14. Fourteen

fourteen

The interior of the building was as unremarkable as its exterior. The only thing that stood out was the flooring. Marble, or something close to it. A failed attempt at elevating the space to fit the overall vibe of the city.

The sound of mine and Deborah’s heels echoed against the hard surfaces of the space. It was loud in the otherwise silent room, making me wish I’d worn different footwear for tonight. Something flat that wouldn’t announce my presence to all and sundry.

Sienna glided at Thomas’s side, her passage almost as silent as Eric’s. Impressive considering her heels were higher than mine.

I guess that was a perk of living as long as she had. Lots of practice time.

“This is the Playground’s entrance?” Deborah took in the building’s generic lobby with wide eyes. “Not exactly what I’d pictured. Are we sure this isn’t a trap?”

“Of course it’s a trap.” Thomas’s snort was light. “That’s how vampires communicate with one another. You’ll have to get used to that if you ever want to join our ranks.”

Ahrun gave his son an interested look. “You’re considering her for Aileen’s first child?”

“She shows promise, does she not?”

Ahrun pursed his lips. “Too early to tell.”

“Father, you’re getting blind in your old age. The child has shown an admirable ability to adapt and endure. Exactly the traits she’ll need to support Aileen.”

Given this was the second time he’d mentioned the possibility of Deborah’s future transition, it was easier to let the words flow right over me.

“Appearances are deceiving,” I told Deborah in response to her earlier statement.

There was no need to let Thomas wind me up. Whatever Deborah’s future, it was just that. The future. We had years before any sort of decision needed to be made. Decades likely, since a vampire’s blood allowed a companion to maintain their youth for years past what was normal for a human.

As for this place, Deborah was blind to the power teasing the edge of my senses. A low hum of magic welled from a place deep beneath our feet. Its near constant pulse making me feel like I was standing on a super conductor.

What the hell did they have under this building that I could feel it even through dozens of feet of concrete and steel?

Distracted as I was, trying to figure that question out, I almost missed the ding that announced the elevator’s arrival. Its doors opened to reveal a gnome standing inside, dressed like an elevator operator from the fifties in a red jacket with gold buttons marching down either side, a matching hat on his head.

“Going down?” the gnome asked in a deep voice that belied his short stature.

He was older, his face creased with lines and his nose unexpectedly large for his features. His eyes were disconcertingly intelligent, full of a wisdom that could only be gained from a lifetime of experiences. He also had pointed ears that were easily visible through his well combed hair.

“Indeed, we are,” Thomas said, stepping forward to hand the elevator operator an invitation engraved with a gold leaf sigil.

The gnome took it, examining the invitation for a brief moment before waving the rest of us inside. “Welcome. Come aboard. Don’t be shy. There’s plenty of room for everyone.”

As if by magic, the elevator seemed to expand before our eyes, gaining width and depth until there really was enough room to accommodate Thomas, Ahrun, and the rest of their entourage.

Liam waved Daniel and Eric into the elevator to check it out while he hung back to confer briefly with his counterpart in Daylight. “You and the rest stay here to keep a lookout. You know what to do.”

“Understood,” the man acknowledged before turning to bark orders at the rest of his people.

When Eric gave the all clear, Thomas and Sienna joined the enforcers in the elevator. Ahrun the last of the three to follow.

Nathan touched my back, leaning down to speak in a voice meant only for me. “Remember—no matter what happens be careful not to give you-know-what away.”

The warning look he leveraged on me left no confusion as to what he was talking about.

“Worried about me?” I teased.

Nathan chucked me under the chin. “Just don’t want to have to audition a new best friend is all.”

“In that case, I’ll have to let Eric know his position has been usurped,” I drawled, stepping into the elevator and almost falling.

Luckily, Nathan was there to catch my elbow to help steady me. “Be careful of those heels. You wouldn’t want to break your neck.”

I didn’t object when Nathan wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me into his side, my legs still too weak to fully support my weight without drawing attention.

That first step into the elevator had been brutal. Like stepping into a too hot oven. The air so dense it was a little hard to breathe. My skin dry and overly hot. A sensation similar to what I remembered it felt like to have a particularly bad sunburn. Only this was a full body discomfort. Irritating prickles that felt like there were tiny fire ants biting me constantly and a too tight sensation in my skin. As if it had been stretched too far over my bones.

Worse, though, was the feeling of repulsion. Something in the magic trying to force me out. Like two opposite polarity magnets.

I forced my face to show none of my discomfort. Nathan’s cool arm across my back helped. The power that was vampire providing a soothing counterpoint to the boiling sensation.

I concentrated on it. All the while trying to seem normal.

Nothing to see here. Just a clumsy vampire unused to skyscraper heels. Fortunately, Sienna’s foresight had provided me with the perfect excuse.

I leaned against him and breathed.

“You okay?” he asked in a low voice.

I hummed a response.

I would be.

Liam was looking at me, the faintest lowering of his brow a micro-expression of concern that only those who knew him well would pick up on.

For the first time, I wished the gnome wasn’t in the elevator with us. He needed to know what I’d just found out.

Then again, you could never trust the walls in a place like this not to have ears.

Glancing at Thomas and Ahrun, I disregarded the possibility of relaying the information I’d just gleaned to either of them. Ahrun for obvious reasons. Thomas was a possibility, but I was closer to Liam. Trusted him not to abuse the opening into my mind I gave him.

Damn. Who would have thought little old paranoid me would ever willingly open a bridge to allow someone else into my mind?

I really had evolved.

Making sure to hold Liam’s gaze, I brushed a finger along the tattoo of an oak tree that served as his claim to me. A metaphysical connection that I rarely used.

I was hoping the link would allow us to speak privately.

Focusing, I fumbled for the connection between us. The chill air of a winter’s night by a fireside brushed against my senses. Its presence delicate and faint enough that I wasn’t sure I hadn’t imagined it.

I hoped this worked.

We didn’t enter the Playground. This is a barrow, I thought as loudly as possible.

For a moment, I wasn’t sure it had worked. Liam’s face was an impenetrable mask. It wasn’t until he dipped his chin in a microscopic nod that the tight feeling in my chest relaxed.

I’d gotten through to him.

Ahrun and Thomas looked over at me a second later. I guessed Liam had managed to pass the message.

Nathan’s slight squeeze on my hip let me know he’d gotten it too.

Good. Now we were all on the same page.

“We’re here,” the gnome declared as the elevator came to a stop with a slight jolt.

Thomas tossed a gold coin to the gnome. “For your troubles.”

The gnome demonstrated a surprising speed as he snatched the coin out of the air, disappearing it into his uniform in the next second.

The elevator dinged, the doors parting to reveal what looked like a night club. Bodies heaved under the onslaught of music. Limbs and torsos illuminated by a light that was the color of blood.

The gnome bowed. “Enjoy tonight’s fight.”

Thomas and Ahrun glided out of the elevator without acknowledging the gnome’s comment, the enforcers prowling in their wake. Liam followed, but not before shooting one last look in my direction.

I nodded to show I was okay.

Nathan patted my back before dropping his arm. “Our turn.”

He and Deborah preceded me, leaving me the last to step out.

“Do be careful while searching for what you’re looking for,” the gnome murmured, straightening from his bow with an enigmatic little smirk. “The worst monsters wear the faces of friends with good intentions.”

I whirled back toward the elevator, taking a step toward it as the doors began to close. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Watch yourself, dearie. And if you see that awful nephew of mine again, give him a slap from old uncle Sylvester.”

The elevator doors shut, leaving me staring blankly at what was now nothing but a wall.

“You know him?” Nathan asked, looking from me to the empty wall.

I shook my head. “No. Never seen him before in my life.”

There was only one gnome I knew of. A shitty piece of work who’d been my co-worker for a short time when I was a courier.

I hadn’t seen or thought of that gnome in years.

“We should get moving then,” Nathan ordered. “The others are already gone.”

I scanned the crowd around us, not spotting Liam, Thomas or any of the others. “Where did they go?”

Nathan shook his head. “It’s a syncing issue. You know the stories of mortals spending an hour in a Fae barrow only to step out and find a hundred years have passed? It’s like that. The slight discrepancy between their arrival and ours landed us somewhere entirely else. It’s common in barrows. Keeps people on their toes.”

“A barrow? I thought we were going to the Playground,” Deborah said, looking mildly freaked out.

“We all did.” Nathan sent me a grim look. “I don’t like this.”

I shook my head. “Neither do I.”

“It’s worse than you realize. This is a blood den,” Nathan said grimly.

At that, Deborah scooted closer to me, fear showing as she stared at the wildly gyrating bodies in front of us. “I’ve heard of those. They’re supposed to be really bad.”

“You have no idea. Only the lowest of the low among our kind frequent places like this. Humans who wander into blood dens rarely survive. Most are drained and left for dead.”

Deborah covered her mouth. She pressed against my side, one hand clutching my arm in a vain attempt to find comfort.

I couldn’t help but look at the humans around us. The pain-filled faces. Terror in their eyes. Fear soaking the air and turning it acrid.

They never stopped dancing. I suspected they wouldn’t until they died—or a vampire came along to drain them.

“Don’t think about it,” Nathan advised me. “There’s nothing you can do to help them right now.”

I nodded, knowing he was right and hating it. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”

Nathan jerked his chin at the opposite side of the room and the door just barely visible. “I’m betting there.”

“Of course,” I griped, disgusted.

To get to that door, we’d have to fight our way through the throng.

“Stay close. Whatever you do, don’t leave my side,” Nathan advised.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

The last thing I wanted to do was get separated in this place. I had a feeling it would end badly for me and Deborah.

Deborah nodded enthusiastically. “Don’t stray. Got it.”

Nathan touched her nose playfully. “Make sure your master listens, and I promise to do my best to ensure you live through this night.”

“No problem,” Deborah assured him with a look at me that promised retribution if I fucked this up.

With one last uneasy glance in my direction, Nathan forged onto the dance floor. I tucked Deborah in front of me, sandwiching her between us as we followed closely on his heels.

When the crush of bodies made it difficult to stay together, Deborah grabbed my hand in hers, using the other to hold onto Nathan’s belt so we didn’t risk getting separated.

Even then our passage was slow and difficult. There were too many people. The crowded dance floor making it nearly impossible to slip through without having to resort to force.

I ducked, nearly getting clocked in the face as a dancer flung her arms out, her movements possessing a frenetic energy that matched the pounding bass of the music.

“Aileen,” Deborah breathed, her hand loosening around mine.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she let go of Nathan’s belt.

I caught her before she could join the dancers. “I think maybe you’re the one he should have warned instead.”

Maneuvering quickly, I switched positions with Deborah so that I was the one holding onto Nathan’s belt with one hand and her with the other.

“You good?” Nathan mouthed over his shoulder.

“Keep going. We’re fine.”

Just had to make sure I didn’t lose my companion to the madness.

Nathan took me at my word, forging ahead.

Deborah’s gaze regained a little bit of focus as she looked around her in confusion. “What just happened?”

“It’s this place. You almost fell victim to it.”

The magic in here was overwhelming. A human like Deborah, one with no training against mental based spells and enchantments, stood no chance. Just like the rest of these poor souls.

Halfway across the dance floor, something shifted. The dancers taking notice of us for the first time.

“Help me. Please.”

Their pained cries followed the three of us as we continued making our way toward the opposite side of the room. Nathan was no longer gentle as he elbowed people out of our way.

A human lurched into our path, his mouth stretched open in a silent cry. He nearly toppled me over, threatening my grip on Nathan.

Demonstrating a cat-like agility, the enforcer managed to twirl me and Deborah out of reach while shoving the assailant into the couple behind him. The trio fell to the ground, their bodies still moving with the rhythm of the music.

Ecstasy replaced the agony on their faces as they began to writhe against each other.

“They’ve been here a long time if pain now gives them pleasure,” Nathan said grimly.

“This is so wrong,” Deborah whispered, looking around us with a haunted expression.

Nathan scrubbed a hand over his face. “I hate this. Fae and their fucking mind games.”

“How much further?” I asked, swallowing hard.

This place made me feel dirty. Its grime threatening to stain me forever. I wanted out of here as soon as possible. From Nathan and Deborah’s faces, I knew they agreed.

“Not far,” Nathan said.

He waited until I had a good grip on his belt again before plunging back into the fray, this time moving as quickly as possible without losing contact with Deborah and me.

Before I knew it, we broke through the edge of the crowd. Between one step and the next, the din of the club muted. As if a soundproof door had slammed shut behind us.

Startled, I glanced over my shoulder. The surreal sight of the humans dancing to silence greeted me.

“That’s so creepy,” Deborah said.

I nodded. “Agreed.”

Nathan kept moving forward. “Let’s find Liam and the others.”

We ventured down a short hall. At the end of which was a door guarded by a Red Cap. A species of Fae that often served as guards and soldiers to their ruling class. Supposedly, they had a thirst for blood that was not unlike a vampire’s. Only instead of drinking from a vein, they preferred to drench their heads and bodies in the blood of their enemies after having ripped them limb from limb.

The abhorrent practice was what made them so feared.

It was strange to see one acting as a bouncer. Usually, they served in more important capacities. Those that required a high level of violence.

I guessed this was a night of firsts.

Like the others I’d met, the Red Cap was the size of a small giant. Thickset with limbs that looked like he could pick up and throw an SUV at any moment.

He’d also killed someone fairly recently. Likely human given the supply of potential victims just feet away. Blood matted his hair, seeping down his forehead to drip onto the floor.

“Open it,” Nathan ordered.

“The way is closed, blood bag. Move along.”

To drive home the insult, the Red Cap poked Nathan with one oversized sausage of a finger.

“Oh boy,” I muttered.

There was going to be blood. Only this time it wasn’t going to be human.

Nathan curled a lip as he looked down at his chest where the Red Cap was still touching him. There was an expression of such contempt on his face that it was hard to believe this was the same man I counted as my friend.

“Remove that before I remove it for you,” Nathan said, sliding a lethal gaze up to the Red Cap’s.

“Best be careful how you speak to me, fanger. Otherwise, I’ll use your blood as fuel for my prowess.” A rumbling chuckle exposed a row of the Red Cap’s broken, jagged teeth. “Maybe I’ll do that anyway. I’m told vampire blood is the most beautiful shade of red.”

The Red Cap touched the mace hooked into his belt in threat.

There was a moment of silence before Nathan threw his head back on a laugh, exposing the long column of his throat. “A, can you believe this dumbass?”

“Nope. I really can’t.”

What kind of idiot picked a fight with Nathan? A fool or someone with a death wish, that’s who.

The laughter drained from Nathan’s face. “Yeah. Me neither.”

He moved between one second and the next, a blur that I was only able to follow due to the extensive training sessions he and Liam had subjected me to. In the next moment, the Red Cap was on his knees, hunched over as he fought to draw breath.

Nathan leaned down to put his face next to the Red Cap’s, a quiet menace in his voice. “I don’t have time to play with you. The ladies and I have an appointment.”

Deborah stared at Nathan like she’d never seen him before. “Damn.”

“That’s why Nathan is Liam’s second,” I told her softly.

And why he’d trusted Nathan tonight.

It wasn’t because we got along. Or because I was less likely to give Nathan the slip than others. It was because Nathan was a scary son of a bitch when he wanted to be. All that teasing fell away to reveal the parts he kept on a tight leash. The parts that dealt violence as easily as he breathed.

Nathan straightened to flash me a mischievous smile. “Admit it, A. That was hot.”

I rolled my eyes as Nathan loosened his grip on the Red Cap. “Keep dreaming.”

“I will,” Nathan said with a quiet snicker.

The Red Cap fumbled for the door, stepping aside as soon as it was open.

Nathan strolled past, not seeing, or perhaps pretending not to see, the animosity on the Red Cap’s face.

“Enjoy your evening,” the Red Cap rumbled, something in his tone putting me on guard.

It was too smug. Too self-assured for someone who’d just gotten a beat down.

That coupled with the cruel delight in his eyes made me think we were walking into a trap.

“Nathan,” I said softly.

“I know. I see it too. Keep moving. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”

At the thought of trying to shove my way back through the blood den, I realized he was right. The barrow wasn’t going to let us go that easily. The only way was forward.

The door slammed shut a second later, reinforcing that opinion.

Deborah jumped, her shoulders curling toward her ears. “Jesus.”

“Let’s go,” Nathan ordered, his attention on the new room we found ourselves in.

Unlike the blood den, there was no suffering to taint the air. Instead, we’d wandered into a place of indulgence and excess. The opulent surroundings as far from the grittiness we’d just passed through as one could get.

The deep red of the carpet coupled with the darker walls and gold framed paintings by artists I was sure the world had never heard of reminded me more of a speakeasy than a casino. There were marble busts of Fae creatures I’d never seen before. Along with a fountain that was random but somehow worked in the setting.

The clink of drinkware and murmur of conversation felt surreal after the deafening music we’d just left.

Fae mostly dominated the space but there were a few other species too. Among them a handful of vampires who paid a little too much interest to our passage.

“They’ve rolled out quite the welcome party,” Nathan quipped, studying the vampires.

Even with my other sight locked down tight, I could sense their age. Not a single one of them was less than three centuries. At least one held as much power as Nathan. Or close to it.

“Should we be worried?” I asked, only half meaning it.

If it came down to a fight, I’d put my money on Nathan. As dangerous and old as they were, it was easy to tell they weren’t trained in battle. The way they stood was all wrong.

This was an attempt at intimidation. A poor one.

Nathan strolled forward, chuckling. “Always, A. I thought I’d taught you that by now.”

He deliberately antagonized them by touching the brim of an invisible hat and nodding as we passed.

“Someday that arrogance is going to get you killed,” I muttered.

“Who says they haven’t tried already?”

I shook my head as we made our way toward the opposite side of the room where a crowd had gathered to watch something below. “Insufferable ass.”

The volume grew as we drew closer to the crowd. Jeering and cheering mixed with the meaty thwacks of something hitting flesh.

Nathan pushed through the crowd, the supernaturals moving aside with little prodding until we stood on the edge of an amphitheater similar to what you’d find at one of those mixed martial arts fights that were so popular. At the bottom was a pit where two Fae circled each other. A metal barrier covering the top.

I saw why a second later when a bird-like Fae with black wings tried to take flight to avoid his opponent. Hampered by the cage, he awkwardly flapped his wings twice before the lack of space forced him back to the ground where the other Fae was waiting.

The two tore into each other, blood flying as the supernaturals in the stands roared their approval.

Deborah hid her face against my shoulder as the second Fae slaughtered the bird. “Oh my God.”

Below, the winner held up the bird man’s wings in victory. His opponent lay on the ground. Likely dead judging by the amount of blood staining the sand around him.

Nathan nodded in approval at my lack of expression. “This is the world we sometimes have to move in.”

“Yes, it is,” I agreed.

There were times you had to do awful things to ensure your survival and that of those around you. Other times, that awful thing was having to look away from the horrible acts you saw being committed.

I forced myself to watch as the winner tossed aside the wings he’d torn from the loser before stalking through the exit that had just opened to his left.

The moment he was gone, lesser Fae swarmed the pit from tiny openings in the walls. Their shapes only vaguely humanoid as they fell on the loser’s body. The crowd’s cheering surged as they feasted, devouring the bird Fae until there was nothing left. Not even the blood that had soaked into the sand.

“There’s our group,” Nathan noted, spotting Liam and the rest. “Let’s head down.”

Deborah lifted her face from my shoulder to glare at the enforcer. “How can you act like nothing just happened? That was a living, breathing creature. And now he’s dead.”

“That’s quite the hypocrisy you’ve got going there.” Nathan’s gaze cooled as he regarded Deborah with a clinical detachment. “Word is Chadwick was one of the most hedonistic and cruel vampires in our territory. You can’t mean to claim that you never saw anything that tested that morality of yours.”

Deborah flushed at Nathan’s mocking smirk. The shame and guilt that warred for dominance on her face telling me there was a lot of truth to that statement.

I caught Deborah’s hand, squeezing it as a sign of support. It didn’t matter what she’d had to do or what she’d had to overlook to survive under that monster. She’d survived. That was what mattered.

Nathan sauntered toward the steps leading down into the amphitheater. “You’ll have to be smarter than this if you’re going to stay Aileen’s companion. Thomas won’t tolerate anyone around her that isn’t an asset. Pretentious hypocrites included.” Nathan’s fake smile left his eyes looking wintry. “Game faces on, ladies. We’re on display.”

Deborah stalked down the steps with a huff.

I followed, stopping beside Nathan. “Just curious—are you going to spend the rest of the night needling my companion?”

“Haven’t decided.”

“A word of advice—don’t go too far. I’d hate to lose our friendship.”

“But how else would we prove how strong our connection really is?” Nathan declared innocently as I preceded him down the stairs.

I snorted softly, my attention turning to our surroundings.

Spatial magic was infused into the amphitheater, making it difficult to get an accurate read on the number of people in the stands. From above, the area had seemed smaller. Not this massive colossus that made it impossible to guess where it began and ended.

How were there this many people interested in blood sport?

I’d known spooks were a vicious lot, but I never imagined it went this deep.

A haze drifted through the room, reminding me of the fog I’d seen around Saul. Its color was a little different, closer to a pinkish gray than the night black shade I was used to. Somehow it also gave off a softer vibe. Gentler.

I paid the smoke no mind as we reached the lowest level of the stands. Liam and the rest weren’t far away. Daniel and Eric standing guard along the back edge of the space. Thomas, Ahrun and Liam were seated on the rim with a bird’s eye view of the pit below.

“Ah, there you are, my dear. You made it,” Thomas said, lifting his head at my approach.

“Sorry we’re late. We ran into a bit of a hiccup stepping off the elevator.”

If you considered landing in a different space and time a hiccup and not something deliberate on the part of our hosts.

I took the seat Thomas gestured to beside Liam, doing a quick scan of the nearby crowd as I did so.

The council members were easy to spot. They stood out amongst those seated in the VIP section. Their gazes intent on the pit below, identical looks of faint boredom on their faces. As if they’d seen everything there was to see and they were no longer impressed.

I had a feeling it would take far more than a gruesome death and its equally gruesome cleanup to interest them.

As I watched, Sophia, a vampire who’d been turned as a teenager, leaned towards the attractive Asian man to her right. Tse nodded faintly at what she was saying. By their side, Jabari, the only council member I halfway trusted, focused on the preparations for the next fight with a blankness that made me feel like I was looking at a statue.

Seeing nothing interesting about those three, my gaze moved on, locking on a woman who sat slightly apart from the rest. A motionless doll in a sea of chaos, Navya stared back at me, her eyes deep pools of black.

I went still, feeling very much like prey despite the distance between us. As if sensing my caution, her lips curled. My pulse jumped, fear and wariness icing my veins with the realization that she was enjoying intimidating me.

That, more than anything, helped straighten my back. I arranged my features into unfeeling lines, my face going blank as I held her gaze.

“Be careful of that one,” Ahrun advised, his gaze following mine. “Pretty as she is, she’s a viper in the worst way one can be. Cold. Calculating. With zero remorse.”

That had me turning my attention to him. “I thought you were friends.”

“Live as long as I have and you grow used to even the best of friends one day becoming enemies.”

I looked back at the council member. “Are you sure that’s what she is?”

Ahrun’s face was set, his expression unknowable. “I guess we’ll see.”

“Here she comes,” Liam said in an undertone, training his attention on Navya as she rose.

The vampires seated around her followed. Puppets brought to life by a single tug from their master.

A smile bloomed on Ahrun’s face as Navya reached us. “My dear friend. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight. I trust you’re well.”

Navya showed no reaction to the slight dig, her face placid and calm as she held Ahrun’s gaze. “I see no signs of regression. You’re sane. Will you not share your secret? I’m most curious.”

Ahrun sprawled in his chair, crossing one leg over the other as he regarded her lazily. “Some secrets aren’t meant to be given away. They can only be earned.”

Navya’s face remained blank. Seconds ticked by as the two ancients stared at one another.

Finally, Ahrun sighed. “You break my heart, dearest. All I can say is that as miraculous as my recovery was, the circumstances are unlikely to be repeated.”

A beat went by before Navya’s gaze slid to me, the look in her eyes making me stiffen as dread congealed in my stomach. My body tingled at the phantom caress of a blade touching my neck.

Liam shouldered in front of me. A terrifying sound rumbled from his chest.

Suddenly, I could breathe again. The feeling of impending doom receding.

“Navya, do not mistake past friendship for weakness,” Ahrun purred, tapping one finger on the arm of his chair in a rare show of upset. “I will not repeat the mistakes that placed me on the path to devolution. Call it what you will, being over protective, paranoid, what have you. I built this council. I can destroy it.”

The crowd went crazy as a new set of contenders took their places in the pit.

Thomas and Liam held themselves ready, intent on Navya and the three behind her. The enforcers behind us moved closer. Nathan placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

Be ready.

The violence of the impending storm was about to break right over our heads, sending down a deluge that might wash away everything I held dear.

Deborah’s face was pale as her eyes met mine in grim understanding. As the only human among us, she’d be the first to die in any confrontation.

If it was any consolation, I probably wouldn’t be far behind her.