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Faye shrugged. “It’s the truth. I wasn’t here today, was I? Believe me, I’m more than prepared to withstand the spell circle surrounding the building.”
“You knew we’d come here.”
“I guessed, and my spies confirmed it. I had a feeling it might not end well for us. Only a fool takes on a void without proper preparation. Samuel told me that. It’s too bad he didn’t take his own advice. He underestimated you.”
“You’re still not innocent,” Nick said. “You’re just as bad as he was. I should kill you so you can’t hurt anyone else.”
“Without me, the vampires have no leader, direction, or restraint. Who else could control them? At best, they’ll split into rival factions and their infighting will destroy half the city. How many lives will be lost? It’s impossible to say, but I’d wager that the number is too high for your conscience. Much higher than the number of people that might fall by my hand.”
Nick hesitated, and Cara shifted beside him.
“I think she’s right,” Cara said. “I don’t like it, but she’s our best option.”
Faye clapped her hands together. “Perfect! We can part ways as allies. I’ll lead my people back to the fragile peace we used to enjoy. And I’ll extend that peace to you and your family, of course.”
“It’s a bit late for that,” Nick said.
“I apologise again, Nick, but Henry died on Samuel’s orders. I couldn’t have changed that even if I was willing to give my life. Someone else would have taken my place.”
“And Brett? You act like he belongs to you. Will you leave him alone?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Brett said quickly. “Especially not with her.”
Faye glanced at him. “Brett is one of us, now.”
“No, he’s not. He’s my brother. Release your claim on him or the deal’s off.”
Something dark flashed through her eyes. “You forget that I could kill you right now, Nick, and I still take the throne. Do you think you can turn me to ash before I rip your throat out?”
Cara raised her arms. “Try it and see what happens.”
Faye smirked. “Such a devoted witch, aren’t you?”
“I’ll kill you if you touch him,” Brett snarled, and Faye rolled her eyes.
“You can’t take all of us,” Cara said. “You know that.”
Faye looked at them, and Nick knew that she was seriously considering which choice to take. After a moment, she sighed. “Fine. Take your brother with you, Nick.”
Nick nodded. “Then we have a deal.”
“Not quite,” she said. “I want your word that you will not act against me. No plotting, no secret plans, no covert attacks.”
“I don’t want any part in this,” Nick said. “If you leave me alone, I’ll do the same for you.”
She smiled. “Perfect. I can do better than Samuel, and I’m so glad I have your support in my new position.”
“Better than Samuel?”
Faye shrugged. “He was ambitious, intelligent and ruthless. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. He lost himself. Ambition turned to greed, intelligence turned to cunning, and he stopped being ruthless because he enjoyed playing the game too much. He should’ve killed you when he thought you chose the witches. Instead, he wanted to see what you’d do.”
“Why are you telling us all this?”
“I want you to know that I’m not him.”
“You seem the same from where I’m standing,” Nick said.
“Then you need to look closer. I won’t hesitate to end you if you break our deal.”
