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the wall. “Do you need me to teach you a lesson about who’s in control here?”

    Alissa let her expression turn to ice. She’d survived things worse than death. Survived with the silent, unshakable dignity that was her birthright. The last muse of the House of North was not going to grovel for some half-breed monster’s pleasure.

    “Control me?” She shook her head with a grim smile. “That’s something you’ll never manage.”

    His frown turned fierce. “We’ll see,” he sneered, his lips baring jagged fangs.

In the passenger seat of the dark-windowed sedan, Merrick hung up his cell phone. “No one admits to knowing anything,” he told Ox.

    “Maybe Tobin doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Maybe the girl’s at home, asleep in her bed,” Ox said.

    “For now, let’s assume she’s in Jacobi’s territory. She’ll be delivered to him. Anything else is a suicide play. Drive to Coliseum and Athens and park there.”

    “Couple blocks from Jacobi’s building?”

    Merrick nodded.

    “If we take a walk through the street, someone’s sure to spot us. Especially if something’s going down. He’ll have more security.”

    “No doubt,” Merrick said.

    Ox found a parking spot on Coliseum Street and slid the car into it.

    “You’re too recognizable. Stay in the car,” Merrick said, pulling a black mask down over his face.

    “Boss, you can’t be thinking of going alone.”

    “Pop the trunk, and stay sharp. I’m just going to have a look around, but I might be in a hurry to leave when I get back.”

    “Boss, I could put on a mask, too. You gotta let me do what you pay me for—”

    “Tonight, I’m paying you to drive. Stay in the car.”

    Merrick got out. He opened the trunk and retrieved his enforcer duffel.

“Your life must be so tiring,” Alissa whispered breathlessly. If he’d been completely human and she hadn’t been ill, it would’ve been easy to overcome his will. Of course, if he’d been human, he wouldn’t have bitten her in the first place. There were those who wanted to kill all the ventala, ridding the earth of them as people had once exterminated all the vampires after the Rising. At the moment, she could almost agree with Grant and his cohorts who said the ventala were a menace beyond redemption.
Except for Merrick,
she couldn’t help adding in her mind.

    She thrust as much muse power as she could focus into her voice. “You need rest.”

    The man’s lids drifted down, his arms dropping. He slumped to the floor.

    She took his keys, swaying dizzily.

    Now, get out,
she thought, but her body couldn’t move as fast as she wanted. And he recovered too quickly, his dazed expression clearing, his eyes narrowing angrily. She tried to get around him, but he grabbed her leg. She jerked free. She slammed the heel of her hand into his nose, all her self-defense training coming back.

    Then she grabbed the short security pole from the track of the sliding door. She hit him with it, snapping, “Fall!”

    He stumbled, blood dripping from his nose and brow where she’d hit him. She lurched out onto the balcony and wedged the pole between the frame and the door handle.

    He got to his feet and tried to jerk the door open. When it didn’t move, he slapped his palms against the glass. “You don’t have wings, baby,” he yelled. “Open this door.” He slammed his fist against it.

    She locked eyes with him defiantly, even though her breath came and went in short gasps that sliced through her lungs like a knife. Her dry lips cracked, and she tasted a hint of blood. There was barely any blood left to flow through her.

    She reached out and held the rail to steady herself as the world spun. She blinked against blurring vision, forcing herself to stay upright by sheer force of will. If death was the only option, she would do it on her own terms. She leaned against the rail, swaying as the view of the drop swam in and out of focus. When the time came, the silent fall