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Chapter One

I DON'T LIKE CAGES I don't even like going to zoos The first ti at those poor ani that way Sometimes I even felt a little bad for criminals, condemned to life in a cell I'd certainly never expected to spend my life in one

But lately, life sees I'd never expected, because here I was, locked away

"Hey!' I yelled, gripping the steel bars that isolatedto be here? When's eon forever!'

Okay, it wasn't exactly a dungeon, not in the dark, rusty-chain sense I was inside a small cell with plain walls, a plain floor, and wellplain everything Spotless Sterile Cold It was actually ed The bars in the doorway felt cool againstto idly to the side of the cell's entrance and knew there were probably four ht I also knew none of the to answeranswers from them for the last two days

When the usual silence cahed and slu else in my new home, the cot was colorless and stark Yeah I really was starting to wish I had a real dungeon Rats and cobould have at least givento watch I stared upward and i I always did in here: that the ceiling and walls were closing in around me Like I couldn't breathe Like the sides of the cell would keep co out all the air

I sat up abruptly, gasping Don't stare at the walls and ceiling, Rose, I chastised myself Instead, I looked down at otten into this mess

The initial ansas obvious: someone had framed me for a crime I didn't commit And it wasn't petty crime either It was hest crime a Moroi or dhampir could commit Now, that isn't to say I haven't killed before I have I've also doneCold- blooded murder, however, was not in my repertoire Especially not the murder of a queen

It was true Queen Tatiana hadn't been a friend ofruler of the Moroi--a race of living,vampires who didn't kill their victims for blood Tatiana and I had had a rocky relationship for a nureat-nephew, Adrian The other was oi--the evil, undead vampires who stalked us all Tatiana had tricked me a number of times, but I'd never wanted her dead Someone apparently had, however, and they'd left a trail of evidence leading right to erprints all over the silver stake that had killed Tatiana Of course, it was erprints No one seemed to think that was relevant

I sighed again and pulled out a tiny cruno need to look at the words I'd long since memorized them The note's contents made me question what I'd known about Tatiana It had s

Frustrated with s, I slipped out of them and into someone else's: my best friend Lissa's Lissa was a Moroi, and we shared a psychic link, one that let h her eyes All Moroi wielded soic Lissa's was spirit, an ele Moroi, who usually used more physical elements, and we barely understood its abilities--which were incredible She'd used spirit to bring o, and that's what had forged our bond

Being in her e but offered little help forhard to provethat had laid out all the evidence against inning My opponents had been quick to reonism toward the queen and had also found a witness to testify aboutthe murder That testimony had left h evidence to send ed trial--where I would receive my verdict

Lissa had been trying desperately to get people's attention and convince the anyone ould listen, however, because the entire Moroi Royal Court was consumed with preparations for Tatiana's elaborate funeral Adeal Moroi and dha from all over the world to see the spectacle Food, flowers, decorations, even otten married, I doubted the event would have been this elaborate With so much activity and buzz, no one cared about me now As far as most people were concerned, I was safely stashed away and unable to kill again Tatiana's murderer had been found Justice was served Case closed

Before I could get a clear picture of Lissa's surroundings, a commotion at the jail jerked me back intoto the guards, asking to see me It was my first visitor in days My heart pounded, and I leapt up to the bars, hoping it was someone ould tell me this had all been a horrible mistake

My visitor wasn't quite who I'd expected

"Oldhere?'

Abe Mazur stood before ht to behold It was the ht in the middle of rural Pennsylvania-- but that didn't stop hi a full suit It was a flashy one, perfectly tailored and adorned with a brilliant purple silk tie andscarf that just seeainst the dusky hue of his skin, and he looked like he'd recently trih he wasn't royal, he wielded enough influence to be

He also happened to be my father

"I'al counsel, of course'

"You aren't a lawyer,' I reminded him "And your last bit of advice didn't work out so well' That waswhatsoever--had defendedObviously, since I was locked up and headed for trial, the outcoreat But, in all ht about soood, could have savedup to a lost cause, though considering our sketchy relationship, I still wasn't sure why he had My biggest theories were that he didn't trust royals and that he felt paternal obligation In that order