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I slashed his wrist, forcing him to drop his second dagger as well, and swept my leg behind his. A shove, and he slammed onto his back.
I straddled him and raised the dagger to deliver the killing blow.
“Do it.” He stared up at me without a trace of fear. “I’m ready.”
The circle of vampires hissed and snarled. Blood does funny things to us. My gaze locked on the bright red, life-giving fluid oozing from Prosper’s chest. I had to fight the urge to lick it off him, especially given my own wounds.
Stake him. Prove you’re dominant to him. Only a weakling shows mercy.
My fingers tightened around the dagger’s stainless-steel handle. I lifted it high above my head, preparing to drive it down into his heart.
Staring down at Prosper’s grim face, it was almost like I could see my father’s face superimposed over Prosper’s.
And it would feel so sweet. So fucking sweet.
Stake him. Prove to everyone that you’re worthy of being my spawn.
But that was Jules’s voice talking, not mine, and I’d already proved I was Prosper’s dominant.
And that’s when it finally hit me. My father was gone now.
And I had nothing to prove to anyone except myself.
Prosper’s face swam back into focus. He bared his teeth. “Do it, damn you.”
Losing him would be a blow to the syndicate. He was smart and cunning, and he had the confidence of the older vampires. If he was willing to yield to me in front of the upper hierarchy, I could still use him, although not as my lieutenant.
Prosper’s chest heaved. His gaze slid from mine.
I snarled. “Look at me.”
He obeyed, helpless to do anything else.
I locked gazes with him. One by one, the vampires fell silent. I spoke into the hush, my voice pitched so everyone could hear.
“Yield. Or I’ll send you to the Dark Lady.”
29
TWILIGHT
The challenge seemed to last for hours, although in reality, it probably wasn’t more than fifteen minutes. There was a final flurry of activity and then Brien straddled Prosper, demanding he yield.
The ballroom went still as a graveyard. A syndicate challenge almost never ended in one of the combatants yielding.
Cain glanced over my head at Talon. “What’s Brien up to?”
“Hades if I know,” the curly-haired enforcer muttered.
I caught my breath, teeth digging into my lower lip, right hand curled into a fist at my side.
Across the circle, Matthew’s eyes met mine. Something about his compressed mouth and fixed gaze sent an icy shock over my nerves. I’d seen the exact same expression on Kuro’s face when he’d informed me that I worked for him now.
I wrenched my gaze from Matthew and back to Brien and Prosper. Both were wounded. Beneath the red splashes, Brien’s torso gleamed with a savage beauty.
Prosper dipped his chin. Somehow, it wasn’t a surrender so much as an acknowledgment of Brien’s fighting skill.
“Yes,” he said in a carrying voice. “I yield.”
