Swiping the tears from her cheeks, Zara glides toward him, her hand snaking out before he can evade her. Her fingers close around his shoulder. “Be calm.”
Her power of compulsion fills the air as she speaks. It has no effect on me, but I take note of the way Seb steps further back from Zara. The person she’s touching will be most impacted, but he won’t want to experience any sort of memory wipe.
“My stepfather has been removed from his position,” Zara continues to the guard, who has relaxed completely. “Striker Draven is now your boss. All is well, and you are safe. You will return to the first floor, open the front door, and hold it open for one minute. Then, you will lock the building down for the rest of the day. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” he replies, his facial features smooth and panic-free. “I’ll do my job.”
“Good.” Zara presses the button that the guard was reaching for so desperately only moments before.
I don’t miss the way she steps wide of the elevator doors.
None of us can sense Slade, but he will take this opportunity to leave.
When we planned for this day, Slade asked me if I wanted him to stay and help me deal with the board members. I’ve learned how to ask for help, and I trust Slade with my life, but I was also acutely conscious that Slade can only act if someone’s name is already written in his ledger.
I told him I could handle it. It’s something I need to do.
Now, even though he remains invisible, I’m certain he will have followed the guard into the elevator.
The doors close, but I’m not entirely on my own.
I turn to Seb. “You work for me now.” I focus briefly on the gun in his hand. “You don’t want to shoot your employer, do you?”
Seb looks at Zara, who tells him firmly, “It’s okay, Seb. Really. The only reason I’m still alive is because of Striker. He won’t let anything happen to me.”
Only then does Seb lower the weapon, but the worry in his eyes is clear to me and growing more intense as his gaze flickers in the direction of the boardroom.
The door had swung closed behind Oliver when he emerged. But Seb’s wolfish senses must be telling him the same thing my own beast is warning me about: The board was already agitated, and they’re growing more so. It will only be moments before they burst out of the room to see what’s going on—and not just because they will have sensed the magical energy out here.
Before Oliver interrupted her, Zara was saying something about a weapons cache being stolen and that it happened right here in New York. Only someone powerful or incredibly reckless would steal from Oliver in his own city.
I’m wary of what this means, but my first priority is to take control of the board members. They’re the immediate threat. Then, I can deal with whatever other dangers are evolving.
Zara follows my gaze to the closed door. “What will you do, Striker?”
I give her a grin, allowing my beast to rise for a moment, fully aware of the hellish impact he has on my facial features.
She has never seen my beast, and now she jolts backward. Stops. Then smiles at me.
“Good,” she whispers.
I don’t waste any more time, heading immediately toward the boardroom, aware of the way Seb and Zara step closer to each other behind me.
Without hesitation, I push open the door.
9. STRIKER DRAVEN
Ienter the room to find the six board members gathered around an oval table.
They’re all shrewd supernaturals who value their money and their lives above their loyalty to the company. I know this because I did my research while I was preparing for this day, treating each of them like targets, just like the assassins would.
I also know that every member of this board is in some way connected with the Magical Magnate, who declared all Unknowns to be highly dangerous and ordered our imprisonment. That was simply their way of controlling us and pandering to Lady Tirelli’s wishes, not because they were concerned for anyone’s safety.
The assassins warned me that my stepfather had made powerful friends within the Magnate and that they were agitating for greater control over the Factions of assassins.
Three members of the Magical Magnate are now written into Slade’s ledger, while the others are written into the ledgers of the other two Master Assassins, Cain and Alexei. If Hunter Cassidy wasn’t the Guardian now, I imagine many of those names would have been written into her ledger, too.
The Magical Magnate is no longer untouchable, but it’s because of supernaturals like the six right in front of me that the Magnate operated without justice for so long.
