A kick to her side, and holy gods she could havediedfrom the agony. But she kept it together, not reacting.

Through the fringe of her lashes, she watched as Austin turned his attention toward Tanner, his hand—covered in burn scars from his initiation into the House of Red—grabbing Atlas’s hair by the roots, wrenching his head up and twisting his neck around so he could peer at his face. Tanner stayed limp as a doll, eyes closed. He was very convincing.

More doors opened and slammed shut. As if this could get any worse, another vehicle had arrived, gravel crunching under two new pairs of approaching feet.

“They awake yet?” called a female voice. Sybil Brinton—Cerise’s eldest daughter.

“We want to have some fun,” whined a second woman. Eilidh—Cerise’s other daughter, younger than her terrifying older sister by two years. But while her sister was stronger in combat, Eilidh’s unhinged mind and insatiable thirst for bloodshed made her an equal threat.

Boots scraped as Austin shuffled out of the truck. The tailgate shuddered as he hopped off, wet gravel crunching under his boots. “No,” he replied. “But they will be in a minute.”

Shay’s eyes flew open as a rough hand seized her by the ankle. With blinding speed he yanked her out of the truck?—

She hit the ground screaming, the pain that exploded across her ribcage upon impact unbearable.

“Lying bitch,”Austin growled over her wheezing gasps as Shay curled over herself, her vision starry. He spat. “I knew you were faking it.” The other three Wyverns laughed, circling her like a pack of wolves as Austin dragged her—barely breathing through the blinding pain—several feet down the rain-drenched cobbled road, mud soaking her suit.

“Let me go,” Shay choked out, clutching her side, the back of her head thumping against the cobbles. Gods, she was going to throw up or pass out—or both.

He stopped dragging her, but he didn’t drop her foot.

The others crowded closer. The second male in the group—Brock Pierson—was even bigger than Austin, with blue-black hair instead of caramel. These four were some of the most ruthless in all of Yveswich—second only to Donovan Slade and his Shadowmasters. Which made Shay and Tanner not just outnumbered and overpowered, but?—

Fucked. They were simply fucked.

“Let you go?” Sybil let out a cold chuckle, her pupils narrowing into vertical slits as black as her blunt bob. “Oh, honey, there’s no chance of that.” She kissed the tips of her fingers and blew?—

Flames streamed out of her hand, taking the shape of a dragon, jaws opening to devour. Shay gawked as the dragon moved, its serpentine body wending through the chill air, wrapping all the way around the area where they were parked. It dropped to the ground, where it transformed into a wall of impenetrable fire seven feet tall, leaving no space to run.

They were trapped. She and Tanner were trapped.

Eilidh tipped her head back with a cackle. She was Sybil’s opposite, hair white and eyes pale instead of dark. “Fish outta waterrrrrr,” she sang as Shay flinched away from the flames that roared ever higher. Shay’s skin was sweating from the stifling heat, her ankle still ensnared in Austin’s bruising grip. They could burn her right here, in this pocket of heat, if they felt so inclined, while the rest of the city froze.

“Let go of me!” Shay growled, kicking her feet. But Austin did no such thing.

Eilidh gave a venomous smile, her reptilian pupils razor-thin. “Let’s see if you burn, little fishy.” A snap of her fingers, and a flame of her own appeared on the pad of her thumb, as if she’d struck a lighter?—

“Hold on,” Brock said, stepping up to Austin’s side. He drew his gun from a concealed holster in the front waistband of his jeans. Aimed between Shay’s eyes. Clicked the safety off. “We need her to talk first.”

“She’ll talk if I burn her!” Eilidh argued through gritted teeth. Her tongue was forked, fire dancing in her eyes.

“Hey!” shouted a male voice.Oh no.Shay’s stomach sank, her eyes briefly shutting in defeat.

No. No, no, no—not Tanner! No!

“Hey!”Tanner barked again.“Leave her alone!”

Austin dropped her foot. Shay twisted around on the rain-damp cobbles to see Tanner hopping out of the back of the truck.

“Tanner Atlas.” Austin’s grin was cold and mocking. “What a surprise. Looking at you makes me feel like I’m looking at a celebrity.”

“I’m flattered. I can’t say I know who you are.”

“Austin Prescott.” Austin said his own name as if they should fall to their knees and worship him.

“Never heard of you,” Tanner said—just to piss him off, Shay knew.

Austin’s jaw flexed.

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