Chapter 26

"ARoman empress and an Egyptian queen. Girl, we are so going to be the hottest chicks there."

Mindy never lacked for confidence, but I had to agree we looked pretty damn good. Mindy wore a silvery-white, flowing chiffon dress that draped perfectly on her petite body, scooping across her breasts and hugging slim but nicely curving hips. She did indeed look like a Roman patrician. Her strappy matching sandals were way better than the ginormous Jimmy Choos.

My golden gown—sweetheart cut and strapless with corseted boning—hugged my waist and hips, then dropped straight to the floor. The burnished fabric shimmered with lighter flecks like gold dust, giving a dramatic effect under the light. A gold cuff in the shape of a snake with a ruby-red eye coiled around my upper arm.

"And now for the final touches," said Mindy, passing me my mask.

Her cat-eyed mask was satin white with silver swirls, embellished with wispy feathers. Mine covered more cheek and nose in the Venetian style—gold under black lace studded with small white rhinestones. This one touch of silver enhanced the crystal opal hanging below my throat.

"They're here!" squealed Mindy, shoving her phone into her small white pouch-purse that hung from a silken rope around her wrist.

We stepped out into the driveway, where a black stretch-Mercedes limo awaited. The chauffeur already had the door open. Mindy laughed, bright blue eyes twinkling, as we scooted in.

"Good evening, ladies," said a dapper gentleman stretched out with casual grace next to Mindy's mom.

"Oh, girls, don't you look gorgeous!"

"Thank you, Miss Donna," I said, doing my best not to catch my heel on her burgundy dress.

"Hi, Bill. Thank you so much for the invitation," said Mindy, bouncing closer to her mother.

"I'm delighted, Mindy. So, should I call your friend Cleopatra, or does she have another name?"

"Genevieve Drake." I smiled.

This very cheesy introduction would ordinarily rub me wrong, but Bill seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. Attractive too. In a sharp, black tuxedo and with that indefinable blue-blood poise, he was a stunning older man. Miss Donna complemented him with her petite, fair features, slightly aged with laugh lines at the eyes.

"And you are Mister…?"

I dragged out the Mister, hoping he would fill that in. Gentleman that he was, he did.

"Mr. Bridges, Genevieve, but please call me Bill."

"Yes, Gen. He prefers Bill."

"I do believe I will be the envy of the ball with the three most beautiful ladies there."

Mindy and Miss Donna laughed in unison. I smiled at Mr. Bridges, I mean Bill, as he passed us each a flute of Cristal champagne. We toasted and sipped as the city faded behind us, embarking farther into bayou country toward La Blanche Plantation Home where the Crescent City Masquerade was held each year.

On the final rural tract, the limo followed behind another one onto a long, paved drive. Passing under a canopy of centuries-old live oaks and through a line of torches lighting the path, I twisted around to see limousine after limousine filing behind us.

Mindy squeezed my hand in girlish giddiness. My stomach flipped in fear and excitement for two different reasons—that I was bait for Bamal's assassins and that my demon hunter would be here among the masked men. The idea sent a thrill of anticipation through me.

The chauffer opened the door, and we followed Bill and Mindy's mom up the outer steps into the throng of New Orleans' finest. The gowns on these women were stunning. I leaned over to Mindy.

"I'm glad I let you convince me to charge the more expensive gown now."

She nodded and winked behind her pretty mask. The antebellum home was a Greek revival, complete with two stories of wide verandas, and gardens that wound for acres beyond the home. When we walked into the main foyer, I thought we'd stepped back in time.

Candelabras burned everywhere, bathing beautiful people in ethereal light. Servants in full tuxedos and black masks greeted the guests with a choice of champagne or wine. Mindy picked up two glasses of red wine and passed one to me.

"Cheers," she said, clinking her glass to mine.

"Mindy, come here, dear," called her mom, waving us over into the main ballroom.

The room was mostly an open dance floor, the orchestra set up on the far end. On the outer rim of the stage and dance floor were alcoves draped with curtains of red velvet and gold trim, partitioning off private sitting areas.

I scanned the room, searching for Jude, but didn't see him. I'd know him with or without a mask. There was no mistaking that man.

"Mindy and Genevieve, this is Mr. and Mrs. Clark and their son, Nathaniel."

The Clarks nodded graciously in greeting. Nathaniel, a tall, russet-haired guy about our age gave us one of those smiles that put me on edge, brushing a kiss on the top of my hand. Hooded hazel eyes assessed from behind a navy-blue mask. His lips lingered longer on Mindy's hand with a wider smile. A wolf in sheep's clothing, this one. But the wolves here were camouflaged in designer Italian formal wear and plastic faces.

I remembered what Kat had told me. "A gentleman of the gentry in evening dress is the perfect mask to hide the wolf beneath." Too true, Kat.

"Ladies, let me show you to our private area," said Nathaniel.

Apparently, Mindy's mom and Mr. Bridges had already agreed to share a private space with the Clarks. Who was I to argue even if the guy gave me the creeps?

He swaggered slowly toward the middle of the room, gesturing toward an alcove where the curtain was drawn to the side. I saw that you could either keep the entrance open with a drawstring or close it for a more private party. We stepped into the small space furnished with three round tabletops spread with white linen and red roses as well as a sofa to the back.

"Whoohoo! Look at this, Gen."

"Nice, isn't it?" commented Nathaniel. "We can bring in bottles of wine from the bar to avoid trips back and forth."

"Sweet," said Mindy. "This is my kind of party."

Nathaniel's wolfish smile showed teeth as he watched her bend over the table to smell a vase of roses. I noticed hazel eyes dipping to take in the revealing view when Mindy leaned over.

"Well, take it easy, Mindy. We don't want a repeat of our last night out," I said, bumping her to stand upright.

"Stop your frowning, Gen. We've got a fabulous designated driver tonight."

The DD wasn't what I was worried about.

"Don't be concerned. I'll take care of her," said Nathaniel.

Now, that was what I was worried about.

"May I have the first dance, empress?" he asked, offering her his hand.

I cringed at his cheesy line. But Mindy smiled and took his hand.

"I hope to have a dance with you as well, Genevieve."

I nodded tightly, trying to smile. I didn't like him but couldn't be rude either. He was the son of Mindy's mother's friends. We were their guests.

And what was he doing that other guys didn't do on a regular basis? Ogling pretty little Mindy was a regular pastime for most guys in her vicinity. It was the cold hunger in those hazel eyes that made me nervous. I might be oversensitive due to recent events in my own life, suspecting every man when it was unwarranted. But still.

"Relax, Genevieve," I whispered to myself, downing my wine in two gulps and strolling out to find another.

An orchestra of strings played at the front of the ballroom along with a modern band onstage. In sleek black suits, two men played electric guitars in accompaniment with the classic instruments. The drummer wore black slacks and a white T-shirt, his hair a wild mess. A statuesque redhead in a floor-length green gown stepped up to the microphone. Her hair draped in shining waves over one shoulder. Were it not for the full-sleeved tattoo on one arm, I'd have thought she fit right into the mix.

I liked this touch of incivility in the room. It made me more comfortable. As she began to sing a soft, melancholy melody, I drifted farther across the hall. The effect of violins and cellos in harmony with the electric guitars was haunting and lovely.

I drew closer, seeing a server holding a tray of red wine. I knew I should refrain from drinking too much, but I needed a bit more liquid courage.

My VS tingled with Flamma present. Jude, Kat, and George were here somewhere, but there were others as well.

I took a glass and sipped lightly and slowly from the sidelines. The myriad of masks had a fantastic effect in the dimly lit room while the ghostly melody echoed through the grand hall.

Vibrant colors, curving shapes, glitter and satin, all enhanced the beautiful dancers under crystal chandeliers. Then there were others. Strange and bizarre masks—animalistic, suggestive of large cats, predatory birds, and ravenous wolves—adorned the more eccentric.

Nathaniel spun Mindy close by. She tossed her head back, laughing.

"He should be wearing one of those," I said to myself, thinking of the slit-eyed wolf mask I'd just seen.

"Who should be wearing one of what?" came the feminine voice next to me.

I jumped, then relaxed. "Kat! Oh, thank God."

She wore a formfitting gown in leopard print, a feline mask framing green eyes swimming unnaturally with eddies of black. Her platinum hair spilled over her shoulders in crimped waves. She was breathtaking.

"Damn, Kat. If you're trying to blend in, it'll never happen."

"All in a day's work, my friend. Just trying to fit in with the nobility." She said the word "nobility" as if it were something contemptuous that might bite. Who knows? Maybe it would.

"Has George seen you in this dress yet?" I grinned.

Her head snapped to mine. "What do you mean? Who cares if he sees me?"

"Oh, I think you care very much, Kat."

She huffed out a breath, gulping her pink champagne. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. But he's got it bad too. The way he looks at you."

"Really?"

Her austere gaze transformed to something more vulnerable. My heart hurt for her. I wondered what had happened between them, but this was certainly not the time or place to get the details.

"Without a doubt," I assured her.

She swigged the rest of her champagne and placed the empty flute on the tray of a passing server.

"So, have you seen any demons?"

She asked this so casually I would've found it funny if it weren't for the fact that they were here to kill me.

"No. But I feel them."

"Yes. They're definitely here. At least three, maybe more," she calculated, scanning the crowds. "Bamal knows you have protection now, since his last two lower demons were expelled. He'll have sent higher demons this time, some of his dukes or earls, so be careful. They can shape-shift. And sift you out of here."

"Awesome. I feel great now," I said, a tremor quivering down my spine.

Kat glanced at me and smiled. "Gen, you've got the leader of the demon hunters, the oldest and strongest demon hunter there is, and me here for your protection. You're covered, girl. Don't fret."

Jude was the oldest demon hunter? I didn't realize that. I wondered for the hundredth time how one became a demon hunter. This secret was guarded, hidden for dark reasons, I was certain. But what?

"Have you seen Jude?" Kat interrupted my thoughts.

"No. Not yet."

"Okay. I'm going to mingle. You should move around. Let the demons see you. We need our bait out in the open."

"Terrific. A lamb in a den of wolves," I said, tossing back the rest of my wine.

Kat grinned at me, appearing even more like a cat with narrowed green eyes. She glanced at my dress for a second and let out a feminine laugh.

"Just you wait till the alpha gets a look at you in this."

I knew she didn't mean George, making me wonder why she considered Jude more dominant. Of course, I knew who was more dominant but found that intriguing, as George was their leader. I shivered, peering out across the crowd.

"On that note, I'll go mingle. Here goes the little lamb."

Kat laughed and stepped toward the crowd.

"Kat, wait," I stopped her. "What about Danté? Could he be here too?"

She shook her head definitively. "No. Now that George has given you his power of protection and Jude plans on keeping you untainted, though I'm sure it's killing him, you're safe." She grinned.

"Stop that, Kat!"

She let out a throaty laugh. "Anyway, Danté will have to come up with some other plan. I'm sure he's scheming, but he's less powerful than Bamal and some of his other brothers."

"Seriously?"

He seemed pretty damn powerful to me. I shuddered, remembering how easily he made me his puppet.

"Just get out there. You have nothing to worry about."

With a wink, she pressed her way through the socialites laughing near the stairwell and headed toward the balcony on the second floor overlooking the ballroom.

"Let's go, little lamb," I muttered to myself, steeling my spine and sauntering out into the open.

While many men admired my passing, they were just men. My VS was sensitive, able to penetrate casts of illusion quickly. I was progressing in power.

I focused to keep my cast of protection from wrapping my body—barring other Flamma from seeing me. Forcing myself to wander through the throng, knowing demons were here, made me feel vulnerable on a painful level.

I circled around the dancers, seeing Mindy and Nathaniel, his hand sliding over her bare back in circles as he whispered something in her ear. Mindy smiled. She seemed to be having fun. Perhaps I'd misjudged the guy.

The singer pulled my attention to the stage. Her voice harmonized with the violins, crooning out a melody of love and redemption. The music tugged on my heart, luring me closer.

I paused near the orchestra, feeling the music vibrate through me, when a hand wrapped around my forearm. In swift reflex, I elbowed back into the ribs of my assailant. I heard an "oof" then felt a large male pressed close behind me, pulling me toward him. My free hand was going for the dagger when a familiar voice halted me.

"Rumplestiltskin," he whispered.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Your code word, Genevieve. Rumplestiltskin."

I vaguely remembered our conversation eons ago about using a code word to avoid startling me. Too late. How this man made the name of an evil, twisted dwarf sound sexy was beyond me.

Before I could even think of a snappy comeback, his arm wound around my waist, his hand flattened against my stomach and pulled me back into a private alcove, red velvet curtains sealing us in. No one occupied this one. No one but Jude. And me.

He spun me around. My hands went to broad shoulders clad in a fine, obviously expensive, jacket. The simple black mask he wore perfectly framed eyes of flame and accentuated sensuous lips now curling into a smile as he drank me in.

"Do you approve?" I asked lightly.

He traced my bottom lip with a callused finger. I parted my mouth farther for him. His eyes brightened impossibly more.

"Yes," he said, trailing his finger down my chin, dipping along my throat, over the hollow to where his gift hung for the world to see. "I like you wearing this."

"I like me wearing this too."

His finger trailed ever lower, horizontally crossing over the slopes of my breasts, skimming along the line of the fabric. I closed my eyes, unable to handle the heat in his eyes, my breath coming quickly.

He tipped up my chin to take my mouth, and I opened for him instantly. Waiting.

"Genevieve."

His hands scaled down my sides, burning through the fabric.

"What?" I panted, eyes still closed.

One hand stopped on my hip with a proprietary hold; the other drifted to the small of my back.

"You're giving in to me so easily."

"Should I be a tease instead?"

I opened my eyes to see a smug smile spread wide just below the line of his mask.

"You give a man all kinds of ideas when you melt in his arms, all soft, beautiful curves and bitable skin. All obedient."

My hand wove into the hair at his nape. I let my ring and pinky finger tuck beneath his stiff collar, caressing the sensitive skin beneath. He shivered. That was a first.

"Jude, I only melt for you," I said in all earnestness, sweeping my eyes down, then looking up through long lashes. "And I'm only obedient to you."

He took my mouth, crushing me close, kissing me deeply, tongue and teeth clashing in a maddening frenzy. His hand at my back lowered more, curving over my ass, pressing me up against his pelvis. His evident arousal made me moan.

He broke from my mouth, sliding hot, lingering kisses down the side of my neck, scraping with his teeth. Down, down. His hands pulled me against the hardness of him, his lips leaving a hot, wet trail along the top of my cleavage. The hand he had on my hip moved up to cup my breast, his thumb rubbing a tight circle over the silk.

I moaned, my nipple tightening to a peak. Then I arched into him and felt flames ignite me into an inferno, dazed by sheer sensation as orchestra music and whirling dancers laughed just beyond the red velvet curtain. It would be so easy to let go here and now. I couldn't think anymore, encased by a seductive wall of heat.

"Jude. Please," I breathed, my hand clutched in his hair, pressing him closer.

I didn't even know what I was begging for. Did I want him to stop or go on? Though I couldn't see his aura of flame, it burned me nonetheless, in a sweet, lapping caress.

My mind reeled, forgetting everything but him—strong arms, caressing hands, imploring mouth. I was well beyond thinking clearly, wanting him so badly I didn't care anymore.

Sensing the danger, Jude slid his hands away from sensitive curves to my waist, pinning me in place against him but not with the crushing force as before. His mouth found mine again, sweeping more gently, slower, softer.

He sipped at my full lower lip, pulling his body an inch from mine, bringing me down from a rapture that had nearly consumed us both. I was dizzy, heart pounding like a frightened rabbit's.

"No," he said, voice deep and husky and out of breath. "I don't want you to be a tease, though I do believe abstaining is going to kill me."

I sort of laughed, unclenching my hand in his hair, moving it to his shoulder. "I thought you said a gentleman didn't fondle ladies in doorways, or perhaps behind curtains, in this case."

A self-satisfied grin quirked his beautiful mouth.

"I never professed to be a gentleman. That was an assumption on your part."

"Oh, well, in that case, let me go find one."

I pretended to pull away. He snapped me back against him.

"No man of any kind will fondle you or do otherwise ever again." It was a promise, not a threat. He planted a tender kiss on my forehead and held me there. "I would love to take you out onto the dance floor, hold you in my arms, and show every man here that you are mine and no other's."

"So, why don't you?"

Lion-gold eyes captured me. His hands drifted to my hips and squeezed, but not in a seductive way this time. Protective. Possessive. After a long moment, he blinked and broke the connection.

"Bamal's demons will know me on sight. I need to keep my distance if we are to lure them into the open."

I nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out. He evidently had no desire to keep his distance, nor did I, but we had a mission tonight—to capture Bamal's henchmen and negotiate a deal with the high demons in his employ. I didn't ask Jude what that entailed. Honestly, I didn't want to know.

With my mind on present problems, I pulled out of his arms. "Well, I better get back to work then."

He cupped my face with large, warm hands, gazing into my eyes for what seemed like forever. His thumb brushed my cheekbone. "Be careful, Genevieve."

I smiled, tiptoed, and planted a swift kiss on his lips. "You too."

I slipped out of the curtain and skirted the perimeter of the dance floor, returning back to Mindy, hoping she was in the alcove.

"Genevieve."

I turned to find Nathaniel looking down at me, having removed his mask. He was handsome, a strong jaw and steady, arrogant gaze telling me he was used to getting what he wanted.

"May I have this dance? Mindy's sitting this one out."

I was pretty sure Mindy forced him to ask me to dance to make sure I was enjoying myself. If she only knew I'd enjoy myself better without Nathaniel's attentions.

"Sure," I replied, taking his offered hand.

Normally, I would've refused politely, but I needed to be in the open. Perhaps a spin around the dance floor would tempt the demons to come out so the others could find them. Thankfully, Nathaniel placed his hand on my waist in a respectable way, gracefully taking my other hand to guide me around the dancers. I was in no mood to fend off roaming hands.

"Are you feeling well?" he asked. "You appear flushed."

Crap. Evidence of Jude's caresses were all over me, in the pink of my cheeks and probably in marks along my neck and chest as well. Pale skin revealed everything.

"Perhaps it's the heat."

"Ah. Yes." His lip twitched. I couldn't tell whether he was mocking me, perhaps having seen me reappear from someone else's alcove and put two and two together, or whether he naturally seemed like a snide ass all the time. "It is a little warm in this crush of people."

He led me along, spinning smoothly between the couples. Though I didn't let on, a prickle of unease warned me that I was being observed.

"So, you and Mindy go to school together at Loyola?"

"Yes." I nodded with a smile, glancing over his shoulder to try and find who was watching me. "Are you in school?"

"Tulane."

Condescending smile. How did Mindy fall for these guys? I found myself wishing Dazzling Dave would make a sudden appearance.

"So what's your major, Genevieve?"

I gave a tight smile at the go-to question every guy seemed to ask. "English literature."

"And what are your plans with your degree? English teacher?"

He said English teacher as if it were a disease. It made me want to slap that smug look off his face. "What's your major, Nathaniel?"

"Business."

"And what are your plans with your degree? Take over Daddy's business?"

Ouch.Where did that come from? Seems my tongue had a mind of its own tonight.

A flash of anger sharpened those hazel eyes, then the shadow was gone. He smiled coolly. "Yes, actually."

"Pardon me, but may I cut in?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see George smiling charmingly at me. He gave Nathaniel a curt and cold nod, swinging me out of his arms without an answer. As George spun me around, I glimpsed Nathaniel's dark expression before he walked off the floor alone.

"George, you're my hero."

He laughed, his dimples and bright eyes revealing how gorgeous he was. The candlelight cast a reddish glow on his chestnut hair.

"I am ever endeavoring to be the hero, Genevieve. It's so nice to hear that I'm doing a fine job of it."

I laughed at that. "But should you be seen with me? Won't the demons recognize you?"

"No, I doubt it. I tend to stay out of the fray. Most demons don't know what I look like. They only know me by name. Still, we'll keep this dance short and sweet to be certain."

I glanced up, feeling a sudden sinister tug in my core.

"Oh God. George, up there." My voice came out in a whisper.

He followed my gaze to the balcony. Two men, dark-haired and dressed in all-black tuxedos, wore identical cold expressions. They stood like stone glaring down at us—me.

Their wicked glares were fixed unwaveringly. I was definitely their prey. I reached out with my VS, touching on an aura of menace seeping down from the balcony area. My eyes flickered to the stairwell where Jude was already making his way up the stairs.

"And, abracadabra. There they are."

George spun me expertly to the far end of the dance floor near the stairwell, sweeping a kiss on the top of my hand and ascending the stairs. George and Jude could catch the demons faster if they sifted, but then this place might erupt in chaos.

I backed away, walking toward our alcove, glancing nervously around. I saw another man standing behind the stage looking out. My VS homed in on him. He was identical to the two at the top of the balcony. Wait, they weren't there anymore. Neither were Jude and George. The three demons could've been triplets. The one behind the stage turned away from me.

A statuesque blonde in leopard print leapt from the shadows. Kat grabbed his shoulder, and they both sifted out. No one noticed.

I reached out with my VS, sweeping the dance floor, the stairs, the balcony. Nothing. I didn't feel Flamma anywhere.

"Wow."

Just like that, they sifted out with Bamal's demons to a safer place for negotiations. They'd told me the plan. Once they identified the demons, it was a simple step to take them elsewhere and deal with them. I inhaled a deep gulping breath, my heart pounding.

Still afraid, I swept the area again with my Vessel power. All safe. Relief washed over me. I couldn't believe our luck or that I'd escaped a near-death experience. I suppose it wasn't too shabby having this badass trio of protection.

I walked back to the alcove to find Miss Donna and Mrs. Clark whispering over some sort of gossip.

"Miss Donna, have you seen Mindy?"

"Oh yes, dear. She and Nathaniel headed out for some fresh air."

Fresh air? Yeah, I bet. I ambled back out into the ballroom, laughter and music swelling as the night wore on. Mindy had been flirting with this guy since we got here, but I knew she wasn't the cheating type. She might let Nathaniel think he was getting somewhere, but she and David were still an item.

The problem was, I also knew Nathaniel's type. He owned lots of things. He was the kind of guy who believed wealth equaled power, and power meant the world could deny him nothing or no one. Panic seized me. Mindy had been knocking back quite a bit of champagne. I made my way to the main foyer in longer strides.

"Excuse me," I asked one of the statue-like waiters at the door, "have you seen a small blonde in a white dress with a tall guy?"

He nodded down a darkened hall along the front of the house. I hurried along the marble floor, the click-clacking of my shoes sounding hollow on the walls. The hallway wrapped around to the back of the house. Turning the corner, a set of French doors stood ajar.

I pulled off my mask and stepped out onto a patio. Moonlight spilled brightly, casting blue shadows on the pavement and lawn. A damp chill settled in the air. I walked with careful steps over slate stones, around a gurgling fountain, and scanned the shadowed garden. There on the third step was Mindy's white purse, a lipstick having spilled out.

"Oh, no."

My heart sank. Then I heard her. A scream, cold and piercing. Mindy!

My breath caught in my throat as I ran, losing my heels in the grass turf. The muffled voices came from the right where a maze of hedges stood tall and black under night's cloak.

My gaze darted to a small luminescent shape in the grass, white and wispy—Mindy's mask. Then her stifled cry again. I heard her beg, "Please."

I ran as fast as possible in my damn dress. Fear and panic spiked an adrenaline rush through my limbs. I drew closer to the sound of a struggle. A thump, then silence. A tearing sound.

I rounded a tall hedge to find Nathaniel on his knees, his jacket tossed aside as he worked on getting his pants open. Underneath him was my unconscious best friend, her hair pulled loose, her white dress ripped up to her navel, and her legs sprawled obscenely.

Not Mindy. Not Mindy. Not Mindy! Red filled my vision. Rage a burning brand on my heart. Not thinking, I launched myself onto him, cuffing him across the head and scratching at his face.

"Get off of her! You bastard!"

He shoved me back and stood quickly, his pants half-open. I lunged at him again. Pure, raw rage spurned me on, but he was a big guy. He hauled his arm back and hit me full across the face, sending me spinning to the grass.

Dazed and seeing spots, I nearly lost consciousness myself, faintly hearing his sinister reply in that condescending tone he used on the dance floor.

"You want me first, baby? I'm more than happy to oblige."

My head buzzed from the punch across the head. I felt my body being flipped onto my back. Hard, cold hands fumbled up my dress. My instincts launched me out of the stupor.

I struggled, jerking my knee up toward his groin. He narrowly blocked me. This was the worst position to be in for defense—on your back with someone much larger than you clambering on top. I couldn't punch out, so I grabbed his hair and yanked. He gripped my throat and slammed my head against the ground.

"You wanna play rough? Not a problem."

He fumbled with his pants with one hand, the other tight on my throat. I bent my leg up so that the slit in my dress opened. A look of confusion crossed his face, flushed hot with anger and lust. He thought I was inviting him to continue.

Panic retreated. Hatred—cold and stealthy clamped down on me with a venomous bite. My fingers slid along my thigh. Nathaniel stared stupidly, starting to grin, feeling triumphant in a sure conquest. I refused to let my gaze shift from his as my right hand found the dagger. Before he could register what I held, I put the ball of my left hand behind the hilt and thrust the dagger hard and deep up into his chest. I stabbed only once, but he slumped forward instantly on top of me.

Trembling with fury and fear, I shifted his weight off, flipping and sliding out from under him. Pulling out the dagger, slick with blood, I put it back into its sheath, my movements robotic, the acrid taste of hatred still bitter on my tongue.

I'd hit him directly in the heart. A pool of crimson spread across his white tuxedo shirt on the left side of his chest. His eyes and mouth gaped wide in a frozen expression of shock, unmoving.

Dead. He was dead. So quick, so fast.

I sat back, staring at my hands in horror, shining wet and near black under the moonlight. An uncontrollable quivering shook me from head to toe. I hadn't intended to kill him. The thought of what he was going to do had driven me into a madness of fury. My breath came out in quick white breaths, the temperature dropping rapidly.

A billowing, cool mist floated around the body, Mindy, and me. I whimpered, bloody hands in my lap, shaking uncontrollably. It wasn't a natural mist.

The dread making my heart hammer with violent force inside my ribcage grabbed hold of me with icy fingers.

"No," I cried, like a child in the dark.

"Mmmmm, my sweet." A sinister whisper, so horrifyingly familiar, rose from the coalescing shadows in the gloom. "Bloodstained hands. My darling is so wonderfully tainted."

A wicked laugh I knew from the darkest of nightmares snapped my chin up to see Danté walking sinuously toward me, the supernatural mist curling around his legs in a cold caress.