I stepped around him, searching for the source of his alarm.
Moonlight streamed through a row of broken windows and the collapsed ceiling on one side to illuminate the room. Magic glinted in my other sight as I dropped into it. A spell that masked the wearer from all senses except sight sparked into view ahead.
“I’m going to owe Daniel the biggest apology later,” I grumbled as Dominick stepped out of the shadows.
It turned out the big guy was right to be paranoid.
“Searching for this?” Dominick held up a phone I recognized as Connor’s.
Liam didn’t betray his surprise, not even by a flicker of an eyelash. “How did you get that?”
Dominick tucked the phone away. “You could call it luck. My people had instructions to grab Connor or Ahrun if given the opportunity. They almost succeeded in the first when your sire intervened. The phone being left behind was a happy accident.”
I used my peripheral vision to see who else Dominick had brought to this party. My other sight picking up six power signatures waiting just out of view.
I moved closer to Liam, putting my hand on his back and drawing a six on it. With his skills, he probably didn’t need the warning. However, since all of them were wearing the same masking spell as Dominick, I thought it better to be safe than sorry.
“Thomas will be disappointed you stood him up,” Liam murmured.
“Does this mean Dominick loses by default?” I asked, stalling for time.
Dominick’s eyes were like chips of black ice. Freezing cold with no emotion behind them. “Don’t worry. I ensured Thomas would get plenty of entertainment from the little surprise I arranged for him.”
“Don’t tell me. Let me guess.” I tapped my mouth in thought then pointed. “Hunters, right?”
“It’s amazing you’ve lived this long.” Dominick’s lip curled as he glanced at Liam. “Though I suppose that was more your doing than hers.”
How insulting. As if I was incapable of saving my own skin.
“How long have we been rivals? Four centuries? Five? It’s quite amazing to think that comes to an end after tonight. I think I’ll miss you.”
Liam’s expression was flat. “We were rivals?”
I choked on a nervous laugh.
Rage flashed across Dominick’s face before it vanished like a pebble tossed into the ocean, sinking out of sight without a trace. “Say what you want, but this is checkmate. You lose.”
“Oh.” There was a lack of fear in Liam as he examined our surroundings with boredom.
I nudged him. “Do you maybe want to pretend to be interested in the conversation? I’d really like to not die tonight.”
The least he could do was buy time until Daniel and Eric could get here to reinforce us.
Dominick’s gaze moved over my shoulder. “Look who joined us. Our guest of honor.”
I turned as Deborah walked through the door we’d entered, her face pale but resolute.
“You’re supposed to be at home,” I said.
“And miss all the fun?” Deborah’s bravado couldn’t quite cover the shake in her voice.
I sighed, shaking my head as disappointment moved through me. “I thought I was a better judge of character than this.”
Deborah was our mole after all. The only thing I didn’t know was if she’d betrayed me because Chadwick used her sister’s life against her or if her sister even existed. It didn’t matter now. None of the vampires would let her off after this. She was doomed.
It was too bad. I’d really liked her.
“Don’t be too hard on the little human, Aileen. She really wasn’t given a choice in the matter,” Kat purred, shoving Deborah forward.
