Chapter 5

When Nikko burst into his office and said, "We caught Kova," Julian was certain he was still sleeping.His dreams had been plagued with visions of Brigitte for the last two days, ever since Shoshanna had dug into his mind. They were wonderfully mundane, achingly sweet, and all the more cruel for it.

He stammered unintelligibly through a dozen idiotic questions, then gave up. After grabbing his coat, he ran out of the office, told Olivia he'd be back, and jumped in the car with Nikko.

They drove not to the house in Midnight Springs, but out to the partially gutted building that had once been Elsa Wolfe's luxurious cocktail bar, FLOW. Since a Shieldsmen raid left it unusable, Elsa had sold the property to Julian for a steal. The fine dining atmosphere was ruined, but they could still utilize the sun-proofed outer windows and sound-proofed interior rooms. Carrigan Shea and his court were defeated, but the Durendal were taking no chances at bringing any enemies back to the compound until they were absolutely certain.

On the way, Nikko relayed the sparse information he had. Kova had attacked Shoshanna and Alistair at home, leaving both of them injured. Rhys and Misha were bringing Alistair back to the compound for medical attention, while Safira and Danielle stayed with Shoshanna. Kova was under control, and Julian was certain that had been a bloody affair based on Nikko's grim expression.

His mind spun as they pulled into the parking lot of the old office building. The blocky construction and dingy stucco were frozen in time from the nineties, which was precisely the appeal. Elsa had run her upscale blood bar unbothered for several years before the Shieldsmen came along to disrupt business.

Nikko swiped a card at the door to let them in, and they rushed into the foyer. Months later, it still stank of bleach and old blood, the failed attempt to cover the smell of a dozen vampires murdered in the middle of dinner. Some were Auberon, some Casteron, and some Untethered. It was a senseless loss of life; even the vampires who weren't part of their court hadn't deserved the brutal execution.

Inside, they followed the sound of low voices and found several of the Nightwatch gathered in the brown-tiled kitchen. Someone had made a token effort to clean up the place, though Elsa's chemistry equipment still remained in haphazard arrays, with boxes of medical supplies stacked in the corners.

The door to the walk-in freezer stood open, letting out an icy breeze. In that stainless steel cell, a dark-haired man sat chained to a chair.

It had been over a hundred years, but Dmitri Kovalev looked just as he had the last time they saw him. This was the man he remembered with aching grief, the one who had left them a note apologizing for leaving because he couldn't bear his sorrow any longer.The one who knew Julian's pain better than anyone.

And by all appearances, Kova had been having a rough night.

Wrists and ankles shackled to a chair, Kova sat with his head hung low, staring at the ground. Blood stained his jaw, and broken teeth lay on the ground between his feet. His head lifted, and he spared a sad, crimson-stained smile. "Congratulations on your promotion. I always thought you'd be a good Elder."

Paris scoffed, shaking his head. "All that's happened, and you choose jokes?"

"You're one to talk," Kova said mildly.

"Where the hell have you been?" Julian asked.

Kova leveled his intent, red gaze on Julian. One eye closed ever so slightly, tugged out of place by that distinctive hooked scar. "You know she's winding Brigitte up to come and kill you. She's a vampire hunter this time. Thinks you killed her poor parents."

He reeled. Kristina had told them they were together briefly on the hunt, but it hadn't occurred to him that Kova might actually know her. "What…what can you tell me?"

A sad smile tugged at Kova's bloody lips. "I've known her since a few months after she was born. Reborn, rather. Watched Armina Voss raise her like her own. She goes by Scarlett now."

Paris threw up his hands and blurted, "Are we so caught up in sentiment that we're pretending you didn't abandon us and work for the witch?"

"Paris," Julian snapped.

"It's a fair question. I was a fool, but I thought I could convince Armina to let her go." Kova twisted one arm awkwardly, then flashed a wry smile. "Look at my arms and my chest."

Julian hesitated, then tugged at his brother's ripped sleeve. Dark red marks covered his skin from wrist to elbow. Kova didn't budge as Sasha lifted his shirt to reveal similar marks across his chest. They were neat and precise as tattoos, but the raised texture resembled scar tissue. "She did this to you?" Julian asked.

Kova nodded. "When I left you, I found the witch and I offered myself in Lucia's place. She made me an offer; serve her and she'd break the curse."

"You didn't trust her?" Paris asked incredulously. "You fucking idiot."

"Despair made a fool of me," Kova said quietly. "I still lie awake wondering if Lucia was awake all this time, and?—"

"She wasn't," Paris interrupted, his voice suddenly cooler as he offered the reassurance. "Shoshanna asked. She only awoke when Shoshanna started messing with Armina's magic. Even then it was just fragments of dreams. It wasn't painful for her."

Kova's head snapped up, and his expression faltered again, his eyes gleaming as the words sank in. "Good. Thank God for that."

"Where is the witch? Tell us what you know," Julian said. God, this could change everything.

"She's in—" Kova's voice trailed off as if someone had grabbed his throat. "She lives in—" With a vicious snarl, he rattled the chains and said, "I can't."

"So you're useless," Paris said.

"Paris," Julian said sharply. He pulled up Kova's sleeve to reveal the glowing marks. They were searing hot to the touch. "Could you kill Armina Voss?"

Kova let out a bitter laugh. "I wi—" Another terrible, pain-filled cry, and he gritted his teeth to grind out, "I would never hurt her."

"She can control you from far away?" Paris asked, suddenly on alert.

"Not precisely," Kova said, shooting a pleading look at Julian, as if begging him to understand.

Sasha nudged him. "This happened when we met before. He can't speak poorly of her. The marks hold him back."

Kova nodded eagerly and bit out, "Yes."

"If I unchained you, would you kill me?" Julian asked.

The other man relaxed and said, "No. I don't have orders to kill you."

"And you stopped yourself from killing Shoshanna before," Paris said.

Kova nodded. "It's not mind control."

Paris nudged his shoulder. "I have an idea. Come speak to me and Sasha."

"Just a moment," Julian said. The others slipped out of the kitchen, and he heard Paris rambling about sending Kova back to where he'd come from.

He knelt so that he was on eye level with Kova. What would Eduardo do? He had briefly mourned Kova, a loyal soldier. But would he welcome his return? Would he forgive a traitor, even under such terrible circumstances?

To his credit, Kova held his gaze. His face was a bruised, bloody mask of grief. "I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you all. I meant to trade myself for Lucia. It was the only path I could see."

"And she betrayed you," Julian said.

Perhaps the witch could lash his tongue, but she couldn't keep the anger from his face, the sheer rage trembling through his entire form."She extended my contract, as was her right," Kova bit out.

"I understand why you did it," Julian said.He'd tried the same play, but Armina liked watching him suffer too much.

"I know. She wanted you to see her die. I was different, I suppose," Kova said, shaking his head.

A lump swelled in his throat. "What's Scarlett like? Can you tell me?"

At that, Kova smiled sadly. "She's been raised to believe you killed her family. That's made her harder and colder than before. But I see still see her in there; there's something so bright and joyful in her trying to get out. She's loyal…very competitive. She—" He caught himself and shook his head, though it seemed as if he'd reconsidered, rather than been held back by the witch.

"What is it?" he asked.

"She thinks of Armina as her family. Her aunt," Kova said. "It sickens me, but I think they actually care for each other."

Dread pooled in his belly. "Is there any chance of saving her?"

"I don't know. I tried to tell her to run, but—" Another terrible groan. "But that's not what my mistress wants."

"I hate this for you," Julian said. In the distance, he heard Paris calling for him, but he hesitated.

Kova met his eyes. "Is she safe? Is she…is she happy?"

His heart ached. "She misses you," he said. Though Kova felt no physical pain, there was sheer agony in his eyes. "She has her own place that's well guarded. Human security day and night, and she spends a lot of time with the court. Dominic keeps an eye on her, like he always did. She spends a lot of time with Shoshanna. They have a special connection since she broke the curse."

As Kova nodded, tears cut a path through the blood on his face. "Good," he said. He stared up at Julian intently. "You do what you have to do with me. You swear to keep Lucia safe, and I'll do whatever I can to get Scarlett away. Anything."

Julian nodded, then hurried out of the kitchen, his mind spinning. He slipped past Nikko, who nodded to him and closed the freezer door until it left only a sliver of light. Inside, Kova was quiet.

He found Paris and Sasha in the front of the building, in a ransacked office where a single crooked picture hung on the wall—Elsa holding up a cocktail glass with a bright smile on her face. "What do you think?" Julian asked.

"It could be an elaborate trick from Armina Voss," Paris said.

Sasha shook his head. "I know my brother. He's telling the truth."

"Your brother isunder the thrall of one of the most powerful witches in existence," Paris said. "And no offense, but you thought Kristina Arensberg was telling you the truth while she paraded you around like a big, beautiful puppet. You're not the best judge of character."

Sasha's eyes narrowed. "I am not a fool.Don't you think if she was using him as bait, he'd be able to tell us where she was and lead us into a trap? When he was with the hunters, he tried to warn me. He told me not to trust Kristina, and he gave me your names, trying to get me away from them. I would never have reached out to you if not for Kova."

"I think he's telling the truth," Julian said firmly. "And I say we use him to our advantage." Paris's eyes cut to him. "Armina Voss is the greatest threat to our court at the moment. Even without the threat to Brigitte, we know she's allied with the Shieldsmen. I want you to get Shoshanna and Misha here to break the spell on Kova. Then we send him back in to kill her, or at the very least, to lead the way so we can take her out."

Sasha nodded. "I like this plan."

Paris was already on the phone. A smile curved his lips when Misha answered with a warm hello?

"It's work, mon chou," he said quickly. "I need you to pick up Shoshanna and bring her to my current location. See you soon." Then he glanced up. "Shoshanna is in rough shape thanks to him."

"I wouldn't say this if it wasn't important, but I really don't care," Julian said. "Get her here."

An hour later, both witches had arrived with their respective bags of supplies and books. Shoshanna was with Misha, who fixed Julian with a stern glare as he helped her into the kitchen. She leaned heavily on one of the steel preparation tables, and Misha shook his head. "She shouldn't be doing any magic. She's exhausted."

"I can do it," she said. But when she turned, Julian saw the scorch marks on her arms, the faint, angry burns on her neck and her face. Her eyes were ringed in shadow, puffy from crying.

"Let Misha do it," Julian said, shaking his head. It felt wrong to insist on her hurting herself just for him, because deep down, that's what this was. He could tell himself that he was trying to neutralize a threat, but this was about Brigitte.

As foolishly optimistic as he sounded, Paris was right about one thing: Shoshanna had changed everything. His brothers uncursed, and now Kova returning to them… This time would be different, even if the ending was ultimately the same.

And he had to try. Selfish as it was, he did not care if Shoshanna was tired. His lover's life was on the line.

Shoshanna shot the blood witch a knowing look, then glanced back to Julian. "No offense to the very competent Mr. Volkov?—"

"You forgot handsome," Misha quipped.

She smiled weakly. "But I've spent the last year studying and untangling Armina Voss's magic. I have a far better chance of doing this than he does."

Apparently unbothered, Misha nodded and said, "She's right."

Paris shook his head. "Are you sure? He hurt you."

She laughed and shook her head. "I know it sounds crazy, but I feel sorry for him. He's desperate to save her. And all of you should know very well how that feels. I told Lucia he was alive, and I don't want to let her down."

And before anyone could stop her, Shoshanna pulled open the door to the walk-in freezer. Wincing, she knelt in front of Kova. She wore an oversized cardigan, which she tugged around her frame to ward off the chill.

With his head bowed, he said, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"I don't know if I forgive you. Hurting me was business, and I get that. But you hurt Alistair, nearly killed my brother, and?—"

Kova's head snapped up as he cut her off. "I made her take her time. I called the police to ensure his chances."

Her jaw dropped. "I hope you don't think I'm going to thank you for being careful when you sliced my brother open with a knife," she said sharply. He shook his head. "If we get through this,you owe me a grovel of epic proportions. And maybe then I can wrap my head around forgiveness. For now, you're going to have to accept begrudging cooperation."

His head lifted, and a strange expression crossed his face. Despite everything, Julian had to smile. Kova was coming face-to-face with sweet, stubborn Shoshanna York, who could not lose, not in a battle of witchcraft or wills.

"That's fair enough," Kova said hesitantly.

"If they free your hands, are you going to kill me?" she said.

"As long as Armina Voss has her hand up his ass like a puppet, absolutely not," Paris said. "Work with what you've got, Miss York."

Shoshanna looked to Julian as if pleading for help, but he shook his head. With a look that clearly broadcast you fucking jerks, she slid around behind Kova and pushed up the remains of his sleeves. Misha joined her, examining his other arm. The two of them were enrapt.

"Tell me where Armina Voss is," Shoshanna said, lightly tracing the marks on his left arm.

"I can't," Kova said.

"Try," Julian said sternly, understanding Shoshanna's intent.

"She lives in—" The other vampire's back arched with a painful crack, and he swore in Russian.

"Fascinating," Misha murmured. Kova's skin had ignited again, those red marks glowing bright. "Tell me what you feel?"

"It fucking hurts," Kova bit out. "What do you think?"

"Despite your curse?" Paris asked.

Kova nodded. "It's the only thing I can feel."

"So you are still cursed," Shoshanna mused. "I wondered after I broke Lucia's curse. I think that's why it was so difficult. Can I look at your chest?"

"I'm all yours," Kova said wryly. Using a pocketknife, the witch cut through his shirt to examine the marks there. With clinical intensity, she traced the marks while Kova looked away.

"Let me look at something," Shoshanna said. She put her hands flat against his chest and closed her eyes. For a moment, she nodded as if hearing someone speak, but seconds later, her eyes snapped open, going bright, angry white. And stranger still, those lacy markings seemed to peel away, turning into thorny vines that lashed at her.

"No, no, no," Misha said, as if they'd done this before. He grabbed her by the waist and yanked her away from Kova. The witch went limp in his arms, but Misha looked up and said, "It's okay. She's?—"

"Oh my God," Shoshanna murmured. Misha held her up while Paris shoved a chair under her trembling form. With a violent shudder, she flung out her hands and started scratching at her arms like she'd just been bitten by insects. Then she slapped one hand to her face, where blood was trickling from her nose. "Shit, shit, I just?—"

Misha fished in his pocket, took out a vial, and pressed it into her hand. Without a word, Shoshanna drank its contents and shuddered. Closing her eyes, she breathed slowly.

Kova cleared his throat. "I mean no offense, but it took Armina weeks to complete the spell, and I've been bound for over a hundred years. I doubt it's the sort of thing you can break with a snap of your fingers, no matter how powerful you are."

"I just need time," Shoshanna said, her voice shaking.

"We don't have time," Kova said. "She's going to expect me back soon. And even if I fail, she's preparing to send Scarlett here after you."

Of course it wouldn't be so easy. Shoshanna had changed everything for them, but Julian couldn't expect her to do it all. The others stared at him, and he held up a hand to take a moment.

He would not lie to himself and say that he believed things would work out. But seeing Kova fighting for Lucia, seeing Shoshanna and Misha and all the others ready to fight… He couldn't sit back. Doing so was cowardice, and if he was anything in this life, he was not a coward. He had defended Eduardo for centuries, and only in the last few months had he been relegated to the shadows, holding the throne while others fought his battles.

No more.

He cleared his throat. "We let him go. I know you can't strike at Armina, but can you tell Brigitte—" He shook himself. She wasn't truly Brigitte, not anymore. "Scarlett. Tell Scarlett to come for us. We'll give you an address. And then?—"

Kova's head snapped up. "No more," he blurted. "Anything you tell me, Armina can get out of me. You know she's coming. She wants to kill you, and you want to see her. That's all I need to know." His eyes were wide as he nodded, as if to say play along. "Let me go. Give me a good fight."

"I can handle that," Paris said irritably. Kova smiled, despite the clear threat of violence. "Can we track him somehow?"

Kova said, "Don't let me hear you!"

Sasha winced and said, "I already broke his phone so they couldn't track him."

"You know you can just turn it off," Misha said mildly.

"I'm still catching up on modern technology," Sasha replied with a faint smile.

"Get him out of here," Julian said, moving to Shoshanna just in case. He watched as Paris released the shackles on Kova's wrists, then his ankles. And then their brother rose, not making a move toward the witch. He followed Paris, then froze at the doorway to the ransacked kitchen.

"I have one favor to ask," Kova said. "Don't tell Lucia I was here. I want to see her if…if things work out. If they don't, I'd rather you told her I died."

"Okay," Shoshanna said quietly. "Good luck."

Julian glanced at Nikko, then at Misha. Of the two of them, he wasn't sure Nikko was the right one to make sure Paris didn't go overboard. He gestured to Misha. "Please make sure they don't kill him."

Misha nodded grimly, and Julian sank to the cold tile floor to sit with Shoshanna. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue now, but she looked calmer. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay now. I want to help, but she's so powerful."

He gently cupped her cheeks and said, "You have done more for this court than I could have asked in a lifetime. You need to take care of yourself."

"I want to help you. I know there's not much time," she said.

"I know you do. You've already helped more than you know," he said."But I need you to promise that you'll be smart and not hurt yourself."

Her brow creased, but her lips curved into a smile. "I'll make that promise if you promise not to give up until the end."

His throat tightened. How could he lie back and let the inevitable come when this feisty little human was fighting vampires and witches and fate itself? "I promise not to give up," he agreed. "We fight this to the end."