AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Moreau’s spine stiffened. “What have they told you?”
Ridley and I glanced at each other and moved forward, blades out.
I circled to his right. “That you had me kidnapped and kept me locked up in a cell with no food or water. That you drank my blood while I was fastened to a fucking concrete wall.”
“Fuck.” Gabriel sucked in a breath and turned an angry glare on Moreau. He had his blade out, but as agreed, he hung back, allowing me and Ridley to make the kill.
Ridley circled to Moreau’s left. “That you hunted me and my mom for years. When you found us, you tortured my mom so she’d tell you where I was. And when she refused, you murdered her.”
Her accusations fell into the quiet room like hard white pebbles dropping into a still pond.
Moreau blinked several times, then rallied. “It’s a lie,” he spat at his primus. “You’re going to believe these dhampirs over me?”
“Hugo says different,” de Froulay replied. “He told me that when Charlotte left, you had her followed, that you knew from the beginning she’d given birth to my daughter. That you didn’t tell me because you’ve been maneuvering to take my place after I’m gone.”
Moreau’s expression changed, became dangerous. Blue encircled his eyes and his fangs slid out. He broke into fast, furious French. I only caught a few phrases here and there, but it was clear he was denying everything.
De Froulay looked bored. “According to Hugo,” he said in English, “you’ve grown tired of waiting for me to go to my final grave. You egged Victorine on, hoping that Karoly would blame me when his sons died. Because after all, my top enforcer had Zaquiel in his dungeon. How could I not be part of this? And now you took out a hit on my daughter and Zaquiel, paid for with Paris Syndicate money. My money.” His voice had turned so cold, my forearms prickled.
Moreau slipped a hand beneath his suit jacket. He was breathing hard, his gaze darting from his primus to us.
My toothed beast simmered beneath the surface, eager to show itself.
Yes, I told it—and opened myself to the vampire’s dark power. My vision sharpened, and I felt energy surge through me.
I bared my fangs at Moreau. “Go ahead,” I invited in a guttural voice. “Draw your weapon. We are your executioners, but we agreed this will be a fight with odds like you gave me and Rafe. Three against one seems about right. Or maybe we should drag you downstairs to one of those goddamned cells and fasten your wrists to a wall first?”
Moreau’s own fangs slid out. “She’s a slayer, Leo,” he said without taking his gaze from me and Ridley. “Did you know that? SI is in this up to their necks.”
“And you’re a traitor.” De Froulay’s mouth thinned. “Stake him,” he told us. “I grow tired of his babbling.”
Moreau went for me first. Apparently he’d decided I was the greater threat.
His mistake.
I parried his thrust and shoved him at Ridley.
She chose that moment to release her own vampire. We all felt the whoosh of power. The woman had some serious magic to call on. It glowed in her eyes, made her skin shimmer.
And yeah, she was beautiful. Inhumanly, supernaturally so.
But then, to me, she was always beautiful.
Moreau blanched. His Adam’s apple worked. He raised his arm.
“Bastard dhampir,” he hissed at her.
I darted behind him, and as he slashed his dagger down, Ridley and I skewered him with our blades at the same time.
He grunted and listed to the side. The rotten stench was almost overwhelming. A second later, it mixed with the acrid scent of his flesh turning to ashes.
I released my handle and so did Ridley. He crumpled to the ground.
He stared up at us with eyes that were already clouding over. “You…were both supposed to be dead by now. I figured you’d fail, and she’d have to kill you. Then Karoly would kill…her.”
I grinned darkly. “Guess you blew it.”
Moreau’s mouth opened again, but all that came out of it was a puff of smoke.
