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“Rowan, I need you.”

His plea was soft in Rowan’s mind.

Rowan, who’d been helping an elderly Asian man to his feet, turned to find Alessandro’s eyes settled on her.

Baby blue? She needed to get to work on a decoder for those emotions.

“Cleanse him.”

Rowan felt her back straighten and her nose flare.

Cleanse him?

He who had taken her friend from her?

How had he even survived that takeover?

Even from the distance she stood at she could hear his cries of pain. Bloodcurdling. Devastating.

“Kin?”She called, seeking him out amongst the bodies.

From near Alessandro’s yard, she saw the fox peek his head up.

“I need a distraction and a face change.”

The kitsune huffed, his attitude so clear even from so far that Rowan couldn’t help but to smile.

“I can handle the distraction.”Louisa’s voice came in. “The vampires are ready to head to a more appropriate feeding ground.”

“Say when.”Kin’s voice was steady.

In a slight moment of hesitation, Rowan considered phasing away. Alessandro had never intended to have her in the battle. But this was bigger than their personal issues.“Now.”

The vampires Louisa had corralled and set straight erupted from a market street alley. The noise they made was a thunderingscreech as they scattered like roaches in different directions in the sky.

Eyes shifted to the potential new threat. Kin’s magic slid over her face and even her clothes.

Always two steps ahead, he made sure she was completely unrecognizable as Alessandro phased her to join him.

He didn’t meet her eyes, and she thought she could understand that it might give the charade up if he stared at this supposed stranger with the glowing silver she ignited.

Her eyes snagged on the wooden rod that was contained in a spell of deep ice. Dark curse energy oozed from it. Was this the weapon that had caused all this damage? Could she still cleanse someone who no longer had a cursed object in their possession?

Alessandro seemed to think so.

Taking a step back, lest their nearness gave any hint about her identity, she extended her hand.

The sword of light allowed her to see the genuine horror of what Antoni Barros had become. His gorgeous blonde locks were patches on a head so swollen she was unsure where any of his facial features had once been. His skin, sliced deep, made him look like the world’s most grotesque blooming onion. The smell alone was almost enough to discourage her from approaching.

But she did, and her hand shook as in the air a familiar laugh she knew she would never have the pleasure of hearing again tinkled.

Thanks to this creature.

Her sword flickered, and she had to turn away to collect herself.

Her eyes snagged on a woman perched on a rooftop, tomahawk thrown over her shoulder, white curly hair shining in the moonlight. She had seen through the disguise and her blue eyes twinkled with a message Rowan didn’t need to be telepathic to hear.

Could she live with walking away?