Page 41 of Tanglewood Legacy (The Three Sisters 3)
Pierre turned a tight circle, his anxiety rising, even as the music played and guests continued to dance, unaware of the killers among them. “There they are.”
He gestured to where Lucienne and Antoinette made small talk with the governor around the punch bowl.
Isis’s eyes narrowed.
“Suspicious,” Pierre said.
“Agreed,” Isis and Rhys said in unison.
Their suspicions were confirmed when a scream sliced through the night.
ChapterTwenty
“Where’s Circe?” Panic rose in Isis’s throat as the crowd became agitated, everyone moving toward the scream. She searched the crowd. Gabriel was in a heated discussion with one of his servants, but Circe wasn’t with him.
Rhys grabbed her arm and shook. “Something’s wrong. We’ll never get through this crowd. Use the shadows. We have to find her.”
“Unhand her.” Pierre glared at the place Rhys’s fingers dug in. Isis nudged him gently, telling him with her eyes that she loved how protective he was of her, but she was all right.
“I’ll find her,” Isis promised Rhys, then backed behind the candelabra, out of the light. Dark tendrils raced along the walls at her command, searching the building for her sister. She closed her eyes, seeing what they saw. Circe came into view at the base of the stairs. She was huddled over a woman in servants’ clothing. When Circe looked up as the crowd rushed in, the front of her dress was covered in blood.
“It’s her! She’s the witch!” Lucienne Devereaux cried to the governor, who looked on in horror. “My innocent sister sits in prison, and the true culprit is here, caught in the act!”
Isis gasped, opening her eyes. “Oh my goddess, Circe!” She started for the stairs, but the crowd was dense.
“What did you see?” Pierre asked.
“Isis?” Rhys was pale now, his hands in fists.
Pushing through the crowd, Isis took an elbow to the chest and heard a curt, “Excuse me” from a man on the right.
“I need to get to my sister,” she said, but no one was paying any attention to her.
Suddenly, a hand landed on her waist, and she looked up into the face of the dragon. Gabriel motioned to Pierre and Rhys. “Follow me.”
He guided them in the opposite direction as the crowd, through a narrow hallway at the back of the residence and out the front door.
“But my sister!” Isis protested.
“Your sister is being taken to prison,” Gabriel said.
“What?” Rhys’s expression turned positively violent. “Why?”
“She was found hovering over the body of my maid.” Gabriel growled. “There was blood on your wife’s dress, and as my maid had been drained of all her blood, assumptions were made.”
“You were dancing with her! What happened?” Rhys asked.
“One of my staff approached her while we were dancing and said a message had arrived for her. He led her away. I assume that’s when my maid was killed. He has no memory of the incident.”
“Circe is not a vampire,” Isis said incredulously.
“But she was framed by one,” Gabriel said softly. “I must get back to my guests before my absence is noticed. Go. Be with your sister.”
Pierre gathered her into his arms. “I’ll talk to Étienne. He’s a friend. Maybe…”
Rhys took Isis’s arm. “Let’s go.”
* * *
