After I returned from Moscow, Christian and I spent another week in bed. Overjoyed by his adoration of me, I arranged for a moonlight picnic. He and I laid on a blanket under the moon, holding hands and trying to name all the constellations we could remember from astronomy class.
I dropped him off in his room and was just returning with his dinner when a rough hand grabbed me and slammed me against the wall.
"Are you trying to play queen, little girl?" Galina's face was inches from mine. "It won't end well for you."
"No, I–" She wrapped her hands around my neck and began to crush my windpipe.
"Perhaps you've forgotten who runs this household," she hissed. "You think because Nathan decided to turn you that you're important somehow? You think you can keep a pet as long as you want and I won't mind that he wastes my money? Drinks our blood?" She shook me to emphasize her point.
"Now I hear that you authorized a little hunting party into another coven's territory and shot a Moroi and a senior member of the Moscow coven." Her face filled my narrowing field of vision. "You think you can shoot that stupid woman and leave her there and the Moroi won't suspect anything? You think that her messed up face isn't recognizable? You think word won't get back to the Moroi Court? There aren't that many Ozeras left, after all. They notice when one is missing, exiled or not. They will find you. They will find us all. I should leave you out to burn."
She released me and I crumpled to my knees, massaging my throat.
"You. Stupid. Ungrateful. Bitch." She punctuated each word with a kick to my ribs.
"Either he turns Strigoi by the end of the week, or I kill him."
She spit, the hot liquid hitting my cheek, and left.
