Page 77

“What the fuck?” Kierse hissed.

“That’s not good,” Lyra agreed.

They ditched their baskets of masks and roses as they slid out a back entrance. Kierse touched the small coin-size mark on the door twice—the signal Walter had given them when the doors were clear.

“Wards going up in three, two…” Walter said. “And they’re up.”

They looped their arms and stuck close together.

Just two girls from the theater in masks, sneaking out together.

Nothing to see here. Security turned a blind eye to them except for one guy who leered at the way they clung to each other.

Then they rounded the corner, and the security thinned.

They were too busy watching the room of guests to bother with entertainers. Just as planned.

“How long do we have until they figure out they’re locked in?” Lyra asked.

“Long enough.”

Walter had rigged his force field warding into a series of coins that Laz had systematically attached to the various ballroom doors over the course of the last couple weeks.

Once activated, no one could go in or out until he took them down.

Which meant Graves and Nate were stuck in there unless things went really wrong.

If things went that sideways, then it wouldn’t matter if they let loose the entire ballroom of monsters.

Soon enough, Amberdash would finish his horrific speech, the lot would move into the next ballroom for dinner.

That combined dreadful affair would determine the length of time they had to get things done.

Once people finished their “meals,” they would want to return to peruse the showcase or, worse, leave.

Kierse would need to be done long before then.

“Schwartz reported in,” Walter told them. “He’s in position at the Curator’s compound. Waiting for Gen to call in. No security footage on that level, either.”

Worry crept into Kierse’s stomach even though she knew Gen could take care of herself. She wished she could be there, but she couldn’t be in two places at once. This was the moment she really wished Ethan was in on their mission. She would have trusted him to have Gen’s back.

“Here we are,” Lyra said.

Kierse glanced at the pair of security guards at the end of the hall. They immediately jumped to attention as Kierse and Lyra headed their way in their fancy ball gowns.

Before they could get up in arms, Lyra gestured to the gender-neutral bathroom with a giggle.

“Come on,” she said, going full Hermia in a split second. Her gaze shuttered, and her mouth turned soft and pouty. Her lips pressed to Kierse’s shoulder, a kiss against the skin.

“They’re watching,” Kierse said, loud enough for the guards to hear, and promptly looked away, feigning embarrassment.

“Let them look,” the actress said as she pushed the bathroom door open and tugged Kierse inside.

As soon as Kierse pushed the door closed, she flipped the lock. “Time to get changed.”

Lyra winked at her. “There are easier ways to get me out of my dress.”

Kierse snorted as she gratefully removed her intricate mask.

She wiggled the metal trash can attached to the bathroom wall until it popped out of the frame supporting it.

At the bottom of the attachment was a bag, which Kierse opened to find their change of clothes.

This time she wouldn’t have to do elaborate theft in a ball gown and high heels. She vastly preferred it this way.

She stripped out of her dress and slipped into black leggings, a black tank top, and sneakers. Lyra changed into a white coat and dark pants that mirrored the kitchen staff. Originally, Kierse had been planning to do both parts, but Lyra was the better actress, and now she didn’t have the time.

“How do I look?” Kierse asked.

“Like you are about to be very sneaky. And me?”

“A kitchen princess.”

“Perfect,” Lyra said with a laugh.

Kierse bounced from toe to toe as she waited for a cue from Walter. They were running low on time. If Gen didn’t make it to the security system and disarm it, Kierse was going to have to do something drastic.

“Come on, Gen,” she muttered.

“I’m here,” Gen whispered in her earpiece. “Sorry.”

“Can you confirm location?” Walter asked.

“I,” Gen began, huffing as if she’d just been in a fight, “uh, I’m close. Give me another minute.”

“What the hell happened?” Kierse asked.

“Guards,” Gen said.

“Are you all right?”

“I may be…bleeding,” Gen said. “And I can’t heal myself…or not something of this magnitude.”

“This magnitude,” Kierse repeated in horror. “Where are you bleeding?”

“Knife wound. Side,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Fuck. Do I need to send someone to get you? Gen, you can’t…”

“I’m working on it now,” Gen interrupted, her breathing labored.

“Excellent,” Walter said. “They closed the doors for dinner. The clock is ticking.”

The silence was deafening as they waited for Gen to bring down the security system. After that, they had minutes to steal the cauldron. It all relied on her.

Kierse could hear her friend’s labored breathing on the line. It felt like everyone was waiting on bated breath.

“Gen?” she whispered.

“It’s almost down.” She sounded horrible. Kierse hated every minute of it.

“I’m sending Nate as soon as he finishes in that ballroom,” Kierse told her.

“Don’t…you…dare.”

“Nate,” Kierse said.

“We’re almost done in here,” Nate told her. “I’ll head to the basement.”

“I don’t…need…you.”

“I’m backup, and I say you do,” Nate said.

“Gen,” Walter said. “We’re running low on time. Vampires eat fast.”

“True,” Lyra said with a frown.

“Why aren’t your parents here anyway?” Kierse whispered at her.

“Oh, they don’t get involved ,” she said. “One war was enough for them.”

“That’s not factual,” Graves came over the line. “Can we focus?”

Silence again. Fuck. This wasn’t good.

“Done. It’s down,” Gen said, her voice thin and strained. “Send…send Nate.”

And then there was a crash, followed by deafening silence.