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“Her sin is on you! You brought that man here and he seduced her!” Toma shoved his fair hair back from his flushed face with a one meaty hand and glowered at me. “You have brought a great sin down on me and my family!”

“As if it is not a sin for you to give succor to vampires?” Astir asked.

“Astir, I suggest you remove yourself from the room,” I said tersely. “The sooner this is resolved, the better, and you are only making things worse. Now go. ”

“I don’t see why we should pay for the harlot. I certainly did not amuse myself with her. Though you did take a sip or two, didn’t you?” Astir tapped his throat, winking. “Perhaps we should pay that tab and be off. ”

“Countess, please help me!” Flailing about in her mother’s arms, Katya fought to come to me while her mother restrained her.

“Or sho

uld we also pay for all the times she lay with your husband on previous trips? Or did he already pay?” Astir asked Toma.

Enraged, the man could barely speak as he clenched his fists and raised them in Astir’s direction.

“Astir, leave,” I ordered.

Grinning, Astir tucked back his curls, straightened his cuffs, made a great show of donning his coat, then left the room. I shut the door behind him. Now that Astir was gone, Toma seemed a tad calmer, though Katya continued to wail.

“That boy must marry her and take her with him,” Toma declared.

“And we must have a dowry,” his wife added.

“Lord Astir asked a very important question. How many times has she lain with my husband without you ever saying a word?” I queried, my gaze cold.

Katya’s parents remained silent.

“How many times did you allow her to come to my room knowing what I needed from her?”

Katya’s mother averted her eyes as Toma drew in a deep breath.

“This time is different,” Toma said in a much calmer voice, “for she could be with child. ”

“I thought you interrupted their interlude?” I lifted my eyebrows. “Didn’t you?”

“Yes, but I do not know if. . . ” Toma faltered, glancing at his daughter. “. . . if that was the only time they were together. She does lie. ”

Katya continued her sobbing and wailing. I fought down the urge to cuff her into silence.

“Enre does not love her and does not wish to marry her. I will not force him or Katya into a marriage created for the sole purpose of saving you from your own sin,” I said shortly.

“Then take her with you. ”

“No!” Toma’s wife cried out.

“Silence, Vanda. Say no more. This sin is yours as well as mine. Once we entered our dealings with the devil, we knew it may come to this. ”

Vanda looked away, her hands still holding Katya captive.

“I have no need of her,” I said at last.

“You and your husband have taken her into your rooms and feasted on her so many times she is corrupted. That she should lay with that boy is proof of it!” Toma clutched his thinning hair in his hands, overwhelmed with grief and remorse.

I felt nothing but disdain for the man. I had seen his greed whenever I opened my purse. How many times had he bowed to my wishes, or to Vlad’s, and not tried to save Katya from our influence? I knew Katya was corrupted by Vlad, for even I could not control her mind. He had twisted and defiled her and though I often found myself ready to throttle the girl, I felt sorry for her.

“Very well then. As payment for my husband’s corruption of your dear daughter, I will take her to Buda with me. ” I would not employ her, but I knew that she would find what she craved in Astir’s haven. I felt pity for her as she wailed in her mother’s arms. Vlad had done this and it sickened me.

“I thank you, Countess Dracula,” Toma answered in a voice rough with his emotions. He grabbed hold of Katya and pushed her into my arms.