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“You didn’t fight him as I did,” Lucienne said. “You didn’t see what he was capable of. And there’s so much about the Ghost House we don’t know. All that robot junk could come alive and go on a killing frenzy. I’m not overly cautious, but I won’t lose my best soldiers without good reason.”

Orlando wanted to argue, but Lucienne held a hand in the air. “We’ll not fight inside the enemy’s lair. That’s final.”

“How does Ashburn know our every move?” Vladimir asked.

“I was wondering that, too.” Orlando looked around sharply, as if trying to find a mole he could whack. “Whenever we set out in his direction, he’s already fled to the Ghost House.”

“Ashburn has powers beyond our perception,” Lucienne said.

Eyebrows up, Vladimir stared at Lucienne, waiting. Lucienne blew out a sigh. She couldn’t keep this from her men anymore. “He can access your memories, even remotely, which means, he can constantly read your thoughts. He knows everything you know.”

“I met that kid,” the giant said. “He doesn’t look that impressive.”

“He can block the satellite,” Duncan said. “That sounds impressive to me.”

Kian turned to Lucienne. “What else do you know?”

“I’m the only one who can shield my mind against him,” she said. Over her men’s puzzled, awed looks, she added, “I’m the Siren. My bloodline is one of the most ancient, like his. We need to change plans. I need to go to him alone.”

“Absolutely not!” Orlando said. Then everyone rose, objecting fiercely.

“It’s the only way,” Lucienne said. “I need to talk to him first. I’ll radio when I need you. ”

“Don’t allow her, McQuillen,” Vladimir said. “She’s behaving carelessly again.”

Lucienne narrowed her eyes at Vladimir, and he glared back. “Don’t put us in this impossible position,” he said.

The rest of the warriors murmured in agreement. For the first time, all the men united to oppose the Siren’s decision.

“We must take the risk,” Lucienne said. “Ashburn won’t hurt me.

I’ll only go to the Fury house and wait him out.

He’ll come home eventually if he knows I’m alone, and he’ll never allow Seraphen to go near his parents.

As long as I stay with his folks, I’m safe.

And when Seraphen is out of his lair, you take him down. ”

“We can hold his parents or his girlfriend hostage,” Vladimir said. “That way we’d get Ashburn first, then the mutant, and you’d stay safe.”

“That will work,” Kian said.

When it came to fighting wars, the two men closest to her thought the same way, more than they wanted to admit. But if Lucienne used Ashburn’s family against him, he’d never forgive her. “No,” Lucienne said. “The Furys are sheep, and I’m not a butcher.”

“We’re at war, Lucienne,” Vladimir said. “We do whatever it takes to win.”

“Blazek has a point this time,” Orlando agreed.

“We’re at war with Seraphen, not with Ashburn Fury,” Lucienne said.

“What’s the difference?” Vladimir rolled his eyes. “They’re the same.”

“Not to me,” Lucienne said.

Vladimir’s jaw tightened and his eyes went hard.

“I can’t just think in terms of war,” Lucienne said. “We need Ashburn to help us figure out the puzzles and then we can all move forward.”

“I hope that’s the only thing you need from him,” Vladimir said .

“What does that mean?” Glaring at Vladimir, Lucienne slammed her hand onto the table. A map on it trembled.

“You know exactly what I mean, Queen of Secrecy.” Vladimir struck out his jaw, glaring back.

This was their first public fight. Lucienne bit her lip. “If you don’t want to be around me, take off.”

“It’ll be sooner than you want,” Vladimir barked back.

Lucienne swallowed, her face reddening.

“Time out,” Kian called. “Both of you.”

Vladimir and Lucienne still glared at each other, tense as steel, though Lucienne softened first. “I won’t corner Ashburn and burn the bridge. I know exactly what I’d do if anyone ever used you to get to me. There’d be no forgiveness.”

Red anger faded from Vladimir’s eyes, but bitterness remained. He tried to mask his helpless look, but Lucienne knew it too well. He hated letting her walk into danger alone.

“If you won’t go for the hostage plot, then we’ll play politics. We can use the king and the natives to force his hand,” Kian said.

The Sphinxes team had been monitoring the natives through cameras in Nirvana. Consequently they had been privy to a recent inspirational speech made by Prince Felix in the tavern. “The gods’ light does not shine as brightly as it once did because Ashburn the Extra has brought curses to Nirvana!”

“Some nights the light suddenly goes out,” someone had murmured.

“Everything went downhill after the filthy outsiders came,” said the guard who had been humiliated by Vladimir in the Fury house. “That witch queen put a spell on the kingdom.”

“The outside queen isn’t too bad, though she does have a terrible temper.” The prince turned his fire on his one true enemy. “Ashburn led the outsiders here. He betrayed us! ”

“One of the most lethal weapons is to manipulate the masses and brainwash the populace by planting fear,” Kian had said as he had viewed the footage.

“That bonehead knows we can stop the king’s guards,’” Lucienne had agreed, “but we can’t stop a mass attack by the town’s civilian ‘vigilantes’ on Ashburn.”

Now Kian also wanted to make the natives threaten Ashburn, so the Fury boy would seek asylum in Sphinxes.

“Ashburn is only vulnerable when it comes to Violet and his parents,” Lucienne said. “Peder and Clement would rather die than leave their home.”

“If you’re so worried about hurting him and his folks, then you should know snatching him away will hurt them just the same,” Vladimir said coldly.

“That’s not the same. His parents lost him once, and they actually benefited,” Lucienne said, but she wouldn’t explain.

Over Vladimir’s weary look she said firmly, “I’ll meet Ashburn alone, and I’ll come back to you safely.

” She laid her hand on his arm, and her touch calmed him.

The edge gradually eased out of his eyes.

“I’ll have to borrow your motorcycle, Vlad,” she added.

“You ask too much,” Vladimir grunted. But the next day, Lucienne rode Vladimir’s motorcycle to the Fury house alone.

She brought the Furys gifts and told them she’d like to live with them for a while, to learn their customs and the tongue of Nirvana. Clement and Peder insisted on giving Lucienne their master bedroom, but Lucienne responded that she would take the spare room next to Ashburn’s.

From the absence of the auto-light that night, Lucienne knew Ashburn was inside the Rabbit Hole.

Before bedtime, she shrugged off her motorcycle jacket and wool pants in favor of a ribbed top and pajama pants.

The material was soft against her skin; the blend of silk and spandex allowed her to practice her nightly Tai Chi for the next hour .

When the Fury house became quiet, Lucienne snuck out of her room and slipped into Ashburn’s.

Holding a specimen bag, she headed straight into the bathroom adjoined to his bedroom.

She found a wooden hairbrush in the cabinet, but there wasn’t a single hair on it.

She swept the flashlight over the sink, and then the floor.

Everything was clinically spotless. Empty-handed, Lucienne moved back into the bedroom, hoping to find a hair or two on the pillows.

“What are you looking for, Queen Lucienne?” a voice called from the bed. “Perhaps I can help you find it?”

Lucienne jumped, almost dropping her flashlight. “Ashburn?” she asked in a small, incredulous voice, shoving the specimen bag into her pocket in a hurry.

“Who else would you expect to find in my bed?” Ashburn asked.

Lucienne turned her flashlight toward the bed.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t shine it directly into my eyes. If you need light, all you have to do is ask, nicely,” Ashburn said. The room instantly glowed with a natural, warm light.

Blushing, Lucienne turned off the flashlight. She’d never been caught spying before. Ashburn seemed to catch her every vice.

From her position in the bathroom doorway, Lucienne took in the length of Ashburn.

He lay in bed, his hands crossed behind his head on two pillows.

He wore a peacock blue sweater and black sweatpants.

His silver hair flowed gracefully down his broad shoulders, creating an image more beautiful than any male model on the cover of Esquire .

This was the first time she’d seen him in person since her injury three weeks ago. Lucienne was suddenly self-conscious about dressing in her pajamas as his ice blue eyes roved over her.

Then, before she could stop herself, she advanced toward him, acquiescing to her urge to get closer to him, envisioning herself tracing the outline of his beautiful lips before resting her head in the crook of his strong shoulder.

It’s the pull. It’s manipulating me again.

Lucienne stopped in her tracks. It was getting harder to deprive herself this pleasure, let alone enduring the throbbing heartache every time she resisted the pull.

She tugged at the hem of her pajama top.

“When . . .” she stuttered, “when did you get in?”

“A while ago. I was napping.”

“Oh, sorry. But why didn’t you announce yourself?”

“And miss watching your intriguing adventure?”

Lucienne flushed deeply.

Ashburn sighed. “Since you were determined to live here in my house until I made an appearance, there was really no point in trying to avoid you.”

“You shouldn’t have avoided me in the first place.”

“You’re planning to kill my only protector and then kidnap me,” Ashburn said. “Why wouldn’t I flee?”

“It doesn’t have to be that way. Come with me to Sphinxes. I’ll promise you a good time.”

“As a prisoner or a lab rat?” Ashburn asked. “You have a strange definition of a good time, Queen Lucienne.”