I shut the door before she can respond and slide back into my seat. "Let’s go."
Pedro pulls out. The sun's starting to rise, casting soft light over the street.
"Thirty thousand."
Roran's voice cuts through the silence.
I tilt my head toward the rearview mirror—she’s staring right at me. "I asked Matteo to send Tatiana thirty grand. I need to make it worth it. She risked her life," she explains.
I smirk. She's nervous aboutthatamount?
"Then make it forty."
"A-ah... okay." She types quickly. "Thank you."
Her soul is quieter now. The voices feel distant. Could the blood be fading from her system?
If that’s true, she’ll need another dose soon.
"What do we do?"I ask Myko.
"I'm not sure... she's human. Anything we try could do more harm than good. Exactly why we’re careful with your human grandma, too."
I sigh, watching Roran wipe away her makeup in the window’s reflection.
"Maybe Grandma Lora would know. Maybe she can brew a potion..."I don’t know why I even care this much. She didn’t ask for this, but she’s carrying blood meant to be sacred—blood fromabusedroyalty. Underwater, that’s a death sentence.
"The last time we played with a potion, your uncle ended up with a permanent tail and powers, and your mom’s been trying to fix your grandma for years. It’s not that easy."
I know.
But I can’t just sit and watch her fall apart."What about my black blood?"
"Now you’re just tempting fate. Her body barely handles regular merfolk blood, and you want to give her that?"
He’s right. My blood is nothing but a curse.
But if anyone can figure it out, it’s my mother and grandma. Eventually.
Looks like I’m helping with her experiments now. Ihaveto.
Pedro turns into the alley Roran pointed out. No pedestrians, no cameras—French-controlled turf. That’s why she said Fedor’s men won’t check here, and no one would snitch to them. He drives in deeper down the road, then we spot my dad’s SUV and a few of his men’s cars waiting ahead.
He thought tonight would blow up and came prepared. I can’t blame him.
If not for Roran’s backup plan, we’d have left empty-handed. Or worse.
"You’re quiet," I tell Pedro as he shuts off the engine.
"I had to drag four bodies you knocked out to keep you off the radar. I’m tired. And annoyed we’re here babysitting a ticking bomb."
I raise a brow. "Ticking bomb?"
I glance at Roran, then back at him.
"Not her. Onyx. Bay’s got a guardian-complex about protecting her, and I’m about to snap. Even Myko agrees." He says, clearly not happy.
"Myko?" Roran echoes. We both whip our heads toward her.
