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daze. Her feet continued to move as she spoke lethargically, "The King compelled me to speak about Kahli."

"What?" Cole asked, astounded.

But, before he could say anything, she droned on, "He wanted to know about her relationship with Will. I told him and he sent me to my bed, forbidding me to speak of it after I reached my room."

Cole grabbed her arm to stop her feet. Turning toward her brother, she looked into his face but the haze didn't lift. She couldn't think. The worry on his face didn't penetrate the King's command, it didn't stop her feet from continuing down the hallway, even though a look like that from Cole normally would have captured her full attention.

"What'd you tell him?"

Cassie pulled free and started walking to her room again, winding through the halls, she answered Cole's questions, until he knew what was said and what was asked. Finally he stopped his sister again, before she walked into the maiden's wing, "Did he drink from you? Or Kahli?"

Cassie's eyes were blank. She nodded, "He drank from someone, but it wasn't me. He was covered in blood, too much blood to survive a feeding like that."

Cole swallowed hard, as his sister pulled out of his grip and disappeared behind the doors. The guards were absent. Cole didn't realize it until he was standing alone in the hall. Cole glanced back and forth knowing he'd be reprimanded for being there so late if he was spotted. Something was wrong. Where were the guards? In all the time he'd been here, Cole had never seen them abandon their post.

Something bad was going on. That much he knew, and Cole would do everything he could to find out what.

Chapter 9

Kahli clung tightly to Will as they moved over the frozen ground on the back of the battered bike. Snowflakes made it nearly impossible to see, but they also covered their tracks. A storm had passed through while they were in the cave. Will steered them toward the nearest safe house. He asked Kahli for directions, but she couldn't always tell exactly where they were. Will kept going, urging the bike forward. Somehow he knew where the safe house was located, which meant he was either a hell of a guesser or he'd been there before.

When they dismounted and dragged the bike inside, Kahli unwrapped a scarf from her frozen face. "So," she asked, as she cranked on the generator in the darkness, "How long were you following me?"

Will stood behind her motionless. Her hair fell across her shoulders in soft, flame-red waves. Thinking about it, he said, "Is there an answer I can give you that won't piss you off?"

The lights made a buzzing sound before they finally turned on. The darkness flickered like an old movie, until the bulbs blazed bright. Kahli turned toward Will with her hands on her hips, lips pursed. She didn't like the idea that someone had been following her and she didn't realize it. How long had Will been there? How many times did he save her? His appearance at the Empire Safe House wasn't a coincidence. She knew that now, but why was he following her? Why did he help her? It wasn't until she saw him, talked to him, and fought next to him that he trapped her. And sold her, she thought. What the hell was he doing? Why let her go every other time and capture her then?

They were hidden in a safe house that was only a hundred miles, possibly less, from the palace. It was a crazy location that no one ever used. It was too close to vamp central. That meant there were still supplies left.

"Probably not," she gave a weak lopsided grin and took a deep breath. Her hands slid off her hips, "I just don't know what to make of you. Sometimes you seem like a good guy, but other times you seem like them. I just wish I knew." Maybe she shouldn't have said that out loud. It sounded more like a confession than a wish. Her voice sounded flat, like he'd disappointed her.

Will watched her intently, he was always watching her. "What difference does it make?" he finally asked.

"I can't tell which side you're on," she confessed. Turning toward him, her emerald eyes met his and then glanced away. She pushed her long hair out of her face as she spoke, "That makes me insane for taking you here, but it appears you've already been here."