by Lili Zander
Looks like it’s my lucky day.
The vampire is in his early twenties. Well-dressed. Flashy jewelry. I know the type. Lives in the upper levels, comes down here for his fun, and buys his way out of trouble.
Not tonight.
The vampire’s fangs descend. “No,” the woman protests, her voice barely audible. The sudden flare of fear in her eyes is very real. “Please… no.”
I accelerate toward them, but before I can reach the couple, the man bites into the woman’s neck.
Several things happen, all at once.
A loud explosion rocks the club. I hear a boom, and a rush of heat, and then, screams. I smell smoke.
Mirage is on fire.
People start running into the corridor, screaming at the top of their lungs. They stampede, and they panic, and they’re everywhere.
Raven.
I turn back to her, and in that split-second of inattention, a figure blurs in front of me. He—at least, I think it’s a man—rushes the woman. From the corner of my eye, I see a glint. Metal. A knife?
Then the security detail is on us, protectively flanking us. “Come on,” a woman in a red dress urges. I saw her earlier on the club floor, dancing up a storm. Fantastic cover. I hadn’t even recognized her. Nicely done, Mazer. “ID code: Sparrow. Sunlight. Firestorm.” She’s reeling off her credentials, identifying herself as one of our bodyguards. “The club is on fire. We need to excavate. Through that door.”
It’s not her I’m watching. It’s not even Raven, who I have a protective arm around. It’s the pair in the corridor.
The human woman is slumped on the floor, bleeding from a knife wound. Unease prickles my skin. A man had appeared out of nowhere and stabbed her. Why?
Then I look at the vampire that bit her and understanding flashes through me. I hadn’t heard him scream over the noise of the panicked club-goers, but the man is lying in a pool of green pus, and he’s very clearly dead.
Levitan’s virus claims another victim.
I’m on my comm immediately. Damn it, Saber. Answer the fucking call.
He does. “Now is not a good time, Nero,” he says, as calm as ever. “I’m dealing with thousands of missing humans, Adam Masev has a price on his head, and it’s high enough to motivate every half-bit assassin to emerge from the woodwork. A team of heavily armed thugs is approaching us right now. I’m slightly busy here.”
Thousands of missing humans.
Everything jolts into place with crystal clarity. “Get back to Ragnar’s apartment as quickly as you can. I know what Levitan’s plan is.”
9
Raven
People keep dying from the virus. Over and over, I see that vampire fall to the ground, oozing green slime. I see Gerra Clay inject my blood into her veins and burst into pieces. Olaf Vander drinks from me and dies on the ice.
Death stalks us at every turn, and it’s all because of the damn virus. And this is only the beginning.
Zeke, Saber, and Adam Masev are already at Ragnar’s apartment when we get back. Saber’s on the comm. When he sees us enter, intense relief flashes across his face. Zeke hurries up to me. He cups my face in his hands. “How are you?”
I thought I was okay. Then I hear the concern in his voice, and tears start rolling down my cheeks. “I’m fine,” I tell him, even though I’m obviously not. “I don’t know why I’m crying. That guy probably deserved what he got.”
He doesn’t say anything; he just folds me into his arms and hugs me tight. I soak in his love, his concern, and his caring, and it’s like a miracle drug. “Are you going to tell me I shouldn’t have gone to the Deeps?” I mumble into his shoulder.
He strokes my back. “I’ll save that lecture for Saber. I’m more concerned about how you’re feeling right now.”
I stand up on tiptoe and kiss his lips. “Better. What about you? People were shooting at you.”
He shrugs. “It was nothing we couldn’t handle.”
Saber finishes his call. “That was Ragnar,” he says. “He’s on his way back.” His kiss sizzles through me, curling my toes and surprising me with its intensity. “This is one hell of a homecoming,” he says, a wry twist on his lips. “I was going to take you to see the sky gardens when we got to Starra.”
Poor Saber. “I had a good time at the club.” Until shit went to crap.
Just then, Ragnar walks in, a young woman on his heels. The instant they see her, everyone in the room goes down on their knees.
Empress Astrid.
Holy fuck. This girl is the ruler of the Shayde Empire. The absolute ruler. If she wishes it, entire planets can burn. If she twitches her little finger, people live or die.
And she’s here.
A half-second behind everyone, I slide to my knees.
A chagrined look slides on the Empress’ face. “Please rise,” she says. “As you were.” She crosses the room and envelops Saber in a hug. “Hello, cousin. I haven’t seen you in years. How have you been?”
Cousin? My mouth falls open in shock. I knew Family Hafsson was highly ranked, but I had no idea that Saber was related to the Empress.
I suppress the overwhelming urge to laugh hysterically. Ragnar had warned me that Saber was an important member of Shayde society, and I thought I’d understood. Turns out I had no idea.
“You’re getting me in trouble, Astrid.” Saber kisses the Empress on the forehead. “From the look Raven is giving me, I’m going to have a long conversation with her after this debrief.”
Her lips twitch. “I have so little opportunity for fun,” she murmurs. She moves on to greet Zeke, and then Nero. Then she turns to me. “You must be Raven Unnuk,” she says, a friendly smile on her face. “It’s good to finally meet you, though I wish it had been under different circumstances. Thank you for helping us find a cure to this dreadful disease.”
I’ve got to hand it to Astrid. I’m carrying a virus that kills vampires with brutal, gut-punching efficiency, and she extends her hand out to me without the slightest flinch. She’s got grit.
“It’s not like I had much of a choice. Your brother sent six soldiers to kidnap me.” The instant those words leave my mouth, I’m aghast. What the hell is the matter with me? Idiot, idiot Raven, this is the Empress! You remember the part where she could order your death with one word? I’ve been spending too much time with Saber, Zeke, and Nero, who are used to my smartassery.
Ragnar grins. The Empress’ eyes dance with laughter. “Yes, Ragnar can be high-handed,” she agrees. “But from what I’ve heard, you can hold your own.”
She turns to Adam Masev and greets him. As soon as she’s out of earshot, I give Saber a sidelong look. “She’s your cousin?” I hiss.
He winces. “A very distant one.”
Oh crap. If he’s related to Astrid… “Are you in the line of succession?” I blurt out. Great Spirit, what have I got myself into? I’m too ordinary for this.
Ragnar’s watching us with an amused look on his face. No doubt he thinks this is hilarious. Haha. Guess who isn’t laughing, Oh-Great-And-Mighty-Prince?
“Yes,” Saber admits reluctantly. “But I’m way down the pecking order. I think I’m eighth or ninth in line, something like that.”
I make myself breathe. Okay. That’s not too bad. Still intimidating as all hell, of course. At some point, I’ll be introduced as part of Saber’s bô. People will judge me. I’m a human miner from the outer provinces. I don’t know how to dress like the citizens of the capital. I can’t do what Astrid’s doing right now, moving from person to person, and making smooth, gracious conversation.
Saber follows my gaze. “Stop comparing yourself to her. She’s been trained all her life for this.”
I gape at him. “Seriously, how do you do that?”
“Call it a special talent.” He chuckles and bops my nose. “You looked like you were going to be sick when Astrid called me cousin. You asked about the line of succession. I put two and two together.”
Saber’s too damn perceptive f
or his own good. I shake my head ruefully. “It’s a little freaky, this mind-reading thing that you do.” I swallow back my nerves. “I feel very much the outsider. I don’t know how to act, how to fit in. If this blood disease ever gets cured, and I become part of your bô…”
“When,” he interrupts me. “When the blood disease gets cured, not if. And you are already part of my bô. I thought that was settled.”
Warmth floods through my heart. I put my hand on Saber’s bicep. It’s one hell of a bicep, and it's attached to one hell of a guy. I really got lucky. “You're right,” I agree. “When this blood disease gets cured, and Astrid puts you on the Ruling Council, I'm afraid I'll be a liability.”
“Protocol is just protocol,” Saber replies. “You'll learn what to do, I have no doubt. Besides, if at any time, you don't want to participate in that part of my life, you don't have to.” He squeezes my hand. “I’m crazy about you, Raven. I just want you to be happy.”
“What if I never learn?”
“Of course, you’ll learn. You can't compare yourself with Astrid, who has been taught diplomacy and protocol her entire life, any more then you can compare your sword skills with Marya’s.”
I grimace. “Thanks for the reminder. I now feel completely useless. What am I good at?” Argh. Evidently, I’m in full-on feeling-sorry-for-myself mode. I have no idea where this whining is coming from.
Saber’s lips twitch. “I’ll tell you,” he says, dropping his voice to a seductive murmur. “But you might hit me.”
My mouth falls open. Part of me wants to laugh, but the other part of me does indeed want to hit him. “Telling me that I'm good at sex is not making the situation any better.”
His expression softens. “I was joking.” He takes my hands in his. “Why did you think Nero bet on you back on Boarus 4?”
“Because it's Nero, and that's the kind of thing he does?”
He flashes me a grin. “There is that,” he agrees. “But it's also because we all saw something in you. In any situation, you will find a way to come out ahead. It might not be because of your sword skills. It might not be through diplomacy. But you're a winner, Raven. We will bet on you every single time.”
There's a lump in my throat. Saber’s going to make me cry. “I'm surprised you haven't forbidden me from going to the Deeps again after what happened,” I tease him, trying to bring the conversation back to a lighter place.
Before he can answer, Ragnar clears his throat. Everyone instantly falls silent. I look around and see that Tomas, Dr. Karling, and Mazer Basaran have joined us. “Shall we go into the conference room?”
I follow Saber into the window-covered space. A massive rectangular table, made of real wood, dominates the room. Astrid takes her seat at the head of the table. Ragnar crosses the room and sits at the other end. Everyone else shuffles into place, following some kind of hidden protocol that I don't know.
I have no idea what to do.
Saber settles at Astrid’s right. He gestures to the seat next to me. “You’re here.”
More mind-reading.
Once everyone is seated, Ragnar looks around. “It's good to see everyone here.” He gives everyone a faint smile. “It’s especially good to see everyone here alive.”
The tension in the room cracks.
He leans forward, his elbows on the table. “Several things have happened in the last few days. One: we have established that Harek Levitan possesses the virus and has no compunctions about using it. Two: a couple of hours ago, he offered me a choice. Either I leave Starra and go into exile, or he will unleash the virus on the people I care about the most.” He straightens his shoulders. “I’m not going into exile.”
Astrid’s voice is steely. “I do not like being threatened,” she says. “We are Family Thorsson. We're the Shayde Empire. We do not cower before threats. We stand tall, and we fight back.”
Ragnar’s gray eyes make contact with each and every one of us. “General Levitan specifically threatened the colony in Fateh today, which will be evacuated in the next few hours. But I want this to be very clear. Every single person in this room is in danger. If you want to leave Starra, now is your chance to speak up.”
There’s perfect silence in the room. Everyone's face is resolute. Nobody is going anywhere. Nobody’s going to walk away from this.
Emotion flashes across Ragnar’s face for a brief second, and then the princely walls slam down. “I thank you for your confidence and your support,” he says, his voice serious. “Now let's get up to speed. Nero, could you start us off?”
Nero fills everyone in on the events that transpired at Mirage. “I didn’t see the assailant, but the human woman was obviously attacked to prevent her from talking,” he finishes. “She was rushed to a hospital, but I don't know her condition.”
Mazer cuts in. “I checked. She’s alive but badly wounded. The doctors have put her in a healing coma. They told me not to expect miracles. The soonest they can remove her from the coma is two weeks.”
“We don't have two weeks,” Ragnar says. “You kept it quiet?”
The big vampire nods. “Anyone asks, she’s dead. I’ve arranged for a body. We still have the element of surprise.”
“Nicely done.” He turns to Adam Masev. “Adam, tell us what you’ve discovered.”
Adam Masev nods soberly. “I live in Frostbloom Tower. I have a few different cover identities.” He very carefully avoids looking at either Astrid or Ragnar. I don't blame him. Several of the things that Equality Pact has said and done would be considered treasonous. With his words, Adam might be signing his death warrant. “One of them is a noodle seller in the Deeps. It’s a good cover. It helps me hear things, things the authorities miss.”
He steeples his fingers. “Thousands of humans have gone missing from the Deeps. I don't know how many. By my count, at least two thousand, and that’s just in Frostbloom. They’re poor, they live in the Deeps, and they often don't have friends or family who can check up on them. They’re perfect targets.”
“Two thousand?” Mazer looks shocked. “Fucking hell.”
Huh. I guess it’s okay to swear in front of the Empress. Then again, I can’t blame Ragnar’s chief of staff. When I first heard how many people had gone missing, I’d been in shock too.
“We got lucky,” Saber says. “Really lucky. Had that woman not escaped, had Raven and Nero not been at that club, we’d still be in the dark.” He takes a deep breath. “Right now, we have, for the first time in months, a glimmer of an advantage. We know what the General’s plan is, and the General doesn't know we know.”
“We know one of Harek's plans,” Ragnar corrects. “You know him as well as I do. There is always more than one plan; there is always more than one path to success. Harek Levitan does not bet the entire pot on one game.” His hands clench into fists. “Be that as it may, Saber’s right. We do have an advantage.” He pivots to Ivar Karling. “Dr. Karling, what’s the update from the lab?”
Ivar Karling lifts his shoulders in a helpless shrug. “Some days, I'm confident that we are close to an answer. Other days, I want to burn everything and start over.” He spreads his arms. “I wish I had a better answer for you, Prince Ragnar.”
Astrid gives the scientist an encouraging smile. “You have a tester, don't you?”
Dr. Karling brightens at the attention from the Empress. “Yes, Empress Astrid. We have a tester. I stopped by at the hospital on my way here, and I tested the woman’s blood. The virus in her system is the same as the one in Raven Unnuk’s.”
“Why is that important?” Adam asks.
“Because it means that the virus has not yet mutated,” Dr. Karling answers. He goes into professor-mode. “At first glance, this weapon that General Levitan built appears reckless. Who would design a virus that kills every vampire it encounters? But the General has placed careful guardrails around it. The virus does not transfer from vampire to vampire. It is not airborne or waterborne. The only way a vampire can die is by ingesting contami
nated blood, and we have a tester for that.”
He leans forward, animated. “Why even keep the virus a secret? My recommendation would be to make the testers widely available as soon as possible. If people are educated, then they can take steps to keep themselves safe.”
Seriously? How stupid is Dr. Karling?
“Are you crazy?” I demand. “You make testers, and you distribute them to every vampire in Starra, and what do you think will happen to a human who carries the virus? We’ll be killed. We’ll be torn to pieces in the streets.”
I don't care if my words get me in trouble. This needs to be said. This needs to be called out for what it is. Complete, utter, bullshit.
Saber puts his hand on my thigh in a wordless gesture of support. Zeke, who’s sitting on the other side of me, laces his fingers in mine.
“Thousands of people are now infected with the virus. Levitan snatched the poorest of the poor off the streets. Is that why you think their lives don’t matter? Or is the truth much simpler, that human lives matter less than those of vampires? You’re making decisions that will affect whether we live or die.”
I look around the room. “Look at this table. Seven vampires to three humans. We’re just food to you.”
There’s a long pause after my outburst. I feel Astrid’s eyes on me, thoughtful and assessing. She looks very much like her brother at this moment.
Finally, she turns to Ragnar. “What do you think?”
A smile plays about Ragnar’s lips. “I agree with Raven.” He puts his elbows on the table and stares at us. “Make no mistake,” he says, his voice drenched with ice. “This has been done deliberately. Levitan is setting up a confrontation between vampires and humans, and it is the kind of confrontation that will echo through the generations.”
“Vampires caused this virus,” he continues. “Humans will die for no fault of theirs, and when they do, we will set the Empire on a path of destruction that it will not recover from.” He shakes his head. “We keep it quiet. We don't distribute the testers, and we find a vaccine.”
