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Turning toward Chloe, his movements perfect fluid grace, he gives her a bow and a fang-filled grin. “Your old church, Mother.”

“So that’s why he’s shutting me out,” Chloe mutters. “How rude.”

A blur of motion happens in front of me, my eyes unable to follow.

But when it settles down, I see Ambrose holding Chloe in his arms like he was holding his invisible dance partner.

“I agree, Mother,” Ambrose says sympathetically. “It was very rude of them to not invite us. I do enjoy a good party. Especially when there are nuns involved. But we must respect Father’s wishes.”

Chloe gives Ambrose a tight, annoyed smile and does a quick side-step, as if she means to escape his hold. “I think we should both join them, anyway. After all, it is…was… my place of worship. I would like to pay my own tithe, and perhaps a bit of penitence.”

Ambrose uses Chloe’s little side-step to push her out farther with one arm. Then he begins to twirl her around. “I want to agree, Mother. Your every wish and desire is my command, but our dear sister needs you more.”

Bright red eyes landing on me, he stares at me as he continues to spin her around. “Mirror, mirror on the wall… the evil king has poisoned the fairest apple of them all… and sickened our poor, unsuspecting Raphael…”

“Poisoned?” Andrei looks at me with wide, concerned eyes. “Poisoned with what, Ambrose?”

Why does he think Ambrose is talking about me? I’m not an apple…

Unless all vampires refer to humans as food?

Chloe tries to yank herself out of Ambrose’s grasp, but he tugs her back in, close to his chest. “Can you not smell it? She smells like…Mother. If Mother was left to rot.”

Andrei and Caden go completely still, frozen like they’ve suddenly turned into statues.

“What are you saying, Ambrose?” Chloe demands. “Explain it so it makes sense.”

“She smells like that one you still hold dear. She smells like Isaac before Father turned him.” Shoving Chloe away, Ambrose gives her another spin. “Cyanide and ambrosia souring in the sun.”

“No fucking way.” Caden shakes his head in disbelief. “No fucking way they’re feeding the Marked blood. That would be…”

“Too fucked up,” Andrei finishes for him.

Caden moves into Chloe’s abandoned space and peers hard into my eyes.“Tell me they didn’t feed you blood.”

The way everyone, save for Ambrose, is looking at me with varying degrees of disgust, almost makes me give into the tug behind my ribs.

Are they all going to flip out like Raphael did if I tell them the truth? Are they going to call me tainted and shame me for something I had no control over?

Did drinking Jeffrey’s blood somehow forever ruin me in some way?

A white streak blurs in front of my eyes, then Ambrose is snarling and snapping in Caden’s face. “Stop it, you’re scaring our little sister!”

The look on Ambrose’s face is so savage and animalistic, Caden takes a step back.

“I’m not trying to scare her, dammit!” Caden says defensively. “But we need to know what was done to her!”

“Boys,” Chloe scolds like she’s scolding children. “None of this helping!”

“I agree,” Andrei says, watching Ambrose and Caden warily. “Alena is still injured and needs attention. I can’t focus on her if I have to worry about you two ripping off each other’s heads.”

Once again, it seems I’ve caused strife within this… family. Putting them at odds with each other and creating a mess.

Maybe it would be best if I left.

Ambrose twists his neck around to look at me. “Are you in pain, little sister?”

The movement is so snakelike, so creepy, Iwantto freak out but can’t.