Crouching Vampire Hidden Fang - By Katie MacAlister Page 0,34

"What's that?"

"You're a Zorya. He's a sacristan," Rowan said, just as if that explained everything.

"Er..." I looked at Kristoff for help. He avoided my eye.

"Do not listen to them, wife," Mattias said hastily, his eye fixed sternly upon me. "They do not know of what they speak. There is no way you can enslave my mind. That is an old wives' tale, nothing more."

I pursed my lips as I looked at him. "There's a way to enslave his mind? Would that make him shut up about being tortured?"

"Of course," Christian answered with a shrug.

"Do not listen to the evil ones, Pia. They are trying to confuse you, and to divide our joined strength."

"How do I do it?" I asked, my gaze still speculatively on Mattias.

He tried to get to his feet, but Rowan pushed him back down in the chair before answering. "You are a Zorya, yes? You wield light. The light is what dazzles reapers, bemusing their minds and leaving them open to your command."

"Wow. How come Summoners don't get some sort of brainwashing skill like that?" Allie asked, looking a bit disgruntled. "I think I went into the wrong line of work."

"Wife, I insist that you cease listening to these devils," Mattias said with an arrogance that was the last straw.

I summoned up a ball of light and held it for a moment, imagining it bending Mattias to my will before tossing it at him. The ball exploded around his head, swirling slowly around it in a corona of glittering, silver light. It glowed as it slowly revolved, fading away after a few seconds until all that was left was a vague look in Mattias's blue eyes.

"Mattias?" I asked, concerned that I might have done some harm to his vision.

"Yes?"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm quite fine, thank you."

He looked at peace, a mild expression on his face.

"The vampires are going to torture you now, all right?" I asked, seeing if he really was bedazzled, as they claimed he would be.

"That's fine. Or would you prefer I torture myself?"

"Er... no. You don't need to do that," I said, a little taken aback. "You don't mind if they set your hair on fire, do you?"

"No, that's fine," he answered, uncharacteristically agreeable. "Unless, of course, it's any trouble to you, in which case I would be happy to do it myself. Which would you prefer?"

"I'll get back to you on that." I turned to Christian, demanding, "Why the hell didn't anyone tell me about this before?"

He shrugged again. "I assumed you knew. You are, after all, a Zorya."

"One who hasn't been around the Brotherhood block," I pointed out, watching Mattias. He was humming softly to himself, his body language relaxed and happy. "How long will he stay like that?"

"Him? Probably a couple of hours," Rowan said with a disgusted look. "The weaker the mind, the easier it is to light-bind."

"Glory hallelujah," I murmured, trying to wrap my brain around the idea of such a thing. "Can I do that to anyone?"

Allie laughed. "I was just wondering the same thing."

Christian hesitated for a second before admitting, "I understand you can, although reapers, as worshipers of the light you wield, are supposedly more susceptible. I assume it has a much shorter duration on someone who is not a reaper, or one who has a very strong presence of mind. And as you can see, the effect on someone who already has a tie to you can be quite... profound."

Mattias made odd little whistling chirrups until I looked at him, at which point he simpered and said, "Pia, Pia, Pia!"

"More like drunk than bedazzled," I said, somewhat startled by his change in behavior.

"It has been likened to that, yes," Christian agreed.

"Do you need a hug?" Mattias asked, his face scrunched up with worry. "You're frowning. I should hug you. And then take off all your clothes and lick-"

"No! No hugs! Or anything else. In fact, I'd like for you to just sit there quietly and not mention anything about torture or hugging. And stop doing that."

A rapt look came over his face as he stopped making loud kissing noises. He clasped his hands together as he answered, "I will lick you later."

I blinked at the offer. "Er... OK."

Kristoff shot me a look.

"That is to say, no, thank you. Um... where were we?"

"I love you," Mattias told me.

Everyone ignored him.

"Christian was just saying that he could toss everyone in jail, but he's not going to do that because it's patently obvious that Pia and Kristoff haven't