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In went my dagger, poof went the vamp.

Declan had his attacker pinned to the floor in his naked human form. He drove his stakeblade into her heart, making her dusty.

“You good?” I asked.

He held up his stakeblade. “Never thought there’d be a day when I’d feel remorse for using this.”

Yeah, I got that completely. With bells on.

There were only two things that could kill a vampire—a stakeblade or sunshine. Oh, and apparently the crystal dagger, which made it three things.

A grim silence fell over the square. No more vampires attacked, Medusa and Vaughn were well out of sight, along with the vampire king.

I looked to Declan, at the unmoving Aidan, then glanced at the camera.

Medusa called out to me.

They were just around the corner.

One last thing…

“The vampires are not the enemy,” I said, addressing the audience again. “And that’s coming from an executioner. You will see this, I promise. Aidan is a liar and a⁠—”

Ugh. A bullet blew my head apart before I could finish.

Chapter Sixteen

Paris

Iresurrected in an alleyway, fully healed as always, with Declan crouched beside me.

“Thank Ai… Thank fuck,” he said. “Come on, we have to go.”

“What—”

“Did you see him?” Aidan’s voiced boomed. “Did you see the heathen? He is a traitor to his kind. The executioners are not the enemy, they are our hope. This world made a terrible mistake in how it dealt with them. I weep for those lives lost.”

“Is he talking to the camera again?” I questioned, getting to my feet.

Declan took my hand. “When I shift, climb on my back. I’m getting us out of here.”

“I’m fast,” I countered.

“I’m faster. Don’t argue.”

“Paris Raine is in league with the vampires!” Aidan cried. “And worse than that, he is the consort of the king. We must destroy the vampires. Let the executioners come out of hiding. Welcome them, support them. I need you all to fight. Together we can eradicate the abominations from our world.”

I’d played right into this bullshit. He didn’t want to just kill Silvanus, but turn the media against him with me as an extra bonus. Our faces would be everywhere—the pressure was already bearing down on me.

And the vampires were screwed.

Yeah, time to go and get back on track. I’d seriously fucked up by coming here. I should’ve listened to Caer.

Declan shifted, and I climbed aboard, keeping as flat as possible, bunching up his fur into my hands. He took off, zipping through the streets, leaping over corpses, speeding past debris and burning buildings.

There were no more screams, no more explosions. Oreflame had gone eerily quiet. Goosebumps prickled my skin, dread an unwelcome bedfellow.

The air whipped my face, lifting my hair. I was attuned to the city, eyes on a constant hunt for surprises. But nothing stirred in the shadows, not one hint of a pair of golden peepers tracked our escape.