the wall, eyes closed. "They couldn't break him. They couldn't break Sylvie either."
"Sylvie?" I stared around the room. It was twenty by twenty, not that big. She was across the room chained to the wall. She sagged in the chains, full weight on her wrists, unconscious. Most of her was hidden from view by the table that Rafael was chained to. She didn't look hurt.
"Why is she here?"
"The Master of Beasts called the wolves, too. Richard wasn't here to answer, so Sylvie came. She protected the rest of us, just like Rafael did for his people."
"What are Jean-Claude and the Beastie-Boy arguing about?"
"The Traveler granted us our freedom, but they don't want to include Rafael in the bargain. The Master of Beasts says the Rat King is not our people, nor our friend."
"He's my friend," I said.
He smiled without opening his eyes. "I knew you'd say that."
I got to my feet, pushing against the wall. I was a little unsteady, but not bad. I walked towards the arguing vampires. The French was hot and furious.
Jean-Claude turned to me. "Ma petite,you are awake." His English was heavily accented. It often was after he'd been speaking a lot of French.
Padma held up a hand. "No, do not influence her."
Jean-Claude gave a sweeping bow. "As you like."
I wanted to touch Rafael. I could see his back rising and falling, but I wouldn't really believe he was okay until I touched him. My hands sort of hovered over him, but there was almost no place left to touch that wasn't raw and hurting. I finally touched his hair, then drew back. I didn't want to wake him. Unconscious was better than anything else right now.
"Who is this one to you?" Padma asked.
"He's Rafael, the Rat King. He's my friend."
Hannah walked in through the open dungeon door. The moment she appeared, I knew it was the Traveler. He leaned that very feminine body against the side of the door and managed to look masculine. "You cannot be friends with every monster in the city."
I stared up at him. "Want to bet?"
He shook his head, Hannah's blond hair bouncing back and forth just like in the shampoo commercial. He laughed, and it was girlish. "Oh, no, Anita Blake, I will not bargain with you again this night." He started down the steps. He'd taken off the high heels, and glided down the stairs in stocking feet. "But there will be other nights."
"I asked for safe passage and you gave it," I said. "You can't hurt us anymore."
"I gave safe passage for tonight only, Anita."
"I do not remember a time limit being placed on your promise," Jean-Claude said.
The Traveler waved the objection away. "It was understood."
"Not by me," I said.
He stopped on the other side of the table, by Padma. He stared at me with Hannah's grey eyes and frowned. "Anyone else would have known that I meant tonight alone."
"As you yourself have said, Traveler, she is not anyone," Jean-Claude said.
"He is one council member. He cannot bargain for all," Padma said. "He can force us to let you go tonight, but the rest he cannot do. He cannot free you all without a vote of all represented here."
"Then his promise means nothing," I said.
"If I had dreamt that you meant safety for our entire stay," the Traveler said, "I would have asked for more than merely the truth of the Earthmover's death."
"We made a deal. I kept my end of it," I said.
He tried to cross his arms over his chest, but had to settle for his stomach, arms cradling the breasts. Women are just not designed to look tough. "You have given me yet another problem, Anita. It might be wise to not be so problematic."
"Threaten all you want," I said, "but for tonight you can't touch us."
"Do not let it go to your head." His voice had crawled down a few octaves, dragging out of Hannah's throat.
I moved around to stand at Rafael's head, wanting to stroke his hair and not daring to. Tears pressed like a hand against the back of my eyes. "Unchain him. He goes with us, or your word is worth shit, Traveler."
"I will not give him up," Padma said.
"You will do as you are told," the Traveler said.
I turned away from the sight of Rafael's butchered body. I also didn't want the bad guys to see me cry. Turning away from Rafael gave me a better view of Sylvie. What I saw stopped me in my tracks.
Her pants were