She spun on her heel, gravel spitting out from her boot, but stopped with her hand on the chilled metal of the door handle. Looking over her shoulder, Topp had turned away from her. Shoulders curved and back flexed with his fists clenched, he warred with himself.
But she wasn’t wasting another breath on Topp Blatz.
Shaking her head, she marched back into the warehouse, leaving him behind for good.
She shook off the sleet from her all-black attire and stormed over to Rollickus, grabbing him by his shirt collar. Disgust thickened her voice as she held him in her grip. “Anything you want to say?”
Rollie jerked away, attempting to smooth out his shirt. He frowned at the ruined material before giving up. Adjusting hisglasses, he studied her and glanced at the closed warehouse door. “So, he is up to something then.”
Face devoid of any warmth, her jaw ground. “I have a job to do. Go follow him if you want, but don’t be surprised when he leaves you for dead.”
Rollie’s sharp eyes became calculating. Buttoning his jacket up, he spoke. “Do you really think I would ever trust a Crown squinch?” He almost reached for her but dropped his hand when she stepped back. Rare uncertainty flashed across his face. “You’re sure you’ve got this handled?”
Her mouth flattened. “Just get out.”
Responsibility fell heavily on her.Down by two people—two people with physical magic—they were far less protected than before. Worse than that, she’d been playedagainby the same man, but the cards were already in motion, and it was too late to stop the game now. She threw up one hand with an irritated breath.
“It’s better this way. Everything else remains as it was.”
Jessa rubbed her palms against each other and nodded in agreement. “Never liked working with that asshole. Should’ve planked him when I had the chance.”
The Doorman, cunning as ever, scanned Elysia for signs of an impending breakdown. “He has his uses. Are you going to tell us what happened?”
Face tight, Elysia shook her head and brushed her thumb over the hilt of her dagger. Forget planking him, she should’ve stabbed him. Turning her stare to Daphne, she practically growled when she asked, “Are we ready?”
Pale and trembling, Daphne did not look ready for what was to come, but she nodded weakly, and that was the best they were going to get from her. Elysia glanced at her watch impatiently.Just then, a reaper with a flight-ruffled braid and torn uniform appeared in the warehouse.
Bloodied with satisfaction in her eyes, she addressed Elysia. “The Grim requests I inform you the reaper mission is complete. The fates are in the mortal realm, and he is engaging them. Work fast.” She disappeared.
Her plans had changed, but she couldn’t dwell on that. She’d gotten one beautiful night with a man she knew she could love, and right now he was probably losing his mind as the odds tanked and her death grew unavoidable. Good thing he was stuck in the death realm.
Elysia ran her fingers over her belt, checking off each item—water pouch, dagger, one already used potion, and finally the gods-ending scissors. Chest tight, she looked every single woman in the eyes before she spoke.
“Tonight, we change fate. Don’t doubt, don’t hesitate, or we’re dead.”
The Doorman lifted her voice. “For Beatriz.” Normally enchanting, tonight she was the lethal edge of steel.
“For Beatriz.” Their voices echoed out in the warehouse, pinging back to them smaller and tinnier than they’d left.
Grabbing a heavy box, Elysia held it out. In silence, hands reached into the box, pulling out the gas masks she’d asked Rollie to devise. At least he’d come through with that. Her jaw ticked as everyone slid the masks on. Black masks molded to look like skulls hid their faces and protected them from what was to come. Elysia slipped on her leather gloves, quickly tucking in the icy blonde hair flowing out from beneath Daphne’s mask.
Taking a seat on the floor, Daphne’s eyes closed.
The summoning had begun.
Elysia quickly handed out potions from the bottom of the box. A brutal invention from the Nightshade Market, the whole crew began smashing the glass vials all over the concrete floor. Thick-soled boots crunched on broken glass as the noxious white vapors clouded into the air.
Cursing, the fates shuddered into existence, furious they’d been summoned. A smirk formed behind her mask. Grim had been right. Their protections didn’t extend past their own realm.Arrogant pieces of shit.
She flew through the air, tackling Skiel to the glass-covered concrete floor. Bones crunched to her left as Jessa’s fist smashed against Adla’s face. Still wrestling Skiel, she couldn’t spare a glance to anyone else. They didn’t need to conquer them, they just needed to distract the fates long enough for the poison to overwhelm their systems. Elysia grunted as she took a knee to the groin, but her grip remained tight on the much taller fate as they rolled. Arm snapping out, she grabbed Skiel’s neck and squeezed, knowing that if she lost the upper hand for even a second, she would be dead.
Anger in their eyes, Skiel’s movements jerked as they lost their strength, but Elysia didn’t dare move until the fate was completely in the poison’s grip. Panting, she dropped her hold and took in the mess around her. Jessa’s hands were bloody, but she stood over Adla victorious and alive. Tiny Lucy had paired off with the Doorman to wrangle Monica. The Doorman was clutching her nose, blood seeping out from her fingers.
The fates had been unsuspecting and unprepared, but more than that, their unique powers were restricted to fate magic. Their power lies in the tapestry they wove, not in physical prowess or battle. While they were ancient and feared, it was for the broadscale destruction they wrought, ruining an entire life with the tug or snip of a thread. Throw them in a bar fight, and the Kavian women had them by the throat.Too bad they can’t die.
Skiel’s head rolled to the side, eyes blank and mouth ajar. Elysia had tested the potion three times on Aidan but had still been afraid it wouldn’t be enough to hold them down given how old the magic and blood that ran through their veins was.
“Chain them, now,” Elysia ordered on winded breath as if the rest of the crew didn’t know exactly what came next.
