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“You did.”

“I won!” Khalani spun with a wide smile, clasping her hands.

Takeshi gave her a smoldering grin. The alcohol warmed her stomach as she noticed the suit accentuating his dark eyes and muscular—

No. Khalani promptly turned back around.

She stared at the blue diamonds shimmering on the screen instead. The color reminded her of something. Or someone. The blue shifted, and icy eyes stared back at her.

She jolted out of her seat.

“What’s wrong?” Raziel stared at Khalani like she’d become possessed. Takeshi moved forward, searching her eyes intently.

“I…I.” Words failed her. Khalani turned back to the machine, but the Governor’s cold gaze had vanished, leaving only the blue diamonds shimmering back.

“Sorry, thought I saw… someone watching us.” She scraped a shaky hand through her hair.

Raziel looked uncertain but cast a watchful gaze around the area to be sure. “There’s no one.”

“Right, right. Silly me,” she joked, even though her vision started to blacken. “I just need another drink.”

Raziel hesitated, like that might be thelastthing she needed, but he replied, “We’ll get you another one at the lounge. It’s time for us to go.”

She nodded, taking a deep breath and preparing to move on. But a muscle in Takeshi’s jaw ticked. She knew he wanted to pull her aside and demand answers, but she avoided his probing gaze.

For her own sanity, she needed to keep up the pretense that everything was fine.

They navigated another lavish hallway, where women in even more revealing dresses strutted past. When they turned the next corner, there were two large doors blocked off by red ropeand three massive guards that looked like they ate humans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Above the black wall, seven diamond-shaped lights sparkled and trembled as a deep bass throbbed beyond the doors. Raziel turned to them, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Welcome to the Seven Diamonds Lounge, the crown jewel of Hermes’ nightlife.”

20

If we were meant to be alone, we wouldn’t have been given two hands.

One to sustain me, the other to cherish you.

Raziel led them past the line of guests waiting outside and strode directly to the front, his long legs cutting through the crowd with ease.

Some people in line protested, but as soon as they noticed the mask covering Raziel’s face, their objections quickly faded, and they found somewhere else to direct their attention.

Women openly ogled Takeshi as he prowled forward with his head held high. One woman, with platinum blonde hair cascading in ringlets to her waist, wearing a nearly transparent black mesh dress, reached out to grab his elbow.

“Hey, baby,” she cooed, “Dance with me inside?”

Something hot coiled in Khalani’s chest.

Must be remnants of the strong alcohol.

Takeshi didn’t respond to the woman. He barely glanced her way. He simply wrenched his arm free with a look of disgust and continued walking, leaving the woman’s jaw dangling open.

Khalani couldn’t stop the small grin tugging at her lips, even if her life depended on it.

When they reached the velvet red rope, Raziel whispered into the ear of one of the guards. He seemed to pass somethingquickly, but Khalani couldn’t catch what it was. The guard, visibly paler, nodded at Raziel and unclipped the rope, letting them through.

She nervously entered a narrow hallway lit only by a line of fiery torches on either side. The air was thick with smoke that swirled and pulsed with each groan of the deep bass that reverberated along the black walls and pounded inside her chest. Khalani hesitated, worried about a potential fire, but Raziel strode confidently ahead.