Page 22

"They won't interfere, Mia." My words are fact, not a fucking suggestion. "Not until Damien is dead— understood?"

Mia's gaze shifts from Seth, to Kyrian, then to me. A flicker of uncertainty in those cerulean depths as she whispers, "I'm afraid they already have."

I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms beneath my desk, a faint tether to control as Seth speaks. "General Dame Thorne." Mia turns to him and nods. "Who's power has chosen him?"

"All of us." Mia's words are low, to the point I don’t think I heard her right, but then her eyes meet mine, and she reveals, "When the next full moon rises in the sky, Grand Arbiter, all the Emissaries on the Earth will share our powers with the General.

For Reece's sake, I hope the Nightwalker kills Damien before then, because you won't get another chance. "

A tense silence passes between us, and I know she's not wrong, but I say, "That's a lot of power to take on one Nightwalker." Too much power. "It's almost as if… they're afraid."

"Watch your tongue!" Mia hisses, forgetting her fear at my insult to her precious Gods.

"This one cannot survive. It shouldn't even exist. And now that you've enslaved it, it won't just come after you and Reece.

It'll come after all of us. You may be able to kill Nightwalkers, Hero.

But the rest of the world has yet to figure out how.

The Gods are doing us a favour by taking care of it; you should be thankful they haven't resigned us to our fates! "

With that, she storms out, and this time, she refrains from breaking my newly made door.

A tense silence follows Mia's departure, and Seth and Kyrian sit opposite me. "Are you going to warn the Nightwalker?" Kyrian wonders.

My jaw tightens, the heat of my anger battling against the cold knot of something else, something heavier, settling in my gut. "No."

Perhaps it's guilt, but I won't stand in his way if Dame Thorne wants the Nightwalker dead. I'll even help him if the situation calls for it. But only after I'm done with her. Above everything, Damien will die.

But the Emissaries coming together for one Nightwalker is interesting. Perhaps they know what I already do; she's a lot trickier than my usual prey.

"The Supreme Court won't be happy," Seth murmurs, the worry back in his tone.

"They don't know anything, and they won't…" I glance at Kyrian and assure him. "For now."

Kyrian shakes his head, his dark eyes sparkling, and says, "You know my loyalties are to you, Brother."

"How are you going to keep it from them? The other Emissaries could already know what we're doing. It won't take long for them to inform their leaders," Seth voices, his knee bouncing in an unsteady rhythm that betrays the calm he is trying to project.

"The Emissaries already know, but they won't inform their leaders—not yet. If they had, we wouldn't be dealing with Mia. We'd be facing the Supreme Court," I reveal and turn to Kyrian. "Isn't that right?"

Kyrian slaps a hand on Seth's shoulder. "Consider Mia the best-case scenario. The Court knows nothing," he says, giving each of us a pointed glare. "And neither do I, right?"

Seth and I simply nod, but since the Emissaries have decided to keep our secret, I can only presume the Gods expect to take out both Nightwalkers before either becomes an issue. That only leaves one problem—the General. Leila's father.

"The General." I turn to Kyrian, knowing he'll have the information I want. "Do you have any news?"

"Dame Thorne stepped down and disappeared." Kyrian sighs, and I know from his expression that Maya isn't taking it well. "But I have reports that he was sighted outside a wolf pack— Bloodmoon."

"What was he doing there?" I'm as surprised as Seth. Species rarely mingle with others unless they're from the Green Zone. Since it was banned, they all have their own lands and communities to avoid interspecies relationships.

I can understand the man. After all, I know the feeling of losing a loved one. I know the hate it can birth.

"He left Silver Palace shortly after burying his daughter, and…" Kyrian hesitates, glancing at me only briefly. "He killed five pack members. Zander isn't happy. He's demanding an audience with Maya after she refused him entry into the Green Zone."

I glance at Seth, but he seems to understand what I want. "I'll investigate."

I nod, only to pause as I feel a presence; it’s the castle. It whispers to me. Something is coming through the portal.

I know who it is. Reece should be done by now, and I know who's following her closely.

Dammit! I lost track of time.

My residence and I are connected. It holds a grudge as deep as my own. I can feel it seething the exact second Nightmare’s shoes touched the ground.

Seth jumps in his seat, and Kyrian snaps his head towards the exit as power—heady and deadly—thickens the air. The Gods have never felt closer and more dangerous than right now.

I grit my teeth and stand. "What the fuck is that?" Seth growls, his wolf practically vibrating on the surface of his skin.

"It seems..." I tilt my head towards the ceiling. "Mia and Nightmare are getting acquainted."