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Loren crouched on the floor and took her half-empty metal water bottle out of her book bag. “Nice try,” she managed to say, her tongue fat and clumsy.

The smile on his face didn’t dim.

With clammy hands, Loren popped the lid off the prescription bottle and shook a pill into her palm. She practically threw the pill into her mouth, tossing her head back and chasing it with lukewarm water that tasted metallic. She had to get rid of this feeling; the last thing she wanted was to faint around these people. Who knew where she would wake up? Maybe behind that curtain, in a world she had no idea how to navigate.

By the time the water hit her hollow stomach, she realized something was wrong. The fainting spell dissipated, but in its place was a new feeling that shook her to her core. It was a rush of tingles that spread from the crown of her head to the balls of her feet, making her nose itch and her tongue feel like it was being stretched out of her throat.

The water bottle slipped through her grasp and clanged against the cement, where it rolled into the wall, the last of the water seeping out into a puddle on the floor.

She looked up at the imperator to see that he was still smiling at her.

“You drugged me.” Her voice was a shaking whisper.

“I didn’t drug you, I placed you under a spell,” he said. “The first thing you would’ve done is tattle to your little gutter lord, and we can’t have that.”

While she was in class… That was when it must’ve happened. She had left her water bottle in her locker for part of the day, and even after retrieving it she hadn’t drank any until now. Klay must’ve taken it out and slipped the spell ingredients—tasteless, odorless, colorless—inside.

The world dipped beneath her knees. She was trapped. She might be free to walk out of here, free to go back to Hell’s Gate or back to school, or anywhere in the world really, but her freedom of speech was gone, and without it she didn’t know what she would do.

When the imperator spoke again, he was addressing his son, who was standing several feet away with crossed arms, eyes on the floor. “The limousine is still out front,” Quinton said. “Make sure she gets back to school safely, will you?”

Suddenly, it wasn’t the creatures of the night that felt like the greatest danger to her, but this hellseher—this man who was watching her shake on the floor at his feet, a look of sick anticipation on his face.

“I will be in touch with you when we are ready to have you back here,” Quinton said. “There are a few things we need to prepare, and then you will find that Well for me.”

“And if I don’t want to?” she bit out.

The scar on his lip deepened with a sneer. “You will find it for me, Loren.” He came closer. Slowly, he crouched before her, elbows on his knees. “You will find it, or I will destroy everyone you love.”

19

“Glad to see you’ve reconsidered,” Gaven said.

He was sitting across from Darien in the Devil’s Advocate in the same room as last time. The bass from the music thumped against the walls, the distant clink of glasses and the chatter of voices and laughter floating through the crack under the door.

It was past Witching Hour, the place packed with wasted customers, despite that it was a Monday. This place catered to the broken, and the broken didn’t take any days off. Four men stood on either side of Gaven, a wall of solid muscle and icy gazes.

Gaven never seemed to go anywhere without at least one person watching his back. While Gaven likely intended for this to be seen as a sign of being capable and prepared, Darien only saw it as a weakness, which was exactly why he himself had walked through the doors of the club alone. Gaven was careful to never betray any signs of being rattled, but Darien was gifted enough in feeling auras that he could sense Gaven was at least a little unnerved by this, if not entirely impressed by it, which was exactly why Darien had made this move.

Of course, he never went anywhere unprepared either. Malakai, Valen, and Sylvan were waiting in the alley between the club and Dark Heaven—the vampire-run liquor store next door—watching through the walls for any indication that they might need to intervene. Darien had asked Tanner, who was currently stationed at Hell’s Gate, to weaken the spells tonight for this very reason, leaving the goings-on inside the club visible to Malakai and his Reapers for however long it would take to get through this conversation.

Darien couldn’t wait to see the look on Gaven’s face when he threw his ass behind bars.

“I didn’t exactly have a choice, did I?” Darien replied, keeping his tone as level and cool as Gaven’s.

A smirk hooked his lips up. “No, you didn’t. You’ve chosen wisely, and not just for yourself, if you understand what I’m saying.” The implication had Darien’s hands itching to strike, but he was careful to manage his emotions this time, leaving his expression clear, his fingers hanging casually at his sides. Gaven continued, “You’re smart, Darien. I knew you were smart.”

“I understand you perfectly well,” Darien began, “but if we are going to move forward with this, I’m going to need for you to understand something as well.” He allowed for a pause. Gaven cocked his head, looking far too amused. “I want you and your men to respect my boundaries and stay away from my girl, my family, and my house. Can you do that?”

“Deal.” Gaven smiled. “We meant no harm, Darien. We just wanted your compliance.” The emerald ring on his thumb flashed as he retrieved an envelope from a pocket inside his suit jacket and slid it across the table. “This is the date and time for the next shipment. Re-establish your father’s connections, make sure his men are still willing to run for us, and give them the new route I’ve written down.”

Darien grabbed the envelope and tucked it into his jacket.

“Consider this your test run. If all goes smoothly, and there’s no shady business on your part, you’ll have made yourself some lifelong friends. We’re the type you want in a world like this, Darien.”

Darien pushed his chair back and stood. “I have enough friends. I’ll get your routes running and your clients secured. Meanwhile, you’ll keep your nose out of my personal life. That’s all I ask.”

Gaven leaned back in his chair, smile widening. “We’re looking forward to doing business with you.”