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"When Love Bites Back "Written By: Hemlock Inyx Disclaimer: This chick does not own any of the
Gundam Wing characters because they belong to Bandai and Sunrise.
I am borrowing them for this fict and will return them in good (if
somewhat sticky) condition.This fict is written out of love and not
for profit, don't sue. Thanks and enjoy! Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi, lemon, alternate universe, vampires,
violence, suicide, mild-ooc Pairings: 2x5, past: 1x5, 2xH, 2x3 Summary: He wanted one taste of passion…
Duo Maxwell’s sexy voice seduced him every night
with his late-night radio talk show. So Chang Wufei couldn’t
pass up the chance to be his personal assistant—despite Duo’s
insistence that he was a vampire. Vampires didn’t
wear faded jeans. And they were dark and brooding, not vibrant and
fun. Yet…with one glance of his silver violet eyes, Duo could
hypnotize him. With one nibble of his passionate lips, he could bend
him to his will. Duo insisted Wufei had nothing to fear from him.
But why then was Wufei so conscious of his exposed neck? " When Love Bites Back " Chapter 13 Wufei hated the thought of letting the precious crystals out of his sight, but it was dangerous to keep them as the Coun-cil of Six would know immediately who stole them. He had no illusions on this point. The instant that sunset arrived, the council would send some kind of goon squad after him. Following an hour of worry, pacing and anxious thought, he mailed one of the crystals to his former fiancé, Heero, at Petro Industrial in the States, with an urgent note asking him to have the crystal analyzed with a view toward reproducing the essentials in quantity. The second crystal he mailed to Relena. After returning from the post office, Wufei took an ex-hausted nap in his new quarters, not waking until after six o'clock. For an instant, panic closed his throat; it took a moment to remember where he was. But the panic didn't entirely subside. He had only about an hour and a half until sunset. Then, slowly, he began to relax. The surest way to find Duo was to let the council capture him and take him to where they were holding him. Whatever Duo was facing, he would stand beside him. That was his destiny. "A love to die for," he whispered, testing the hard re-ality aloud. Sitting in the only chair that faced the flat's sole window, he gazed at the sky and forced his mind toward the very real possibility that his life would end shortly. Wufei thought about growing up ill, about how he had never expected to reach old age. It was odd how things worked out. He had survived his childhood illnesses, but he hadn't really begun to live until he met Duo. Duo had introduced him to laughter and silliness and small ad-ventures. Because the boundaries of Duo’s life were framed by sunset and sunrise, he saw both differently now, appreciated their beauty and poignancy. Duo had opened his eyes to nature and the world around him. Because of Duo, he looked different and thought differently than he had before he'd come into his life. He had found a new confidence in himself and joy in just being alive. But if the council punished them with death, his only regret would be the time he would miss with Duo... and the children he would never sire. Tears glistened in his eyes. Destiny had linked them in a forbidden love. But he would rather die with Duo than live a long lonely life without him, because Wufei knew he would never again love this deeply, this totally, this completely. Loving and being loved was what made life valuable and worth-while. And for him, love--and life—was Duo Maxwell. Sitting alone, waiting, he sipped a glass of wine and watched the sunset sky blaze into crimson and orange. He had no doubt the council would find him eventually. There was no place to hide from men like Zechs Merquise and Treize Khushrenada. He prayed that Duo was still alive and that he would have one last chance to hold him and thank him for the joy he had brought into his life, time to tell him again that he loved him, and a moment to experience the magic of being loved one last time. Though Wufei was expecting his door to burst open shortly after sunset, he jumped violently when it happened. Dropping his wineglass and gripping the arms of the chair, Wufei steeled himself to face Zechs Merquise's fury. Instead, Dorothy Catalonia and Cathy Bloom darted in-side with vampire speed, then closed the door behind them. Wufei sagged with relief. He'd never been happier to see anyone in his life. "I wasn't sure you'd come," he said when his nerves stopped jumping. Dorothy moved to the window, dark now, and tossed back a cloud of ash-colored hair. Like Wufei, she wore jeans and sandals. A summer sweater matched the blue of her summer sky eyes. "My Renfield gave me your message." She gazed at Wufei with cold eyes. "If I've made this journey for nothing..." "You haven't." Cathy inspected the flat with distaste before she draped her elegant form across the lumpy sofa. Her cream colored silk suit caught the light from a single lamp, look-ing wildly inappropriate to the shabby surroundings. "Well, cheri." Her soft eyes studied the puncture wounds on Wufei's throat. "It appears your concerns are well-founded." Wufei drew a deep breath, then related all that had hap-pened. When he finished, their expressions had sobered. "Where are the crystals you stole?" Dorothy demanded. "I sent one to Relena," Wufei answered after a brief hesitation. "Good. She'll know what to do." "The question is, where is my darling Duo?" Cathy asked, frowning. "And what has the council done to him?" Unable to sit still, Wufei paced and wrung his hands. "I've thought about it endlessly and I'm guessing they're holding him in Marshal Noventa's stronghold." "Of course," Dorothy agreed softly. "But I don't have any idea where it is." Dorothy's cool gaze inspected Wufei from his short swingy hair to the jeans that molded his lower body. "Why did you send for us? What do you expect us to do?" "When I called for help, I didn't know what lay ahead, only that it could be dangerous." Wufei faced them, emotion burning in his cheeks and throat. "But isn't it obvi-ous? All of us love Duo. I'm hoping you'll help me rescue him" Cathy's smile was sad. "We can support Duo and IV. We can argue in his favor. But we cannot rescue him, cheri.” she said gently. "There is nowhere he could hide that the council would not eventually find him. No, my dear, this struggle must play itself out." She turned toward Dorothy. "Do you agree?" Dorothy was staring at Wufei. "This is all your fault! Since Duo met you, he's been obsessed with the Crystals of Change!" Wufei lifted his chin and his eyes flashed. "Duo's in-terest in the crystals began long before he met me. If you're implying that Duo wants the crystals for himself be-cause he cares for me, you're wrong. You, more than any-one else should know why he'll never become a mortal. He'd go blind!" “He loves you, you fool!" Wufei stood a little straighter. "And I love him." "Don't you understand? Your love will destroy him!" Wufei winced as if he had been struck. "I won't let that happen. I'd rather..." He closed his eyes and swayed on his feet. "I'd rather become a vampire myself than..." Cathy came to him in a blur and placed slim fingers on his sleeve. The pain in her gaze blinded Wufei. "In your time with Duo, have you observed even one enduring rela-tionship among our kind? No, you have not. Deep down we disgust each other." "Shut up, Cathy!" Dorothy clenched her fists. The tips of her fangs emerged. "You know what I'm saying is true. We are predators! Until recently we have all committed crimes against hu-manity to survive. Can you say this does not disgust you?" "We don't have enduring relationships with vampire lovers because eventually the prospect of eternity--and boredom--overwhelms us." Dorothy spread her hands and released a sound of exasperation. "Abiding relationships require too much emotion!" Sadness filled Cathy's eyes. "You prove my point. Love does not endure among our kind. We shy from emotion," she added, raising a hand to her mouth. She shook her head. "There are many reasons to join our ranks," she said, returning to Wufei. "But love is not one of them. Love is the driving spirit of mortals. Love is the life force for you. But we will live forever without it. And that is our tragedy, our true curse." Dorothy moved close to Wufei, her sharp little fangs gleam-ing in the lamplight. "I thought I wanted someone to destroy Duo. I thought I wanted to see him humbled." For one horrifying moment Wufei held his breath and thought Dorothy would attack him. But Dorothy's beautiful face collapsed and her voice sank to a whisper. "It isn't true. I want him to be happy." Sorrow paled her face. "Cathy is correct. Duo and I could never be happy to-gether. We tried, but..." Wufei appealed to them, these strange eternal women bound by their love for a man none of them could have. "What am I going to do?" he whispered helplessly. "How do Duo and I love each other?" Cathy shook her head. "It is hopeless, cheri. You forget the Council of Six. By stealing the files and the crystals, you and Duo have defied them. They will not forgive you and they cannot let either of you live." Lifting a hand, she smoothed back Wufei's hair, staring with fascination at the tiny punctures from Zechs's dark kiss. Dorothy drifted to the window, frowned at the night. "We'll hide Renfield, not that it will do much good. Then we'll search for Duo at Noventa's old castle. We can plead with the council--if it's not too late .... " "No," Wufei objected sharply. "I'm going with you. It's me the council wants. I stole the files and I stole the crystals.'' "They know you did this on Duo's orders." He shook his head. "I had a choice. I could have refused to hack into the bank's files. And Duo doesn't even know that I stole the crystals. That was my idea." Dorothy and Cathy stared at him. "If you go to the council, you're going to your death," Dorothy stated flatly. "Are you crazy, Renfield?" The blood drained from Wufei's face, but his resolve didn't waver. He needed to be with Duo. "You said yourself they'll find me eventually no matter where I try to hide. I'd rather face them while there's a chance of saving Duo." His eyes narrowed. "And Dorothy...my name is Wufei. Not Renfield." Something flared in Dorothy's eyes, then died in defeat. Her mouth pressed into a line, only the tips of her teeth showing against her lower lip. "Very well," she snapped. "We have a car outside." She brushed past Wufei on her way to the door. "I know the way to Noventa's castle." Wufei cast a glance toward Cathy "I'm going to do this. Nothing can keep me away. But, oh, Lord. I'm scared to death!" Cathy pressed his arm. "With good reason, cheri." She peered into Wufei's eyes, then added quietly, "I envy you, Wufei. Once I knew love and warmth. What I'm able to feel now is but a pale imitation. Some of us, like Duo, have been able to keep the emotions alive. But most of us..." "What will they have done to him?" Wufei interrupted, choking on unshed tears. "When one has forever, one does nothing quickly," Cathy said after a pause. "The decision to destroy a vampire is not made lightly. I would guess the council is still locked in de-bate." But she didn't sound confident. "Hurry," Wufei urged, running out the door after Dorothy. * * * * * * * "My Renfield did what?" Duo asked, blinking in dis-belief. "He stole two of the Crystals of Change," Zechs shouted furiously. "This alters everything," he said to the other members of the council. "Now there is nothing to argue. Maxwell and his Renfield must die as an example to others. It's the only way to preserve our power!" "Zechs," Treize Khushrenada said, beading over the council table and rubbing his forehead. "Our power is already broken. The files are in IV's hands. So are two of the crystals. Or do you think Duo’s Renfield is stupid enough to have them still? I doubt it. What purpose would it serve to destroy Duo and his Renfield now? The files and the crystals are exposed." "We should be talking about joining forces," Duo insisted for the hundredth time. Weary, he dropped into a seat in front of the council table. His cold eyes examined Zechs's gleaming fangs. "If you destroy me, all you'll accomplish is to enrage the members of IV. And then what? Will you try to destroy every member of IV? It can't be done," he added flatly. "Eighty percent of all vampires belong to IV. You're outnumbered." He couldn't believe that Wufei, his Wufei, had returned to the museum on his own and had managed to snatch two of the crystals. Pride and love swelled his chest. It seemed a hun-dred years ago that he had met him at the radio station. Wufei had been a different man then. Even so, that had been the night he began to fall in love with him. Right now, he fervently hoped he was on a plane and out of the immediate reach of the council. Treize lifted his head sharply and frowned. "Someone is in the castle." Duo straightened abruptly and listened. His heart sank. "My God, this is a real dungeon! It's a black maze. I can't see a thing!" It was Wufei's voice, no more than an anxious whisper but audible to everyone in the council chamber. They heard a sigh, then, "Take my arm, cheri." Cathy Bloom. And Dorothy. "You know, of course, that the Council is listening. Thanks to you two, they now know we're in the castle." "Indeed we do," Khushrenada snapped, his reply audi-ble to Dorothy and Cathy "Your effrontery will be pun-ished." Duo dropped his head and covered his eyes. What was Wufei thinking of, coming here? Hadn't he realized that stealing the crystals placed him in terrible danger? Of course he had. His Renfield, his Wufei, was as smart as they came. He knew what he was stumbling into. His heart soared that he would see him again even as he de-spaired that he had placed himself in mortal danger. Be-cause he loved him. Duo didn't know what he had ever done to deserve a man like Wufei Chang. His courage and loyalty raised a lump in his throat. If they came through this, he would spend eternity searching for a way to repay Wufei for placing his life in danger for his sake, for loving him. The key was surviving the council's wrath. For the past two nights, Duo had argued IV's philosophy before the council, new approaches versus ancient and solitary traditions. He steadfastly maintained that stealing the files and now the crystals was necessary. Everyone present understood he also fought for his life. Now he would be fighting for Wufei, too. "Light the torches," he said, addressing the request to Khushrenada. "Wufei won't be able to see." "Wufei," Zechs repeated in a dangerously soft voice. "I suspected as much. You love a mortal!" "That is my private hell, and none of your business." "Ah, but it is," Mueller murmured, and Duo understood they would use Wufei against him. His muscles tightened. He would agree to anything be-fore he let them harm him. Then he looked at Zechs's glittering blue eyes and understood events had escalated. Stealing the crystals demanded severe punishment. When Wufei stumbled into the dank stone chamber, blinking at the sudden flaming light of the torches, Duo’s heart constricted in his chest. He looked so small and vulnerable, so frightened and brave. When he gazed around the stone chamber, looked at the fangs below the hard faces on the podium, terror filled his lovely eyes. But he didn't cower, didn't dash back the way he had come. When he spotted him, he broke away from Dorothy and Cathy and ran forward, throwing himself into his arms. Burying his face in the warm fragrance of Wufei’s hair, he held him so tightly that he could feel his heart hammering against his chest. "I was so afraid they'd already--" "You shouldn't have come here," he murmured gruffly, feeling his gums burn as emotion extended his teeth. Hold-ing Wufei slightly away from him, he ran his thumb over the tiny marks on his throat. "Let me look at you. Are you all right?" "I couldn't let you face this alone," he whispered. Wufei’s fingers flew over his shoulders, his face, reassuring himself that he was uninjured. Khushrenada folded his hands on the council table and narrowed his gaze on Dorothy and Cathy. After a moment of silence, he transferred his gaze to the other council mem-bers. "Those of you who have argued that we protect the secret of the crystals by recovering the missing two, and then caging Maxwell and leaving him in the sun to die...what will you do now?" He waved toward Dorothy and Cathy, who had moved to stand behind Duo and Wufei. "Will you cage them in the sun, too? Where will the destruction end?" Alex leaned over the table and peered down at Wufei. "Where are the crystals you stole from us?" he snarled. Shaking in his shoes, Wufei turned in Duo's arms to face the council table, and sucked in a deep breath. Ancient yellow fangs protruded past Alex's lower lip. When he darted a frightened gaze along the table, he realized all of them were showing fangs. Wufei's heart skipped a beat and stopped for a paralyzing second. It terrified him to realize that he was the only mortal in a chamber filled with vampires. He saw Zechs's nose twitch and knew he could smell the blood rushing in his veins. He could hear it. They all could. Even with Duo's strong arm around his waist, he'd never been more frightened in his life. "I won't tell you where the crystals are," he said in a shaken voice. Duo pulled him close to his body, then re-leased him and stepped forward. Dorothy and Cathy moved up to stand beside him. "You can cage us in the sun," Duo said, addressing his remarks to Khushrenada, "but killing us will not protect the secret of the crystals. We now know for certain that they exist. Two are in our possession." Cathy lifted one elegant eyebrow. "Treize, cheri, do you think word of our deaths will not spread? Kill us and war will erupt. Sides will be chosen. For most of our existence we have lived in fear of mortals. If vampire kills vampire, then we will live in fear of our own kind, too." She shook her head in sadness. "IV stands for progress and kindness to all. Does this council stand for destruction?" A council member whose name Wufei did not know, leaned over the table. "Everyone knows a vampire who has tasted mortal blood can not return to mortality!” "Don't be an ass, Dekim," Dorothy shot him a con-temptuous glance, "We don't know anything of the kind since the crystals have never been available to us. We do know vampirism is sometimes an error. IV will establish a stringent screening process. The crystals will not be dis-pensed lightly. But they must be available to us. Duo Maxwell and--" she flicked a glance at Wufei and made her-self refer to Wufei by name "—Mr. Chang are heroes, not the traitors you make them out to be. If anyone has be-trayed our kind, it is all of you! You've let Quatre and oth-ers like him suffer and die. Instead of supporting IV and a tranquil future for our kind, you've tried to keep us cow-ering in the Dark Ages!" Khushrenada lifted a hand, signaling silence. He gazed at Duo. "We have debated these questions without pause for two nights. Have you anything further to say before the council decides your fate and that of your Renfield?" "The time has not arrived when mortal and vampire can live in harmony," Duo said, not looking at Wufei. "But surely vampires can and must support one another's effort to exist. Our differences should be settled by the will of the majority, not by six voices." "Especially not voices mired in the past," Cathy echoed. "IV embraces the modem world and technology that lets us live invisibly among the mortals. IV stands for an en-lightened future." Duo met each of the faces staring at him. "Everything else has been said many times in the last two nights. Either you join IV and lend your support and prestige to the goals of the future…or you cling to a de-structive past, cage us in the sun and instigate a war pitting vampire against vampire." "I accept the possibility of war," Zechs hissed. "We'll weed out the weak and wrong thinking from among us!" Duo met his furious eyes. "In the end, IV will win, just as civilization always wins over savagery." "You cannot steal our files and our crystals and go unpunished!” "The Council shall retire to decide your fate," Khushrenada announced, his face giving away nothing. As a body, the elders stood and filed out of the dungeon cham-ber. "I'm hating this," Wufei muttered, covering his eyes. Then he gripped Duo’s arms and lifted an anxious face. "Will you be able to overhear what they say?" "No. They'll speak in voices inaudible even to another vampire." keeping his arm around Wufei's waist, holding him close to him, he turned to Cathy and Dorothy with a frown. "Why did you bring him here?" Cathy's shoulders rose in an elegant shrug. "He insisted. He's as stubborn as you, cheri." "When he stole the crystals, he sealed your fate," Dorothy said sharply. "It's only fair that he share that fate." "Dorothy's right," Wufei said softly, gazing at him. He loved the wild tousled look of Duo, his swirling hair, the glint of torchlight on his gold earring. Despite Duo’s fatigue and dire situation, he glowed with the vibrancy of being alive. Looking at him restored Wufei’s strength and courage. "I love you.” Duo wrapped his arms around Wufei and crushed him to his cool hard body. "Whatever they decide...I don't care for myself, but for you...Wufei, you wonderful little idiot. Don't you know that by coming here, you made this much worse for me? I wanted to believe that you were safe.” "We're in this together," Wufei murmured against his chest, shivering. It was cold in the dungeon chamber, al-though none of the vampires noticed. A small traitorous part of him wished that Duo were warm, that he could banish a deep chill in his arms. "What will they do to us?" "We'll know soon," Duo said grimly. Over Wufei's shoulder, he noticed Dorothy watching them. For a moment their eyes locked and held, then Dorothy forced a smile. "He's smart and beautiful, and he loves you," Dorothy said, speaking in a voice that Wufei could not hear. "His love will destroy you." "Then you'll have your wish," Duo answered. Her hair brushed her shoulders as she slowly shook her head. "No. You've always been one of our best. Save yourself and leave him while you still can." Cathy flung out a hand. "Look at them. They love each other. Can you remember what love was like, Dorothy? The heart beats faster at the sight of the beloved. The body sings to a lover's touch. Life resonates with color and joy. Love is like a sunny day, radiant and shining. Do you remember what that was like?" She turned to face a dank stone wall, and her voice cracked. "I envy them." Dorothy said something in reply, but Duo didn't hear. Holding Wufei in his arms, his head bent near his lips, he heard only the fragile pounding heartbeat of his love, heard him murmuring his name again and again, thrilled to Wufei’s heat and the perfect fit of his body against his. Fate had played a monster trick in giving him this splen-did man, then placing an insurmountable obstacle between them. If there was a compromise or a solution, Duo would have discovered it a century ago. There was not. Unless one of them joined the other's world, eventually Wufei would re-sent him as he aged and he didn't. He would grow to hate him. If Wufei entered his world, he would not age, but he would not have any children. His hate would harden to loathing when he faced eternity with none of the mortal joys that had made his life worth living. Wufei could never accept his dark world. He knew this. And to accept his meant that he would lose his eye-sight. Never again would he gaze through a microscope and delight in the hidden world he discovered there. Never again would he pilot a plane across the night sky and thrill to the sensation of flight and the sight of the dark earth curving beneath him. The books he cherished would be lost to him. The world would disappear. And Wufei. He would age but he would not see the silver threading his hair. His lovely face would fade to a mem-ory. How long would he be able to recall the exact shade of his skin or his dark velvet eyes? Or the shape of his rosy mouth? How long would he remember the way his smile seemed to light him from within? And if they adopted or sired a child in his world--something he had once longed for--he would never see them. He would have to rely on his fingertips and on the descriptions of others. Feeling his heart crack, he held Wufei so tightly that he murmured a small protest and he eased his embrace. An-ger shook his body and he wanted to howl at the heavens, wanted to smash and tear and crush something to vent his rage at the unfairness of destiny. And suddenly, overwhelmingly, he felt the terrible crushing solitude of eternity. How could he bear it without Wufei? Tilting his face up to him, Duo gazed deeply into his onyx eyes. "Oh, God, Wufei," he said, despairing. "I know," he whispered, tears wetting his lashes. "Somewhere there must be a place for us." Warm fingers caressed his cheek. Wufei’s anxious gaze swept his extended teeth and settled with alarm on the dampness behind his lashes. "Oh, my dearest..." Cathy's sharp warning interrupted them. "The council is returning!" Duo held Wufei close to his body and they all turned to-ward a carved oak door set among the stones. The council filed inside and mounted the podium, resuming their seats. Duo frowned. He sensed their speculation about the taste of Wufei's blood, felt the tension of their acute interest in the rate of his heartbeat, the scent of him. He pulled Wufei closer, wrapping a protective arm around his waist, feeling the tremor that raced through his body. Khushrenada stared down from the podium. "This does not concern you," he said to Dorothy and Cathy. Dorothy's lovely chin came up sharply. "Your decision will affect all vampires." "We shall stay to the finish," Cathy stated firmly. Khushrenada's narrowed gaze swung to Duo. "In ret-rospect, IV's possession of Blanc et Cie's files is positive. While the bank possessed the files, they also wielded power over us. Now we no longer must fear exposure from that source." His eyes bored into Duo. "That does not ex-onerate you. You had no authority to steal the files. You must give the files to the council." "As president of International Vampires, I acted for the good of all. The natural place for the files is with IV." "As to the Crystals of Change... you have defied cen-turies of this council's wisdom by exposing the crystals we deemed it best to keep secret. Because of your arro-gance-'' his hard gaze shifted to Wufei's throat and he shivered "--if we do not make the crystals available to those vampires who seek them, a war among us will most certainly ensue." "Excuse me, sir," Wufei murmured, amazed by his au-dacity. He cleared his throat and tried to speak louder, the attempt purely reflex. They could all hear him perfectly. "The decision is made. IV has a crystal, and IV will make the ingredients available to those who wish a return to mortality, sir." A sense of unreality swept over Wufei. Was it possible that he was actually standing in the dungeon bowels of a ru-ined castle staring at fanged creatures who saw nothing but his throat? Or was this a nightmare? Khushrenada ignored his comment. But even with his mind whirling, Wufei noticed an important omission. Khushrenada had not denied that the crystals could be analyzed and reproduced. This meant one crystal would unlock the secrets of all. He felt almost dizzy with relief. Wufei had feared the six crystals had to be used together. Khushrenada addressed his remarks to Duo. "The council is split. Some of our more militant members--" he cast a glance toward Zechs Merquise's angry expres-sion "--do not shy from a war among us. It is their opin-ion that a vampire cannot return to the world of mortals and should not. Others on this council reluctantly agree to make the crystals available rather than turn vampire against vampire. "It is the consensus of this council that you will un-dergo a test to decide the matter." Wufei and Duo glanced at each other, then turned back to the council, holding hands tightly. Khushrenada's ancient eyes glittered. "The crystals are useless unless one knows how to use them. If you correctly tell us how the crystals are used, then we will not block IV's intention to make the crystals available." "And if we fail?" Duo asked, anticipating the an-swer. "Then you will both be punished for your crimes against the council." He transferred his stare to Wufei and it seemed to him that his fangs thickened and grew more pointed. "Mr. Chang will be made into a vampire and you will both be caged in the castle yard and left to die in the sun." Wufei gasped and his fingers flew to the tiny puncture wounds on his throat. His gaze swung to Zechs who stared at him with lust glowing in his blue eyes. Pointed fangs pressed his lower lip. "You have twenty-four hours to conclude how the crys-tals are used." Duo's jaw knotted so severely, he could hardly speak. For the first time since Wufei had known him, a faint flush appeared on his cheeks. "I will not permit you to make Wufei a vampire!" "You have no choice. The decision has been made." "He acted solely at my direction and on my orders. He is in no way to blame for the files or the crystals! Do what you will with me, but leave him out of this!” Khushrenada stood behind the table and nodded to Alex and Mueller. "Lock them in the adjoining room." To Duo he added, "You have twenty-four hours. No longer!” Zechs Merquise's thin handsome face curved in a malevolent smile. He stared at the tiny marks he'd left on Wufei's throat and licked his lips in anticipation.
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