I watched until I couldn’t watch anymore. The blonde lay dead at Mauricio’s feet, and he fell to his knees, mortally wounded by multiple stab wounds.

  A dark-haired woman appeared out of nowhere.

  Clara.

  She glided toward Mauricio, sorrowful eyes trained on the blonde woman, someone I assumed was his wife or partner. Clara bent down, stroked her hand through his hair, and bent to whisper something in his ear.

  Mauricio stared at her with wide eyes. His mouth worked.

  I turned away as Clara leaned in to drink.

  The memories assailed me, Mauricio and Clara through the years. Never romantic, but thick as thieves. When they stopped, my cheeks were wet with tears.

  “Fine,” I croaked. “Come to Swan’s tomorrow evening as soon as you rise. Ensure you are not followed.”

  “I will be discreet,” Mauricio assured me. He rose and held out his hand. “Come. I will escort you back to the dining room. Only seconds will have passed.”

  My eyebrows lifted.

  He gave me a secretive smile. “Clara’s line has many tricks. Come, Violet Swan.” I took his hand.

  He pulled me closer, wrapping a hand around my waist. He nuzzled his nose into my ear as the wind picked up around us. “For what it’s worth,” he breathed into my ear, “I agree with the knife.”

  I sighed. “Everyone is a relationship critic.”

  His amused chuckle followed me back into the chaos.

  chapter

  fifteen

  He took me straight back into the darkness. My hand clenched around the vampire. He squeezed me around the waist once.

  “I must leave this place at once,” he whispered in my ear. “The dragon knows where you are. Beware of Xander. He is not as powerful as us, but he is wily.”

  “Thank you.”

  He slipped away and left me in the chaos of a vampire dinner gone terribly wrong.

  I flipped open a few potion bottles, pulling one from the holder and drinking it down. My eyes adjusted in seconds. Alistair stood encompassed by his shadows, face a mask of rage as vampires screamed in agony around him.

  There was no sign of Xander.

  Not good. I took in everything all at once and flipped a few more lids open.

  “Alistair.”

  “I see you.” His voice sounded a hint strained.

  “Want me to take some of them out?”

  He laughed. “I do love seeing you in action. Left if you don’t mind.”

  I tossed two fire potions in that direction, straight into the midst of vampires trying to reach Alistair.

  This one wasn’t a normal fire. It would only burn those I’d targeted—in this case, only vampires. Thanks to Clara’s donations, the fire had no trouble finding them, blue flames licking the ground until it touched a vamp. I watched their annoyance when their clothing caught on fire, only for their expression to turn to fear once they realized it was no normal fire licking up their body.

  In seconds, ten vampires burst into ash.

  Alistair’s dark laugh made me grin.

  Some smell different, he whispered through my mind. They aren’t attacking. Leave them for now. I’m curious about them.

  Where’s Xander?

  He disappeared as soon as you did. We’ll need to leave him alive for Clara.

  Done.

  Together, he and I ripped through the room, destroying any vampire who challenged us. A few stayed close to the wall, their hands raised in surrender. Neither of us harmed them, but I sent a wall of flame to keep them trapped and out of the battle just in case they changed their mind.

  When it was over, over a hundred piles of ash lay on the floor. Alistair dropped his shadows and straightened his tie, not a hair out of place.

  I, of course, could not say the same. The bottom of my gown had burned away, exposing my bare feet and ankles.

  Alistair’s brow lifted when he noticed.

  I shrugged. “How can my prince ever find me if I don’t leave evidence behind?”

  He snorted and turned to the vamps cowering behind the flames.

  “Violet?”

  I extinguished them with a thought.

  “Hello,” Alistair said, studying them with a curious expression.

  Three of them sat apart from the rest, staring at me with curiosity but no fear.

  Alistair?

  I know. Clara’s line?

  I think so.

  Interesting, he murmured in my mind.

  “Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you all and be done with this place?” he asked the vampires.

  “We surrender,” spoke one, a blond wearing a blood-stained shirt.

  Alistair’s gaze flicked to the collar and back to the vamp’s face. “Whose blood are you wearing?”

  We both noticed the bodies of servers lying around, expressions frozen in death.

  The vamp blanched. “Uh.”

  Without a word, Alistair snapped his fingers and where a vamp once sat, only a pile of ash remained.

  “Oooh,” I breathed. “Cool trick.”

  He flashed a smile. “I have many cool tricks.”

  Two vampires scrambled to their feet and made a desperate dash to the door. Alistair let them take two steps before cremating them, too.

  “Anyone else?” he asked.

  A dark-haired vamp with her knees pulled to her chest glowered. “So you’re murderers just like us?”

  I laughed. “We aren’t the ones who escorted a guest away from his party and tried to murder him in cold blood.”

  Alistair grinned. “Their mistake. I didn’t feel like dying today.”

  “You can’t blame us for trying,” the woman said sullenly.

  “Actually, we can,” I said. “And will. Tell me where Xander is, and we’ll think about letting you walk out of here.”

  She snorted. “And why would you do that?”

  I lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “We aren’t total savages.”

  The vamp looked around at the carnage and barked a laugh. “As soon as we tell you anything, you’ll turn us into ash.”

  “Maybe,” Alistair said. “Maybe not.”

  I like her, he whispered in my mind. Think she’s redeemable?

  No idea. She’s smart.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Rose,” she snapped.

  “That’s a pretty name for such a mouthy lady,” Alistair observed.

  “Fuck you,” Rose said, but there was no heat in it. “Look, I’m here because I have to be.”

  Curious, I dropped the flames and moved closer, studying her. “Who made you?”

  Someone from Clara’s team cleared her throat. I didn’t look, but the meaning was clear enough. Either someone from Clara’s line or Clara herself, though this vampire didn’t smell quite the same.

  Another vampire hissed and reached for Rose, his wicked claws the length of a butcher knife. Alistair snorted and turned him into ash.

  “Anyone else?” he asked mildly.

  No one moved. Only three remained, aside from Clara’s vamps.

  One of them, a red-haired woman, sighed. “Look, we’re not as powerful as Xander. I have no interest in power or war or anything other than waking up alive each day.”

  “Not good enough,” I said. “Michael will force you to pick sides. If you choose him, you might live a little longer, but your lives will no longer be your own when he’s finished.”

  “You’re saying we will be our own people if you win?” Her face would stay immortally young, but her expression was hard. Life or unlife had made her that way.

  “I’m saying you will have a choice with me. You might die for your freedom, but if we win, the angels will no longer have a say in our lives. Michael has only made a few moves, but he’s softening the meat, if you will. It won’t be long before he strikes for real.”

  “He’s offered us a permanent food source,” the dark-haired girl said.

  “We don’t have to offer anything if we’re victorious. Life will stay much the same.” I frowned. “Maybe a little more peaceful, if I’m honest. You don’t murder innocent humans, and we’ll all get along fine.”

  “Xander will never go for it,” the redhead said.

  “Tell us where he is, and you won’t have to worry about it,” Alistair said.

  The dark-haired girl’s gaze flicked left. Alistair stilled. The redhead scooted closer to her and gave us one quick nod. The two vamps left from Xander’s side hissed and reached for both girls, but Alistair sighed and turned them to dust.

  That was a handy gift to have. I couldn’t wait to tell Clara.

  I edged away from Alistair, flipping the lid off one of my newer potions open. I’d made it special for tonight.

  Lucifer had helped me hone my sensitivity to magic. I thought I was pretty good at it already, but with his help, I could now recognize even the most subtle of spells. I narrowed my eyes and let my vision go hazy.

  There.

  Toward the back of the room, an almost invisible shimmery haze wavered. I pretended I didn’t notice and moved toward him while staying far out of his strike zone.

  “Oh Xander,” I called. “You don’t want to come out and play with me?”

  The haze moved away from the wall. “You have no idea how much I want to play,” Xander said, his voice bouncing from every wall.

  A party trick to keep me from sensing where he was.

  “Then show yourself and come and get me,” I taunted.

  He moved into position behind me. My shoulder blades tingled. I knew he’d strike right between them, angling for my heart. Claws first. Fangs second.

  Predictable.

  The second the air shifted even a hint, I yanked the bottle from my belt, spun, and tossed it at the shimmer.

  Xander halted in surprise. The bottle shattered against the shield, coating the vampire in a soft blue aura. He sucked in a breath and stumbled back from me as an impenetrable transparent gel coated him from his feet to the top of his head. The potion made a sucking pop noise as it sealed around him.

  Xander toppled to the floor, expression locked between disgust and fear.

  Alistair came to stand beside me, peering down at Xander.

  “Gross, but effective.”

  I laughed. “Vamps don’t need to breathe, so he’ll be fine.”

  He bent and poked the gel, index finger sinking in. Alistair’s nose wrinkled. “It’s like that weird shit that was all the rage a few years ago. Kids made it with dish soap and borax.”

  I gaped at him. “Slime?”

  He snapped his fingers. “Yes! The children at the keep were obsessed with it. My kitchen staff demanded raises every time they had to clean it off the carpet.”

  Huh. Dragon kids made slime. The mental image made me laugh.

  The weight of my shawl shifted. Seconds later, a snap of magic sounded, and Storm stood beside us, sharp eyes taking in the carnage.

  “Nice of you to join us,” Alistair said dryly.

  Storm shrugged. “You had it under control.” He stilled when he saw the vampires sitting against the wall. None of them had moved an inch, though they seemed a little more settled now that their boss was covered in goo.

  I had my eye on one of the younger vamps—a smaller brown-haired woman who hadn’t said a word, yet she seemed more unsettled than anyone else. Her gaze kept wandering to the back wall, close to where Xander was hiding.

  Do you see her? I asked Alistair.

  Yes. Someone else is here. Do you sense anything?

  Too much mixed magic here. Whoever it is knows how to spin a lookaway spell.

  I wonder how she knows.

  If she’s of Clara’s line, who knows what gifts she has?

  Alistair didn’t know everything Clara could do, though he was aware she could chow down on dinner like a starving frat boy.

  Can we separate her without looking suspicious?

  No. Better to go out the other way and leave whatever or whoever it is alone. They aren’t doing anything but observing.

  You think they’ll let us walk out?

  I felt his amusement through our mental link. Your dress is not yet ruined and neither of us are injured. I feel like the worst is yet to come.

  You’re such a pessimist.

  He fell silent for a long moment. Thank you, Violet.

  I glanced at him.

  For this. Allowing me to watch your back. I have missed you.

  My heart warmed. Alistair was incredibly powerful, almost omnipotent, but everyone, paranorm and human alike, needed companionship. Friends. Family. Loved ones.

  Do you miss home? You’ve been gone for a long time.

  He shrugged. There I am the emperor. Here I am only a male.

  Storm cleared his throat. “You two through being weird? Why are they still alive?”

  “We will tell you when we get back to the bar,” I said.

  His eyes narrowed, but Storm was a soldier. “Round them up?”

  I looked at Alistair.

  “No. Just that one.” He pointed at Xander. “Clara will want to chat with him when she’s awake.”

  Storm smiled, a deadly grin on his face. “It would be my pleasure to escort him back.”

  “He has to make it there alive, Storm,” I cautioned.

  The smile didn’t fade. “He’s a vampire,” he reasoned. “He’ll be just fine.”

  With that, Storm walked over, picked Xander up, and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. A second later, he disappeared from the room.

  Alistair stared at the spot Storm disappeared from. “Still have no idea what he is?”

  “No,” I growled. “He’s handy in a fight, but he’s even more secretive than Clara. Any idea?”

  Alistair’s brow furrowed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d assume he was a dragon.”

  I jerked my attention to him. “What?”

  “He’s not, but there’s something about him…” His voice trailed off before he shrugged. “Guess it doesn’t matter if he’s on our side.”

  “Yeah.” I shook my head. Mom knew, but she kept his secrets. If she trusted him, so did I.

  “Are you really leaving us here?” the distrustful redhead asked.

  “Why wouldn’t we?”

  Clara’s people looked discomfited. “If you want to come back to Swan’s, I’ll have to bind your tongues. You won’t be allowed to return unless Clara returns as leader.”

  The redhead studied us. “Bound how?”

  “Magic. You won’t be allowed to speak of anything about the bar, its people, or anything that goes on in there.”

  “And what do you mean we won’t be allowed to return?”

  “You can try,” Alistair said, letting some of the dragon show through his eyes. “But you won’t make it far.”

  The redhead shrank back against the wall. “So you are murderers.”

  “If we were indiscriminate killers, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” I said. “Rise if you want to come with us. We will see you on the battlefield if you decide to stay.” Magic sparked against my fingers. I took a chance and showed them exactly who they were dealing with.

  Sparkling wings unfurled from my back. Every single vamp drew in an unnecessary gasp of shock. The redhead nodded once as if she finally understood what I was about.

  “I’ll come,” she rasped.

  Every single vampire in that room that could rise did.

  We hadn’t killed everyone this time. Hundreds of vampires still roamed around outside this building.

  I guess we could call it a success.

  chapter

  sixteen

  Lucifer wasn’t surprised by the news we were coming home with more than we’d arrived with. With a rueful tone, he told me he’d take care of it and to ask them to wait for him at a particular establishment I’d never heard of.

  I let the vamps know and told them not to be afraid. Not that they believed me. If someone told me Lucifer would be my Uber this evening, I might run screaming in the opposite direction.

  The presence, or whatever it was watching in the room, made no move to intercept us. Whether it was friend or foe remained to be seen.

  How those vamps decided to get out would be on them. Alistair decided the roof was the best way out.

  We stared at the ceiling. “What if it’s fortified?” I asked.

  Alistair snorted. “With what? It’s a roof. It’s already fortified. With building material.”

  “Ass,” I snickered. “With magic.”

  We fell quiet. “I don’t sense anything though.”

  “Me neither,” Alistair said.

  “We’re pretty hardy.”

  Alistair shrugged. “Want a ride?”

  I blinked. “On your back? Like a piggyback ride?”

  His eyes darkened. “Not that ride,” I admonished.

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “Too bad.”

  The vamps watched our interplay with confusion. They’d get used to us. If they survived that long.

  Alistair held out his arms. “Ready?”

  I eyed his position. “Oh. Like Superman and Lois Lane then?”

  “Unless you’ve changed your mind about the other kind of ride?”

  I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You sure we can’t just walk out and meet the driver?”

  Our eyes met, and both of us cracked up.

  He bent and scooped me up. I buried my nose in his neck, inhaling his crisp, fresh scent. He smelled a little different than usual. Not bad. More like he’d expended a ton of magic, and maybe I was smelling the real version of him away from his shadows.

  “Ready when you are.”

  Alistair leapt into the air, huffing a laugh at my undignified squeak of fear. I had wings, for crying out loud, but flight still freaked me out.

  Granted, I still wasn’t that great at it. Once Alistair got us out of here, I could probably fly myself home, but it sure was nice to let someone else do all the work for once.

  Having wings took some getting used to.

  The ceiling cracked above us. Below us, the vamps, finally realizing we weren’t shitting about literally going through the roof, scattered like ants as the first beam crashed to the ground.

  Moments later, we were sailing through the cloudy night sky.

 

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