A few more feet, and he would have reached the skylight, which he intended to crash through—protecting Meena with his body, so she would not be harmed—to the roof. But the sword was a taunt he could not resist, especially after the cross. Meena had not admitted that Wulf had given the necklace to her. But Lucien didn’t see who else could have. She certainly hadn’t bought it for herself. And the thick modern solidity of the gleaming metal cross fairly screamed that it had been chosen by a vampire hunter of Gaulish descent. “Come down here,” Wulf called to him, “and fight like a man. Or have you been depending on those demonic tricks of yours for so long, you’ve forgotten what the word man means?” Lucien dropped back to the floor. It had been months since he’d last felt this strong. He wasn’t sure whether it was due to Meena’s proximity or to the Mannette.
