“Remember I could’ve killed you,” she whispered towards Bastion. “But I didn’t.”
Bastion hesitated.
“That was an order, Bastion,” Vivian said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
“Where’s Nathan?” he asked. “Haven’t seen him in a few days.”
“He’s under an assignment,” she replied smoothly, her shoulders stiff beneath her purple pastel suit. Some blood had lightly speckled the fabric.
Bastion growled, the sound clearly his wolf. “Truth.”
“What assignment?” Rae asked. “Tell everyone Viv, who exactly is his target?”
A flush darkened her cheeks, her stare promising death. “You’re his target, Raegan. You timed out, and as we all know that makes you fair game.”
Bastion’s grunt echoed in her ear. “Rae, you need to give me a little more here. She’s the Guildmaster, we’re bound to her word.”
“I can’t time out, because my assignment was voided. Look for yourself, it won’t be in the database.”
“Do not touch that computer!” Vivian held her hand out.
Killian was already typing.
“I said do not –”
“Rae’s right,” Killian said. “Her assignment’s closed.”
Bastion released his grip.
Vivian looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. With a snarl she gripped Killian’s hair, yanking his head back. “I’m the Guildmaster, you do as I say.”
“Not anymore, they’re replacing you.” Rae flipped out her knife.
Vivian smiled, her fingers touching Killian’s forehead. His eyes rolled, body convulsing. “Step out, or I’ll kill him.”
“Rae? Can you hear me?”Titus’s voice flowed in and out.
Bastion tensed beside her, claws piercing through his fingertips. He still held her gun, but it was forgotten at his side. Not that they could use it, not knowing whether the ward was weak enough to allow harm to Vivian, or whether the bullets would simply bounce off and hit them.
“What are you going to do?” Rae asked, keeping calm. “I have the entire building surrounded.” Technically a lie, one Bastion scented by the gentle shift of his head. “Your ward’s compromised, and your corruption’s been exposed.”
Vivian’s face had cooled to a lethal calm, but behind those eyes was fear.
“There’s still resistance.”
Resistance?The runes were black, dead, and yet something was stopping them from getting inside. “You shouldn’t have come after me, Viv. No amount of money was worth it.” With a small smile, Rae threw the blade.
She wasn’t practiced in throwing, preferring to be up close and personal with her knife skills, but it skimmed past Vivian’s arm, enough for her to jerk back, releasing Killian. Bastion jumped to beside his brother, shoving the desk to the side hard enough that it crashed into the digital window, the glass shattering.
Pain seared across her brain, forcing her to her knees. The ward was still protecting Vivian, the scream torn from Rae’s throat echoing before the pain finally subsided. Rae sagged forward, hands slapping against the floor.
“If you need something done, do it yourself,” Vivian snarled.
“Rae? Can you hear me?”A bang from her earpiece.“Fuck!”
Rae screamed, agony blinding down her arm, arcane licking at her skin. Smoke swelled, the digital window sparking.
“Killian!” Bastion growled, trying to pull his unconscious brother towards the door. “Get the fuck –”
