I want her to look at me like she did that night in the bathroom, with her fingers in my hair and her lips dragging against mine, as desire chased the fear from her eyes.
I want her forgiveness.
The wall around Celine is bigger than ever, but I can scale it. I’m stubborn, and with Sheena taking a trip for her own safety, I’ve got nothing but time.
Back in Vegas, Operation Win Celine Over has my full attention.
Maybe I shouldn’t have wrapped a nightmare around myself and snuck into the locker room of the Mouth of Hell. And sure, itmight not have been the best idea in the world to listen to Luca and Celine fuck in that creepy ass tunnel. I stopped myself from watching barely, but damn did I want to sneak a peek.
They’re both stupid hot. I thought it the first night I saw them in the Naked Fang, and it’s even more true now. But they think I’m scum. I need a chance to explain why I hid my identity.
My gut tells me Luca will be the easiest to convince. His basilisk is cold and unforgiving, but the man is pragmatic—more similar to a demon than most of the shifters I know.
Leaving the venue, I tug my nightmare around myself and send magic out in a scatter pattern—not trying to latch on to anyone’s mind. This type of illusion is looser and far easier to break, but it uses less energy and works fine unless someone is already on guard.
Fingers grip my throat.
My spine slams into the warehouse wall.
I force myself to relax, walling off the memory of the last time I was attacked in the Fringes. Because this isn’t random... I know this furious vampire.
Which brings me to the second hardest part of my plan: getting Alistair to forgive me. From my current lack of oxygen, he’s still holding a grudge, and if I’ve learned anything about him in the weeks we spent together, it’s that he isn’t the type to hand out clean slates.
Ignoring the pressure on my throat, I let him strangle me while I do some mental math.
Alistair hates me, but he saved my life and gave me an expensive potion. The odds of him killing me are low, even with how mad he obviously is. Black dots crowd my vision, and I go deliberately limp against the wall.
Hissing, Alistair releases me and glares. “Why are you following us, wrapped in magic like a coward? Haven’t you done enough?”
I ignore the dig. Ali knows perfectly well that, for all my faults, I’m not a coward. He’s just trying to piss me off. “I wanted to say hi.” I shrug. “I’ve decided to stay in town for a while.”
“Why?” he snarls.
I wink at him. “The temperate climate?”
“Don’t be cute.”
“You think I’m cute?” I raise my eyebrows. “I knew it!”
Alistair turns on a dime and disappears into the shadows. I smile. This is step one of as many steps as it fucking takes to get them to trust me again. I’ll make it happen; I’m determined.
When Celine orders her groceries, I bribe the delivery guy and carry them to her door myself. She takes the bags from me, and I keep myself disguised, only dropping the magic on my face to wink at her as she closes the door. Her eyes widen, but I put my nightmare back in place and walk away, whistling under my breath.
At the club, I cling to the stage and pretend to be a pencil-shaped man with a nose like a beak. I tip her recklessly with crisp hundred-dollar bills, placing them on the stage in a symmetrical stack, not a wrinkle in sight. They’re new and in mint condition. When she smiles at me warmly, I let the nightmare flicker until she frowns.I knew she would love them.
At her next fight, I arrive early, feeding my magical core by consuming the trickles of fear the fighters give off as they enter the warehouse.
On the floor beneath the cage, the noise is deafening. Money changes hands, and the biting smell of violence coats the air. Part sweat, part blood, with a dash of magic—it’s primal enough to make my heart race.
These fights are far from legal, but I understand why they’re popular.
Beneath the adrenaline, there’s a layer of raw authenticity that supernaturals living among humans must hide to blend in. In the cage, the veneer rubs off, and the fighters are celebrated for who they are.
It’s appealing, but from the number of broken bones, burned skin, and loose teeth I’ve seen here, I have no interest in finding out how I would stack up. I prefer to watch.
Celine—I meanVerity—is fighting a wolf shifter tonight. It’s an easy win for her, and the third in a row that’s been a cakewalk compared to her first. Either they’re trying to lull her into false complacency, or they want to keep her on the roster long-term.
I frown and make a mental note to investigate the owners. They could be hiding a bloodthirsty vendetta against angels or strippers—I laugh at myself, shaking my head at my stupidity. As if Alistair hasn’t already learned everything there is to know...
