump to form in her own throat. Never had she felt so constrained or helpless. She glanced at Madelyn, who seemed very aware of her pain, and Ryan wondered if that had been the purpose of this staged reunion all along.

Victor approached her and they stood face-to-face, both aware that they were being closely watched by Ryan’s captors. Victor felt his frustration mount, uncertain of what he should say or should not say, knowing he did not have much time.

“You are well?” Victor asked, knowing she was not.

“I will survive,” Ryan said, her voice as calm and emotionless as his. “And you?”

“Some great disturbance seems to have awakened me,” Victor said.

Ryan smiled. It was his way of expressing absolute fury. “I see,” Ryan said, “then there is some good that has come from this situation.”

Ryan raised her hand in a casual gesture, appearing almost to wipe her mouth. She continued the gesture upward, as if she were reaching to tenderly touch Victor’s face. He did not move, knowing full well what she was doing. It seemed Madelyn had a sudden understanding of her intention as well, but she was half a second behind the act.

“No!” she commanded.

But it was too late. Ryan had already touched the blood on her fingertips, drawn by brushing her skin across her own razor-sharp teeth, to Victor’s lips. In an instant, he had all of Ryan’s Memories from the moment she was taken. And although Ryan’s captors were springing towards both of them, they could not take that knowledge from him. They wrestled Ryan backward from Victor, but she was not struggling. Victor did not resist, either, when they pulled him away. His eyes were locked with Ryan’s, the bond between them at that moment absolute. When she was certain he had everything he needed, she looked away, closing herself off from the world once more.

The dramatic events had taken but a few seconds, but Victor had seen all. He wanted to attack the woman across the room, but knew that supreme restraint was required at this moment, both for his life and Ryan’s. He gazed at his daughter, proud of her strength and fearlessness, as well as her ingenuity.

Madelyn, although angry, did not seem particularly surprised at the girl’s actions. “Ryan,” she said, both calm and threatening, “time to go.”

Ryan did not resist as she was led roughly from the room, and although Victor clenched his jaw so tightly the grinding of his teeth was audible, he did not do anymore than follow them out. He stood at the top of the stairs as Ryan was practically dragged down the steps. Madelyn stopped briefly before beginning her descent.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” she said, her smile utterly devoid of warmth. She turned and Victor watched as she flowed down the stairs.

Ryan winced from the rough treatment she was receiving. She knew she was probably going to receive far worse, perhaps even death. But she had at least given the Others all of the information she had in hopes they could save themselves.

Although Ryan was not resisting, her captors were still treating her brutally, perhaps because they themselves were going to pay for her disobedience. Ryan did not mind the pain so much, it matched her internal state. But when one guard put his hand on the back of her head, attempting to force it downward in a manner both humiliating and degrading, she snapped. She threw an elbow rearward, catching the man off guard and landing a blow squarely on his chin. He went comically backward, knocking one of his comrades down as well.

Immediately, Ryan was lifted off her feet, but this freed her legs. She snapped a kick outward at the nearest guard, catching him fully in the chest and sending him sailing. She twisted in the grip of the one holding her, trying to land another kick at a nearby assailant.

Madelyn stood in the opened door of the limousine, watching the scene with a mixture of exasperation and disgust. Her exasperation was for the girl, the disgust for the incompetents trying to restrain her.

“Bind her,” she commanded, her patience having reached its limits.

Four men set upon Ryan, and she found herself encased in what felt like a straightjacket. Her legs were still free, but only for a second, then they, too, were bound at the ankles. Within seconds she was completely restrained, almost cocooned. She was unceremoniously thrown through the open car door, landing face down on the floorboards.

Madelyn glanced upward. Victor watched the scene, his fury nearly overwhelming his self-control. She smiled her cold smile, and Victor had the sudden impression the entire scene had been orchestrated. She gracefully settled into the limousine, and the door closed behind her.

Once in the car, Madelyn reached down, grasping Ryan by the back of the collar and pulling her upward without effort. She held her so that Ryan was across her lap and they were face-to-face. Ryan again had to calm herself to keep from flinching away. She held Madelyn’s gaze steadily.

Oddly, it did not appear Madelyn was particularly angry with her. If anything, she seemed to view Ryan’s antics as those of an unruly child, and her words reinforced this perception.

“You,” she said with emphasis, “need to behave.”

Ryan arched her back as Madelyn’s teeth pierced her skin. The pain was so intense, Ryan involuntarily kicked outward, her feet striking the window glass. And although the glass was weapons grade and several inches thick, a crack spider-webbed outward from the blow.

Outside the limousine, the guards who had been humiliated by Ryan saw the crack and smiled sadistically. At least the girl would pay for her actions. They climbed into their own vehicles.

Inside the limousine, Ryan felt the paralysis begin to spread throughout her body. She desperately wished to pass out, but again, unconsciousness would not come. Madelyn drank a little longer, but did not drain her. When she finished, at least for the moment, Madelyn gave her immobile figure a slight push, and Ryan tumbled back onto the floor. Ryan lie there, grateful at least that she was not in contact with the hated creature.

Some time passed, but Ryan was not in a position to judge time or distance. The limousine stopped, and Ryan felt Madelyn exit. She was then pulled roughly from the floor and dragged out the open door. Her head struck the doorframe, causing her even more pain. She was suddenly jerked from the arms of the one who was handling her so roughly, and she struggled to open her eyes to see what was happening.

Ryan was now being held by Madelyn’s Chief familiar, who was cradling her far more gently. This was probably because Madelyn was holding the rough-handling familiar by his throat as his feet dangled in the air. She was furious, but did not raise her voice as she addressed him.

“I am allowed to cause her pain,” Madelyn said, “not you.”

Madelyn tightened her grip and a crunching noise could be heard as she crushed the man’s larynx. His feet kicked futilely, but only for a few seconds, and then he went limp. Madelyn tossed the man to the side like a rag doll. She whirled about and stalked up the stairs of the waiting jet.

Ryan could not keep her eyes open and all went black for her once more. Although she could not read the thoughts of the Chief familiar who was holding her, she sensed his consternation at these events. She was carried up the steps, then placed onto what felt like a bed. She again made an effort to open her eyes and saw that the jet apparently had a sleeping berth, a fairly luxurious one. Her restraints were removed and she was rolled onto her side facing away from the door. She heard the door close and knew that she was alone.

Madelyn settled into her chair across from the sleeping berth. Her servants tiptoed gingerly about the plane, making hurried preparations for departure. Within minutes, the jet began moving and was in the air. Harrian settled into a seat close to Madelyn.

“That could have gone better,” Harrian commented.

“I don’t see how,” Madelyn said, “the girl is utterly predictable.”

Harrian gave Madelyn a sharp glance. “You knew she would attempt to communicate with her father?”

“I knew,” Madelyn corrected, “she would succeed. And now, Victor Alexander knows exactly what I want him to. Just enough to demoralize him.”

Harrian lowered his gaze. He would not presume to know his Queen’s plans. Madelyn stood up. She glanced at him, then to the surrounding men. “I am not to be disturbed.”

She pushed through the door to the sleeping berth, and it whispered closed behind her. Two of the men smirked at one another. The girl was going to continue to pay for her crimes.

Harrian, on the other hand, watched his master’s departure with the beginnings of concern.

Ryan could not see who had entered the room but knew it was Madelyn. This determination was proved correct when she felt the woman settle into the bed behind her.

“As I said before, Ryan Alexander, if nothing else, you are entertaining.”

Ryan flinched as the sharp teeth again sliced her skin, and felt her heart struggle sluggishly in her chest as Madelyn began to take her remaining blood. She did so leisurely, but even so, the strain on Ryan was immense. Once more, there was no pleasure, no mental connection, no lethargy, and no welcome oblivion.

Ryan felt she was very close to death, and Madelyn seemed to sense it as well. She pulled away just far enough to whisper in Ryan’s ear.

“And so, shall I let you die, little one?”

Ryan recoiled, more from the sarcastic endearment than the question. Very few were allowed to call her that.

“Please do,” Ryan articulated through clenched teeth, her defiance unbowed.

Madelyn settled comfortably behind Ryan, slipping her arm about the girl’s waist.

“I don’t think so,” she replied.

Ryan lie stiffly in the woman’s embrace. She was not certain, but it almost felt like Madelyn was sleeping. Ryan herself felt sleep approach, and she welcomed the impending darkness.

As she began to at last slide into an exhausted sleep, Madelyn’s arm was heavy about her body. In truth, the intimacy of their position was far more disturbing to Ryan than any amount of physical pain the woman could cause her.

CHAPTER 25

VICTOR SAT AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE, his gaze distant. The Others sat about the table around him, waiting patiently. They knew he was sorting through the Memories Ryan had given him, attempting to put them in some coherent order.

“Ryan does not know where she is being held,” Victor began slowly. “She has been taken by plane, but both times has been drugged.”

“They have a drug that can affect Ryan?”

All heads turned in surprise to Susan. Victor had requested she sit with the Old Ones in case she had anything to add, but all were surprised she had spoken up so quickly. Susan herself was surprised she had blurted out the question.