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“Fuckingyes,” I hissed, clutching my prize and wishing I had someone to celebrate my success with. Instead, I did a little dance, then turned my face up to the sky, sending a prayer of thanks to Iaga and any other Goddess who might be listening.
I’d figured out the riddle, and my prize was exactly what I needed - out of the stone box, I’d drawn a badass, deadly-looking whip made of braided black leather and ringed with wicked metal studs, with a handle perfectly shaped to fit my palm.
Forget about stealing a club - I could take out all kinds of gobbelins with this, and from several feet away, too.
Grinning like mad, I coiled the whip around my arm, keeping the handle tightly in my grip. I spoke the spell once more to turn the steam back to water and began to look around the clearing to make sure this would be a safe place to stay.
I’d barely made it a few steps when a shadow loomed in the entrance.
“Well, well, it’s the long-lost princess. What have you done with my sister?” Janus stood there, taking up most of the archway, his dark eyes flashing with warning in the dying light.
“Made her scream louder than you ever have,” I taunted, letting the coils of my whip snake down to the ground with a satisfying thud. Fuck me, I felt like such a badass with this weapon. I might have to add it to the repertoire of necessary knives.
Janus growled something under his breath, and a female vampire stepped through behind him, her own knives glinting in the orange glow of sunset.
“And what haveyoudone with Nineve?” I asked, trying to keep my voice innocent.
“She died,” Collette said flatly, and Janus turned just enough to hiss at her that I glimpsed theBook of Prophecystrapped to his back. Now, that was interesting to see. I could steal their book tonight.
“Didn’t the mist bring her back?” I asked, stepping casually to the side.
“Not the second time,” Janus said, giving me an unhinged grin that made him look just like Jillian.
I raised an eyebrow. “She died twice?”
Collette nodded, and I clenched my jaw. So the mist had limits on resurrection, then.
Also good to know.
“And have either of you used up your single extra life token?” I asked, unsurprised when neither of them answered. Still, at least I’d learned that the competition was down one vampire, and there could be others who had died in theBook of Saori Sangsection.
Then again, Blaise and I were definitely at increased risk, so it wasn’t quite good news.
I decided to give Janus a tiny tidbit to encourage more his help. “As far as I know, Jillian is still hanging out with Darnell in the Flora section. They haven’t traveled very far. Just like you, apparently. Not everyone can be an adventurer,” I said with a shrug.
I was getting impatient. If they weren’t going to attack me, they needed to leave.
“Have... have you seen any gobbelins?” Collette asked, flinching almost before Janus raised his hand to backhand her. A dribble of blood ran from the corner of her lips, and my eyes narrowed.
What a fuckingbastard.
I snapped the tip of my whip in his direction, and he smirked like he thought I’d never use it.
“Yes. Lots of them. In both Flora and Fauna,” I said, looking back at Collette and giving her more incentive to stay here.
“They’re here too,” she whispered, and my heart sank. There went that idea.
“So what’s the gimmick with this section, anyway?” I asked, not expecting anything in return, even though Collette seemed nice enough. Too nice to be stuck with Janus, anyway, which was probably why he’d chosen her.
“I have no reason to tell you anything,” Janus said with a sniff, obviously growing bored of our conversation.
He reached behind his back and drew out a gobbelin club, proving Collette’s admission. “I may not be allowed to kill you, but I can knock you out and let the night do its work,” he said with a low laugh, before advancing on me in a blur of speed.
I lashed out with my whip, catching the handle of his club and yanking it from his grip. With a roar, he leaped toward me, jaw unhinged and fangs flashing.
I ducked and dropped to the ground, rolling out of his way, only to find Collette waiting for me with her knives drawn and fangs bared. I rolled backward over my shoulder and cracked my whip again, the metal barbs catching her cheek.
She shrieked and Janus faltered as the scent of her blood billowed into the air. It was just the opening I needed to lash him across the neck, opening his vein wide.
