I gawked at the ring, swept up in a strong sense of deja vu. Just like the first time Dean Lachlan had presented it to me, I was completely floored, too stunned to speak. The ring of course was stunning, with its twinkly diamonds and massive sapphire, but it felt like looking at an anchor.

And I wasn't ready to be weighed down.

"Why?" I took a step back, searching each of their faces. "Why is this whole marriage thing suddenly a matter of life and death?"

The night before last, when Duke first learned of my plan to leave the island, replayed unbidden in my head.

"I don't want to be a vampire."

That shut him up.

I turned to face him, and elaborated. "Before the orgy tonight, the clinic doctor said that I was meant to transition from a human to a vampire."

His face softened, became thoughtful. "You don't have to become a vampire."

"I don't?"

"No, not if you do not wish to."

"Oh," that took me aback, but only for a moment. "What if I don't want to marry Dean Lachlan? Is that negotiable, too?"

"Audrey," he chuckled, shaking his head. "As Lucius stated earlier, you are our queen. We obey you, and you alone. No one will force you to do anything you don't want to."

What changed? What terrible thing has happened to make Gabriel and I getting married the best way to save my human classmates?

"Like Duke, Lucius was also Influenced." Dean Lachlan sighed, folding up his hand around the ring. "He incinerated all of our blood rations before I could stop him."

I gulped. "All of them?"

Gabriel nodded. "He got every single drop we had bagged."

Oh shit.

"Where is he now? Is he okay?"

I hadn't seen him since last night...when he and Duke tried to help me leave. Another pang of guilt shot through me, this time over not asking about him sooner.

"He's at the clinic."

"The clinic?" I repeated, gaping at the Dean. "Why? Did something happen to him?"

I hadn't even noticed Aiden had left until he abruptly re-entered the room, face grim. "A student was attacked outside of the banquet hall. Doc Hadley is taking charge of the scene."

Duke came over to quietly hold my hand. I gave it a squeeze, wishing I could just go to sleep and forget everything.

"Who was the student?" Dean Lachlan asked.

"A freshman boy." Aiden scratched his head, concentrating. "Malone, I think."

"No." I put my free hand to my lips. "Oh no, not Connor."

I had just had breakfast with him and Jo yesterday morning. We joked, talked about tomorrow evening's ball, and he seemed so relaxed, so happy. And now he was hurt, attacked...because of me.

"Damnit." The Dean ran his hands through his snow-white hair.

"Whoever has Nero is getting impatient. We need to do something before someone gets killed." Aiden approached us, serious. "You guys either need to get hitched, or we need to call in all available ferries to get the students out of here."

"There wouldn't be enough time." Gabriel said, a hand still in his hair. "We would have to get in touch with the harbor master, who would have to find enough ferries to get everyone out on short notice, and then get the entire student body prepared for departure --all of which could take at least two days."

"Not to mention the fact that Audrey was attacked while at sea just last night." Duke added, gently squeezing my hand. "Gods knows how many other vampires could be out there lying in wait."

A cold chill raced down my spine, my hairs stood on end. The memory of last night, of the thing that nearly drowned me, flashed in my mind. I shook it away, unable to see it as anything other than an unidentifiable monster.

"Our vampire co-workers would at least have a fighting chance if they had the ability to leave." Duke continued, gaze solemn. "As bad as I hate to admit it, the marriage is our best option. There is just one minor problem: Lucius is the only one among us who is ordained."

Dean Lachlan face-palmed himself.

"How is that a minor problem?" He asked, incredulous. "He's in a medically induced coma with no way to heal but through time. Time, might I add, that we do not possess."

My jaw dropped. "Lucius is in a coma?"

It felt like a stone settled in the middle of my chest. I rubbed at the spot, failing to soothe the heartache that had me on the verge of tears.

There was only one way to fix this, and the thought of it both depressed and angered me.

"Give him some of my blood." I whispered, staring at my bare feet. "I'm going to stay here and clean up. Just bring him by when he's healed and we'll get married."

~~~

Duke communicated telepathically with the clinic doctor and had her send up a nurse to draw my blood. After that was done, Dean Lachlan and Duke left to escort the nurse--and the bag of my blood--back to the clinic. Aiden stayed behind to replace the bathroom door.

"I know it seems like you're between Scylla and Charybdis--a rock and a hard place," he elaborated, fetching a screwdriver from his tool belt. "But things aren't as bleak as they seem."

I'd just finished making my bed, and gave him a snort. "Really? I'm marrying someone I barely know against my will. Not to mention how many people that have gotten hurt because of me...All the trouble I've caused you guys."

I sat down on the bed, suddenly blinded by tears. "Nero's hand is in a fucking box next to the door, for Christ's sake!"

I started to sob, then Aiden flopped down beside me.

"Look, things suck. I get it." He began, handing me a bandanna out of his tool belt. "But they really could be a lot worse. Take Nero's hand for instance."

He nodded over at the package.

"Yeah, it's in a box, but that doesn't mean he's going to be one-handed for the rest of his life."

I sniffled, dabbing at my eyes. "It doesn't?"

Aiden smiled kindly. "Nope. As a matter of fact, that big-dicked bastard may be already half way finished with growing a new hand."

"Is that why none of you guys were worried about getting it on ice?" I had been so horrified when I first saw it that saving the appendage hadn't occurred to me until now.

"Pretty much." He shrugged. "And as far as you causing trouble is concerned, don't even sweat it. None of this is your fault."

"But--"

"No buts." He interrupted me, putting a finger to my lips. "You didn't arrange for Nero to get kidnapped, did you? Or have someone attack that student?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. But--"

"No buts, Miss." He wagged a finger at me, feigning impatience. "Since you didn't orchestrate those unfortunate events, you can't be blamed for them. Right?"

Before I could reply, Jo burst into the room, eyes red-rimmed and watery.

"And that's my exit cue." Aiden mumbled, rising. "No way in hell I can handle two crying women at once."

He strolled past Jo as she was approaching, and thankfully grabbed the box containing Nero's hand on his way out.

"Oh, Audrey!" Jo cried, throwing her arms around me. "Connor got jumped outside the dining hall. There was blood everywhere and he wasn't moving!"

She bent down slightly so that she could cry on my shoulder, her slender arms banding around mine.

"And then there was this man just...growling like some kind of animal." She shook as she spoke, body racked with her weeping. "He told me to do something, Audrey. Something I don't wanna do."

Chills traveled up my body, my blood ran cold. I tried to pull back, but Jo's grip was like a vice.

"Jo, please." I could feel panic bubbling, fighting for control.

She had something concealed in her palm; it looked like a tiny syringe.

"The gladiator failed." She suddenly muttered, voice devoid of emotion. "I must succeed."

Quicker than I could see, she plunged the syringe into my neck, and clicked a button on the end.

"I must succeed."

She mumbled again, lowering me to the floor.

Everything started spinning, turning dark. I tried to raise up, but couldn't move.

Jo gave a sharp whistle, and seconds later a black mist crept in from under the crack of our door. It moved fluidly, concisely, and came to hover above me.

"The blood of the Queen revives the Lord." A deep, hollow voice echoed from the smoke. "The Queen must die."