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She stood, tall and leggy. God, she was so beautiful. My eyes raked over her body as she sauntered over my way.

“And what about the girl?” She asked, her voice smooth and buttery. I nodded my head once.

“I will take her,” I said. “Take care of Nathaniel and his guards downstairs.” I needed to give her some sort of release, since I didn’t let her have the girl. Narcissa didn’t seem pleased by my response, but she would never argue. She walked past me without another word. With a quick shake of my head, I walked in the opposite direction, my head clearer now that the animal was caged again.

She was heavier than I thought she would be, but not uncomfortably so. She fit in my arms as I picked her up and swung her through the doorway and down the stairs. Cissa was quick to her word, Nate’s men were nowhere in sight by the time I was back on the customer floor. No one seemed to notice us as I stuck close to the wall and made our way towards the back entrance.

My car was waiting for me, sleek and black and indiscreet. They had the trunk open and ready for me to drop the girl in, but I only looked at it in disgust.

“Who am I? Nate?” I scoffed. The driver opened the back door and I sat her in the farthest seat. When she was buckled in, I slid into the seat next to her.

She smelled nice, delectable, even. I pressed up against the opposite window, crossing my legs and hoping to God she didn’t wake up in the car. What the hell was I going to tell her?

“Where to, Ms. Petrova?” The driver asked as he settled himself, I could feel the purr of the car as it came to life beneath us. I glanced over once more at her before shaking my head again.

“My home,” I said confidently. Cissa would be able to find us easily, and from there we could figure out what the next steps were. It was all he needed to hear, and I felt the car move confidently in the direction of the place that I’d made mine. The city blew by us as we leftAmbrosia. Despite being a creature of the night— my world was bright and colorful. It was loud and populated. The people on the street didn’t know whose city they were playing in. It was mine, now. Sin City wasn’t Nathaniel Tuskers.

From now on, Vegas answered toMercy.

7

CECELIA

Throbbingin my temples woke me up from my slumber. My muscles ached as I rolled over, expecting to meet the soft comfort of my pillows. Instead, my cheek met with ice cold concrete. I gasped and pushed myself up, my eyes fluttering as pain surged through my body.

“Ah, you’re awake then.”

The voice from the corner of the room was doused in ice and boredom. I blinked and pushed my hair back from my eyes, my sweat having matted it until it stuck to my forehead in clumps.

I looked around the small room but my eyes could barely make anything out. The walls were made of dark stone. It reminded me of a dungeon, though I couldn’t make out any chains on the wall.

Thoughts swirled around my brain, whispering to me, not loud enough for me to remember what happened to me to get me here.

“Who are you?” I grimaced at my voice, croaky and hoarse. My whole neck felt raw, like it had been ripped apart and pieced back together by a butcher.

My trembling fingers reached up, barely touching the skin as I felt the swollen marks on my neck. Memories flooded my system and brought me to the brink of a panic attack. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out as I remembered the moment those razor sharp fangs dug into my skin and stole a piece of me.

“Don’t you remember me? After we shared such a special moment?” The figure stepped out of the darkness, flipping a switch on the wall and flooding the room with enough light to burn my eyes.

My sight adjusted and fear coated my veins at the sight of the vampire.Narcissa,she’d been called by Tusker.

Oh, God. Tusker.

While I couldn’t feel sorrow for someone like him being dead, the idea of having witnessed hismurderconsumed me. And he was most definitely dead after what I had seen.

Narcissa had changed from her earlier outfit into something more practical. Tight leather pants the color of dry blood clung to the curves of her long legs, tucked into what looked like riding boots. A black tank cinched her waist, partially hidden by the loose hoodie which slipped from her shoulder and pooled at her elbows.

Bile lodged in the back of my throat as she stepped towards me, leaning down to where I crouched against the wall. Her nose skimmed my cheek before dipping down to my neck, her tongue slowly running across the dried blood on my neck. “Mmmm, so sweet.”

I tried to think how to react, how to escape but caught sight of the bruises on my forearms and remembered the strength of her grip; I knew there was no running away from the Known.

Narcissa raced to the edge of the room, just before the metal door swung open, revealing Mercy in all her terrifying beauty.

TheAmbrosiaqueen had also changed outfits, though she still looked every bit as intimidating in her jeans and corseted plum blouse. Her gaze ran over me coolly before turning to Narcissa.

“I thought I told you not to toy with her, Cissa.” Her voice was cold and commanding; the voice of a ruler.

Narcissa rolled her eyes, glancing at me in disgust. “I didn’t touch her. Besides,youtoldmethat she was going to be my dinner. Don’t you remember?”