A silent flash of light appeared over the book, and Miranda stood next to the table again, wearing a smirk. “Works for me.”

She pushed the brown book aside and pressed her finger against the green one.

Again, a wink of light swallowed her.

Alucard grunted.

The woman reappeared. Still smiling.

“The black one,” the Shataiki growled.

Miranda brushed the green book aside and pulled the black one closer. She shoved her finger against the cover.

Nothing happened.

“Cut yourself!” Alucard said.

Her finger was no longer bleeding. She snatched up the silver knife they evidently kept for this very purpose and cut her skin again. Red blood seeped from the fresh wound.

She smashed it against the cover.

But Miranda did not vanish. What Karas had told him was true: she’d made a duplicate book and hidden the original. Today her effort paid off.

Alucard snarled and rushed the ten feet to Johnis. His claw squeezed around Johnis’s neck. Unable to breathe, much less scream, Johnis could only clench his eyes against the pain.

“Where is the fourth book?”

The beast’s breath was hot and wet.

“Give me the book!”

“Killing him won’t help us!” Miranda said. “Let him go.”

Alucard held him for another five seconds, then relaxed his grip. He backhanded Johnis with enough force to throw him backward several feet.

He landed on his side, struggling for breath.

“Where is it?” Alucard repeated.

He would die before he told them. Now it was only about stalling to give Silvie more time. Johnis coughed. Blood wet the stone by his hand. Alucard had damaged his throat. He lay on the dungeon floor, broken.

Hopelessness came, like an avalanche in the night, thundering down on him from overhead. He was going to fail. This beast was far too powerful to stop!

There was only one play left for him.

“He doesn’t know,” Alucard said. “Kill him.”

“No,” Johnis gasped. “I do know!”

Miranda stooped beside him and traced his cheek with her knife. “Of course you know. Karas would tell the chosen one. You know. And we know where Silvie is headed. We don’t need her; Karas will suffice. One word and Silvie will die.”

“Don’t . . . You can’t harm her!”

“This is a waste of time,” Alucard snarled. “Lock this useless slab of meat up. Cut off his leg and show it to her. If she still doesn’t cooperate, kill her and work on the little runt.”

“No, I can take you to the book.”

“Or lead me astray.” Miranda’s knife lingered just beneath his jaw. “To buy your little lover more time?”

It occurred to Johnis that Miranda always spoke as if it was she, not Alucard, who should be dealt with here. As if she, not the beast, held the true power in the room. At least in her mind.

“Just tell me,” she said.