“What I’ve always wanted.” Mael’s hand on her leg tightened just slightly. “Order. Stability. A future that serves the interests of all our people rather than the obsessions of a few.” He paused. “And you, of course…”
“I don’t understand.” She sighed.
Chuckling, he leaned forward, his breath warm against her ear. “Don’t you? You came here for revenge against the family that destroyed yours. But Lana and I had nothing to do with it, and revenge is such a limited goal. So much effort, so much sacrifice, all for the satisfaction of ending a few lives. Thinkbigger,Nadi. Think about how much more change we could do together in this world.”
Nadi felt trapped, hyperaware of how easily he could snap her neck before she could even attempt to shift forms.
His hand slid just the slightest, little bit higher, angling between her legs. Her cheeks went warm despite herself at the strength in his touch. “I’m offering you something better. Safer,kinder,” Mael continued. “Something that could benefit both our peoples in ways you’ve never imagined.”
“Which is?”
“Partnership. Alliance. A true joining of vampire and fae bloodlines.” His voice carried genuine passion. “Imagine it, Nadi. No more hiding in the Wild, no more cowering behind walls. No more wearing this false face of yours. A new order where your people have not just a voice, butrealpower.”
The proposal was so audacious that Nadi found herself momentarily speechless. “You’re talking about…integration? Freedom?”
“I’m talking aboutevolution,Nadi. My mother’s ways are dying—we both know it. The walls between our peoples, the ancient hatreds, the senseless conflicts—they serve no one anymore.” Mael’s golden eyes gleamed in the torchlight as he squeezed her thigh, just a little harder. She would be lying if she said her heart didn’t quicken at his touch. “But together, we could build something the likes of which this world has never seen.”
Despite herself, Nadi felt a flicker of something that might have been hope. How many times had she wondered what the world might look like if the fae reclaimed their rightful place? How many nights had she dreamed of her people walking free under the open sky? “And what would this partnership entail?” she asked carefully.
“Marriage, of course.” The word was delivered simply, matter-of-factly. “A union between the eldest Nostrom heir and a representative of the fae clans. A symbol of the new age we’re building.”
Nadi’s breath caught. “You want me to marry you. As…asmyself?”
“I want you to help me create a future worth living in.” Mael’s hand moved to cup her face gently, his thumb tracing hercheekbone. “You’re remarkable, Nadi. Intelligent, resourceful, deadly when necessary but capable of restraint. You could be so much more than just another assassin. Besides…it’s clear you don’t have a problem with vampires…” He smirked. “I am so much better than my brother.”
The touch should have repulsed her, but there was something tempting in it, a gentleness that belied his massive frame and fearsome reputation.
“And what about your brother?” she asked quietly.
Mael’s expression grew sad. “Raziel is…damaged, you know that. Beyond repair. Mother made sure of that.” He paused, studying her face carefully. “What was done to him was beyond cruel. But I see how you look at him. There’s genuine feeling there, isn’t there? Despite everything he’s done, everything he represents. You have a big heart, Nadi.”
The observation was too accurate, too perceptive. Nadi felt exposed under his knowing gaze.
“He doesn’t have to die,” Mael continued softly. “If something unfortunate were to happen to him during tonight’s festivities…well, accidents do occur during times of chaos. But you would be protected. Cherished. Given the power to make real changes for your people.”
“You’re asking me to let him die.”
“I’m asking you to choose a future over the past. To choose hope over vengeance.” Mael leaned back slightly. “Because if you continue down this path of revenge, if you refuse the hand I’m extending? Well. Let’s just say that tonight will end very badly for everyone involved.”
The processional music swelled, and Mael straightened, his politician’s mask sliding back into place. “Think about what I’ve said. When the moment comes, you’ll have a choice.”
With that, he moved away to take his position near the altar, leaving Nadi sitting frozen in her chair. Around her, guestsleaned forward in anticipation as the bridal party began to appear at the pavilion entrance.
Nadi’s mind raced through the implications of everything Mael had revealed. They knew who she was. Lana and Mael both. They knew why she was here. But instead of exposing or eliminating her, they were offering her something she’d never dared to imagine—a chance to be part of something larger than revenge.
The offer was seductive. Partnership instead of domination. Integration instead of war. A future where the fae could reclaim their place in the world without having to destroy it first.
But it would mean betraying Raziel. The man who had become…what? Her ally? Her lover? Something more complicated and dangerous than either of those simple terms could encompass?
She caught sight of him across the pavilion, still standing near Lilivra’s mysterious litter. Their eyes met, and she saw the question there—tense, furious, on the edge of panic—was everything all right? She managed a slight nod, though her stomach churned with the lie.
Raziel’s gaze flicked to Mael, then to her. Then, he headed toward the backstage entrance. Wait. What was hethinking?
Oh, no…he had seen Mael touch her. And now he was going to double down on the attempt on his brother’s life, when the rational choice was to simply run.
Fuck.
And there she was, trapped in her seat like a total moron.
