, black leather roll. She spread it open on the nightstand, revealing a set of gleaming, cu

r the flame of a small, portable alcohol lamp. Her focus narrowed until th

ght, she brought the tweezers to the nearly invisible point behind his ear. She held he

The needle was barbed, designed t

His body arched in a violent, involuntary spasm,

st his shoulder to hold him still. "Don't move," she whispered, her

sciousness heard and understood, the ten

came free. It was three centimeters long, thin as a hair, and wicked-

wn. Tw

eedles embedded along his spine, hidden between the verte

The frantic, shallow rhythm of Donny's breathing began to slow, deepening int

acked her medical kit, stowing it deep within her bag

raightened up w

lock. The single strand of hair she'

as trying

tstand and splashed it over her face and hair. She tore the collar of her

y the two guards from the hallway. His eyes swept the room, his gaze

around her head, letting out a series of terrif

ing inches from her. "Where is the male nurse?" he d

etween gasps. "And then... then the master started screaming and t

, his breathing deep and even. He looked more peaceful than Fi

down at Alea with contempt. "Get up. Miss Felicit

, pushed herself up from the floor. She wiped t

ng, pathetic victim disappeared. Her spine straightened, her chin lifted, a

stopping so close that he could

utterly devoid of any accent. "My name is Alea Beaumont. I a

thugs will get out of my husband's private chambers. And from this

en change that he actually took

dropping even lower. "Challenge the author

rs-" he began, trying

t a cold, s

. Now get out," she said, taking a step toward him. "And if you ever enter this room unannounced agai

He stared at her, utterly defeated by the sheer force of her will. He sputtered for a moment, then turne

was sil

door, a small, triump

mile

he was staring directly at her with an unnerving, pier