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“You’re—”

The guard appeared briefly in her line of sight. She fired, and they fell dead to the floor.

“—a very good shot.”

“I know.” Lily stood warily in the echo. Purple auras billowed over the short barrier of the walkway. Her heart tried to ignite her skin to crawl, but it never got any further than an erratic beat. She forced herself to laugh. “I’m sure I spent plenty of time hunting while you were spying on me.”

But when she glanced at Jarek, his humored expression evaporated, and all of the color drained from his face. He called out, but Lily lurched backward before she could react, and darkness consumed her eyes.

Muffled sound trickled back in with the light. Blood roared in Lily’s ears, and she gasped for a full breath that never came. Something held her by the neck, keeping her suspended in the air—toes barely touching the floor.

A slimy voice clawed its way up her spine. A voice that belonged to the hand wrapped around her neck. “That’s better.”

Caiven loosened his grip, and Lily inhaled the precious air she was given. Her hands flew to his fingers to pry them apart, and he squeezed again, hard.

“Hands. Off!”

His voice reverberated around the room. The Wraith wasn’t even a thought. All she wanted was her neck free, but Caiven was like Jarek—he knew there was something wrong with her, regardless of her intentions at that moment.

A small whine escaped her throat. Her lungs burned for air, but she listened, clenching her fists and lowering them. He released his grip, hand still around her neck. She held herself there, balancing on her toes, keeping the Wraith and its insistence at the back of her mind, not knowing how much time had passed and where everyone was. It looked like she was still in the armory…

“There you have it,” Caiven said. “I’m a man of my word.”

“You’re more beast than man,” Jarek growled.

Lily’s heart leapt in relief.

“You’re one to call me a beast!” Caiven snapped. “Kael, that waste of life… I bet he thought it’d be funny to send one of my kind in here to kill me. After all the money I make for him!”

Caiven thought Kael sent them. Were they on bad terms already?

Jarek played into it. “Money has no weight when you’ve forgotten your place.”

“My place isn’t under that waste of blood! I risk everything for that ungrateful bastard so he doesn’t have to lift a wretched finger!”

Caiven’s nails dug into her skin, and Lily winced.

“And this—” Caiven turned to leer at her, and Lily had no choice but to look back. Head bare, skin pasty white, his neck and right side of his face were doughy from the layers of scar tissue. Half of him looked like someone attempted to mold the shape of a human using clay. A faded, purple aura like the one she saw on Jarek clung tight to his frame. “This I didn’t expect. If it weren’t for you being so forthcoming with killing me, I’d mistake this as conciliation for the shortage in his last shipment, but we both know Kael doesn’t give up his reapers.” He yanked her closer to him, his other hand grabbing her wrist. “And if he did, he’d know better than to send me a half-breed, gift or otherwise.”

Lily’s neck pleaded for relief; her wrist ached, and through it all, she found no fear for this man. No matter how horrendous in stature or actions, there was nothing but disgustful scorn for him.

“See that?” Caiven made a repugnant noise at the base of his throat. “It’s the eyes. They can cut you like a knife. Might be worth it to make an exception for this one.”

“If you so much as—”

Caiven took a step to the side, taking Lily with him and out of the reach of Jarek’s ire. “Cutting off the air too often will leave its marks, tempting as it is. All it takes is enough pressure in the right spot and she’s brain dead.” He smirked in Jarek’s direction, and his thick hand blithely left her throat to grab under her chin. “I want to know, pretty thing,” he started again, eerily calm, “does Kael keep you safe up in the mountain?”

She got her fill of air that tasted of ash and rancid cologne before giving Caiven her time. “Safe enough,” she answered, voice raspy.

“His bed must keep you warm too if you think you can just walk in here and take what’s mine.”

“I enjoy the pay more,” she said, both regretfully and joyfully watching his warped features twist with anger.

“Aren’t you a heartless little she wolf?” He chuckled, then frowned down at the hand caught in his grasp, voice growing absent. “How much is he paying you to steal my girls for him? Bringing them there will guarantee their demise.”

Caiven thought she was luring them back to the empire? For Kael? Why? Was this something he often did?

Caiven’s grip tightened the longer she stayed silent. Lily adjusted herself and her attitude the best she could. “Salvation seems more fitting. They'll be away from you.”