“Cas! You even listening to me?” Zane demanded.
“Yes,” I muttered, but I hadn’t heard a word.
“Sure you are,” Ko snickered. “You’re too busy plotting how to turn this place into a fortress.”
I shrugged. He wasn’t wrong.
#
Zane
As Ko drove us up the driveway, the estate unfolded before us like a moon-damned postcard from another world. Evermere loomed large, glimmering in the sunlight, surrounded by sprawling gardens that seemed to stretch on forever. The sight was so perfect, it felt like a trap.
“This place istoonice. Is this where Pops lures us in before Turning us? You know, sweetens the deal before revealing the fine print? Maybe he wants his own little immortal trio of hunters?”
“No one wantsyouas a vampire,” Cas snorted.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’d be too powerful.” I smirked, leaning back in my seat. “For real, though, you think Lucian is trying to butter us up? Maybe he’s finally realized we’re his favorite sons and decided to splurge.”
“You’re notanyone’sfavorite.”
“Ouch,” I said, clutching my chest like I’d been shot. “Low blow, bro!”
As usual, Ko didn’t say much, but I could tell he was uneasy. His jaw was clenched, and his fingers were strangling the steering wheel.
We weren’t built for permanence; we were nomads in a world of shadows, but here we were, rolling up to a mansion that looked like it belonged in a fang-rotted fairy tale.
Yeah, like we’re Prince Charmings.
“What are we even doing here?” Ko’s voice rumbled like thunder, but there was an edge of uncertainty beneath it.
“Well, we’re supposed to meet our new bride, right?” I replied with a shrug. “But seriously, who does arranged marriages anymore? I mean—”
“Wait.” Cas leaned forward, his focus sharpening on something ahead of us. “Is that luggage? Did she beat us here?”
“Maybe she decided to leave us a parting gift before she ran off. Classy.” I scoffed, but my laughter died when Cas’ whole body stiffened.
“Something’s not right,” Ko murmured.
“What are you two seeing?” I griped, scooting forward as far as I could around the ammo boxes and duffles full of gear.
“Justlook.” Cas gestured toward the pile of bags, a disheveled heap that seemed out of place amid the manicured landscape.
“Great, now I’m getting bad vibes,” I muttered.
“Stay sharp.” Cas’ hand was on the door handle.
Big bro lived at crisis level readiness twenty-four seven, but when he ratcheted up to DEFCON 3, shit was about to get real. The playful banter slipping away like water through my fingers, I doubled-checked that the pistols holstered at my waist were locked and loaded.
“Just suitcases.” I rolled my eyes.
He didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, the second Ko brought the SUV to a stop, he dove out, Ko right after him, and neither of them took their eyes from the pile of luggage.
With a sigh, I bailed, too, and the first thing I noticed was the thick stew of magic that made my nose wrinkle. Foul and noxious, like burnt hair mixed with decay. Worse than when we’d crawled through New York City sewers after a pair of gator spirits.
“Dark magic,” I muttered, even though I knew my brothers recognized it as well as I did. There was another interesting smell, too. “Anddire wolf. Oh, goodie. Target practice.”
Cas stood scanning the sprawling estate as if searching for something or someone, mentally mapping escape routes and assessing vulnerabilities. It was what he did, what wealldid, when something didn’t add up.
