"You have not even examined him."
The snotty bitch was right, of course. Richard's thugs had dragged her down to the laboratory in the dungeon several times, but Alex had refused to touch so much as a petri dish. When Richard himself had used his voice to compel her to work, she had been able to resist him just enough to fumble and drop things until he had ordered the guards to take her out of the lab. She hoped that resistance would get stronger, because if she didn't get out of here soon…
"I can't do this right now. Go away." She began pacing.
"You are the only doctor who understands the Kyn," the other woman argued. "You must do this. It is your calling."
"Humans were my work, not vampires." Alex kicked a piece of wood out of her way. "I rebuild wrecked bodies, not mutated DNA. Yeah, I was able to operate on Michael and fix physical damage. But this isn't a bad injury, Blondie. I don't have the knowledge or the training necessary. Richard needs to be evaluated by—minimum—a microbiologist, a geneticist, and an epidemiologist." She cleared her throat. "Bottom line: Even if I wanted to, I couldn't help him."
"What is wrong?"
"Nothing." Alex's annoyance changed into bands of heat inching up her arms and a cold, clenching hunger tightening under her sternum. The roof of her mouth burned, which meant her dents acérées wanted to pop out and go to work. So far she'd been able to control her temper and suppress the disgusting desire to bite someone, but the urges were growing stronger—especially when she was around humans. "You need to leave now, before I lose my temper."
"Ah," the Frenchwoman said, drawing out the single syllable. "You are feeling the separation."
"Just get out." She put some distance between her and the blonde.
"I have seen it happen to others kept apart from their lords. The longer the separation, the worse it will become." The Frenchwoman made a sideways gesture with one hand. "He endures the same need."
That reminded Alex of how she and Michael had gone at it in Florida. Skimping on sex had turned the two of them into minks; what would this do? "We won't be apart much longer."
"I have no doubt that Michael will come to Ireland, but my lord will not permit him near Dundellan." Éliane nodded toward the outer bailey, where the guards had their quarters. "You have seen the size of the garrison. They are all Kyn, Doctor, and completely loyal. They will die before they allow Cyprien to enter the castle or touch Richard."
Alex didn't want to believe her, but she had seen how Richard's men behaved. He was their king, and men of their time died happily for the crown. She had to vacate the premises before that happened, but she wasn't going to be able to do it on her own. Michael was taking too long, or maybe he couldn't get to her. Whatever the case, Alex needed the Frenchwoman's help as much as she needed hers.
She had to get out of here.
"Let's make a deal," Alex said. "I'll take a look at Richard's blood sample and tell you what I think can be done. In return, you get me out of here." When the other woman would have spoken, she held up her hand. "Take it or leave it."
"You cannot tell from studying his blood alone," Éliane argued. "You must give him a physical examination. If you do so, he is more likely to believe that you have had a change of heart."
The thought of seeing Richard's mutated body made Alex's stomach roll, but if it would convince him that she was playing nice… "All right. I need to set up some things in the new lab first. Can you get Atlas and Igor to let me out of here?"
Éliane nodded. "Give me an hour." When the door to the room opened, she didn't flinch, but turned smoothly to face the Kyn who entered. "Captain Korvel, Dr. Keller has agreed to cooperate."
The captain of the castle guard, whose bicep bulges were larger than Alex's head, regarded the tresora with an impassive expression. "I shall not release her until the master bids me do so."
"I will go and relate this change of heart to him." Éliane gave Alex a pointed look before she inclined her head. "Dr. Keller."
Korvel did not leave with the Frenchwoman, and when they were alone he eyed the damage Alex had done to the window frame. "Is this a sample of your newfound cooperation?"
"I got bored." She didn't like the captain or the way he talked over her head, as if she were too small and insignificant for him to bother looking down. He probably thought the ring of thorns around his neck made him look like a tough guy instead of one with poor taste in tattoo artists. The only good thing about him was that, unlike every other Kyn in the castle, he didn't smother her with the scent of l'attrait. "I do need to go down to the lab and prepare to do a physical on Tremayne."
"When the high lord issues the order, I shall escort you," Korvel said. "Until then, you will stay here."
More waiting games. "So what do you want? Richard send you to slap me around?"
"I came only to check on you." His eyes shifted. "Who is Atlas?"
"The statue of the guy with the world on his shoulders. Aside from the lousy neck tattoo, you're a dead ringer for him." Alex almost laughed when he did a double take. "Don't you guys ever go to a museum or read a book around here?"
Korvel shook his head.
"Your loss. Your double looks really cute in a loincloth." One day the Kyn were going to develop a sense of humor, Alex thought. Probably around the same time that hell hosted the Winter Olympics. Something occurred to her. "Your immune system should have erased that tattoo of yours. What kind of ink did they use?"
"None." The seneschal touched his neck. "After my lord and I rose from our graves, we were pursued by the sheriff. I was captured and hung from a gallows with copper-spiked rope. I have had the mark ever since."
"You and Richard died together?" Alex walked up to him and pushed his hand aside to have a better look. "How?"
"My lord came back from the Holy Land and fell ill with plague," Korvel told her. "I was his steward, and succumbed to the same illness while tending to him. We were buried within a day of each other."
"So he comes home and infects you. Nice boss." The crappy tattoo was actually a series of flat keloids with a strange green tint to them. Each was so thick she couldn't make a dent in them with her fingernail when she prodded them. "How long did that sheriff leave you hanging?"
"I cannot say. Weeks. Perhaps months." He stared down at her. "What is it? Do you wish to study me as well?"
Alex jerked away from him. She did not want to take a skin sample from him. She didn't care what had happened to his neck. She wanted Michael, this minute, so badly she thought she might scream. "Just bored. You can go back to patrolling the castle now."
"I wished to speak with you."
If he didn't quit being so goddamn polite, she would scream. "We're speaking."
He hesitated, as if searching for words. "You rouse the men too much."
She'd certainly kept them busy chasing after her. "Look, pal, I didn't ask to be brought here."
"As you have made plain to the entire household," he assured her. "I do not refer to your attempts to escape."
Alex frowned. "Then what?"
"Your presence disturbs the men. You have made them very restless. They become more curious about you each day." Korvel moved to the window and closed it before looking at a spot on the wall behind her. "I have made my lord aware of this."
"Gee, thanks." Alex still wasn't sure what he was trying to tell her. "Are you saying I'm getting on everyone's nerves? I do that with people I like."
"No. You are too vulnerable, too open." Now he looked down at her. "If you wish to remain safe, you must begin to conduct yourself properly, as do the other women in the castle."
The other women in the castle kept their mouths shut, looked at the floor a lot, and curtsied to Richard every five seconds. "Not going to happen, Captain. Your men will just have to put up with me."
"They wish to do more." A muscle under Korvel's right eye twitched. "Stefan and the dungeon master already plan how they will share you between them when Richard gives them permission to use you."
Share her? "Very funny."
He shook his head slowly. "Soon I think even my lord's permission will not matter to them. I cannot watch you and protect my master every hour of the day and night."
He wasn't kidding. Alex wasn't blind; she'd noticed how every Kyn male in the castle with the exception of Korvel and Richard had been looking at her. After a year of living with Michael, she also understood that most of the Kyn didn't behave like modern men. In their time, women had no rights, no value, and generally were treated worse than farm animals.
Which was how, apparently, Stefan and the dungeon troll wanted to treat her.
It should have made her furious, and probably would when she thought about it, but Korvel was doing her a favor by warning her like this.
"I'm not deliberately leading them on," she assured him. "I wouldn't; I'm not stupid."
"This I know." His voice lost some of its edge. "You must take care not to be alone with any of the men."
"Right." She pressed her fingers against her temples, which were pounding. "What makes it stop?"
"Keep your emotions in check. Freeze the anger you feel. The more emotional you become, the more scent you shed. Do not think about Cyprien." He crouched down to put himself on her eye level. "I shall do what I can, but you must discipline yourself."
She was shedding scent now; the whole room smelled of lavender. For the first time she caught his scent, too. It was something like pound cake fresh out of the oven. Vanilla pound cake.
Kyn bodies gave off an appealing sweet scent that acted like a superpheromone; it enabled them to hunt and mesmerize humans long enough to feed on them. Alex didn't realize the scent affected Kyn as well, but then thought of how often the scent of roses—Michael's scent—had aroused her. Other Kyn scent didn't have the same affect. Phillipe's made her feel warm and secure. Valentin Jaus's had brought a familiar, comfortable sensation, like a hug from a friend.
