What?
We all turn to glower at her at the same time.
“Do you truly mean to say that we just barely missed your birthday, and you chose not to fuckingtell us?”Silas demands.
Maven looks at each of our pissed-off faces and smooths her gloves.
“No?” she tries like that might be the right answer.
Godsdamn it.
“We could have celebrated with you,” I gripe. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I forgot,” she shrugs. “Besides, birthdays celebrate another year of life, which isn’t applicable here. I only keep track of my age because Lillian made a big deal out of it. She liked to make me feel as human as possible and insisted on singing to me on the same day every year.” She pauses, her expression turning wistful. “I…miss her voice.”
We fall quiet at that, and then Baelfire sighs.
“Well, I can't wait to meet this Lillian, but from now on, we are fucking celebrating your birthday, got it? As a matter of fact, the second all this shit wraps up, and the humans are safely in the mortal realm, I’m planning a party so we can spoil the hell out of you.”
The Nightmare Prince leans forward again to grin deviously at Maven. “But for tonight, I believe twenty-three birthday orgasms are in order.”
She chokes. “Twenty-three? Hell no. That's not even poss?—”
Silas tenses as red magic flares around his blackened fingertips. “Someone just tripped the perimeter ward entering the safehouse from the south.”
We're all immediately ready for action, following Maven’s plan. Crypt disappears. Baelfire exits the car to stroll toward the rowhouse we're targeting. I turn off the car to follow him while Maven and Silas split off to try deactivating wards in the basement entry.
We all have talismans Silas made to keep Natalya out of our heads. He claims they’ll work well for the next two hours before the magic tapers off. After that, Natalya will be able to sense our proximity from our thoughts alone.
As Baelfire and I near the front of the rowhouse, Silas updates us through the bond.
We got into the basement.
Nice. Let's see if our Angel of Death was right about this bitch hiring a bunch of fire elementals,Baelfire says cheerfully.
The cocky shifter has been in a damn good mood ever since he finally bonded with Maven. For once, I understand him.
I stand back and watch Bael kick down the front door of the fancy rowhouse to storm inside. Immediately, fire engulfs him, shattering windows as it explodes throughout the first floor. Security alarms begin to peel through the otherwise silent streets. I glimpse Baelfire snap a fire elemental’s spine throughone of the front windows. His clothes have burned off, but of course, the fireproof brute is unharmed.
The once-luxurious rowhouse starts to go up in smoke. I take a deep breath and send a massive wave of snow into the building, putting out the worst of the fire as steam hisses all around.
No one upstairs,Crypt updates.Well, no one alive, at least. It seems Natalya's been draining any human stragglers she's come across.
You got in?I frown.Why don’t they have dreamcatchers set up?
That is the question, isn’t it? Gods above, that alarm is irritating.
Baelfire finishes with the last elemental as I walk into the ruined rowhouse.
Silas, Boo? Where's that update?the dragon checks telepathically.
It's quiet for long enough that I start to get concerned before Maven replies, her voice urgent.
Our target isn’t here. Abort.
Fuck. I immediately turn toward the stairs leading down toward the basement where they're supposed to be, but Baelfire stops me.
“She said abort. Come on.”
