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Nick looked over sharply, feeling a pang of relief when he saw Brick’s unmistakeable eyes from behind his black mask. Malek was right behind him, and Zoe right behind Malek. Both of them looked tense from the set of their shoulders, as did the other vampire who trailed after Zoe, a monster of a vamp with a bright green mohawk, named Thorn.

Thorn’s mohawk wasn’t visible now, of course.

He wore a wraparound mask like the rest of them.

“You see Tai yet?” Nick asked, as soon as they were close enough. “Hear any gunshots from any other part of the building?”

Malek gave him a tense look, but only shook his head.

So did Zoe, and the massive seer gripping a plasma rifle behind her.

“She’s bringing us someone to help us open the door––” Nick began.

Just then, he heard a low sucking noise.

Nick turned sharply…

…Right as the door opened silently behind him.

CHAPTER22

KING AND QUEEN

Nick leapt back without thought.

He found himself staring at four plasma rifles raised to uniform-clad shoulders. At least one of those rifles aimed right at Nick’s face.

One squeezed trigger, and half of Nick’s head would be gone.

Unless they aimed a few inches lower, at Nick’s neck––then Nickhimselfwould be gone, and almost definitely gone for good. A direct shot to the neck, at this kind of range, would decapitate him. Even a shot to the head and face would likely decapitate him from this close.

The reality that this might be it, that his time might really be up, made Nick freeze.

He went utterly still, like an animal caught in headlights.

His vampire senses continued to map out his environment.

He clocked the location of each gun held by one of the soldiers, not just the one aimed at him. His eyes tracked the one aimed at Malek, and the one aimed at Zoe and a third one aimed at Brick. A fourth gun aimed right at Thorn, who stared at it blankly, just like Nick stared at his.

Only then did Nick meet the gaze of the woman standing in the middle of that open doorway.

Lara St. Maarten stood there, looking business-like, but faintly triumphant.

She looked like someone whose plan had unfolded exactly as she expected.

She appeared to be totally unarmed, and wore one of her usual, impeccably-tailored, form-fitting, vaguely nineteen-forties-style suits. This one was dyed forest green and embroidered with silver and bronze accents. Her lipstick was a dark wine color. Her eyes had been made-up to appear lighter, mostly from dark, kohl-like eyeshadow that covered her lids. Her cheekbones were heightened by wine-colored blush that matched her lipstick.

She wore diamond drop earrings, a diamond neckless, and several diamond rings. A diamond bracelet that matched the necklace hung loosely from her thin wrist.

Nick went back to her empty hands, her lack of an obvious weapon.

Somehow, that single fact maybe shocked him the most.

The sheer confidence behind that decision made him hesitate, which is maybe the only reason he was still alive.

She hadn’t come here to fight. She clearly thought the fight was over.

She’d come here to negotiate.