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The female vampire let out a throaty laugh. “Am I,little dove? Are you the one we’re searching for? If you are, speak up. The faster we take your head, the sooner we can leave this frozen wasteland. The fae blood is delicious, but not good enough to stay here.”

“Wife.” I angled to take control of the situation before Neve admitted her identity to this cold-blooded killer. “We should?—”

“I’m the one you’re looking for,” Neve proclaimed. “I killed Prince Gervais. Given half a chance, I’d do it again too.”

A stream of curses left my lips. By the dead gods, could Neve not hold her tongue for a second! As exasperated as I was, however, I didn’t dare take my eyes off the assassin as she lifted two fingers to her mouth and a shrill whistle cut through the night.

“Little silver dove, you have felled a prince. Now, let’s find out if you’re up for taking on the Red Assassins.”

Chapter 40

NEVE

Two long, slender blades flashed in the moonlight as one vampire soared our way. Vale shoved me back, pulled his sword, and deflected the projectiles.

The vampire’s lips formed a cunning, deadly smile. “This will be far more fun than I’d thought.”

She leapt and Vale met her in the air, their swords clashing together.

“Neve, run!” Vale grunted.

I wanted to call him an idiot for thinking I’d leave him, but the three new figures with glowing red eyes rushing into the square were far too distracting.

“Vale, there are more!” I pulled the sword on my belt from its sheath.

“Fly!” He grunted.

But like in his suite, my body wouldn’t let me, and neither would my heart. I might be filled with shame over what we’d done, who we were to one another by blood,but that didn’t change the pull I felt to Vale, nor how much I wanted him.

I would not see him killed for me.

So, as the new trio rushed for us, I pulled my blade back and prepared to attack. My best shot would be to decapitate one of the bloodsuckers in one fell swoop and then turn my attention to the others. If I lasted that long.

As they neared, a sense of cold washed over me, dread, I supposed, but I kept my stance, watched, and waited for them. Vale was busy with the female and, as the others were here for my head, I was sure they’d run right past them and come for my jugular.

When I could see the whites of their eyes, the cold spiked, deepened, as if it pierced me through the heart. I began to glow. I gaped, but before I figured out why, the vampires skidded to a stop in front of me.

“You’re the one who killed our prince?” one asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “And you face uslike this?”

Another sneered. “What did you do, glow him to death?”

I tried to answer but couldn’t. Like in Vale’s suite, I was immobile, but this time, it was my entire body. My mouth froze. Arms and legs too.

My heart fluttered wildly. What was happening to me?

“She’s struck dumb!” The third laughed and hooked a finger toward Vale and the female vampire. “Looks like Samiya gets all the fun tonight. Take the moonstruck one’s head and earn our bounty.”

No, no, no! I tried to move again but couldn’t, andwhen one of the trio took a step toward me, I was sure I was doomed.

But I wasn’t. They took another step, and for a second, it was like icy fingers squeezed my insides. Then a blast of blue light shot from me, cold as ice, and froze the trio in place.

I gasped when the light stopped, catching my breath and blinking as the cold that had immobilized me loosened and my sword arm fell.

Had that happened? Had my magic saved me?

The answer was plain. The vampires stood before me, frozen in a strange light blue ice. Behind, Vale and Samiya fought, both as skilled as the other, but the vampire was faster.

My fingers glowed brighter.