He nodded. “Is this it?” he asked, holding out the key.
“Yes.” Sierra grabbed it.
“So it’s the key for Voz?”
“No, it’s the key for the mural. While you were upstairs I looked at the shoes more carefully,” she explained. “These are removable shoe buckles that were in fashion in those days. They come apart and could be used as brooches or earrings. But this one is different than the others. It’s in the shape of a key.”
“So that’s the key Voz wants?”
“No. This key also plays a role in the mural thing.”
“We’ve got less than thirty minutes left.”
She took the golden key from him along with the sparkly key from the shoe. She inserted the sparkly key into the box on which the princess was standing.
Sierra had to work hard at keeping her hands steady and focusing on unlocking the box in the mural. She couldn’t show Ronan how upset she was to see him so torn up. She felt his wounds as if they were her own. Not literally, but to her soul.
“I’ll heal,” he whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry about me.”
The moment the key touched the wall, the box transformed from a flat illustration to a three-dimensional object.
“I can see it now!” Ronan said.
The sparkly key didn’t fit in the box itself but the golden key did. The box opened to reveal a pile of gems—not just diamonds but rubies and emeralds as well. There were also several pieces of gold and gemstone jewelry.
Sierra gave the box to Ronan and removed one necklace in particular. It featured an amethyst-and-ruby-encrusted golden key the size of Sierra’s hand.
“This is what Voz wants,” she said.
“A necklace?” Ronan said.
“A necklace I gave Catherine the Great during a moment of weakness,” Voz said, appearing out of nowhere.
“Did you know it was here hidden in the mural?” Sierra said.
“I knew it was hidden somewhere in this house. Gregori had a witch charm it so no one would find it but him. Then he became increasingly demented and couldn’t remember how to retrieve the treasure. He had a key around his neck but that wasn’t the answer. He needed more. I needed more.”
“Did you turn Gregori?” Sierra said.
“No. I would have done a much better job of his transformation.”
“I don’t understand. If you wanted this necklace why couldn’t you just go get it from Catherine yourself? She may have been great but I’m sure she would be no match for a vampire,” Sierra said.
“Master Vampire,” Voz corrected her. “And I couldn’t take it. The necklace had to be given to me. It’s been in my family since the time of the Crusades. I needed it back.”
“Why? What does it do?” she asked.
“My, you are a nosy little thing, aren’t you.” It was a statement of fact, not a question.
“Yes, I am,” Sierra, said, keeping an eye on her watch. She wasn’t about to let Voz talk his way into getting both the necklace and Ronan by going over the midnight deadline. But she also had to be sure, after dealing with Gregori, that she wouldn’t be aiding and abetting in the release of mutant vampire demons or something else equally bad if not worse.
She had no idea what she’d do if that were indeed the case. How could she bear to have Ronan returned to the horrible life he’d had? He hadn’t told her much about it, but she’d seen the marks on his body, as if he’d been branded.
“The necklace has mystical properties,” Voz said.
“Which are?” Ronan demanded.
“It enables me to see into the future.”
“Swear on your family’s coat of arms that you are telling the truth.” Ronan pointed to the signet ring that Voz wore.
The Master Vampire put his left hand over the ring on his right hand. “I swear on my family’s honor. Now hand it over.”
Ronan reached for the necklace when Voz stopped him. “No, it has to come from her.”
“Why?” Ronan asked suspiciously.
“Because it has to be given to me by a woman who is pure of heart.”
Shit. Sierra felt like crying. She wasn’t a virgin. She hadn’t been one when she and Ronan had made love last night.
Voz laughed at her expression. “I don’t mean a virgin. You are pure of heart. That is why you are such a strong entity empath. Now hand it over before I rip Ronan’s heart from his chest out of sheer frustration.”
Sierra shoved it at Voz. “You’re cold, hard, and mean.”
“Indeed I am,” Voz readily admitted. “But I keep my promises.” He tilted his head toward the stairway behind him. “Your sister.”