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The last thing she remembered was the dire warnings explaining weather disruptions from the nuclear fallout and the dreaded understanding that life as they knew it was about to end. She’d had a horrible argument with her twin brother, Niles, and hated him for it. She’d journeyed inland from the coast, where she’d planned to meet Jace, her childhood friend. With her parents long dead and a falling out with her twin, Jace was the closest to a family she had left.
Jace had been their neighbor in a small, modest town in Los Angeles. He was Nile’s best friend for years until he hooked up with Nova and claimed her virginity. Nova had always blamed herself for the following fights in their trio. She’d ruined the dynamic by flirting with Jace. Then, he moved across the country with his family.
Niles grew bitter after that.
Wanting to escape, Nova turned to environmental activism. Jace became CEO of his father’s petroleum company. The brief romance would never have worked, despite her childhood crush on the hot, easygoing surfer next door. But they’d remained close friends. He sent extravagant gifts on holidays, and she sent him postcards from all the places she visited. She’d not spoken to him for months, but after Niles—she frowned, trying not to think of the horrible argument with her twin—Jace was the first person she’d called when the world was ending.
Now, she was alone again. Humans were banished to a westerly city because they continued to use forbidden substances that stopped the flow of magic.
If not for this war between the fae peoples, humanity would be public enemy number one. She probably would have been executed on sight or handed to the Order of the Well for her possession of gold—contraband.
Nova thought about her earrings again, wondering if she should remove them, but as no Guardians from the Order had crossed paths with them, no one wanted to touch the magic-cutting substance. Magic was unpredictable at the moment. Many feared if they lost the connection, even briefly from touching metal, it would be permanent. They'd be mortal… forever.
She wasn’t sure if that superstition had any merit, but the earrings had been another layer of protection against these feral monsters. The gold hoops might be tarnished and warped, but they were the last piece of home she had left.
Another swooping vampire flew low enough that his leathery wing clipped her head. She stumbled into the wooden pail, which vomited dishwater and stone crockery onto the dirt.
“¡Ay, qué menso!”she blurted. What an idiot, swooping so low as to frighten her. Another string of Spanish curse words erupted from her lips before she could stop them.
The vampire swooped back and landed with a thud, spraying dirt and dust carelessly.
Usually, they ignored her, but her stupid mouth ran away with itself.
He was from the Winter Court. She could tell because his leather battle uniform had an emblem of antlers, roses, and thorns. A scar mutated his long nose. The red-eyed vampire advanced on her with a snarl that flashed sharp incisors. Something dripped from them, almost like drool, but she was sure it had something to do with how easily their prey fell asleep while they fed.
“What did you say to me?” His voice was low and breathy.
Vampires had supernatural hearing… all the better to hear her heartbeat with. And right now, hers continued to rabbit in her chest.
The two females with her were no help. They continued washing dishes with barely a glance tossed in Nova’s direction.
She scrambled to her feet, glanced at the mess, and searched for a utensil to protect herself with. But her best weapons were her wit and her tenacity. She lifted her chin and met his bloodshot eyes.
“I said your aerial prowess is wasted in this dirty war camp.” Flattery was always a good response. She casually collected her spilled dishes, hoping he couldn’t see her fingers tremble. Or hear the fluctuation in her pulse—because if he listened carefully, he’d realize she lied. Sometimes, they forgot she was human and not beholden to the truth by the laws of their mystical Well.
As she gathered dishes, worn boots walked into her periphery and stopped. His heavy breathing was loud despite the other noises in the camp—shouts, conversations, crackling fires, and even someone singing a lewd tale.
“And perhaps your beauty is wasted in this corner of the camp,” he purred. “Your hips and breasts are perfect for breeding.”
Nova dropped a plate, breaking it.
Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.
She collected the pieces and straightened her spine. The vampire’s hungry eyes raked over her scantily clad body. The torn dress hung from Nova’s shoulders and gaped to bare her décolletage and the top pillow of her breasts. Nova had never hidden her assets. She loved strutting around the beach in a tiny bikini—especially around Jace. But this attention curdled her stomach.
“I’m here because the captain needs his army fed.”
His upper lip curled. Vampires cared little for food. Human blood was extra tasty. Having someone like her in the camp, within smelling distance, and a Don’t Touch sign painted on her back was a red flag to a bull.
She was about to turn and reveal that sign when another winged fae swooped in too low, knocking over the bloodshot-eyed soldier. Nova hugged her bucket as two more soldiers ran in on foot, excited at the excuse for a brawl. She inched backward, hoping to become invisible.
What came next wouldn’t be pretty, and it was best she stayed as far away as possible. They’d either kill each other or—
“What is the meaning of this!” The booming words shook the ground.
Don’t look. Don’t look.
Nova’s eyes stung as she placed her bucket on the log she’d used as a table. She tried to ignore and clean, but every male grunt behind her pushed fear into her bones.
