and cowardly, he preyed on the worst characteristics of his followers. Every bear shifter Lidi knew took pride in his or her strength, courage, intelligence and loyalty. Vasily deliberately undermined those values. He targeted groups within the kingdom who were vulnerable and preyed on their insecurities.
Even so, Vasily had been surprised when he had seized power at the strength of feeling against him. Callistoya had been weakened by the death of its beloved king together with most of his council, but it was a land of tradition and Vasily had no direct claim to the crown. His mother had married King Ivan, Ged’s father, after his first wife died. Since the king’s first marriage had produced two sons—Ged and Andrei—they were the rightful heirs to the throne.
Callistoya had been a peaceful nation when Ged’s father was alive, with only minor skirmishes in the outlying regions and uprisings when the crops failed or the taxes were raised. Ged’s father had been a strong king who knew how to deal with those problems, but Vasily was good at stirring up trouble. He had incited the rebel forces in the east of the country. They claimed that an area of land belonged to them, not to the Crown, and demanded freedom from taxation. Vasiliy supported them, keeping the feud going until they refused to back down despite King Ivan’s offer of a peacekeeping council. Then, having argued with his stepfather over money and titles, Vasily joined the rebels, his presence strengthening their cause and providing him with a ready-made army.
The night King Ivan died would be remembered in Callistoyan history as a night of betrayal and bloodshed. Lidi was unsure of all the details, but she knew it was the occasion of Ged’s engagement to Duchess Alyona Ivanov. Negotiations between the king and Vasily had been ongoing, and Vasily had agreed to suspend hostilities and attend the celebration. As a sign of his commitment to peace, he had pledged to accompany his mother, the queen, to the party.
He and a group of his men had been welcomed into the palace and an evening of feasting and entertainment had ensued. During the night, the king and most of his entourage had been slaughtered in their beds.
At some point before the murders, Ged and his brother, Andrei, had disappeared. The following day, Vasily had announced to a stunned nation that he was taking over the throne. The murderers were never brought to justice, although suspicion naturally fell on Vasily.
When Vasily was crowned, many of Callistoya’s subjects were outraged. They had been convinced that Ged, their true king, was still alive. Vasily had used the death of Alyona against him. On the night of the massacre, Alyona had been found dead in Ged’s bed. She had been strangled before a silver knife was plunged into her heart. If Ged was such a hero, Vasily asked, why had he deserted his betrothed in her hour of need? Or was the truth more sinister? Was Ged the person responsible for her death? Had he killed the others to cover up for his guilt? If he was innocent, why hadn’t he come back to Callistoya to clear his name? The whispering campaign had filtered throughout the kingdom until a seed of doubt had been planted against the man whose name, until then, had stood for honor and decency.
Ged’s uncle, Eduard Tavisha, now the leader of the resistance, had done his best to end any speculation about Vasily’s claim to the throne. The matter was simple. Ged was the king. Next in the line of succession was his younger brother, Andrei. After him, there was a cousin. No matter how much noise Vasily the Usurper made, he was no relation to the Tavisha family. He had no right to the crown.
Vasily had greeted Eduard’s proclamation with rage. Ged had confirmed his unsuitability to be king by fleeing like a dog with his tail between his legs, he declared. Only Vasily’s own strength of character had saved the day when he stepped in and took over. Since most people knew he had been behind the massacre, his protestations, far from fooling anyone, only made the situation worse. Seeking a way to strengthen his position, his gaze had turned to an alliance with the noble house of Rihanoff.
Looking back, Lidi supposed she could have dealt with Vasily’s proposal more diplomatically. He was known for his vindictive nature and her point-blank refusal had provoked an angry response. Determined to get her to change her mind, Vasily had tried persuasion, moved on to threats, and ended by throwing Lidi and her father, the Count of Aras, into prison.
“I know he sent them,” she said in reply to Ged’s question. Vasily was cruel as well as vengeful. He would have her followed to the ends of the earth rather than allow her to escape him.
“If his men have been trailing you, why have they waited until now to attempt to capture you? It would have been easier to do it when you were alone and on the road.”
“Who knows? Maybe they wanted to find out where I was going. Once they knew I was with you, it would have changed everything.” She squared her shoulders, feeling the pull as she moved her injured arm. “There is only one way to find out.”
He was staring at her in that disconcerting way he had. As though he was looking through her, seeing something in her that captivated him. It was the look every woman should want from a man. If she wanted a man...
“Are your friends really big-cat shifters?” She attempted to deflect his attention by glancing at the two men who were still standing near the door.
“Ah, hell. I’d forgotten we weren’t alone.” He ran a hand through his hair. “How do you do that, Lidi? How do you make me lose sight of everything except you?”
“It’s not deliberate.” Without thinking, she reached up a hand and brushed back the lock of hair that had flopped onto his forehead. “And it’s mutual.”
Touching him only confirmed what she already knew. Heat pulsed through her at the brief connection, and she saw Ged’s eyes widen. There was no escaping this attraction between them. Unwanted and inconvenient, it was burning them both up.
He caught hold of her hand, his strong fingers wrapping around hers. The delicious tingling sensations continued, but his touch grounded her. For the first time since her mother had walked away, she felt safe and protected with another person.
“We have to go.” The regret in his eyes matched her own. Taking a breath, he turned to his friends. “Khan, Diablo...this is Lidi. She’s coming with us.”
She could see the interest in their eyes as they looked at her, particularly when their eyes dropped to take in their clasped hands.
Khan smiled at her. “Nice to meet you, Lidi. Now can we please go and kick some bear butt?”
Diablo clapped a hand to his forehead with a groan. “One day, Khan will think before he speaks. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.”
Khan was protesting in an undertone as they headed toward the door. “What did I say?”
“First impressions count. You just sounded like you were excited about kicking naked asses.”
Khan gave a snort of laughter. As Ged opened the door, his mood changed, becoming instantly serious. They made their way along the corridor in silence. Although her own body was on high alert, Lidi was also aware of the coiled strength of her companions. They were a team, communicating in gestures and eye movements. She had engaged in coaching sessions with the Aras guards, and her training had been rigorous and demanding. Even so, she sensed something in this group went beyond her experiences. She had always felt there was an element missing from her instruction, a higher level that remained stubbornly out of her reach. Now she was witnessing it, and it had nothing to do with experience or skill. It was about trust. These men knew they could count on each other, no matter what.
They avoided the main staircase, heading instead for a door marked Réservé au personnel. Ged took the lead as they went down the stairs. Lidi was behind him with Khan next and Diablo at the rear. When they reached the second floor, a man was waiting for them. Although Lidi tensed for action, she recognized him. He was the guy who had tried to stop her from getting to Ged when she climbed into the hotel. She recalled that just after she had broken free of his grasp and kicked him, Ged had called him Rick.
Rick’s eyes flickered briefly to her face and he rubbed his chest reminiscently, but he gave no other sign that he knew her.
“Did