“I was on my way to work when I heard the good news.”
I arched an eyebrow. “What good news?”
“The cat’s out of the bag, darling. I’m Viktor’s primary contact for your assignment. I’m beyond thrilled that we captured so many. I only have the preliminary report, but would you believe that at leasttwentyserve the higher authority?” She shook her head in disgust. “Five right here in Cognito, and the rest are in cities throughout the country. It looks like another power shift is on the horizon.”
“Is that why Christian was guarding you?”
She folded her hands on her lap. “Do you find his insolence tiresome? A woman like yourself would be better matched with a man in power. Many power couples are still together. If you ever find yourself single, I havejustthe person in mind. I used to play matchmaker in my time, and I’m quite good at it.”
“I’m sure.”
“Gracious. Is that blood in your hair?”
I picked at the top of my head and felt a clump. While I’d taken a shower at the auction house, Christian and I were too preoccupied in there to bother with things like shampoo and soap.
“I have something for you.” Lenore reached down into her bag. Before she sat up again, she swung back her arm and stabbed me in the chest.
Chapter 34
It took a second to register that Lenore had driven a dagger just inches away from my heart. The pain was indescribable, and it had happened so fast that I still had my hands above my head, picking a clump of blood from my hair. The blade split my rib and pierced my lung.
“I do hate getting blood on my seats,” she said while sitting back. “Driver, you know where to go.”
I yanked the blade out and coughed up a lungful of blood. When I gave her a bloodcurdling look, she sat frozen, eyes wide with disbelief. That bitch had stabbed me with a stunner.
I reached for the window and pulled in healing sunlight. The wound on my chest instantly healed, leaving my white tank top stained with blood. “I bet you’re wondering why I’m not paralyzed.”
She might have assumed I was a Blocker with special abilities, but I suppose it was my fangs that gave me away.
Lenore flew at me. I swiped the blade at whatever I could, and when it sliced her jaw, I turned my head away from the dripping blood. While her blood could give me strength, Christian had warned me about the unpredictable power of Vampire blood. Lenore had used it to control him for many years, and though rejecting it could be my demise, drinking it would most certainly be my downfall.
Lenore disarmed me, splintered the wooden footrest with one blow, and drove a piece of that wood into my chest. When I smiled, her jaw slackened. I used my free hand to punch her, but it was like smashing my fist against marble. Her cheek split but healed immediately, just as the cut on her jaw had. Lenore yanked out the wood, and the pain was enough to make me stiffen.
Then she leaned in close and reeled me in. “Follow my gaze, Raven. Look nowhere else. The pain is too much, isn’t it? You want nothing more than to feel relief and peace. Lie still. Your muscles are useless. You can’t speak and you can’t move. Not until you’re surrounded in darkness will the spell be broken. Now then, we can have a conversation.”
When Lenore sat back, I stared at the ceiling, unable to move. A strange euphoria came over me as all the pain melted away along with the sensation in my body. I couldn’t feel the temperature or even the seat beneath me. But I could see, and I could hear.
Lenore sighed. “I suppose Christian knows about this. Nowonder.” She reached over and tucked my bag behind my head so I could see her. “I don’t like it when things get messy. I plan meticulously, but I couldn’t have prepared myself for a half-breed. Immortals like you are an abomination. Immune to both stunnersandimpalement wood? That’s an impressive gift. There’s so much I’d love to ask you. Like why you don’t have physical power or black eyes. Or are those supposed to be the top half of Chitah fangs?” Lenore brushed at the bloodstains on her blouse. “While I could call it fortuitous that we ran into each other, I’m more inclined to think it’s serendipitous. The fates gave you to me. You’re an important figure, and I’m sorry that I didn’t recognize that earlier. You won me a victory in more ways than one, and now I can be rid of you.”
Be rid of me?Who the hell did this woman think she was?
“Before you’re blinded by jealousy, it’s not Christian’s love that interests me. I want his loyalty, and I’ll never have that as long as you’re in the picture. I’m sure you know that he’s loyal to a fault, and that’s worth more than gold. You have too much influence over him, and if I were to make you leave Keystone, he would follow.”
What the hell was she talking about? How could she make me leave Keystone? Unless working for the higher authority gave her a lot of power over how Viktor ran his organization, but he had never given me that impression.
“You make Christian weak,” she continued. “He gave you his heart, and as long as you have it, you’ll be the one who rules over him. Don’t take it personally. I don’t hate you, darling. In fact, I admire your potential. In another life, I might have mentored you. But as it stands, you’re a liability. I could charm you to find out how much Christian has divulged about our past, but it doesn’t matter.” She smiled obliquely and leaned in. “I bet you don’t even realize that I’ve charmed you before. Remember when I asked what your passion was, and you answered, ‘killing men’? I’m so good at what I do that you can’t even feel it. Both you and Christian are equally valuable to me, and I see potential in each of you. This wasn’t an easy decision to make.”
I tried to move my pinky, but I couldn’t feel my body. Not my arms, my legs, not even the sun on my face. All I could do was blink and breathe.
Lenore gazed out the window as the buildings blurred by. “I have ambitious plans, and I won’t make the same mistakes twice. Raven, I want you to consider what’s happening to you very carefully. You still owe me a large favor for the money, and we return favors in our world. It’s never what we desire, but it’s the only thing that keeps order—the only currency we can count on. And those who don’t pay up will live to regret it. I want to give you peace of mind that you’re clearing your debt with me. No matter how you feel about what’s happening to you, just know that when it’s all over, we’ll be even.”
The more she talked, the more fearful I became. Was she making me her indentured servant? Or was I about to go on the chopping block? The latter put a chill up my spine. Just the thought of lying in a guillotine, unable to move because of this stupid spell, made me sick to my stomach. Even worse was the level of trust that Lenore had been building between us. She kept trying to twist my relationship with Christian around, and though I’d never doubted him, I’d felt empathy for Lenore because there were always two sides to a story. I had fallen for it.
Now I just wanted to watch her burn on a pyre.
The buildings disappeared from view, replaced by the occasional tree. The car slowed and then stuttered across a rocky surface. I’d busted my ass to catch the perpetrators behind a fighting ring, and I’d rescued Shifters held captive. I’d also had a hand in capturing all the nefarious players who’d paid to play, thanks to Keystone’s quick thinking. I’d survived two fights—one of them a death match—andthiswas how I was going out?
The car came to a stop, and the driver exited the vehicle. When my door opened, my head flew back.
