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None of it had ever been my speed. I’d gone along simply because it was what everyone expected me to do, or because my father or my fated mate Serenity had dragged me along. Being thrust back into something like this gave me mental whiplash.
Across the room, I spotted Kira chatting with Abel. She looked amazing. Her dress hugged her body perfectly. A pearl necklace circled her neck and hung down to her chest. She laughed at something Abel said, then caught me looking at her. Her smile lit up her eyes, but before I could join her, Von began his announcement.
“Good evening, everyone. Glad we could all make it.”
It was all I could do not to remind him that we’d basically been forced down here, but I told myself that wasn’t prudent.
“Hopefully, you’ll all partake of the refreshments the staff is providing. Tonight is a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know each other better than you already do.”
Von had completely lost it. He had to be out of his mind. He was treating this like nothing more than a dinner party. Maybe he’d gone senile, like older vampires do before they became feral. Maybe this time next year, he’d be one of the emaciated creatures running around in the jungle.
I was wrong, though, once he said his next words.
“If the cameras could make sure they catch all the contestants’ faces? I want to capture their reaction. One of the contestants in this room is not who they appear to be. Each of you drank a potion that nullified your shifter-enhanced sense of smell. That means that none of you know the truth. One among your number is not a shifter. There is a changeling in your midst, mimicking one of the contestants.”
We all froze. J.D.’s champagne flute slipped from his fingers, the sound of breaking glass echoing the air.
A lead ball dropped into my stomach. A changeling? They were one of the most terrifying creatures on earth. Those beings could alter their appearance and voice to mimic anyone perfectly. The way their bodies could morph also gave them incredible strength and endurance. But what made them truly horrifying was their propensity for eating still-living meat. Their strength was also on par with even the strongest shifters. Von had basically just told us we were locked in a room with a buzzsaw that wanted to eat us, and with our senses on lockdown, we couldn’t see or anticipate the threat.
“Ha, I knew I could get a reaction from you,” Von said cheerfully. “You have no clue how difficult it was for us to procure such a creature and negotiate its willingness to participate. I hope you all understand what an amazing situation you find yourselves in. Anyway, you all are obviously well-versed in changelings and their abilities. Not only can they mimic with perfection any individual’s image, but also their voice and tone. They also have an eidetic memory. With only a few minutes of observation, they can impersonate all mannerisms, personal tics, and even incorrect pronunciations. The best part? This particular changeling has been watching most of the episodes of this season. They’ve had plenty of time to get each and every one of you down pat.”
“So, what’s the play here, Von?” I asked tersely, my eyes scanning everyone. Which one was the monster?
“I’m glad you asked, Wyatt. This evening will go on as it has for the next ten minutes. Once that time is up, the changeling will kill a specifically chosen cast member. That is, unless the imposter is discovered and killed first. So, it’s quite simple. I will caution you to be careful whom you align yourselves with tonight. Changelings are the perfect actors, the greatest liars on the planet. You may not know who your friends are until it’s too late.” He glanced at his watch. “Oops, getting a little long-winded as usual. The time starts now.” Von retreated through the double doors, and then came the heavythwackof the thick deadbolt being slid into place, locking us in.
The staff in the ballroom set their trays down and rushed for a door toward the back of the room. In seconds, that door also locked from the outside. All that remained in the ballroom were the cameras and us.
Around the room, the other contestants eyed each other warily. Even though a changeling could impersonate anyone and anything, it didn’t stop me from trying to seesomethingoff about the others. Was Abel holding his glass weird? Had Chelsey always tugged on her ear like that when she was nervous? Was J.D.’s look of horror genuine? My eyes bounced between them all like a ping-pong ball, searching for some kind of tell that would give the changeling away.
I’d been an operative for years, but since coming to this island, I’d realized there were a lot of creatures and threats I hadn’t come up against yet. This creature would be added to that ever-growing list. I knew about changelings from legends, books, and movies, but dealing with the real thing had to be much more difficult. Knowing a creature could imitate someone down to the finest detail was one thing. Seeing it in action was another. No one here looked different. None of them were actingoffin any way.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” Tate asked Mika. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Mika held his hands up in surrender. “Easy, my man. We’re all looking at everyone at the moment.”
Tate scowled. “Yeah, but you were eyeballing me pretty damn hard.”
The two men bickered back and forth, but nothing serious. They were both acting as they normally would—Mika, calm and brooding; Tate, blustering and irritated. Trying to be as nonchalant as I could, I walked to a table where the staff had left their trays. I snatched a champagne glass, then popped an appetizer into my mouth. Scanning the room, I sipped on the bubbly liquid.
Gavin glared at me. I didn’t even have to imagine what he thought—he probably hoped Iwasn’tthe changeling. If I had to put money on it, he probably had his fingers crossed that it was someone else so that it could turn and rip me to shreds. Of course, that theory only held if Gavin himself wasn’t the imposter.
Kira was doing the exact same thing I was—glancing at each individual, taking in their appearance and mannerisms before moving to the next. Textbook TO training. Assess the situation, identify the threat, and plan for all eventualities. I strolled over to join her.
“Any clues?” I whispered as I took my place by her side, though I stayed out of reach of her hands in case she wasn’t Kira.
“This is stupid,” she said. “How do you find an imposter when they look and do every damn thing the person they are mimicking does? I have no idea how to figure it out.”
Before I could respond, music pumped from the speakers, and I flinched in surprise. A second later, a huge eighty-inch TV clicked on, showing Von’s smiling face.
“To try and figure out who’s who, I think the ladies should dance with the gentlemen. Getting good and close might make for better detective work.” After that helpful “advice,” the screen clicked off.
A moment later, Gavin stepped up to Kira. “Well, what do you say? Want to cut a rug?”
I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. “Whoa, no way. Not happening.”
Gavin slapped my hand away. “I didn’t hear anyone make you Kira’s master. She’s free to say yes or no on her own.”
Before I could retort, Kira touched my arm. “It’s fine, Wyatt.”
