Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

of those present.
    â€œIt has been a long time since I had such presented for me,” she said. “He was bleeding and half-caught already.” Her tone wasn’t apologetic, but I’d settle for mere explanations if it only got us all out of here alive.
    Stefan managed to get out a single word. “Trap.”
    She drew a quick circle in the air and dropped her hand out and away. In response, all the men on the floor went limp. Samuel, I noticed with relief, was still breathing.
    â€œExplain, Stefan,” she said, and I took a deep, relieved breath at having her attention somewhere else.
    â€œA trap for you, Mistress,” Stefan said, his voice hoarse like a man who has been screaming. “Bleed the wolf and present him to you as if he were gift-wrapped. They were good. I didn’t notice that he was under thrall until I saw the blood.”
    â€œYou may be right,” she said. She gave me an irritated look. “Put that thing away, please. You don’t need it now.”
    â€œIt’s all right, Mercy,” said Stefan, his voice still whisper-thin. He hadn’t raised himself off the floor, but lay with his eyes closed, as if he’d come to the end of his strength.
    I hid the necklace again, and the room looked even dimmer in the remaining, more mundane, lighting.
    â€œTell me about this trap, Stefano,” she said briskly as she climbed from the back of the couch and into her seat. If her eyes dwelled a moment too long upon Samuel, whowas still limp, at least their inhuman flames had died to flickers.
    The vampires were all showing signs of life, but only Stefan was moving. He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his forehead as if it hurt. His movements were jerky, inhuman.
    â€œLilly was sent to us without her attendant. I thought she was sent to create an incident. If Samuel had killed her, it would be war between our seethe and the Marrok. But perhaps it was more than that. I thought we got him away before she marked him, but looking back, I believe he was in thrall from that moment on. They sent him down here bleeding like a rare steak and presented him to you. If you had killed Samuel—and I think it likely, half-starved as you’ve been keeping yourself—” I could hear the disapproval in his voice. “If you had killed Samuel . . .” He let his words trail off.
    She licked her lips as if there was still a trace of blood left. I saw a flash of regret on her face as she stared at Samuel, as if she wished no one had stopped her.
    â€œIf I had killed him, there would have been war.” She looked away from Samuel and met my eyes—but nothing happened. She frowned at me, but seemed less surprised than I was. But maybe the little sheep who must have protected me from her magic was still at work. She tapped her long, manicured nails together, looking as if she were considering something.
    â€œWe would be badly outnumbered,” Stefan said, when she said no more. He gathered himself visibly before getting to his feet. “If war broke out, we would be forced to leave this country.”
    She stilled, as if his words were of great significance. “To leave this cursed desert and return home ”—she closed her eyes—“now that is a prize that many here might risk my wrath to gain.”
    The other vampires were stirring by then. I moved between them and Samuel, trusting Stefan to keep his mistress off us. As they rose, they seemed to be more focusedon Samuel than on Marsilia. Like most everyone else tonight, they ignored me as they slowly began closing in.
    â€œWake up, Sam.” I nudged him with the heel of my foot.
    Stefan said something in liquid tones with the unmistakable cadence of Italian. Like they were in a peculiar game of “Swing the Statue,” the other vampires simply stopped moving, though it left some of them in awkward poses.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with Samuel?”
    I asked the question of Stefan, but it was Marsilia who answered. “He is bespelled by my bite,” she said. “Some do die of the Kiss, but it will probably do no permanent harm to a werewolf. If I were less, then he would not have succumbed.” She sounded pleased.
    â€œThen how did Lilly manage?” asked Stefan. “It wasn’t a full Kiss, but he was in thrall.”
    She crouched by my feet and touched Samuel’s neck. I didn’t like the way she just kept appearing places,