Page 37

Cate

The kitchen at The Fontaine was deserted, the stoves off, the pots empty. It didn’t look like anyone had cooked here today. Baptiste hustled us toward a walk-in freezer, the gun wedged hard against Ciara’s back. “Try to nip, and I shoot,” she warned her. “And then I kill your brother’s toy. Or should I say his mate ?”

“Do you really want to piss off Lach?” I asked her. He would come after her with everything he had.

Baptiste had been listening. She knew the truth. If she was smart, she would blackmail the family. But she could do that without holding us captive.

Dread pitted my stomach. She could also use the information as currency, trading it—or worse, us —to the highest bidder.

“Keep going,” she said, pushing the muzzle into Ciara’s spine and glaring at me. “I have absolutely no reservations about shooting her. In fact, I’d rather enjoy it.”

“And to think I tell everyone about your Doberge cake,” Ciara muttered, but her lower lip trembled, betraying the false edge of her bravado.

Baptiste leaned closer, smiling widely. “I have you at gunpoint. We can stop pretending that we like each other.”

“That is a relief, because I can finally tell you that you’re a bitch,” Ciara hissed.

“And you’re a stuck-up fae brat.” She shoved her toward the door of a walk-in cooler. “I’d planned to snatch any old fae that walked through my doors tonight. You have no idea how thrilled I was when it was you. If I ever had any doubts about what I’ve been doing, the universe really sent me a sign.”

“Doing?” I eyed her as a terrible realization began to sink in, and my mouth fell open.

“Don’t look so surprised.” She whacked Ciara in the back with the muzzle. “Bitches get shit done.”

“It was you.” It was all so clear now. Baptiste had killed étienne and the others. “You’re the one who’s been murdering creatures in the city.” I shook my head—one thing still didn’t make sense. “Why did that vampire confess?”

She nodded, not looking the least bit guilty. “A good vampire respects their elders.”

“You mean they blindly obey their sires,” Ciara corrected her.

“What’s the difference?” Baptiste pushed Ciara to the floor, sending her careening into a crate, and bell peppers tumbled around her. Ciara stared at me, panic in her eyes. Even if she thought she could outrace a speeding bullet, she would never leave me behind. It would be worth the risk to nip, but she couldn’t grab me and get away before Baptiste took a shot.

“Don’t you want to know why he did it?” Baptiste kept the gun trained on her, pointed as if she might prod Ciara into action with it—and by doing so, have an excuse to shoot her. “Come on. We have to wait for everyone to join us before we can wrap this tragedy up. Aren’t you dying to know?”

A chill descended over my skin as I stepped inside, the temperature cool enough that I wrapped my arms around my waist, trying to retain as much body heat as I could.

I shook my head in disgust. “I don’t really care. You let one of your own people die to save yourself.”

“Yes, and he didn’t even question my authority. It’s called being a leader.” She flashed a razor-sharp smile at me as she pushed me down next to Ciara.

“You aren’t a leader. You’re batshit,” Ciara hissed, snatching my hand as she snapped her fingers to nip.

Nothing happened.

Ciara shot me a panicked look as she tried again. The second time, her eyes darted to my ears. My heart skipped a beat, realizing she was checking my glamour. Baptiste already knew enough, but if she discovered I was fae… Ciara exhaled a reedy breath, nodding ever so slightly to tell me it was still intact. The effigy was working, concealing my true nature. So if Ciara couldn’t nip, that meant something was wrong with her magic.

“You never notice yarrow in a merlot, but it does such strange things to magic,” Baptiste said smugly. “Don’t worry about the tab, by the way. Your drinks are on the house.”

“How generous,” I said flatly.

“And it loosened up your tongue. Such an interesting conversation.” Baptiste swiveled the gun to point in my direction, ignoring her. “I should have known that you were his mate. It’s the only thing that explains what he’s doing with a human.”

Whatever she’d tainted the wine with hadn’t affected the spell on the effigy, and Baptiste hadn’t heard our entire conversation, which meant that she had no idea what I really was. Ciara’s eyes met mine, and she shook her head so weakly that it might have been a tremble.

But if Baptiste was going to remain chatty, I’d squeeze whatever information I could from her. “What do you want with a fae?”

“What I wanted with the other creatures.” She winked at Ciara, who whimpered. “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The others aren’t here yet, so that gives me time to grab the other thing I need.” Baptiste glanced at me. “I thought I’d have to send someone else to collect you, but Lach’s arrogance knows no bounds. He continues to let you walk around in this city like his family can’t be touched.”

“We can’t,” Ciara said, rising to her feet.

Baptiste aimed the gun at her and chambered a round. “You are making it very difficult to be patient. I can hardly wait to put a bullet between your eyes. My only regret is that you won’t be there when the ward falls.”

Ciara’s eyes widened. “That’s what this is about? The spell? But you helped us put it into place.”

“My gods, you’re even more dense than I thought.” Her smile widened, revealing a glimpse of fangs. “It helps to know how a spell is crafted. That way you know just how to un do it.”

“No,” Ciara breathed, her head moving slowly side to side.

“Sacrifices must be made, right? Isn’t that what you believed when you watched so many creatures spill their blood in the name of protecting your family, allowing the essence of their magic to be perverted for that spell?”

I found myself swallowing hard. “Blood?”

They had used blood to put the bona fides in place, which meant…

“Only a few drops,” Ciara said weakly.

“Tell her the rest. Explain that the spell demands more to end it.” Baptiste stopped pacing the tight space and fixed Ciara with a cold, even gaze. “Tell her it demands a complete sacrifice.”

“It was a fail-safe!” Ciara bleated, then trailed off. Her voice was hoarse when she continued. “Once the spell was in place, no creatures would willingly end it.”

“So you took what you needed by threat of force—a little blood from all of us. Enough that we wouldn’t dream of paying the second price,” Baptiste finished, her voice dripping bitter venom.

But not knowing that—keeping the fail-safe from Lach and me—had prevented us from knowing why the murders were happening. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“No one else knew. Only a few of the people behind the spell.” Her head fell like she was unable to meet my eyes. “I even managed to keep it from Roark.”

Because if Roark had known… If any of us had known, we might have put a stop to this after the first life was claimed.

“I’m responsible for all of this.” Ciara’s voice was barely a whisper.

“And now I only need the blood of one more creature to tear it down.” She nodded at the understanding on my face. “But first we must discuss another matter. Where is the ring?”

Fear strangled my heart, but I blinked, refusing to let it cross my face. “This ring?” I flashed my engagement ring, knowing it wasn’t the one she meant. But why would she want it? “Jealous that he gave it to me?”

“Jealous?” Her mouth pinched around the word. “I was through with Lachlan Gage a long time ago.”

“And yet, you have his fiancée trapped in a freezer.” I lifted my chin, enjoying the way her eyes flashed at the taunt. “It makes it worse, doesn’t it? Not only magic matched us. He chose me, too.”

Her hand shook. I was on dangerous ground, betting that she needed the esmeraude ring more than she wanted to kill me. Well, maybe not more , but enough to keep her from pulling the trigger.

“Cate,” Ciara whispered, “don’t.”

“I’d listen to your friend.” Baptiste sauntered to me and dragged the pistol’s muzzle across my collarbone. “I’m willing to bet I can find that ring whether or not you’re still breathing.”

“But you can’t risk it.” Whatever her agenda was, it was no coincidence that she was after the signet. She knew what it was, and if she knew what it was…

She wasn’t working alone. This was about more than bringing down the spell. The Cabal that Goemon had warned me of wasn’t just a bunch of pissed-off creatures tired of bowing to the Nether Court. They were organized. They were after something bigger. Crippling the Nether Court was just the start, and I could only think of one person cunning enough to pull it off.

And it wasn’t the bitch standing in front of me.

“I don’t have to shoot to kill,” she whispered, leaning in close enough that I saw the crimson flecks in her irises. “You would be surprised to know how much damage these things can do without killing someone.”

But I wouldn’t be surprised, because I’d seen it myself a thousand times at the hospital.

“And then I can heal you and shoot you all over again.” She kissed my cheek, pulling back to admire the lipstick she’d left behind. “So why don’t you tell me where the fucking ring is so we can move on with our lives?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth, at least. Lach hadn’t told me what he planned to do with the signet, and I was glad that I hadn’t asked. If Baptiste wanted it, the last thing I could do was allow her to get it.

“That’s unfortunate. Now things have to be painful.” In a blink, she swiveled and shot Ciara in the calf.

Ciara crumpled, her screams echoing in the cramped space. I dropped to the floor, my training kicking in as I pressed my palm over the mangled wound. The iron slug had shattered, splintering bone and shredding through muscle. Blood seeped through my fingers, hot and slippery, as I tried to staunch it. I glared up at Baptiste. “I don’t fucking know where it is!”

She shrugged, taking a step through the freezer’s open door. “And now I know that I can believe you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to make a few calls. You two chill here.”

She laughed at her own joke as she locked us inside.

“Vampires have the lamest senses of humor,” Ciara grumbled, her eyes glassy with pain. She craned her head, her face paling at the gruesome wound.

“You have to nip us out of here.” I didn’t know how, not with whatever Baptiste had slipped into her drink.

“I can’t.” Ciara panted, her chest heaving as she tried to cope with the pain. “And even if I could, I don’t think I could nip us both out. Can you try?”

I hesitated. I’d barely had any wine, and Baptiste wouldn’t expect it. But Ciara had bound the effigy’s threads before we left the bridal shop. Still, with the spell intact, I might have a little of my own. I’d been wearing the ring when I nipped in Dublin using Titania’s stolen powers. When I’d redirected Lach and me to the library.

“Maybe I can do it.” I fumbled for the magic, but it slipped through my numb fingers. So much for option A.

I lifted my other hand to examine her wound again. A gunshot, I could handle. I had no clue how to get us out of here.

“Is it bad?” Ciara asked.

“It’s nothing.” At least it wouldn’t be if we got her help. The hospital could easily take care of it, and with her healing abilities, she would be fine. The trouble was that we were locked in a refrigerator by a vampire psychopath who I suspected was calling her other psychopath friends. But there was one way to ensure that Ciara got out of here. “You have to listen to me. When she comes back, I’m going to unbind the effigy. Do you still have it?”

“I think the pain is making me hallucinate.” Ciara blinked at me as I tore a strip of cloth from my shirt and began winding it around the wound. “You can’t seriously expect me to let you do that. She’ll find out that you’re fae.”

“Exactly.” Baptiste wanted a fae, and something told me she would much rather put a bullet in my brain than Ciara’s, even if there was no love lost between the two of them. I doubted that whatever drove Baptiste was as pathetic as sour grapes over a man, but she’d see killing Lach’s mate as a bonus.

“She’ll kill you.” Ciara shook her head, her lips beginning to quiver. “No fucking way.”

“I never had a sister,” I whispered as I tied off the makeshift tourniquet. “If I had, I would have wanted her to be like you.”

“Cate, I—”

Tears spilled onto my cheeks, and I blinked, trying to hide them. “Whatever this is about, it’s linked to the bona fides. You heard her. One more death, and the spell comes down. And when that happens…” I choked, trying to hold back a sob as the full weight of what that meant hit me. “The Wild Hunt will execute Lach.”

“Lach is a tough bastard,” Ciara said through gritted teeth, her own tears beginning to stream down her face. “He won’t go down without a fight.”

But he had sent me away the night he’d been branded for death, sent me toward safety, because he knew what was coming for him. He’d spent the last few weeks forcing Ciara to prepare to take his place.

He knew the clock was ticking. I felt it every time he kissed me, felt it when his body claimed mine. The desperation and grief and acceptance of a man facing his own death. And when he realized why the creatures had been killed, why his friend had died…

He might not fight at all.

“The bona fides bought us time.” I laced my bloody hands with hers. “I can never thank you enough for that, for giving us a chance to really fall in love with each other, to get to know each other, to see what the future might have been like, but…”

“You can’t give up.” She was sobbing now. The sound of it pulled at the splintering fragments of my heart. I wouldn’t have chosen to end it like this, but if I had to, if I could do one more good thing for our family, what more could I ask?

I shook my head, smiling through my own tears. “I don’t want to live without him. I never felt like I belonged in my own world or your world. I just belonged with him.”

Ciara swallowed. “I can’t let you do this. If you’re gone, he won’t even try. This is about more than you and more than me. Whatever Baptiste is after, she’s not going to stop when the wards fail. So fuck you for even asking me, because I will never allow my court to fall. Never again.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the lock on the freezer silenced me. I angled my body in front of Ciara as Baptiste stepped inside, my hands still covering her wound.

“Isn’t this sweet?” Baptiste crooned. “Look at you playing doctor.” She waved the gun. “Unfortunately, the game is over.”

“You don’t want to kill her. You want—” My voice cut off even as my mouth continued to move. I grabbed my throat, eyes flashing to Ciara. My voice was gone like that night in the alley with the Redcaps. This time stolen by my friend. Her smile was sad, but she didn’t turn away as she used whatever lingering magic she had to keep me silent.

To save me.

“Help her up,” Baptiste ordered me. “The others will be joining us soon.”

She held the gun on us as I bent and helped Ciara to her feet. The fae princess slung an arm around my shoulder, shrieking as she tried to put weight on her leg. I heaved her higher, and she moaned.

“Not much longer,” Baptiste said, “and then you’ll be put out of your misery. Well, you will be. Cate and I have unfinished business.”

She grinned as I guided Ciara into the kitchen, its warmth prickling my chilled skin. We were running out of time. I slipped my hand into Ciara’s pocket, my fingers closing over the effigy.

“I shouldn’t shoot you,” Baptiste said to her. Ciara glared daggers at her, and she laughed. “In the fridge, I mean. That would be a mess, and I would ruin half the vegetables. It will be much easier to clean up out here.”

I tried to say something—tried to raise the effigy to show her—but whatever magic was tied to the effigy wouldn’t let me so much as lift a finger, as if it could sense the danger I was in and was shielding me from it. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t act. My hands were tied just like the stupid fucking doll.

Except they weren’t, and if I could unravel it, she would see. Ciara didn’t have enough magic to glamour me if the effigy failed. Not if she couldn’t nip.

“Keep her on her feet,” Baptiste demanded.

I forced a nod, keeping one hand around Ciara, the other clenching the effigy behind my back. I fingered the thread, trying to find a loose end. Difficult with only one hand, but not impossible. My thumb snagged it, and I began to work, trying to get the strand free. One end slipped out like a broken thread in a hem, and something burned in my throat. I shimmied the doll, pinching the loose bit between my thumb and index finger. I couldn’t risk speaking, even if Ciara didn’t realize what I was up to. The moment I spoke, she would double her efforts. She was stubborn like that. I loved her for it. That tenacity was why she needed to walk out of here. She could unite the fae willing to listen. The Otherworld needed her.

Conversation echoed from the dining room, and I whirled toward it as Baptiste’s face lit up. “They’ve arrived.” The smile she leveled at me was so terrifying, my thumb slipped on the tiny bit of thread. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment.”

Two men strode into the kitchen. I recognized one from Halloween: the witch from the club.

“I guess I’m getting another shot at the dance,” he crowed.

But I wasn’t paying attention. My eyes were on his companion.

Dante .

The vampire cast an apologetic look in my direction and turned away. Rage burned in my throat. My brother had always had bad taste in friends. Apparently, near-death experiences had not cured him of the condition.

“Where is he?” Baptiste demanded, eyes pinned on the swinging doors as they slowed.

“On his way,” Dante said. “He’ll be here.”

“We don’t have time for this,” she grumbled as she whipped out her phone.

I closed my eyes, searching frantically for that bit of loose thread on the effigy before I ran out of time. But the door burst open, and my world stopped, restarting like a record scratch as Channing ambled casually in. His dirty-blond hair was tousled, and he was still laughing at some joke, but he fell silent when he caught sight of Ciara and me.

“What the fuck is going on?”

His surprise squeezed my heart, threatening to break it even further. He didn’t know. He wasn’t part of this. But he was with them.

Why?

“It’s my favorite human.” Baptiste sauntered toward him, my pulse ratcheting higher with each step she took.

Channing blinked at her, a muscle tightening in his jaw as his eyes flashed between us.

“Let her go,” he said, his voice low with warning.

I no longer cared if Ciara knew I’d undone her spell. Or about playing along with Baptiste. Because my brother was human, and there was only one reason the vampire had brought him here. “Channing, run.”

He cast a confused look at me, his muscles stiffening like he was going to finally listen to me.

“Oh, sorry!” Baptiste paused in front of him and tapped his nose. “That is not part of the plan.” She nodded once at Dante.

“Go!” I bellowed.

But Dante moved, the lines of his body blurring from his sheer speed. In an instant, he had Channing in a chokehold. “I’m sorry, but orders are orders.” Dante gripped my brother’s head, yanking it to the side to expose his neck.

“No!” My scream shattered the room as Dante’s fangs sank into my brother’s neck. Channing struggled as his friend drank from him, the color leaking from his skin. The vampire was draining him rapidly, his wild eyes already completely black.

Leaning Ciara against the wall, I pivoted to face Baptiste, shoving the effigy in my pocket. There wasn’t time to argue with her. To trick her. “Let him go,” I begged her. “I’ll get the ring. I’ll do anything you want.”

“That’s my dilemma.” She picked at her sleeve. “Because I do want you to die, but I can’t have that before we have the ring. Plus, you claimed that you don’t know where it is.”

“I can get it.” Not quite a lie. Lach would give it to me. He had to. Channing’s lips were wan. He wasn’t fighting anymore. “ Please.”

Baptiste waved a hand. “Let him live. For now.”

But as soon as Dante released him, Channing swayed on his feet and fell. No one stopped me as I rushed to my brother. His pulse was fading, stuttering. Any second, it would stop. “He’s lost too much blood,” I told her. “If he dies, I will make sure you never get that ring.”

“So you do have teeth of your own.” Baptiste lifted a brow. “Normally, I don’t respond to ultimatums, but for some reason, I respect you.” She tilted her head at Dante. “Feed him.”

I bit back the urge to stop him as Dante knelt by Channing. His eyes held mine for a moment before he sliced open a vein on his wrist and brought it to Channing’s pale lips. My brother coughed, blood spluttering from his mouth as he barely managed to swallow. Color bloomed onto his cheeks, and he grabbed Dante’s wrist, sucking at the bleeding wound before the vampire gently pried him away.

“That’s enough.” Dante brushed the hair from my brother’s forehead, something tender and broken moving behind his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

Channing stared at him for a moment, covered in his blood, and then he turned away.

Dante stood, backing away from us, but his eyes, full of longing, never left Channing. I glared at him, wishing I had torn the threads from that effigy, wishing I could pounce, wishing I knew how sharp my teeth really were.

“Hey sis,” Channing grunted, drawing my attention back to him.

“I think we need to discuss your taste in…friends,” I whispered, a few pieces of my heart knitting back together.

“That’s complicated,” he admitted.

I knew a thing or two about complicated relationships. Standing, I helped him to his feet as the vampire blood continued to heal him.

“Now, about that ring,” Baptiste started.

I turned to face her. Determination settled over me, heavy but not like a burden. It was an anchor, tethering me to who I was, what nothing could ever take from me. “About that,” I began, lifting my chin as I lied. “It’s at the Avalon in the top drawer of my dresser. Once the bona fides spell is down, you should have no problem getting to it.”

“The Gage family will have other things to worry about,” she agreed, her gaze searching me. “It’s not wise to show your hand before all the cards are on the table.”

But I had more cards to play.

“You’re working for Oberon, aren’t you?” I had to keep her talking, keep her distracted.

Her smile was feline. “ Very good. Better late than never, anyway. What detail was it, exactly, that tipped you off?”

“It was that you don’t strike me as smart enough to plan this on your own.”

Baptiste’s lip curled, revealing her fangs. “Maybe I’ll drain you, too. Then you can be with your precious brother.”

“No, you aren’t going to do that, because Oberon wants me alive.”

“Oberon wants the ring. He doesn’t need you,” she snarled, but her face softened with reverence. “He has made himself a god, harnessed the powers of light and shadow, claimed the other magics. And he will raise an army of icons to fight the coming chaos.”

We had never been safe from Oberon. His puppets had been here the entire time, waiting for the right moment to bring down the bona fides, waiting for me to take off that ring, waiting until the Nether Court was broken.

“Reality check. He will step on you to take what he wants. He doesn’t care about you. He destroyed his land—his court—and he’s going to destroy this one if you drop the bona fides spell.” I had to make her see what she was really doing. It was our only chance. “Magic has a cost.”

“And I will pay it!” she screamed. “As I have paid it in blood for centuries. Now shut up!”

I knew what I was doing as I reached into my pocket. She needed a fae. I would give her one. “Let Ciara and Channing go.”

“I still need to kill a fae.” Her attention turned to Ciara. “Cooperate, and your brother might live. Keep trying to argue, and they both die.”

My fingers closed over the effigy. But Ciara limped forward, face drawn with pain. “Just get this over with.”

“No.” I took out the doll as the door swung open. We were out of time.

Baptiste smiled as Shaw walked into the kitchen. “And now the Cabal is complete.”

My mind reeled. Both of our brothers, here. One bloodied and nearly broken. The other standing with the enemy. With the monsters who had killed innocent creatures. Who would kill more. The betrayal hit me like a punch to the gut, sucking the air from my lungs. It couldn’t be true.

Channing was a pawn, but Shaw…

He couldn’t be a member of the Cabal. He couldn’t be working with her.

With Oberon.

He froze mid-step, and for a fleeting second I believed it might be another trick. Another brother lured here to force our hands. Shaw’s gaze darted around the room, bouncing from Channing to Ciara and back to me before it finally landed on Baptiste. “What the hell is this?” he demanded, anger coiling in his voice.

“Shaw.” Ciara dragged herself another step, her voice barely a whisper. A new pain sparkled in her eyes—one that had nothing to do with her wounded leg.

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look at her.

“Shaw.” She choked back a sob as she stretched a hand out to him.

“This wasn’t part of our arrangement,” he said, continuing to ignore her. Sweat beaded across his forehead, and he continued shakily, “You said we wouldn’t involve them.”

It was enough to stir me from my stupor. I forced myself up, my knees weak, an oily dread filling my stomach. Darting to Ciara, I drew her to the floor next to Channing. My brother’s eyes were wild, his chest rising and falling as the vampire blood worked its way through his system.

I held a finger to my lips. I needed to get them out of here.

“They walked into my restaurant,” Baptiste told Shaw with a shrug.

His nostrils flared. “This wasn’t the plan.”

He was part of this. All of this. Shaw, who gave the best advice. Shaw, who made me laugh. Shaw, who had been my friend when I couldn’t so much as tolerate his brother.

A thin smirk played at the corners of Baptiste’s mouth. “Plans change. I saw an opportunity, and I took it. Besides, some extra leverage never hurts in a negotiation.”

Shaw took a menacing step toward her. “Leverage? These people are my family. You expect me to just stand by while you threaten them?”

“You wanted to hurt your brother. I’m only here to help.”

“Not like this.” He shook his head, finally daring to look in our direction. I met his eyes, and he flinched. “This ends now. We had an agreement. I help you get to him, and you leave the rest of them out of it. Let them go.”

He might as well have stabbed me. “You can’t do this.” I started to tremble. “He’s your brother.”

“Stay out of it, Cate,” he warned me.

“See?” Baptiste sneered, tossing a curl over her shoulder. “She’ll never forgive you, anyway. Killing her would be doing her a favor. Gods know what Oberon will do when he arrives.”

My legs threatened to buckle, but I kept myself upright.

Baptiste noticed. “That’s right,” she taunted me. “First, we’ll bring down the bona fides and let the Wild Hunt take Lach, and when your precious mate is dead, we’ll hand the Nether Court over to the true king.” She stuck out her lower lip, pretending to pout.

“Mate?” Shaw’s head swiveled toward me. “What is she talking about?”

“Does it matter?” Heat prickled my eyes, but I refused to cry.

But Baptiste barked a laugh. “They didn’t tell you? What a surprise. They kept another secret from baby brother.”

His eyes dropped to the floor, heat rushing to his cheeks.

“She isn’t your friend, Shaw. She never was. Friends don’t keep secrets.” She tried to press her gun into his hands, whispering, “End her.”

A roar tore through the air, and Channing leaped to his feet. He lunged, swiping for her, but she sidestepped him easily.

He stumbled forward, falling to his knees. The club witch raised a hand, and Channing doubled over, thrashing and screaming. A cruel smile twisted the witch’s face as he tortured him.

“Stop it,” I screamed. “You’ve done enough to him.”

“At least we agree on that.” Baptiste flicked a finger to Dante. “Put him out of his misery.”

“No!” I pleaded. “Just take me.”

Dante hesitated, glancing between Baptiste and Channing’s shuddering form. He started to shake his head, his black eyes beginning to lighten.

“I won’t ask twice,” she hissed.

Shaw held up his hands. “There’s no need for that—”

“You don’t give the orders here,” she snapped. “Do it.”

I looked to Shaw, silently begging him to do something, anything to stop this.

But Shaw stiffened, his face a mask of indecision and guilt. He was just as trapped as the rest of us, and his silence would cost Channing his life.

“Channing, I love you,” I called, each syllable so broken I knew he couldn’t understand me, but I had to try. I had to tell him. “I’m sorry. I love you. I’m so—”

A sickening crack cut me off as Dante wrenched Channing’s head to the side. His body went limp, slumping to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

Something raw and primal tore out of me. “No! Channing!” Sobs racked my body as I collapsed to the floor and began to crawl toward my brother. No one tried to stop me as I gathered him into my arms.

Dante opened his mouth, but I shook my head. I didn’t care what he had to say. I didn’t care if he had been sired by Baptiste.

“I didn’t have a choice,” he muttered, backing away. He stared at Channing, tears filling his eyes as he repeated the excuse. “I didn’t have a choice.”

I held Channing closer. “There’s always a choice.”

But Baptiste clicked her tongue in annoyance. “I told you to kill him. Not put him to sleep.”

I gaped at her. Channing’s neck was broken, his eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. There was no coming back from that.

Unless…

A tiny flicker of hope ignited in my chest. Unless he was under some type of spell.

“He has my blood in his system,” Dante said, and the hope sputtered out, dashed by cold horror as I realized what he had done.

Anyone who died with vampire blood in their system…

Shaw clenched his fists, his face ashen. “You’ve made your point, Baptiste.” His eyes shuttered with a deep sigh. “What do you want?”

Broken. He was so very broken, and I hadn’t seen it.

I’d been so caught up in my own shit, too annoyed with Shaw for letting Channing hang out with a vampire, and too frustrated with Lach for bickering with his brother to notice. It had cost me the last piece of my old life. Something told me that it had taken more from Shaw.

But I couldn’t afford to feel sympathy, not now. Not with Channing growing cold on the floor and Ciara’s life hanging in the balance. Whatever mistakes Shaw had made, whatever misguided reasons had driven him to this point, he would never make this right.

His shoulders bowed like he knew it, too.

“Enough family drama. I’ll spare your sister. But we still have a ward to take down.” She turned her merciless gaze—and her gun—on me. “Let’s kill two birds with one stone.”

I stared into Baptiste’s cold eyes, a sickening realization settling in my gut.

She knew.