Kosera smiled, chapped lips pulling back from crooked, yellow teeth. “You think you’re so tough, hiding behind the rules in the arena. That’s the only place a broken bastard like you could ever hope to win. Why don’t you try me now? Fight me outside that ring and see how long you last.”
“Julius!” Otto hissed from across the room.
Kosera glanced over his shoulder, snapping the thread of tension tightening between him and Ronin.
“Looks like your creepy boss needs you.” Ronin smirked, gesturing toward Otto with the tip of his bottle. “Better not keep him waiting.”
Kosera snarled. “Give me a reason. Just one. Fucking. Reason. I dare you. I’m watching you, Butcher.”
“Enjoy the view,” Ronin tossed off as Kosera stalked over to his master.
Mireille grabbed Ronin’s wrist and pulled him down a narrow, leafy pathway into a shaded alcove. “Are you fucking insane? Did you not listen to a word I said earlier? Why are you trying to bait themboth?”
“Relax, Valette.” Ronin guzzled his Delirium, an infuriating portrait of nonchalance. “Those little conversations were all part of my plan.”
“Yeah?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And what plan would that be, oh wise and terrible spymaster?”
Ronin gazed down at her, still smiling to invoke her fury, his bottle dangling from his tattooed fingers. “Julius is a petty, ineffectual bully. Keeping him focused on his hatred of me will distract him from looking too closely atyou.”
Mireille’s hands tightened around her upper arms and she pursed her lips. Not willing to concede that he was making…some kind of sense.
“As for Otto, he needed to see us together. I wanted to make sure he knew I wasn’t scared off by his ill-advised plan to get rid of me at the fight last weekend. Plus, we need to keep stoking his jealousy. He’s salivating over you already. You’ll have him wrapped around your finger in no time.”
“Marking your territory, is that it? Swinging your big dick around?”
“You noticed?” He grinned.
She didn’t know how it was possible, but she flushed redder, even as she lobbed her retort, “Well, try not to trip over it while we go mingle.”
“How areyou enjoying the estate so far?”
The shaggy-haired Beastrunner who’d piped up during Otto’s welcome—Nero Beruglia, an ocelot bi-form—eyed Mireille’s cleavage with blatant hunger.
“We haven’t seen much of it yet,” Ronin said, tugging her against his side. “You?”
The trio were standing just inside the entrance to one of the pathways, Mireille’s blue silk dress and silver scar glistening under the glowing moss.
Behind Nero, a jungle of monstrous leaves shined beneath three unique blooms cased in bell jars. Ropey green vines swirled around heart-shaped petals in varying shades of pink. Ronin wondered why they were underneath glass. He probably didn’t want to know.
“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” Nero burbled with excitement. “Such a treat to be able to see it all in person.”
“Have you come alone?” Mireille's eyes darted to the heart-shaped flowers.Sheprobably knew why they were under glass.
“No, my mate is around here somewhere.” Nero waved his hand, his honey-colored eyes never leaving Mireille. “Probably talking the ear off some poor hostage.”
Mireille emitted a polite, close-lipped laugh. “Are you two friends of Otto’s?”
“Never met the male before in my life. Cecelia and I have been speculating for weeks about why we’d been invited.”
“Do tell,” Ronin chimed in, scanning the party. So far, Otto had been a charming host. He mingled with different groups of guests, regaled them with stories of how he’d acquired his art collection, ensured that glasses were full and food was plentiful.
It was all so fucking…normal. Which had Ronin completely on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“One of our theories has already been confirmed this evening. I wonder if you can tell what it is, Mistress Valette?” Nero offered a sly smile.
Mireille returned it. “Everyone that’s been invited is either a Beastrunner or a Deathstalker.”
“Not a haughty winged bastard in sight.” Nero chuckled. “Curious, that, don’t you think?”
