“Are you getting close?” he asks in a raspy voice. She nods, and he picks up the pace as if he’s trying to time his release with hers.
Hawthorne thrusts hard and fast as his fingers continue to work her body. Her eyes widen, and she arches, pauses for a second, then cries out. Hawthorne and Gatlin come hard a second later.
She slumps, and I bend down and pick her up off the floor. With a sigh, she curls into my arms, and her lips lift in a satisfied smile.
I hug her tightly and look at the other two. Their eyes are glued to her too, as if they’re afraid to believe in how good this feels, how right it is. I think we’re all afraid, Phaedra too, that whatever the gods have planned is going to tear us apart. Butunderneath, the fear is a layer of determination and granite will. We’ll do whatever it takes to come out of this together.
26
PHAEDRA
Two days before the matches begin, Jamison and I stand in a small temporary apartment in the vampire city of Vanescue, waiting for things to start. Jamison thought it best to be close to the meeting point instead of trying to portal in from outside the city. Normally, we’d stand out in the predominantly vampire stronghold, but right now, the city is full of supernaturals who are either curious about the matches or have a stake in the outcome. As the event draws nearer, the buzz of excitement in the air increases, which is good for us. It will help hide this little meeting of ours.
Jamison slips his phone into his pocket. “Mathias is heading to the meeting point. We leave in two minutes.” He looks over at me. “Ready?”
Adrenaline pumps through my veins like an electrical charge as I heft my backpack onto my shoulder. Several trinkets clink against each other—back-ups in case the curses I have stashed on my body don’t do the job. I caress the pin attached to theunderside of my wrist and say a little prayer to Athena for her blessing. Couldn’t hurt.
Gatlin’s voice comes over the comms in my ears. “In position. Mathias approaching now.”
Hawthorne also checks in. “Ten o’clock. Caron, Mercer, and—based on the photo we have—Bennett, heading toward the meeting point. Moving to intercept.”
We needed to provide Caron and Mercer with a way out so they aren’t forced to fight us. One of Hawthorne’s Fae contacts was happy to oblige by providing him with a glamour. Caron’s father is Osian, the Elven councilmember, and someone who would likely attend this event, so he chose to impersonate him. Caron gave him a few pointers to help him pass Bennett’s scrutiny.
Through the comms, we hear Hawthorne call out Caron’s name, while ignoring Mercer and Bennett. Apparently, that’s typical of the arrogant elf, something that pissed Hawthorne off tremendously.
Gatlin, watching the exchange, gives us an update. “Bennett is looking increasingly irritated. Mercer’s wearing a pissed-off expression. Caron’s amused.” He’s silent for a second. “Bennett is whispering something in Mercer’s ear. She’s nodding. She’s holding up a finger, but he’s shaking his head.”
Gatlin continues. “Hawthorne’s pulling Caron to the side. Mercer is standing halfway between the two. Bennett’s glancing at his watch.”
“Come on,” I murmur, hoping his impatience will get the best of him.
Jamison’s phone pings with a text from Mathias. He’s in place.
“We need to leave,” Jamison announces, the lines around his eyes tight with concern. It takes us a second to portal from ourlocation to the meeting point. We step out, and Mathias pivots, swords ready.
Only his eyes are recognizable behind his dark glasses. Bits of grey cling to his black strands, giving him a distinguished, older look. A close-clipped beard hides his strong jaw and firm lips. Padding gives him the appearance of massive shoulders and a thicker midsection. It’s a good disguise.
His eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I can read them. He’s worried. To be fair, Jamison told me he wasn’t a fan of this plan.
“Update?” Jamison asks.
I look around the location they chose. Enclosed by three brick walls, it’s a courtyard of some sort but with a canopy on it. Maybe to shield people from the sun? Agos is always instructing me on the importance of memorizing the entrances and exits and noting any potential weapons. I scan the space. One exit. A liquor bottle under a nearby bench. A couple of large rocks.
“Bennett’s on his way. Alone,” Gatlin says over the comms.
Mathias pulls out a replica of the panel the vampires have in their possession. A copy of a copy. He didn’t want to chance trying to get the real thing. That and we don’t actually know which vampire has the panels yet. “This should be sufficient to pass at first glance.”
“At the entrance,” Gatlin’s voice murmurs. “Shit. Six vampires have materialized out of thin air. On my way.”
We hear Hawthorne’s expletive, then his harsh breath also fills our ears.
Jamison grabs my hand and opens a portal, but a burst of magic from behind shuts it down before we can enter. Whirling around, he signals to Mathias, and the two of them spread out.
“Stay behind me,” Jamison orders, magic swirling around his hands.
Moving into place behind him, I slip my hand into my backpack and pull out my gun and the strand of pearls I found a couple of days ago. I’m less concerned with Bennett’s magic than I am with the vampires’ speed and strength. Tucking the pearls into my jeans, I caress them lightly, absorbing the decapitation curse, then take a stance.
The first three vampires enter. Mathias engages the first two immediately. Swords sing, and their figures blur. They’re moving so fast I can’t see who’s got the upper hand. The other vampire watches them for a second before moving toward Jamison and me.
