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“By leading you into a blind chase and throwing you into the abyss?” Kian gritted his teeth toward Vladimir.

“By diving after me and saving my life,” Lucienne said. “And it wasn’t a blind chase. We got the second scroll.” A satisfied smile floated to her face as she watched Kian’s eyes go wide. She turned toward Vladimir, who squeezed her hand gently.

“Rest. I know talking hurts.” Vladimir turned to glare at Kian. “Don’t bug her again. She needs rest. Dr. Wren, you should guard your patient.”

“You don’t get to order me, boy!” Dr. Wren said. “I know how to treat my patient. Now, hands off! Respect her personal space.”

That backfired.Lucienne watched Dr. Wren drive Vladimir away from her. Kian was more than willing to agree with the doctor. The prince was banished to the back of the helicopter, to brood in the corner.

Lucienne closed her eyes.

“I’m not done with you yet, Blazek!” Kian shouted toward the back. “Next time come to me first! Now, tell me why you put her in grave danger.”

“If I knew Lucia was going to get hurt, I’d never have gotten her involved,” Vladimir said. “It was entirely my fault. But at the time, the plan seemed perfect. Lucia and I had to do it alone. We waited until her grandfather was on his jet to a relic site, while all the attention was on him. We then made it look like we eloped.”

“Eloped?” Kian’s voice was hard.

“Would you have had a better strategy?” Vladimir asked.

“The last thing Lucia would do is elope with you,” Kian sneered. “But go on.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you,” Vladimir retorted. “And if you keep interrupting me, I won’t get to the best part—the part you’re dying to know.”

Lucienne sighed, knowing Vladimir would never miss a chance to brag, particularly to Kian. “We opened the vault that no one has been able to since775CE. The monks hadn’t a clue their Holy Grail was right inside the Gonkhang Chapel. You know what Bön demon is, right?”

“Just finish the damn story,” Kian said.

“I wish you could have been there to watch how we removed one impossible obstacle after another. She was awesome. We both were,” Vladimir said. Lucienne could feel his gaze caressing her.

“If you were that awesome, how did you almost end up in the bottom of that abyss with over a thousand warrior monks on your sorry ass?” Kian questioned.

Lucienne opened her eyes, in time to see Vladimir’s reaction. He blinked his long lashes, pain and fury moving across his striking features. “It’s true. I almost cost her life. If you hadn’t shown up, we’d probably be dead. I swear to God, I’m going back to Samye to make them pay!”

“The bullet wasn’t from the monks,” Kian said.

“Did someone follow us?” Lucienne asked. A fire of dark anger leapt into her eyes.

Kian nodded. The line on his face hardened. “The sniper followed you from the continent. We got Intel, but a bit too late. I almost lost you.” He paused, collecting himself. When he spoke again, his voice was calm and gentle. “If there’s anything you want in the future, you can always come to me,” he said. “Don’t just run away. Promise me you’ll never do that again.”

“Fine,” Lucienne said. “But how did you find us? I left no trail.”

“It took me a few hours to figure out where you’d headed after you lost your three bodyguards,” Kian said. “They freaked out.”

“I’ll buy them some nice gifts after I get home,” Lucienne said with a resigned sigh.

“They don’t care about gifts. Your safety is everything to them. You’re only lucky your enemies thought you eloped with that idiot hotshot. If they had known you were onto something this big—”

“—they’d have sent an army after us?” Vladimir asked incredulously.

“They definitely would,” said Orlando.

“Is it the Sealers who sent the assassin?” Lucienne felt bile in her mouth.

“Who are the Sealers?” Vladimir asked.

“The rise of a female Siren has awoken all those who failed to reach the throne themselves. Lucienne’s enemies, inside and out, formed a secret society called the Sealers a few months ago,” Dr. Wren chimed in. “Their sole purpose is to put our dear girl inside a coffin and seal it.”

“They’ll have to crawl over my dead body to get to her!” Vladimir’s eyes flared black fire. “I’ll bury this cult alive in a cheap coffin and seal them for good.”