though he had never been certain if she spoke aloud or if he heard her words in his mind.
Held captive by the twin flames that burned in her pale blue eyes, he had told her what had happened to his wife, his children.
And do you wish to join your children in death? she asked.
No! he had declared vehemently. I want to avenge them, but how can I? His voice broke as he fought back his tears. How can I?
How, indeed, she replied softly. Shall I show you how?
The tone of her voice, the gleam in her eye, had sent a shiver of unease down his spine. Only show me, he replied with a bravado he did not feel, and I will do whatever you ask.
She smiled at him then, a smile filled with compassion. Even so, he had seen the fangs she didn't bother to hide.
He recoiled in horror. You're one of them!
Will you not join me, my handsome one? It is the only way you will ever be strong enough to find the vengeance you seek.
You're asking me to become the same kind of monster he is! Grigori exclaimed.
We are not all monsters, she replied calmly. Look at me. Do I appear a monster to you?
No, he replied slowly. She didn't look like a monster. She looked like a queen, with her regal bearing and alabaster skin. Who are you? he asked.
Khira, she replied. She held out a slender, gloved hand. Will you join me? she asked again, her voice soft and gentle and filled with compassion.
And he cocked his head to one side, offering her easy access to the large vein in his neck. There was a sharp prick, a fleeting moment of pain, followed by bliss and blessed forgetfulness. And when next he woke, he was a newly made vampire with all of eternity stretching out before him.
The wonder of it had astounded him, so much so that, for the first few months, he forgot everything but the wonder of his new abilities. He saw the world through new eyes, eyes that could penetrate the darkest night, see details overlooked by mere mortals. Colors were brighter; he spent hours watching dancing flames and flickering candles. He heard sounds mortal ears never heard: a spider crawling across the floor, a leaf falling from a tree. His sense of smell was heightened, and every breath carried the rich, sweet scent of blood... ah, how he craved the taste of it, lusted for it, certain he could never drink enough.
He was never sick. He had the strength of ten strong men. He could move with incredible speed, read mortal thoughts if he put his mind to it.
And then, late one evening, he saw Khira bending over a lost child, her fangs bared, her eyes glittering with blood lust.
With a low growl, he had grabbed the boy from her grasp. No! Clutching the frightened child to his chest, he screamed the word at her, and in that terrible moment, when he saw his own death reflected in her bloodred eyes, he remembered why he had wanted to become a vampire.
That very night, after returning the boy to his home, he had gone in search of Alexi....
The past fell away as a scent he had carried with him through the centuries wafted toward him on a vagrant wisp of air.
Rising, he watched the door swing open, felt his heart turn cold at what he saw there.
She was as beautiful as he remembered. Slender as a willow, her olive-hued skin clear and unblemished. Hair as soft as eiderdown fell past her waist like a river of black silk. Her eyes, as blue-green as the sea, stared at him without recognition.
"Antoinette." Pain slashed through his heart and gouged his soul. Had he been a living man, he thought he might have died of it.
He waited, hoping that the love they had once shared would somehow bring her back to herself.
"Antoinette, it's me, Grigori. Remember me, love," he begged. "Please remember."
She stared at him for a long moment while he hoped, prayed, for some glimpse of humanity. And then she raised her arm, and he saw the long, slender blade of the knife she held. A ray of sunlight crept through the open door, glinting off the finely honed silver blade, illuminating the large crucifix that nestled between her breasts, shimmering like moonlight on the silver. She wore wide silver bracelets on her wrists; a thick silver collar protected her throat.
Summoning all his power, Grigori