by Sadie Moss
“Do you see Corin?” I asked, shaking off my dark thoughts and finally allowing myself to drain the last of my champagne.
“There.” Jae inclined his head slightly to the left, and I followed the gesture with my gaze. Corin walked through a cluster of middle-aged Gifted women in elegant dresses, collecting empty glasses on a tray.
As he passed by, one of the women ran her manicured hand over his shoulder, down his back, to his ass.
She squeezed, and my vision filled with red.
I clutched Jae’s arm hard, making him flinch. The desire to curl my hand into a fist was so strong I was afraid I’d shatter the empty glass I held. I was so furious I could hardly breathe, and it wasn’t just because of the possessiveness that flared at the idea of anyone but me touching Corin. It was the casual way she groped him, as if he was less than a person, a thing she could treat any way she liked.
Blinking rapidly against the tears of rage that threatened, I clenched my jaw, trying to take in deep breaths through my nose. Corin’s gaze lit on us, and he made his way over, accepting a few more empty glasses as he passed through the crowd. When he reached us, Jae pried the glass from my fingers and placed it on his tray.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Corin’s brow furrowed as he took in my expression.
“That woman,” I ground out. “She—she just…. Why do they treat you like—”
Corin’s face fell, disgust twisting his features. “I know, Lana. I know. But it doesn’t matter right now. We have to focus on one thing at a time. You need to break the tracking spell.”
Wrestling my emotions under control, I nodded, blowing out a breath.
“Right. Right. Have you gotten the lay of the land at all?”
“Yeah. I’ve gotta move on in a second,” Corin added in a low voice. “But there’s a small door on the other side of the room that the staff are coming through. If you can slip out through there, none of the Blighted you run into should give you any trouble. They wouldn’t dare interfere with a Gifted guest. From there, you should be able to get to the south wing.”
Shooting a glance across the room, I caught sight of the door he was talking about. “Thanks, Corin.”
Jae finished his drink and set the empty flute alongside mine on Corin’s tray, and then Corin moved away from us through the crowd.
I took a deep breath. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”
We altered our course slightly, cutting across the center of the room toward the door on the other side. Although this was clearly a ballroom, no one was dancing yet. Maybe that came later.
Or maybe the Gifted were too fucking stuck up to dance.
We were halfway across the room when a man stepped in front of us. He was tall, with gray-brown hair, piercing green eyes, and a neatly trimmed goatee and mustache. His face looked familiar, and I was trying to figure out where I’d seen him before, when he clapped a hand on Jae’s shoulder.
“Jae, my boy. Won’t you introduce me to your lovely date?”
Chapter 24
My eyes widened.
This man was Jae’s father.
No wonder he looked so familiar. I’d spent hours gazing into green eyes that were an almost exact copy of his during my lessons with Jae, although Jae’s eyes had a kindness and depth to them I couldn’t find in his father’s. The man in front of us might as well have been made of ice for all the warmth he radiated.
“Of course,” Jae said in a stilted voice I almost didn’t recognize. “Lana, this my father, Jonas Nocturne, the Minister of Justice. Sir, this is Lana Crow.”
I had to greet the man formally—I knew that—but every fiber of my being rebelled at the idea of voluntarily giving the Minister of Justice my hand. I tried not to flinch when he caught it and raised it to his lips. I could practically feel the cold steel of handcuffs around my wrists already and yanked my hand back a little quicker than was probably polite.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Ms. Crow.” Jonas’s assessing gaze swept over me as he spoke. “Your beauty and power stand out in this crowd like a diamond in a sea of rocks. I must admit, I was surprised to see someone like you on the arm of my son.”
Jae went stiff as a board beside me, and I blinked.
What the fuck?
“I consider myself the luckiest woman here, Mr. Nocturne,” I shot back, tightening my grip on Jae’s arm.
Jonas gave a deep chuckle that didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s kind of you to say. But if the two of you are drawing jealous eyes, I assure you, you are the cause. Not my son.”
I couldn’t understand what was happening here. Why was Jonas openly insulting his own son? And why was Jae, who was normally temperate and steady as the North Star, vibrating with tension? I squeezed his arm tighter, trying to give him some of my strength. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure what to do. I obviously couldn’t start a fistfight or shouting match with his father, however much I might want to.
So instead, I turned to Jae, channeling my best impression of a high society lady. “Darling, I’m simply parched. Let’s go get another drink.”
He turned to me, staring blankly. I wasn’t sure he’d even heard me, but he jerked his head in a nod.
“Lovely to meet you, Ms. Crow,” Jonas said, as I pulled Jae away. “Come find me later. I know almost everyone here, and I’m happy to make introductions. I’ll make sure you meet the right people.”
“Uh, thanks,” I called over my shoulder, not missing the fact that he hadn’t included Jae in that invitation.
The weight of Jonas’s gaze burned into my back as we walked quickly across the dance floor. We’d reached the other side of the large room before Jae finally relaxed somewhat. He released a shuddering breath, and I could sense his internal struggle as he fought to bring himself back under control.
“Are you all right?” I whispered. I had so many more questions than that, but now wasn’t the time to poke at his family issues. Jae seemed on the verge of breaking as it was.
“Yes.” He nodded, his voice sounding a bit more normal. “I’m sorry about that.”
I blinked. “You’re sorry? I’m sorry! Your dad’s an asshole.”
Jae released a small puff of air that was probably meant to be a laugh. “Our relationship is… complicated.”
“I don’t know. He’s an asshole; you’re not. Seems pretty simple to me.”
My anger was growing as I studied Jae. He seemed almost boyish in his pain, like his father’s callous words had reduced him to nothing more than a child. But my statement seemed to bolster him a bit, and he made another attempt at a smile, lifting one corner of his mouth.
“My father did make a good point though,” Jae said, glancing around us as we hovered near the door Corin had pointed out. “You are both beautiful and powerful, and that combination makes you stand out like blood in the water in this room of sharks. You’ll need to be very careful that no one notices you slip out, and return as fast as you can. People will notice your absence if you’re gone too long.”
Grimacing at his shark analogy, I scanned the room. Jonas had disappeared back into the crowd, and I couldn’t see him anywhere. Corin was wending his way through the room near where we’d come in, and I caught his eye immediately.
Subtly, I made our old gesture for distraction. He nodded, then changed course suddenly, plowing into another Blighted waiter. The man’s tray flew out of his hands, and the fine crystal flutes filled with pale yellow champagne were briefly airborne, glittering in the light of the chandeliers before they crashed to the ground with a tinkling sound.
The women standing nearby screamed as if the entire place was under attack, sweeping their long skirts away from the splashing liquid, and the Blighted man scrambled to clean up the mess.
Without hesitating, I darted through the door into the staff hallway, striding purposefully down the narrow corridor. I encountered one person—a middle-aged man in a tuxedo like Corin’s—but as soon as he saw me, he flattened himself so hard to the wa
ll it was like he was trying to become one with the marble. He didn’t say a word as I swept past him. As soon as he scurried away, I ducked into a small alcove and closed my eyes, summoning the illusion spell to make myself invisible. The palace guards could still see me with the help of the charms they wore, but no other staff or wayward party guests would be able to.
My sense of direction was good enough that I knew this hall led west, deeper into the bowels of the palace. I turned left at the first opportunity I got, figuring I’d work my way south until I found a staircase. The ballroom was on the second floor, so the green hallway I wanted should be three floors up.
I made it down another long hallway and up a set of stairs before a voice halted me.
“Excuse me, miss! You can’t be back here.”
Whirling around, I caught sight of a tall man striding toward me. He was dressed in the dark blue and white uniform of a palace guard, with slicked-back black hair and sharp features.
“Oh!” I put a hand to my chest, fixing a distraught look on my face. “I’m so lost! I was at the ball, and I got completely turned around. Can you help me?”
He hesitated for a moment, looking confused. That was all the opening I needed. I stepped forward quickly to close the distance between us, pressing my lips to the shell of his ear and whispering promises of eternal happiness, fulfillment, and sinful pleasures. I was so amped up with adrenaline that the charm poured out of me, stronger than I’d ever felt it.
The guard’s jaw slackened, and he leaned into me. “Yes… yes, I can help you.”
“Good.” I ran my fingers lightly down his chest. “I’m looking for a hallway on the fifth floor with green carpet and a large door at the end. Do you know where that is?”
“Yes…” He shook his head slowly, his brow wrinkling. “But that’s a restricted area. No one but palace staff allowed without permission.”
Fuck. I pressed my palm to his chest, murmuring in his ear, “But you gave me permission.”
The guard’s angular features cleared. “Oh. Right. Come this way.”
He started off down the hall and I caught his elbow, maintaining contact between us as I stroked his arm.
“Well done, kitten.”
The voice in my ear almost made me jump out of my skin. I’d forgotten Akio and Fen were still listening in through the communication charm.
“Thanks,” I muttered. “So far, so good. Now I just need to get into the room and destroy the receiver. How long will this guy stay loopy without me continuing to charm him?”
“I could keep someone under the influence for hours without contact. You? Probably minutes.”
I snorted. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Just being realistic, kitten. Be careful.” Akio’s voice was soft.
We turned into a hallway where another guard was stationed, and I quickly pulled the dark-haired guard back. When we were safely hidden around the corner, I murmured in his ear, “Get rid of him. Don’t let him see me.”
He straightened, his eyes regaining some focus now that he had a task. Holding my breath, I pushed him around the corner, hoping I wasn’t about to sabotage this entire operation. If he told his buddy I was here, I’d be screwed. I didn’t think I could charm them both.
Low voices floated down the hall, and a moment later, the guard returned, slicking back his hair and smiling at me shyly like a love-struck little boy.
I peered around the corner.
The hallway was empty. Damn. Having an escort was amazing.
As the tall man led me through the enormous palace, I paid close attention to every turn we took, trying to memorize our route. This place was a maze.
Finally, he guided me down a small side hall, and our feet met with green carpet. My chest clenched with excitement. This was it. Now that I could see our destination, I took the lead, tugging the sluggish man toward the large cherry wood door at the end of the hall. The familiar glow of a ward pulsed faintly across the surface of the door.
“Open it,” I commanded, trailing my hand down the side of his face. He shuddered with pleasure and I winced with disgust. I’d never get used to this charm magic. It felt so fucked up to have control over another person like this. But it worked. The man reached over, pressing his hand to a panel next to the door. The ward flickered and faded.
I pushed the heavy door open, eyes darting around the room. There was no one inside. A large table took up the middle of the room. Papers and maps were spread over the dark wood. More maps were displayed on the walls in between the large, arched windows, reminding me eerily of the war room at the Resistance headquarters. Except here, one wall held a giant glass display with dozens of small glowing cubes arranged neatly in rows. This was definitely the room Rat had seen. And those were definitely tracking spell receivers.
Leaving the guard holding the door open, I stepped into the room. There didn’t appear to be any labels on the glowing receivers; whoever had set them up obviously had some other way of monitoring them. I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of one, wondering whether I’d feel any reaction if I touched the one that was connected to me. But I didn’t have time to go through them all individually. And besides, destroying the entire display would set the Representatives further back on their heels.
Too bad there wasn’t a quiet way to do it.
I backed away from the shelves, shooting a glance at the guard, who still stared vaguely into space. “Close the door.”
He stepped into the room, letting the heavy wooden door shut behind him.
Raising my hand, I summoned an orange ball of fire like Jae had taught me. But this time, I kept feeding magic into it until it grew into a large orb a foot across. Then I hurled it across the room. It struck the glass shelves, and they exploded. Shards of glass rained down as the cubes crashed to the floor, breaking open. When they broke, the light inside them flared briefly, then flickered out.
A cold tingle ran down my arm to my fingertips, echoing the feeling I’d had when Rat placed the tracking spell on me.
Relief flooded my body. The spell was broken.
A few receivers remained intact on the floor, but I didn’t want to risk another loud crash. So I stomped on them, putting my ridiculous heels to good use for once.
“What was that noise? Are you all right?” Akio’s voice in my ear was colored with fear.
“It’s done,” I said. “The tracking receiver is broken. All of them are, actually.”
“Yeah, they are! I knew you could do it!” Fenris crowed. “Now get out of there, killer. Let’s wrap this thing up and go home.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about the Resistance base or my little apartment, but either way, I heartily agreed with him.
Turning, I was about to head for the door when a small folder on the table caught my eye. A piece of paper stuck out of it, bearing the name Christine O’Connell.
Was that the same Christine I knew? I’d never gotten her last name. Shit. Did the Representatives know she was leading the Resistance? What else did they know about her?
There was no time to read through it now, but this was information the Resistance needed. I shoved the loose papers back inside the file folder and snatched up the whole thing.
“Hey… what are you…? You can’t be back here.” The guard shook his head, his sharp features contorting in a grimace as his eyes regained clarity. He stared in horror at the wreckage of glass and broken spells strewn across the floor. “What did you do?”
Dropping the folder, I yanked up my skirt, pulling out a dagger and whipping it at the guard. But before it could strike, light flared around his body. My dagger sailed ineffectually over the head of the panther that now crouched where the guard had stood. It hit the wood behind him with a dull thunk and quivered there.
“Well, fuck.”
Chapter 25
The panther growled, his lips pulling back from his sharp teeth as he sank back on his haunches, muscles coiled like springs.
“Ki
ller, are you okay? What’s wrong?” Fenris’s panicked voice came in my ear.
“Got a little problem,” I murmured, eyes glued to the big cat in front of me. “The guard slipped out of my charm. I’m trapped.”
“Use your transport spell. Get out of there, kitten. Now.” Akio’s voice was tight.
“No!” I hissed. “If I bail, it’ll leave Jae stranded. When the Representatives find out what happened, they’ll pin the blame on him.”
“He can handle it. Trust me, he would not want you to risk yourself for him.”
For fuck’s sake. When this was over, we were going to have to have a serious talk about who was allowed to sacrifice themselves for whom. But I didn’t have time to argue about it now.
In one smooth movement, I pulled the transport spell Jae had given me from the bodice of my dress and threw it to the ground, raising my foot to stomp on it. A roar erupted as I brought my foot down, and heavy paws hit my shoulders, throwing me backward as the purple smoke billowed up from the transport spell—without me in it.
The smoke dissipated a moment later, leaving me stranded in the room with an angry panther shifter pinning me down. His jaws snapped, and I twisted out of the way, scrabbling desperately for the knife in my thigh sheath.
No. Use what you have. Use magic!
Baring my teeth, I pressed my hands to the fur of the panther’s underbelly, summoning a burst of fire. The panther howled, leaping away. I scrambled to my feet, calling up the animal inside me.
My bones cracked and reformed, and a moment later, I crouched on the slick marble floor in wolf form.
The panther circled, his tail twitching angrily. An angry red blotch marred his stomach where my fire had burned off his black fur. I barely had time to register his movement before he leapt toward me again. I met him with snapping teeth, catching his ear as he bowled me over.
We skidded across the floor, crashing into the shards of glass from the destroyed shelves. I ripped my teeth away from the panther’s ear, tasting blood. He swung a giant paw at me, hitting the side of my face so hard I saw stars.
