Page 4 of Cold Sacrifice

“I believe we owe you a great debt for what you have done for us. It is because of you that Frederick Axton is dead. Because of you that Avis Vine is no more and the daywalkers and that terrible magic are gone. It is because of you and those who surround you that the city humans are as safe as they can possibly be.”

She glared at the elders, then put her stare back on me. “I would like to return to you something that will continue to aid you not only in your quest to protect your city and your people but to carry out the council’s requests.”

The demon elder stood. “Do not dare,” he roared.

Ti stared at him, calm, but with rage behind the calmness. Her face began to glow, as did her eyes, with a golden light that made it difficult to look at her. At that moment, the Elder Ti was the sun.

She stood, as well, and I saw something I almost didn’t believe I was seeing. The demon elder backed down. Without another word, Ti lifted her hand, as though she would smite him down if he so much as moved. “Call it, Kait Silver,” she said. “If it comes to your call, it is yours.”

I didn’t hesitate. I held up my right hand, and with a wordless cry of desperation, fear, and triumph, I called my blade.

It ripped itself from Kronor’s grip, violently.

As it sliced through the air and arced down to where I stood, I opened my fingers. And because it belonged there, it flew to my grip.

My tears broke then, the dam of sheer determination no match for the emotion of that moment. I squeezed the handle of my demon blade, then clutched it to my chest, overcome.

And the light from that blade lit up the whole room. Smoky magic curled from its tip, and spirals of power curled around the blade and over my hand, my wrist, my arm.

Kronor hit the table with his fist. “Someday I will take the blade and you with it,” he roared.

But I no longer cared about Kronor and his tantrums. He barely existed to me. I lifted my joyful stare from my blade and the swirling magic to Ti, who was finally smiling.

“Thank you,” I told her. “Thank you.”

“He should never have taken it,” she replied, “and we should never have allowed him to.”

I whirled and strode from the room.

I had my blade.

Chapter One

“Things have been too quiet,” Joe said, pacing through my little office while we waited for Max to send in the first client of the night.

I saluted him with my coffee mug. “You know the minute you say that, bad shit starts happening. Every single time.”

He grinned. “Maybe that’s why I say it.”

I patted my blade, sheathed at my side. “I’m ready for anything. I have my blade.”

“And me,” he said. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, Kaity Bug. Just make sure you wait until I’m awake before you get into trouble.”

“I’ll try to do that,” I said dryly.

“There are downsides to being a vampire,” he said, maybe more to himself than me.

I nodded. “Understatement of the year.”

But honestly, Joe was happy with his vampire status. And I much preferred having him as a vampire to having him dead.

Max believed that because he had an assistant, he no longer had to bring clients in. Instead, he sent Gracie Dawn, who was as eager as an energetic puppy. As noisy, too.

“Here we go,” she called, sailing through the doorway with a young woman following along behind her. “Sit down there, honey,” she said, putting a thin folder on my desk. “Kait doesn’t bite. Joe, though, you might have to watch out for him. He looks like a biter. Is that right, Joe? Are you a biter?”

Then she cackled, gave the bemused client a goodbye wave, and rushed from the room.

I could only shake my head. I opened the folder. “How can I help you, Ms. Greenfield?”