“Oh, just get me two glasses of red, would you please?”

Slaine turned away and got her drinks.

Victorija returned to table. “Here you are, Amelia. Drink this.”

Amelia looked at it and said, “I don’t like red wine.”

She wanted Amelia to drink it for the sake of the picture she was about to take. Victorija pulled her chair closer to Amelia, and told her, “You will drink this and enjoy it.”

“I will drink it,” Amelia parroted.

“Good girl.” Victorija took out her phone. “Now, Amelia, I want you to look at the camera and smile for me.”

Amelia complied, and Victorija attached the picture to an email. She then typed out:

I have something of yours, Byron. She’s enjoying some blood with me at The Sanctuary. Now, if you want your woman back, you’re going to have to give me that spell. It’s my birthright, and I want it. You have one hour or—Well, I don’t really have to explain further. Do I?

Once it was sent, Victorija gazed into Amelia’s eyes and said, “There are a few more things I want you to remember.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Fuck! I knew I should have gone to follow Amelia with Bhal.” Byron was in her office at the London house. She had already been in a bad condition because of her blood sickness, but now she was frantic. She loosened her tie and started for the door.

Alexis stopped her. “Wait, Principe. Before we go rushing in, we need a plan.”

Byron was finding it hard to think clearly, because her body was starved of the blood it needed. “What plan do I need? I walk in there and rip Victorija’s head off with my bare hands, and leave,” Byron said with fury.

“A good idea, but Victorija could kill the Principessa before we got close. She gave us an hour. Let’s at least take a few minutes to think. Bhal, Wilder, and the rest of her warriors are outside waiting and watching, in any case.”

Byron took a breath and closed her eyes. “You are right. I need you to be rational for me, Duca, because I can’t be at the moment.”

“Of course I will. First thing, can you give her the secret? Only the Principe knows it.”

Byron poured a glass of whiskey, and downed it in one. “I only know so much. I couldn’t give her the spell, but I’ve asked Sera to bring the object the spell is tied to.” Byron dialled Sera’s number. “Sera, are you en route?”

“Yes, we’re in the air. We should land in an hour and a half,” Sera said.

“Good, we may need your package sooner than we thought. Stay safe.” Byron ended the call. “The object is on its way. Let’s go.”