“Do you accept this mission, Hartley?”
“I will protect them with my life,” she promises, and Emmanuel’s eyes blaze behind her.
“Then we’ll see you on the other side. Don’t bring them back here until you know we’ve won.”
“My queen,” Nix says and stalks off into the parlor, trailed by Ellie.
Hartley snaps in front of Emmanuel, a breath away from him. She would make an incredible assassin with the skill she’s already demonstrating so quickly.
Em doesn’t move an inch, and the corner of his mouth creeps up. “You’ve been practicing.”
“Aye,” she says. “I’ll see you on the other side, assassin. Don’t die.”
With a snap, she’s gone.
“Gods, she’s—”
“Perfect,” Emmanuel finishes for me, his face softening, and I’ve never seen a more relieved male stare back at me.Thank you, he mouths at me.
“Can’t send her into battlethissoon,” I tell him, and I’m met with a glower for the ages.
Del steps between our gaze, his attention on Emmanuel. “You break her heart, and I’ll fucking kill you.”
Emmanuel looks him in the eye. “If that day ever comes, I’ll gladly let you.”
Second sharpens his broadsword against the stone dressing table, pulling all of our attention.
Del spins to him. “You’re ruining the furniture.”
Second scoffs. “Like that matters.”
“It’s about to beourfurniture.”
“Eh, looks better with some sharpening marks. This can go in my room.”
I snort and look at the men around me, ready to walk into battle at my command and finish this by my side. I couldn’t be more grateful for them.
“We have thousands to save below our feet and countless more beyond the grounds of this castle,” I say as we move into the parlor, my words spewing with a venom laced from deep within. “I have every belief Charlotte is holding her own in the throne room. We take out whatever guard we can find first, including Balor.” I pause. “See you on the other side, my friends.”
We exchange our final moment of peace before snapping toward the throne room.
Goreon guards lining the hallway outside the antechamber take one look at our dress and fangs drop.
My fingertips tingle with adrenaline, and I pull a blade from my thigh with one hand and palm a stake in the other.
This is it.
Snarls and sneers face us down the length of the wide ebony and gold hallway, and then vampire guards rush us in a horde.
“Come and get it, motherfuckers,” Second whispers beside me as our blades clash with our enemy.
I smile into my first slice of Goreon throat, blood spraying as the vampire staggers and Second stakes its heart.For Christine.
I stake the next heart running at me.For the farm.
And the next.For the cellar.
I throw my stake into a guard approaching Second’s back and snatch my other dagger.
