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The plaza was as busy as Wynter had anticipated. People wandered along the cobbled paths, holding carrier bags or eating market food or indulging in a little window shopping. Plenty of stalls were set up, selling everything from clothes to handmade trinkets. Wynter was sure to nose around each stall, hoping she looked like a woman who’d simply come to enjoy the market with her coven.
Four guards surrounded them in a diamond formation, covering the coven from all sides. She didn’t know them well, but she knew they were in Cain’s service and allegedly awesome fighters. She still kept a wary eye on her surroundings, of course. Saul would be suspicious if she didn’t; he’d wonder why she’d allow herself to be so distracted, especially when she didn’t appear to have Cain close by.
She wasn’t sure where each of the Ancients had situated themselves. She only knew they’d surrounded the plaza by taking cover inside the buildings that bordered it. Providing Saul hadn’t witnessed them take up a position, they would definitely take him by surprise.
Cain had informed her of the plan that he and the other Ancients concocted, and she thoroughly approved of it. He’d also warned her several times to watch her ass, a possessive growly edge to his voice that gave her tingles. He was hotter than hell when firmly in protective mode.
“Saul’s taking his sweet time in pouncing,” said Delilah with a bright smile plastered on her face that would fool anyone watching them.
“We’ve only been here half an hour,” Wynter reminded her, pointing to a t-shirt with a smile as if they were discussing the clothing.
“But considering how impulsive he is, I would have thought he’d have made his move by now.”
“He probably wants to. But impulsive or not, he isn’t going to attack without first running some scenarios through his mind. He might have little patience, but he’s no fool. Sadly.”
“I do hope the son of a bitch hurries so I can at least spend a little time with George tonight,” said Hattie, fingering a scarf.
“I did offer for you to instead go on your prearranged date with him,” Wynter pointed out. “None of us would have held it against you if you’d chosen not to cancel it.”
Hattie huffed. “As if I’d allow my own coven to handle such a situation without me. We fight as one and that’s that.”
“Hear, hear.” Xavier bit into a pretzel he’d bought. “But you know, we should consider that Saul might not actually be hanging around watching us. He could be on the outskirts of the town laying low or resting or something.”
“No,” began Anabel, nervously rubbing at her arms, “he’s close. I know he is. I feel death’s—”
“We’re not doing this tonight,” declared Delilah, glaring at the blonde. “We just aren’t.”
Anabel’s lips thinned. “You don’t have to believe me. I’m done caring if you do or you don’t. But I know what’s real—”
“But do you?” questioned Delilah. “Do you really? Because neurotic people sometimes struggle with that.”
“I am not neurotic.”
“I am not believing you.”
“People,” Wynter cut in with a sigh, “let’s not bicker. We need to be on our guard right now, not allow ourselves to get distracted by trivial shit. We don’t want to make this easy for Saul, now, do we? So let it go.”
“Fine,” muttered Anabel.
“Fine,” said Delilah with a haughty sniff.
Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Wynter lifted a pair of leather gloves from a box and turned to the cuddling couple working the stall. “How much are—”
The man lunged and wrapped his hands tight around Wynter’s neck.
Mother of fuck. Choking, Wynter gripped his wrists and tugged hard, aware that his girlfriend was screaming in alarm. There was nothing in his eyes—it was like staring into the eyes of a doll. This dude wasn’t behind the wheel right now, Wynter realized. Someone else was controlling him.
Between her, her coven, and the guards, it didn’t take much to subdue the guy and haul him away from her.
Wheezing, Wynter lifted a hand. “Don’t kill him. He wasn’t in control or—fuck,” she spat as his girlfriend snatched a fistful of Wynter’s hair just as he collapsed to the floor. The woman tried snapping her neck and, yeah, ow. Like her boyfriend, though, she was swiftly dragged away.
“It’s got to be Saul,” said Anabel, her breaths coming fast.
Agreed. Wynter had thought he’d attack from afar, not take over the minds of random townspeople and use them as killer puppets. Well, he could hijack people’s consciousness while they were asleep, so why not when they were awake?
Hattie checked the pulse of the dude on the floor. “He’s alive. Just out cold. Poor bastard.”
A passing member of the crowd whipped her head toward Wynter, her eyes going blank.
