HOW COULD ONE little ticket ruin everything?

Gabriel and Angie's unexpected Christmas present had astounded Victoria; a ticket to a New Year's Eve masquerade ball at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. It was an exclusive event by invitation only, and Victoria had argued that it was far too extravagant, but Gabriel had told her that it was nothing, a combination get well after her snowboarding accident and Christmas present. He had also told her in no uncertain terms that the tickets, courtesy of their parents, were not returnable.

Victoria had mentioned the ticket to Christian two days ago, and she'd been completely blindsided by his response. The minute she had said that it was going to be a masquerade ball at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, it was like he had become possessed, telling her in no uncertain terms that he forbade it.

The minute his patronizing words had left his lips, the room had become fraught with tension. She'd stared at him as if he'd been speaking a foreign language.

"Is this about Gabriel? Honestly Christian, get over it. Gabriel likes me but he knows that we're just friends, and that's all we are ever going to be. I do have friends other than you, you know, and just because he's asked me to a party in New York doesn't mean you need to go all Tony Soprano on me."

"It's not about Gabriel," he insisted fiercely. "I don't want you to go there."

"Then what is it about, Christian? These are my friends. Who do you think you are anyway?" Victoria said hotly.

"Victoria, I do not want you to go to New York. And that's it."

"Then stop playing games and tell me why," she shot back.

"I do not need to explain my reasons to you. It should be enough that I've asked you not to go for your own safety."

She launched a glare in his direction. "You don't need to explain your reasons to me?" she repeated in a shrill staccato, advancing on him enough that he'd stepped backward. "Let me explain something to you, Christian. You are not in the nineteenth century any more. In this world, guys don't get to order girls about. I don't know where you think you are or who you think you are, but you cannot tell me what I can or can't do. I am going to New York. And that's it."

He'd stared at her with a pained look as if she'd slapped him, and then said quietly, his voice weary, "Fine, do whatever you like, then."

Victoria had left his house enraged, announcing that she was going to do exactly that. She hadn't seen him since.

Now standing in the guest bedroom of Gabriel's parents' opulent Upper East Side Fifth Avenue townhouse, Victoria was still shaken by the memory. Truth was, she knew that she was angrier at Christian for actually letting her leave yesterday without making contact with her, than she was that he had forbidden her to go to the party. After the wonderful few days they had spent together, she missed him.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and Angie poked her head in.

"Hey, Tori, the limo's going to be here in about an hour, okay?"

"Thanks Angie," Victoria said. "Thanks again for letting me crash here. I was more than happy to stay in a hotel."

"It's no big deal and you know Gabe, once he makes his mind up, it's a done deal. My parents aren't even here, and they don't care who stays here anyway," she said. She smiled awkwardly. Even though things were much better between them, Angie still wasn't big on small talk.

Victoria glanced at the large box on the bed and sighed as she removed the gorgeous dress, staring at it in awe. The ball was black tie and she had walked Fifth Avenue for hours trying to find something suitable. Maybe it was the rotten timing of waiting until the last minute, but the only dress options seemed to be either huge swaths of taffeta or pearl-encrusted contraptions. Frustrated, she'd decided to take a break when she received a call from Angie saying she'd had a package delivered to the apartment.

In complete surprise, she had taken the large box to her room and opened it to find the elegant red silk dress. She didn't recognize the designer but the box said Bergdorf Goodman, an exclusive luxury department store in Midtown. There was a single rose along with a note that said "vraiment désolé" in Christian's elegant script. He was sorry—sorry enough to send her a gorgeous dress to wear to a party he didn't want her going to in the first place.

Victoria dressed slowly. The lustrous, jewel-toned crimson of the dress was the ideal complement to her olive skin and draped her long slender body perfectly. She felt beautiful wearing it knowing that Christian had selected it for her. The strapless bodice was form-fitting with a ruffled bow-tie trim under the bust before flaring out in folds toward the hem. She had chosen to wear her hair in a simple, smooth chignon with Christian's rose tucked in the fold at the top of the knot. The effect softened the severity of the sleek hairstyle.

She left her makeup simple, with dark mascara emphasizing her wide green eyes, a dusting of tawny blush on her cheeks, and barely glossed lips. The overall effect was startling. Even her amulet seemed to shine more brilliantly red because of the dress.

At the very last minute before she left the room, she turned around and slipped the ring Christian had given her for Christmas on her finger. He had surprised her with his own extravagantly heart-wrenching gift; a magnificent vintage swirl ring inset with diamonds that extended to her first knuckle. When he had said it had been his mother's, Victoria had been overwhelmed. Despite her recent vow to never wear it again, deep down she knew that there was no way she wouldn't have worn the ring.

Angie popped her head in and her eyes went wide. "Wow Tori, you look amazing!"

"Thanks. So do you."

Angie was wearing a slinky gold spaghetti strap number. Her dark hair had been blown out, and she looked glamorous. Her matching gold and black sequined mask was daring and racy, the perfect complement to the dress.

"I don't think I would have recognized you, Angie, if I'd seen you at the party. You look so different."

"Thanks! Everyone's already here, so shall we?" she said, flushing with embarrassed pleasure and moving toward the door.

Victoria picked up the reddish gold Venetian mask that had accompanied the dress. It was a lovely half mask with red and gold feathers curling up behind her right temple, and golden chains dangling below them from the back of her ear to her cheekbone.

Everyone was waiting in the foyer of the apartment when Victoria and Angie went downstairs together. Gabriel looked very rocker-glam in a luxurious velvet blazer with ruffled tuxedo shirt and lean tailored jeans, and his expression was one of frank admiration when he saw Victoria. Charla was stunning in a green Grecian-style gown. She embraced Victoria as if they hadn't seen each other in months, and was effusive in her comments about Victoria's dress.

There were four other people in the foyer; two seniors from the ski trip, Katie and Mike who were both really nice, and two other young men that Victoria didn't know. Angie introduced them as Taylor and Wyatt, both of whom she and Gabriel had grown up with. Since Angie seemed to pair up with Taylor, Victoria smiled as Wyatt extended his arm with a gallant bow.

As they headed to the waiting limo, Victoria noticed Gabriel staring at her. His expression was speculative and ... greedy. It made her feel uncomfortable. Wyatt's arm curved around her waist and Gabriel's eyes narrowed, a flash distorting his handsome face, but when he noticed Victoria watching him, he smiled and abruptly went outside.

Sometimes Victoria felt that Gabriel's moods were too erratic. She had tried to read his mind, but it was like reading the same old book with the same story. What she saw was what she got. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something.

The limousine headed down Fifth Avenue toward Rockefeller Center as they popped a bottle of Cristal champagne and started the first of many toasts to the year. The streets of New York were alive with throngs of happy, laughing people, and the limousine crawled along amidst the traffic.

Victoria had heard a lot about the famous Rainbow Room as well as its unparalleled view, but nothing prepared her for the amazing sight of New York City laid out in all its gold and white light glory with the Empire State Building gracing its skyline. It was magnificent. In the restaurant, she felt like she was in a different world! People were dancing and milling about, dressed in their finery with their faces covered in unique and exquisite masks. Golden cloths and elaborate centerpieces adorned the tables, and the music from the live band filled the room.

Gabriel waved her over to their table, which was already covered in champagne. They certainly wasted no time, Victoria thought as he handed her a glass, and pulled her over to the other window to show her the view.

"I like your Phantom of the Opera mask, it's very distinctive. It suits you," she told him.

"You look spectacular tonight, Tori, I meant to tell you at the apartment but didn't get a chance to. That dress is amazing."

"Thanks, Gabe," she said.

"Dance with me."

"Maybe another time," she said pointedly, as Charla came bearing down on them, and proceeded to drag Gabriel out to the dance floor.

One of the things that Victoria loved was people-watching and tonight was unquestionably the night for it—she had never seen so many beautiful people in her life! Still, as much as she was enjoying herself, Victoria felt like a part of her was missing. She'd secretly hoped that since it was a masquerade, Christian could have attended incognito and been there to toast the New Year with her. Victoria bit her lip, knowing that it was her own fault he wasn't there, but it was too late now. She sighed, her eyes roving the room, desperate to distract herself.

Suddenly her breath stopped. Her eyes traveled in reverse to the pair of familiar steel gray eyes that stared piercingly at her from across the sea of tables and gyrating bodies. She'd already taken a step toward him before even realizing that she had done so, the pull of him magnetic, and she could no more stop herself as she could still her beating heart. He made no move to come to her, just stood watching her as she made her way toward him. He looked unbelievably handsome in a black suit and dark silver mask that obscured half of his face. But Victoria would have recognized those eyes anywhere.

Her smile faltered as she got closer and still he seemed unresponsive, except for the unflinching steel gaze focused on her.

Victoria hesitated, struck by his coldness but she supposed she deserved it after their argument. She hadn't even had the graciousness to thank him for the dress. The next move was definitely hers.

She took a deep breath as she closed the last few steps to stand in front of him, the strappy gold heels she had worn putting her eyes on level with his chin.

"I'm really glad you came. And I'm sorry too," she said. She peeked at him through her lashes and he was still staring at her, his expression unreadable. Taking another deep breath, she tilted her face up and pressed a kiss to his lips. At first he was unresponsive, then suddenly his lips softened and he wrapped his hand around her waist, hauling her closer and claiming her lips in a bruising kiss.

Victoria froze. Something was terribly wrong. She pushed against him, and he held her tighter. Fear uncoiled in her chest as she pushed away with all her strength and stumbled backwards, staring at him, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Christian?" she said.

"No, but now I can certainly see what all the fuss is about." His tone was insolent.

"Lucian." Victoria's voice was flat even though her heart was racing with panic, her hand unconsciously fluttering to her neck. Lucian noticed and smiled a very white, toothy smile. She dropped her hand immediately, which made his smile even wider.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm one of the sponsors of this year's event."

Suddenly everything became crystal clear in Victoria's head as she understood why Christian had reacted so violently when she had told him of the party. She wished he had just trusted her enough to explain it to her, but then she realized with a rush of guilt that she hadn't given him the chance.

Lucian was still watching her, and she was glad that her mask at least partially covered her face, although she wished that she could see his more clearly. It was uncanny how much he and Christian looked like each other.

Victoria glanced at her friends at the far end of the room, and looked back at Lucian, who was still watching her with a speculative, calculating expression. In that single look, she could see exactly what Christian had meant when he had said his brother was ruthless and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. The amulet burned a warning against her chest as her heart pounded rapidly and she shivered, knowing intuitively that he was very, very dangerous.

He stepped toward her and she tensed, poised to attack, but he smoothly removed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, and handed one glass to her. Victoria knew she had to be calm even though every instinct was screaming for her to run away as fast as she could. She looked at him evenly.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," she said.

"Yes," he agreed, "it was very nice to meet you." His suggestive reference to the stolen kiss set her on edge, and her temper flared.

"I am sure you enjoyed our ... meeting far more than I did. I can assure you I found it indelibly distasteful." Lucian's eyes hardened.

"Shall I remind you how distasteful you find me?" Victoria blanched at the sheer menace in his tone but before she could even move to step away, Lucian grasped her arm. She winced in pain. He leaned in, his eyes glacial. "Don't even think about it, your neck would be in my hands before you took another step."

"And you would be dead before you could flex your fingers," she said with scathing contempt.

Lucian stared at her in reluctant admiration, her eyes flashing and defiant. He was impressed, but that didn't mean that she didn't need to know her place. He squeezed his fingers around her arm and watched her eyes dilate. He squeezed harder.

Victoria felt like she was going to faint from the agony. As Lucian's face swam out of focus, she tried to pull herself together to step outside of the pain. She could only think of one thing.

Christian.

I'm here.

Relief flooded her body like a wave as her eyes swept the room and fell on the tall figure near the entrance. His face was a mask of freezing rage, and Victoria could see that even beneath the edge of the demi-mask, his lips were clenched so tightly that they were a white, fierce line. He was at her side in a flash, removing Lucian's fingers like they were twigs. Victoria could have sworn she had heard a crack but Lucian's expression didn't change.

"You touch her again, and you will spend a decade growing a new hand. That I promise you."

"Relax, brother," Lucian said. "No harm done, just introducing myself to your new ... friend."

"No harm done?" Christian said, holding out Victoria's arm bearing red welts from his fingers.

Lucian didn't answer but grinned cruelly. Victoria saw Christian's hands clench uncontrollably at his side, and she knew that Lucian was just trying to push Christian's buttons. It was working.

She pulled her hand out of his and as she did so, she saw Lucian's gaze settle on her fingers. His look was one of bitter disgust as he noticed the ring.

"I see you have now completely dishonored the Devereux legacy, Christian. Our mother's ring? To a filthy witch?" The derision in his voice was unmistakable.

Christian's muscles tensed reflexively and Victoria grasped his hand.

Christian, please. She squeezed urgently. Please.

Hearing the desperation in her thought, he forced himself to calm down. He had never felt such terrifying, furious rage—he wanted to rip his own brother apart, let him heal, and do it all over again! Make him bleed in an endless cycle of unforgiving pain! People were starting to make a wide berth around them as if they could feel his wrath. He leaned in.

"You come near her again Lucian, and I swear I will kill you," he said in a silky, ominous voice. "I will do nothing to stop the Council. I will no longer protect you. Go ahead on your absurd search for Le Sang Noir and when you find it, may it bring you peace or death, or both." He paused and kissed Lucian on both cheeks. "But I am done, brother."

Lucian's expression was inscrutable as he watched them walk away. He turned as a waitress walked past him.

"Drink, sir?" she asked with a coquettish smile. Lucian smiled back, her eyes glazing over in complete submission.

"Yes, thank you. That would be just perfect," he said, his terrible teeth lengthening as he escorted her to a side door.

ON THE FAR side of the room Victoria leaned against Christian. He felt so warm and strong; all she wanted to do was to melt into the safety of his embrace.

"You look beautiful, just like I knew you would," he said.

"Thank you," she said, flushing. Christian leaned toward her and held her face between his palms. Victoria stared at him, she could hardly believe that she hadn't seen the differences between him and Lucian—they were like night and day. It was as if a part of her subconscious had wanted to see Christian so badly that she'd been blind to what was now so glaringly obvious. As identical twins, Lucian's beauty was also ethereal, but his beauty had a dark edge to it. He was colder and harder, more vampire than man, whereas Christian was the reverse.

Christian looked at her intently, brushing his thumbs against her soft cheeks beneath the edges of the mask.

"I should have come with you. I'm sorry," he said.

"No, it's my fault, Christian."

All of a sudden the noise in the room started to escalate, and they realized that it was five minutes to midnight. The countdown in Times Square had already started.

"Say goodbye to your friends and meet me downstairs in a half an hour. It's almost midnight, and they are looking for you. It's a black limousine parked across the street on the corner, right in front. Don't worry about Lucian. He won't hurt you." Christian kissed her fingertips and melted into the crowd. Victoria wanted to run after him but forced herself walk toward Gabriel and the rest of her friends.

"TORI!" Charla screamed at the top of her lungs. "Where've you been?" She hugged Victoria and then started hugging random people walking by. Victoria raised her glass in anticipation as they started the countdown.

"Ten ... nine ... eight ... seven ... six ... five ... four ... three ... two ... one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"

It was a magnificent firestorm of blinding color as fireworks exploded in the sky all around them, and confetti littered the ballroom. Everyone was kissing everyone else. Gabriel kissed her quickly on the mouth, the intense expression in his open eyes conveying far more than the chaste kiss, but the contact was so brief that she didn't have time to dwell on it. Wyatt also kissed her, which was disgusting. She needed a napkin after he was through. Angie and Taylor were locked at the lips, only interested in kissing each other.

As Victoria stood next to Charla and Gabriel watching the last of the fireworks, her eyes met Lucian's across the dance floor. He inclined his head and raised his glass in a toast. Victoria noticed that he looked distinctly less pale and felt disgusted. She didn't understand why the idea of Christian feeding didn't repel her, but looking at Lucian and knowing he had just fed, repulsed her completely. She felt like throwing up.

He watched her knowingly over the rim of his glass as he sipped his champagne, his lips red, and winked. Victoria stared back, her expression flat, and then looked away. She could swear she heard him laughing, and the sound chilled her.

All she wanted to do was to get to Christian. She was just thinking about the best way to make a graceful exit when Angie and Taylor announced that they were heading out. Charla and Gabriel exchanged a knowing look as they danced, and Victoria jumped at the opportunity to say that she would walk out with them, and catch a cab back. After waving to Charla and Gabriel, and saying goodbye to a crestfallen Wyatt, she followed Angie and Taylor out.

Victoria could feel Lucian's heavy stare boring into her back but refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him. She left without a backward glance.

Outside of the building, they parted ways and Victoria waited until Angie and Taylor were out of sight before getting into the long black limousine across the street.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as she removed her mask. Then she stopped and stared at Christian. "Don't tell me you have an apartment here too?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yes. Sorry."

Victoria laughed. "Well, I guess after a hundred odd years, it's only natural that you should collect several homes I guess."

"We could just drive around too. I know you are supposed to be staying with Angie, so I don't want it to be awkward for you."

"I doubt that anyone will be in any frame of mind tonight to worry about my whereabouts. I'm really glad that you came, Christian, although it's too bad that we didn't get to countdown the New Year together."

"We still can .." His eyes smoldered. "Five ... four ... three ... two ... one ..."

And suddenly Victoria was the recipient of the sweetest, hottest kiss, and she forgot how to breathe. The fireworks started all over again. They couldn't get enough of each other. Maybe it was because of Lucian, maybe it was because of their fight, it didn't matter. Everything disintegrated into that one moment when their lips met ... love, regret, forgiveness. It enveloped them, its intensity suffocating, until Christian carefully extricated himself.

The minutes collapsed into seconds, their raw breaths harsh in the silence. She reached forward and he flinched, his face feral as he grappled with the change that tore through him. Stricken, she looked away, her attention drawn by a couple kissing on the side of the road. She sighed, touching her lips in unconscious mimicry.

I want more ...

The thought was fleeting but cracked like a gunshot in the silence. She'd thought it aloud to him. Christian felt his heart constrict; he had known that at some point it would come to this. He moved closer, as close as his shattered senses allowed.

"I know you do," he said. "And I'm sorry. It's too dangerous. I could hurt you."

"But I know you, I know you wouldn't. You didn't before, remember?" she said. He could barely hear her, her voice was so soft. She was still staring at the couple.

Christian closed his eyes. She couldn't possibly know what she was asking. Or maybe she did.

"Tori, remember when you said you couldn't control the blood's hunger, and how it consumed you?" She nodded. "Well, that is my fear, that one day my hunger will overtake my control, and I will lose you."

"You won't," she said fiercely.

Christian smiled. "Your faith in me is humbling. Unfortunately, my faith in myself is not as strong. I could hurt you without meaning to. What's that saying? The road to hell is paved with the best intentions? I, more than anyone, know how true that is. And I won't lose you Tori, can't ..."

Victoria was silent. Chances were if he bit her, he would die, and they both knew it. It was a somber truth. Their relationship was utterly impossible! Yet even as she thought the words, she knew that there was no way she wanted to be without him.

She felt guilty for making him feel bad about something that neither of them could circumvent. It was painful and frustrating for them both but sometimes she just wanted ... well, more. She wanted the heated embrace that the couple outside had, with just their feelings for each other taking over, without having to hold back or worry about one of them killing the other. She wanted to touch him, to hold him against her, to give herself to him in every way. She wanted normal, but she wanted normal with Christian, and that was just not possible, so the only remaining option was their impossible love, because it was with him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay, Tori. It's hard for us both."

Poignantly Victoria remembered the night at his house when he had asked the question, thinking the words he hadn't been able to say out loud. She wrapped her arms around him and felt him dip his head to gently kiss her bare shoulder.

"Stay with me, Christian," she said.

"I will."