Butrighteous?Righteousness, certainly. Taking out vampires and their goons, people who furthered the Nostrom family goals—that she had feltjusticein doing.
And that was a slippery slope. Revenge was clear-cut.Justicewas a moral high ground that she wasn’t sure she’d ever had any right to claim.
Definitely not anymore.
Not since she’d stared into the dead eyes of Luciento Iltani.
Every day that went by, every moment she spent by Raziel’s side, she hated how much more like him she felt.
He has to die. I have to kill him. I’m losing myself in him.Little by little, inch by inch, she was being devoured by the Serpent.
“Why are you telling me this?” She needed to find a way out of this damnable conversation.
“Because you need to understand why I want them dead as much as you do.” His hands tightened into fists at his sides. “This isn’t just about power. It’s about breaking a cycle that’s lasted centuries.”
“And after, if we succeed and your family falls—you take the throne?” It still sounded more like madness than anything else he’d said so far.
“Yes. Precisely.” His answer was immediate, absolute. “I rebuild this city into something better. Something that doesn’t thrive on suffering.”
She almost laughed. “You? The Serpent? Creating a kinder world?”
“Not kinder.” His smile was cold. “More honest. Under my rule, the predators would know they’re predators. The prey would understand their place. There would be…balance.”
“And what would be my role in this new world order?”
Taking his eyes off the estate, Raziel turned to her. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face with surprising gentleness. “That depends on you, Nadi. On what you choose.”
The moment stretched between them, taut as a wire. Something was changing—had already changed—between them. Something that terrified her far more than his rage ever could.
Before she could respond, a faint sound drew their attention. Raziel moved back into the shadows, motioning for her to do the same.
“He’s here,” he whispered.
The crunch of gravel signaled an approaching figure. Through the garden gate emerged the tall, lean figure of Braen Rosov, accompanied by two bodyguards. He looked much as he had at the club—impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his dark hair gelled back and shining in the moonlight, his posture that of a man who feared nothing.
“Remember the plan,” Raziel murmured, his voice barely audible even to her fae hearing. “Let me confront him first. You stay hidden until I give the signal.”
Nadi nodded, though doubt ate at her. After what Raziel had just revealed about the fae captives, after his confession about her family—could she trust him to follow their agreed plan? Or did he have his own agenda, as always?
She glanced at his profile, remembering the vulnerability she’d glimpsed moments ago. Had it been real, or just another manipulation? With Raziel, she could never be certain.
But one thing was clear—she was running out of time to decide whose side she was truly on. Mael, Lana, Raziel…or perhaps only her own.
She touched the knife at her waist, feeling its reassuring weight. Whatever she decided, she would need it soon.
She watched as Raziel stepped from the shadows, moving into Braen’s path with the casual grace of a panther. The older vampire stopped, dismissing his guards with a wave of his hand.
“Raziel.” Braen’s voice was smooth as aged brandy. “Your letter was a surprise. I didn’t take you for a man who made veiled threats. Or have you simply decided your new wife is lacking and you yearn for what you once had?” He chuckled, his smile flashing white. “It wasyouwho broke it off between us, remember.”
“I regret to say this isn’t a veiled threat, Braen.” Raziel’s stance was relaxed, deceptively so. “We have very real issues to discuss.”
Braen raised an eyebrow. “Do we? Since when have you seen fit to meddle in my affairs again?”
“I have had my reasons of late.” Raziel’s smile was razor-sharp. “Let’s discuss this business somewhere more private than here. Somewhere we won’t be disturbed.”
“Is that so?” Braen’s expression remained pleasant, but something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “And what would this…business entail?”
Raziel stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Business that required detailed record keeping, Braen. Until recently.” The implication was clear without spelling it out. Just enough to leave the door open that this was merely about two men with a complex past.
