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Don’t you dare think about it, V. Don’t you dare.

Cassius watched the exchange, visibly perplexed. “You guys have issues,” he remarked, earning himself a glare from both of us. “Look,” Cassius started slowly, “you gave me a place to hide after shit went pear-shaped, Phil, so I owe this to you.” The Dark Fae stood up and took a few steps towards us.

Phillip put his arm out in front of me, a small device already in his hand ready to go off if the Dark Fae attacked. “What the fuck are you doing, Cash?”

“She’s not like you, Phil. You had good reason to think she was, but she’s more than all of you other Hunters combined. She’s so much more.”

The sensation of magic intensified, putting my partner on guard. Cassius’s glowing purple eyes were tinted with gold and blue. Like melted metal, they swirled as the Dark Fae regarded me with an inquisitive stare. His golden skin sparkled in the room light when he shifted, obviously trying to figure something out. A blue symbol appeared on the Fae’s hand before disappearing. “I can sense the vampire blood and human blood in perfect union, but that’s not all. I sense far more inside waiting to be awoken.”

Confused, I stood behind Phillip’s arm. “What do you mean?”

“You want to know why you’re being targeted? I’ll show you.” Cassius let his eyes slide down my body. “Activating your magic won’t be simple, but it can be done.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Phillip growled as the light-haired Dark Fae cradled his chin thoughtfully. “What do you mean her magic?”

“You’ve been lied to, Phillip. Same as the rest. Probably told she was the same as you, a perfect genetic mutation. But her blood goes beyond genetic mutation. It’s tough to explain, but she’s the first of her kind.” Cassius took another step, purple glow mimicking his shape.

Phillip clicked his tongue and lifted his weapon. “Back the fuck off, Cash.”

Cassius sighed and swept back his shiny hair, then put his hands in the air in surrender. “I’m not going to do anything to her. I wouldn’t be able to. This girl has vampire, human, and Fae blood.”

“Say what now?” I demanded.

The pupils of the Dark Fae’s eyes were slits, resembling cat eyes, and it took me a second to adjust. “You’re a hybrid of three, sweets. Of course, your magic can’t be unlocked without a talented Fae. Much like your vampire blood couldn’t be unlocked without another vampire with similar genes. But lucky for you, I just happen to be strong enough.” Cassius regarded Phillip with a brow. “For a price.”

Phillip’s jaw strained. “Saw that one coming.”

“Activating her magic will make her more of a target, but one that even the Organization will fear,” Cassius went on, despite my world once again imploding. “And it won’t take long at all. Unfortunately, we’re already drawing too much attention as it is. I’ll need to leave soon.”

“What do you want?” Phillip asked, tone clipped.

Cassius clasped his jaw with a small smile. “Oh, not much. Just a vial of her blood.”

Phillip growled, startling me enough to snap out of whatever funk I’d been put into.

“Not a fucking chance,” I hissed.

“Then guess you’ll have to find another Fae capable of unlocking your power. One you can trust not to give away your secrets. You know I can’t show my face to anyone of true value. I’m your best option.”

I stepped forward, stealing the string from Phillip’s pocket and quickly pinning the Dark Fae to the floor with my knee. “I don’t need you. I could easily kill you for the part you played in my parent’s death, Dark Fae. I owe you nothing.” I swiftly looped the string around the pinned Fae’s neck, ready to decapitate him. “I owe you nothing,” I repeated.

Phillip crouched in front of Cassius, smirking. “Sorry, old friend. In the future, you’ll remember not to piss her off. She’s stronger and faster than me, and she’s got more reasons to want you dead than alive.”

The string around his throat moved as Cassius’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “You’re right. Silly me. That was such a rude request.” I dug my knee into his back, and he groaned. “I’ll remember it in the future. We’ll call it even for letting your parents die.”

Burning heat reached my eyes with the blasé way he talked about my parents’ death, but I reined it in. A good Hunter never let the emotion show on their face. “So, you’ll do it and tell no one?”

“We’ll do a blood vow, you and I,” Phillip followed up, causing the man beneath me to audibly groan in protest. “Otherwise, you may be inclined to sell the information to the highest bidder.”

“A blood vow?”

“It’s something you can only strike up with a magic-user like him. It binds the vow in blood and will immobilize their magic if they break it.” The Austrian’s light eyes glinted devilishly. “It’d render someone like Cash useless and vulnerable, and therefore open to attack.”

“You’re a serious bastard, Phil,” Cassius complained. “Fine! I’ll do it. Get this strong-ass chick off of me.”

Phillip’s mouth quirked upwards before his eyes found mine. “You heard the man. We’re running out of time, and I’d like to get out of here before the Organization catches wind of him being here.”

Wait, what?