Shiloh was breathing hard, heart pounding. Agony thrummed through her.
Razors and magic danced, ecstatic.
The wolf bitch was down, panting, eyes full of familiar crazies. Still left-handed, Shiloh aimed at the wolf. “Gotcha,bitch.”
A thought intruded. She holstered her weapon. One-handed, she lifted the were-bitch and tossed her into the trap with Kang. Magic trap. Magic vengeance. The bitch began feasting on Kang.
“Magic beats blades and bullets.” She laughed, fell to her butt, and watched the bitch eat.
Shiloh was bleeding. A lot. It would clot. Eventually. Probably.
From up the path, four gunshots sounded.
“Really?” Shiloh asked the bitch.
A wolf yelped from the same direction.
“Really?”
Cursing under her breath, she made it to her feet, gathered her weapons, and trotted down the path. When she found Fred and Mi-sook, near a country road, the last wolf was dead nearby. Fred was on the ground, the injured vamp drinking from Fred’s wrist. Fred licked Mi-sook’s head wounds.
From a strictly clinical standpoint, it was gross.
“I’ve called for exfil and blood meals,” Fred said as Mi-sook sucked.
Shiloh let herself slide down a nearby tree. The sensation of razors drifted through her, interwoven with personal magic she had forgotten years ago, satisfied with battle and vengeance.
What the actual fuck had she become?
Four white unmarked mugs, coffee in a big thermos, and a teapot under a pink cozy were on the table. Jane didn’t seem like a pink kind of woman, but Jane didn’t seem like a queen either.
The door opened. Eli and Koun took places at the table. Neither looked at her.
Shiloh went still, unbreathing, unblinking.Déjà vu.Razors scored her nerves, screaming,Fightfightfight.
Jane entered. The door closed. The queen took her usual place at the table, poured her own tea, and sat back. “Gentlemen, coffee. Shiloh?”
Eli poured coffee and shoved a mug across the table to Shiloh. “Drink,” he ordered.
Shiloh drained the cup and held it out for a refill. She had learned this was Eli’s special brew, dark as sin and twice as strong. The razors buzzed happily.
Jane was dressed as a queen, tailored, elegant, her long black hair up in a braided bun. The queen set down her cup. There was no Count von Count on it.
This isn’t a casual meeting. Got that.Shiloh should have dressed up.
“You could have killed the bitchandKang,” the queen said. “They attacked ones who are ours.”
Ours. Royalty speaking.
Pulling up some sketchy court formality from the bottom of her memory, Shiloh said, “Yes, my lady. The bitch bit me.”
“Why didn’t you? Kill them?”
Shiloh’s hand tightened on her mug. “Kang wasyourenemy. What was left of her needed to be bled-and-read for info. The bitch was…pitiful. Psychotic. Hungry. Controlled by my queen’s enemies.”
Shiloh held in a grin. Vengeance had been a magic trap. Letting one conspirator feed on the other had been fun. Not that she would say something crazy like that.
“Capable of rational thought,” the queen said. “We approve. How did you feel during the hunt and kills?”
