I flexed my fingers, called forth a thin tendril of shadow, and let it fade.
I will get us some disguises and armor,Finn signed, then left the room.
I set my empty cup aside and went to put on my leathers. The familiar weight settled over my shoulders as I tightened each buckle. I slid my daggers into their sheaths and retrieved the rupture vials from their hiding place. Reaching beneath the wardrobe, I found one of my stakes. I pulled it free, checked the point, and placed it into its holster.
Finn had since returned with a makeshift mask tucked under his arm and handed a second one to Zane. The disguise was crude, cut from an old pant leg with a knot tied at the top and uneven eyeholes.
We need a group name. Something that strikes fear, like Vengeance. They will remember us as a force,Finn signed.
“We are not naming ourselves that. And this better not stink.” Zane inspected the mask with a judgmental lift of his brow.
There is nothing wrong with a name for our team.
“I’ll consider giving us a name,” I said, just to see the spark of excitement in Finn’s eyes. “But only if it’s a good one.”
Finn grinned, and his gaze drifted as he brainstormed and got changed. Zane glanced at Finn’s ill-fitting leathers with a frown. “And I’m having new armor ordered for you.”
Finn shrugged and crouched to rub Nibs on the head and give him some cheese. The mouse chirped. Then he opened his pocket, and the rat jumped in alongside Nibs.
I slid my bracelet into place, and the illusion of Ilyana shimmered into existence. “All right, everyone. We’ll hit her hard and be back before sunrise.”
Chapter 25
Sidney
Exiting the mansion proved uneventful. Vampires strolled through the corridors, preparing for their nightly routines, their attention elsewhere. We slipped past them without a glance and out into the streets of the Gilded Yard.
Our boots pounded the cobblestone in a quick rhythm, the sound bouncing between the buildings. A violin played through an open window nearby, while laughter drifted from a tavern three streets over.
Once we were far enough from the mansion, I removed my bracelet, and the illusion dissolved off my body.
The night breeze tugged at my cloak as we headed north. Zane’s shadows wrapped around us, blurring our forms into shapes that eyes slid past. Soon, Lady Lorelei’s house rose ahead, its white stone walls gleaming in the moonlight. I sneered at the sight of it.
Finn and Zane donned their disguises before we reached the perimeter wall. We scaled the barrier and dropped onto the manicured grass. Like ghosts, we moved through the garden, slipping past an elaborate fountain.
Two soldiers flanked the entrance, halberds in hand andmastiffs crouched at their feet. The dogs stiffened first, ears pricked and muzzles lifted toward us. The guards muttered to each other, shifting their weapons as they straightened. Their eyes narrowed as they followed the canines’ gazes.
A flock of birds tore from the trees, sweeping past the guards with piercing cries. They broke into two groups and raced toward the other entrances. The guards startled from the disturbance.
Finn stepped forward, shadows clinging to him. The dogs’ hackles eased, and they sank to the ground. He nodded to Zane, whose darkness spilled outward, swallowing the vampires whole.
I triggered my nullification, forcing it over both soldiers. For three brutal seconds, I held them both. My vision blurred as agony seized my skull. I clutched my head, the pressure unbearable, until I released it. Hopefully the brief loss of their power left them reeling.
Zane and Finn struck from the dark. Steel flashed, and two heavy thumps echoed. When moonlight cut through the shadows, it revealed guards dead on the ground.
With the pain receding, I moved toward the door. The rat slipped indoors first, whiskers twitching as it scurried ahead.
The kitchen stretched empty, its quiet broken only by the sharp click of mastiff nails as the dogs followed us. Shadows pooled in every corner, gathering behind Zane.
We climbed the stairs behind our small guide. At the third-floor landing, we turned left and stopped.
After we coated our blades with rupture, I opened the door. It yielded without a sound. Inside, the air reeked of Lorelei’s jasmine fragrance. A four-poster bed dominated the room, crystal perfume bottles gleamed across the vanity, and a lavish rug softened the hardwood. Alantern lit the room, forgotten by the bedside. Heavy curtains smothered the windows, still drawn to shut out any natural light.
I waited at the door with Zane close beside me, while Finn crouched under a window, the dogs at his feet.
Minutes crawled by, and my pulse hammered.What if she changed her routine?
Footsteps approached. I signaled for readiness. Finn tensed, and Zane’s shadows thickened, muting the lantern and plunging the room into darkness. The door creaked open, and someone entered, humming a tuneless melody.
