“Rosov sisters,” Nadi breathed. “Nabrisi and Asha. We can’t go out there if there’sthreeof them?—”
The footsteps were getting closer, along with the sound of armed figures spreading out through the facility. These weren’t the human security guards they’d been dealing with—these were vampire enforcers, probably elite ones if they were working directly for the Rosov family.
But for a long stretch, they went silent. Nadi crept closer, trying to peek around the corner to catch a glimpse of how many they now had to deal with.
“How many?” Raziel asked.
“Too many,” came a voice from behind them.
They spun to find themselves facing a woman that Nadi had seen once before. Her close-cropped dark hair, strong jawline,and her insistence on wearing men’s clothing made her an imposing figure. And that was clearly how she liked it.
Nabrisi Rosov stood ten feet away, flanked by four vampires in tactical gear. Her expression was one of mild amusement, as if she’d just discovered something unexpectedly entertaining.
“The infamous Serpent,” she said, her voice carrying a slight accent that spoke of old money and older blood. She had a gun raised, pointed straight at Raziel. “And his pet fae. I see you have been having a bit of fun.”
“I can arrange for more, if you’d like,” Raziel replied, his tone conversational despite the fact that they were clearly outnumbered and outgunned.
“Mm. We shall see. Move.” Nabrisi smiled, showing teeth that were perhaps a bit too sharp, even for a vampire.
Raziel and Nadi, hands raised, were herded into the center of the processing facility.
There, standing in front of them, was Lana, looking hysterically out of place in her pure white fur coat with hot-pink liner and sequined gown. She looked resplendent, surrounded by nothing but grunge, rust, gore, and garbage.
And now a few corpses, as well.
Behind her, another figure stepped into the light. Where Nabrisi was imposing and masculine in her bearing, this woman was delicate, almost fragile. But Nadi could see the intelligence in her large dark orange eyes, the careful way she moved that spoke of someone far more dangerous than her appearance suggested.
Asha Rosov. The youngest of the siblings, and according to what little she knew of her, possibly the most lethal.
“Sisters,” Asha said softly, “perhaps we should simply kill them and be done with it. The longer we delay, the more opportunity for escape.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Nabrisi asked. “Besides, I have questions. Such as what the Serpent is doing working with fae terrorists. Perhaps the fae bitch has tamed him.”
“No, I doubt that.” Lana tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “More likely looking for his own personal army.” She sighed drearily. “You poor, predictable little bastard. Always looking for toys to break. Like Nadi. Hello, dear. Nice to see you again.”
Nadi shifted her grip on the blades reflexively. This wasn’t going to end well. By her count, there were thirty humans in the room with guns trained on them.
“Let’s start by clearing the chaff, shall we?” Raziel unbuttoned his suit coat buttons. His whole outfit looked the worse for wear. “Kill yourself.”
The two words flowed through the room with the familiar weight of his power. But this time they simply…felt different.
They felt right.
Nadi lifted one of the daggers to her own throat.
This was right.
“Nadi!”
FIFTEEN
This was right.
The blade pressed against her throat, cold steel kissing the soft flesh where her pulse hammered like a caged bird. Nadi could feel the edge of it—sharp enough to split her skin with the barest pressure. Her hand was steady. Her mind was calm.
This was what she was supposed to do.
Somewhere, distantly, she could hear screaming. A voice she recognized. A voice that meant something to her, though she couldn’t quite remember why. It was calling her name, over and over, with a desperation that should have meant something.
