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Jack, it’s Jack the Ripper, bloody God help us,” as she took chase after him and chucked her tea cup at his back. Xavier vanished, leaving the woman staring into the empty hallway. The woman swung around dizzily and began screaming, “It’s Dracula” and passed out.
    ****
    At the entrance to Raven’s dorm, Lucian noticed two women in the hall, whispering. He heard only a few words, beaten, bound, and raped, and he blew the door open in a blind rage. Raven sat on the bed with two women tending to her. Her eyes swollen, and bruised. Blood trickled from her nose. Her clothes stained red and torn to shreds. The strand of pearls their mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday, gone. Raven had never taken the necklace off from the day she received the gift.
    Bite marks covered Raven’s chest and abdomen. Her right arm dangled in such an unnatural state, Lucian knew the surgeon would have to be called to mend it, not to mention everything else on her battered body.
    Sitting beside her, Lucian went to hold his sister’s hand, but she pulled away from him, her head hung. Her black hair matted down by blood concealed her anguish. A constant stream of tears rushed off her. The very sight of her ripped open Lucian’s heart.
    Her hand to her jaw, Raven managed to whisper, “Lucian, I know you have questions, but not now. I am too disgraced to face you. He has stripped my very soul from within me.”
    Overwrought with emotion, Lucian didn’t know what to do or how to help his sister. He didn’t have the right words to say to her and he’d never experience that before. They’d shared every aspect of their life together never holding anything back from one another. Now Raven sat before him despondent. Then his tears came. He turned away. She couldn’t see his pain. She’d worry about him. That was her nature; everyone else came first. So badly, he wanted to hold her, take away the hurt in her beautiful blue eyes.
    “Ray, I know you feel many things now, I can see into your mind. This is in no way your fault. Never blame yourself for this, my beauty.” Lucian had all he could do to keep his voice neutral, but an edge to it gave him away. “Please just give me a name, and I’ll make sure he never hurts you or any other woman ever again.”
    “Why, Lucian? What bloody good would it do now?” Raven’s voice carried such rage it took Lucian aback. Hatred and bitterness shielded her now.
    “The damage is done. The bastard’s probably ruined any hope I have at having children. Lucian, look what that monster did to me. Look, Lucian.” Raven yelled hysterical. So much, in fact, she spread her legs apart and pulled her torn pink skirt up past her thighs.
    “No, my beauty, don’t do this,” Lucian choked at the sight of the damage to her. He covered her, closed his eyes and prayed he could forget the heinous vision now imprinted forever behind his eyelids.
    One of the women in the room threw an arm around him fearing he might faint. He shrugged her away.
    “Ray?” Lucian went to place his arms around her, but she pulled away again. Lucian was certain death was upon him. He let the monster get her, when he’d promised for so many years to protect her. He let her believe he was her knight in shining armor. He’d failed her. He was no better than the monster that did this to her.
    Don’t think that, Lucian. You still are my knight. Just rusty. I love you .
    That one thought tipped the scales. Tears fell as if the levy gave way. He loved Raven. There she sat, broken, saturated in her own blood, and she was trying to make him feel better. He pulled her against him, protectively.
    Duncan eased his way into the room. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Choked up, his knees buckled, and he landed on the floor beside Raven. He reached for her hand. “My little beauty, I will get the man who did this to you, I swear this on me life. I love you, Ray.”
    Duncan got off the floor, hugged Lucian and staggered into the hall. The