Page 2 of Warrior Unraveled

1

Several days later

Heads would roll tonight.

Virginia stepped into the portal and concentrated on her destination.

The members of the Baltimore compound had broken the rules one too many times. She—better than anybody—knew what could happen when rules were broken. Even an hour’s hesitation to set things right could mean the difference between life and death. The difference between danger and safety. Between love and hate.

The guardians in Baltimore had to learn this. And learn it fast.

One single broken rule had cost her everything she’d ever held dear. One broken rule had changed her life. She wouldn’t allow history to be repeated.

Never again on her watch.

She wasn’t an ex-enforcer for nothing. Just because she’d risen to become a member of the Council of Nine, the ruling body of the Stealth Guardians, didn’t mean she’d forgotten her training. First and foremost, she was a warrior, a warrior who understood that the rules existed for a reason: to keep their race safe. And nobody broke those rules without being punished. Not if she had anything to say about it. Which she did.

To intimidate the guardians at the compound and to demand instant respect, she’d dressed in the uniform of the enforcers: black leather pants, black T-shirt, black leather jacket with silver buttons adorned with the symbol of an ancient dagger. Her tall black boots reached to her knees and gleamed like a shiny new toy. At her hip sat a dagger forged in the Dark Days—the only kind of weapon capable of killing a demon.

Arriving at the compound, Virginia stepped out of the portal that had transported her thousands of miles in only a few seconds and took in her surroundings. She was in one of the sublevels of the Baltimore compound, and though she’d never been here, finding her way wasn’t difficult. All compounds had a similar layout.

She made her way toward the compound’s command center, but it was quiet there. The computers on the console were on standby, another violation she could add to her ever-growing list. She grunted in disapproval, then turned as she heard voices coming from the compound’s living area, more precisely—the kitchen. She marched toward it. Outside the door, she stopped for a short moment. With a deep breath and a steely resolve, she opened the door.

“Tessa did it,” one of the guardians said.

She recognized him immediately, though she’d never met him. She’d studied the files of all the guardians assigned to this compound and committed the information to memory.

The guardian who’d spoken, Aiden, put his arm around his wife, Leila, a human authorized to live at the compound thanks to her unbreakable bond with Aiden. He added, “We should celebrate.”

At the words, Virginia wanted to snort. Instead, she kicked the door shut behind her.

“Celebrate what?”

All eyes snapped to her. Good! She loved to make an entrance. She had everybody’s undivided attention now.

“The fact that this compound constantly ignores our rules?” she continued. “Or maybe that your security protocols are so loose that a witch was able to breach your defenses? Or maybe the fact that you just don’t give a damn that no human charges are allowed here? Enlighten me!”

Virginia narrowed her eyes at the assembled: Aiden, Leila, Enya, Hamish, Manus, Pearce, and Logan, as well as two people who weren’t authorized to be at the compound. The human charge and the witch.

“And you are?” Hamish asked, his chin tipped up defiantly.

Figured that he was the ringleader. In a millisecond, she recalled the details of his file and the notes she’d made in the margins after reading it cover to cover: rebellious, stubborn, insubordinate. But also innovative, quick on his feet, and exceptional in hand-to-hand combat.

“Virginia Robson, newest member of the Council of Nine,” she announced.

A few mumbled curses reached her ears. As she’d expected.

“Oh crap,” Manus choked out.

Yes, they all knew the name and the reputation that came with it. And she was proud of that reputation.

“To what do we owe your visit?” Hamish asked.

“You must be Hamish. I would have expected better from you than bringing a human charge into the compound.” Her jaw tightened. “Not to speak of letting a witch run wild here.”

Her gaze shot to the couch where the witch in question stood as if paralyzed. For the first time, she looked beyond the aura that identified him as a preternatural creature. She took in the features of the man. Tall with dark hair and a lean, yet strong, body. Not unattractive. In fact, not unattractive at all. On the contrary. There was something about him that made her heart beat just a tiny bit faster. Annoyed at her reaction, she tore her eyes from him.

“But all this is about to change. I’m here to clean up.”