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Arianna’s scent drifted past me like smoke curling off a flame, sharp, citrus-tangy, threaded with something melancholy. Her cloak rippled in her wake, a wave of shadow gliding toward the bed where Kleitos still lay, belly-down in sleep.

I rarely paid attention to her clothes, but tonight… her presence was impossible to ignore. No sweeping dress, just tight black leather pants clinging to the long lines of her legs, catching the gold flicker from the hearth. A black corset cinched her waist, its high lace collar framing her neck like the edge of a blade. Her curls were pulled into the same sleek military bun she always wore, but it made her look sharper, deadlier.

Arianna stopped at Kleitos’ side without ceremony and reached back with one gloved hand to grab his calf. Her expression was all quiet amusement. “Wake up,” she ordered, her voice pitched to carry, though she didn’t quite shout.

Kleitos groaned, kicking his leg in half-hearted protest, trying to free himself from her grip. Last night had been a rough one; we’d come up empty again. For a moment, we thought we’d finally crossed Mark’s path… only to realize the man we were tracking was just a look-alike. We didn’t even bother approaching him once the truth settled in. If that wasn’t enough, the city guards had been thick in the streets. Kleitos and I had both been forced to steer clear of the city’s heart. In the end, we’d returned early, too close a call to risk pushing further.

You'd think having an Original Vampire on my team would come with shortcuts, a cheat sheet for getting what I wanted. But no. With this cursed, multiplying scent choking the air, it was like moving through fog, every trail blurring into the next.

Kleitos didn’t even have the chance to rise before the door swung open beside me. Bomani stepped in, his presence filling the space without him needing to command it; he was simply that massive. He gave me a curt nod as he shut the door behind him. “Arianna,” he said, voice low and even, the depth of it rumbling through the room. “You came.” The faint gleam in his yellow eyes as they swept over her was enough to make me think I should excuse myself.

She turned toward him, giving him her full attention, her hand finally releasing its grip on Kleitos’ leg. He was fully awake now, sitting at the edge of his bed. One hand raked lazily through his curls as he let out a final yawn, stretching until his joints popped. Then he rose, eyes moving between the three of us. “Why are you here, dragging me out of sleep?” he said, his tone edged with mock accusation. “You truly are a demon, aren’t you?”

Arianna’s gaze flicked to him, a grin curving her lips. “What can I say? I enjoy living up to the name. If it makes you feel better, think of me as the fallen angel I really am.” Crossing the room, she folded her arms across her chest. “I saw Bomani ready to come running to me at dawn’s break. He didn’t realize I was already home, so I decided to save him the trouble. “Now," her eyes swept between Kleitos and me, sharp and expectant, “tell me what’s going on.”

Kleitos studied Bomani for a beat, feigning disbelief. “You were about to slip away? In the middle of the night, like a thief in the dark? I’m shocked. I thought we were comrades by now, Bomani.” His sleepy chuckle carried just enough mockery to make it sting.

Bomani narrowed his eyes at him, then let out a short laugh of his own. “That’s not what I was going to do. And you know it, Arianna. I planned on coming back. You’d leave that part out.”

She tilted her head, a sly smile playing at her lips. “It’s more fun to let them think you’d abandon them. But no, he’s loyal to a fault.” Her voice softened slightly as Bomani stepped closer, studying her face. For half a second, I could’ve sworn her fingers twitched at her side, like she almost reached for him. But her gaze shifted to me instead, halting the gesture. “And you,” she said sharply, cutting across the air like a blade, “Bastard King. You’ve been quiet since I walked in.” She sidestepped past Bomani, closing the space between us with deliberate steps.

“I’m just tired,” I replied flatly. “You did just wake everyone up.” My gaze held hers as I added, “Don’t tell me the all-seeing Arianna hasn’t been watching us stumble through this week in her visions. You could’ve saved yourself the trip.” I stepped back slightly, putting a breath of distance between us.

Arianna smirked, looking me over with a shrug that said she’d already decided not to take offense. “I prefer firsthand accounts.” Her voice dipped, almost playful, before sharpening again. “And I’m not all-seeing, no matter what you’ve built me up to be. I get glimpses, Alexander. Glimpses.” She paused, eyes narrowing just slightly. “And for your information, I’ve been focusing on Mark. I didn’t have much time to watch the… tribulations of Alexander.”

Rolling my eyes, a smirk almost broke on my face, but I couldn’t give her that satisfaction. Instead, I crossed my arms and scoffed like a petulant child. “Whatever you say, demon lord. But we really didn’t get much information. We met some women in a club one night, and that’s been our only real lead.”

Her gaze flicked between Bomani and me, eyes narrowing in quiet calculation before locking on him like a hawk sighting prey. “Women?” she asked, her voice pitched just a notch higher. “And what exactly did they have to do with finding Mark?”

Bomani’s fingers twined idly through his beard, the picture of composure, except for the faint twitch in his jaw. “Was that question meant for the group,” he asked evenly, “or just for me?”

Arianna’s mouth parted, then snapped shut into a razor line. For a heartbeat, I swore she was about to explode. Instead, she squared her shoulders, her expression smoothing into something colder. “Oh, don’t all rush to confess at once,” she said, her tone dry enough to cut glass.

Lifting my hands in mock surrender, I glanced at Bomani, who now seemed to be staring through the floor. A laugh threatened to break free from my chest, and I coughed to smother it. Never did I think Arianna would get flustered over a few women. The only one I truly saw, truly wanted, was Valentina. Everyone else blurred into the background. I could appreciate beauty when I saw it, but it always paled beside her, like trying to admire candlelight after you’ve seen the sun. I wanted to ask about Val, but the way Arianna’s eyes were daggered at us for answers, I’d wait. “Because, Arianna,” I said, keeping my voice even, “we had no idea where to start. We were following Mark’s scent, which happens to be linked to what feels like hundreds of these bastards crawling all over the city. I thought you said you and Valentina took out a good chunk of them the first time you came here.”

Her shoulders eased, some of the tension bleeding away. She rolled them once, as though trying to shake off the sting of suspicion. “We did,” she said. “A good chunk. And I noticed the same thing when I came looking for you; there’s more now. How the fuck is he bringing them over like this? Isn’t the portal guarded?”

We all turned to Kleitos, who’d been leaning against the wall watching the whole exchange like it was theater. At last, he cleared his throat, drawing every eye to him. “It is guarded,” he said. “The only way this would be possible is if someone on the inside is being paid… or is getting favors from whoever this William person really is.”

The realization pulled the air straight out of the room. If William had managed to turn a guard, what else was he controlling in this city? I leaned back against the door, pressing my palms flat against the wood as I let the thought sink in. This man had a ring of Elgutos under our noses, and somehow he was smuggling them past the King’s own defenses. That alone was enough to solidify my resolve; he had to go. Not just because he was building an army, but because he was clever enough to slip into King Victor’s security without raising suspicion. Victor didn’t even know who had started the fire in the clearing yet.

William was clearly intelligent, with a tongue Lucifer himself might envy. A man with too much charisma was just as dangerous as one wielding a blade. He could plant seeds of doubt in the most loyal subjects, and the weakest among them would follow him simply because he sounded convincing.

Mark… Mark wasn’t like that. He wasn’t persuasive enough to lead anyone into a hopeless fight. But he was gullible enough to join one. I’d seen it too many times growing up. Once, he’d fallen for an online wiring scam; he sent four hundred dollars to a “prince” who’d “lost his wallet,” believing he’d get two thousand in return. We’re still waiting on that money to this day.

And maybe once, that would’ve been something I could laugh about. Maybe even feel a flicker of sympathy for. But now? He should have known better.

I nodded, biting down on my bottom lip as I leaned my head back against the door. With the coolest tone I could muster, I said, “He’s a clever bastard. But that only makes it easier to know what has to be done.” My arms folded over my chest as I let the thought sit for only a moment before continuing. “I’m still in the shadow of my uncle’s kingdom… but one day, this will be mine. Anyone who dares to threaten my place will be dealt with.” My voice dipped, low and deliberate. “A smart woman once told me that some people are just collateral damage. At the time, I thought her nearly insane for saying it…” I let the words trail off, my breath dropping to almost a whisper. “I was the fool. I thought we could come out of this untouched. I was naive. But with experience comes wisdom. Grace, for my innocence, because I understand the weight now.” My gaze lifted back to Arianna’s, steady and unflinching. “Now… you speak what you know.”

Her eyes softened for the briefest heartbeat, as if she’d caught the weight of what I’d just said. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by that cold, black-stone stare I knew too well. It pulled a smirk from me and a scoff from the deepest part of her chest.

“Don’t get brash with me,” she warned, her gaze narrowing until the corners crinkled against her perfect features. “I’ll still command my bultungin to tear that tongue right out of your mouth.” Her voice was ice, and for a second, I almost believed she’d do it.

Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. “Yes, yes, destroy me, tear me apart. I’ve heard it all before.” I pressed my fingers together, making a talking motion with them. “You threaten me every time you see me, yet nothing ever happens. Please, Arianna, we don’t have time for you to flirt with me today. And you know Valentina would kill you.”

Subtle chuckles slipped from both Bomani and Kleitos, but Arianna’s sharp glance snapped their amusement shut. Bomani’s hand shot up to cover his mouth, pressing his lips together until the grin faded. Kleitos only sealed his own with a tight press, his nose wrinkling as he held back a laugh.

Once Bomani had himself composed, he cleared his throat and looked down at her with a charm that could kill. “I know you’re passionate, Arianna,” he said, his tone warm but measured. “But he’s right: this isn’t the time for games with words and egos. Alexander pointed out we don’t have much time, and personally… I’d prefer not to rip his tongue out.” The words came tenderly, almost coaxing her into agreement.