Chapter one : The Last Hunt

Serafine POV

"Mom,” I murmured, "Daddy."

They were on the floor. Both of them. Cold, still, lying in a pool of blood. I dropped to my knees and shook them, begging them to move. They didn't.

"No," the word came out broken. "No. Mom and Dad. Please open your eyes. Wake up. Please."

I gasped, jerking upright, vision blurring as I fought to focus.

My breathing was uneven, sweat dampening my skin. I looked down at the golden gown draped over me. Flawless. A cruel contrast to the memories tearing through my mind. My parents. The image wouldn't leave.

"Madame, we have arrived," the driver said, with a soft French accent, stepping out of the car. I swallowed hard and lifted my eyes.

The Palais D'Or ballroom glowed beneath the night skyline, masked guests drifting in and out like ghosts dressed in gold and silk.

Caspian Ventura. That greedy old monster. I was glad his son Zavier wasn't here tonight. It made killing Caspian considerably easier than I'd planned.

"Are you ready?" Kael's voice came through my earpiece.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Don't be afraid. You've trained for this." His words steadied me just enough.

I slipped on my masquerade mask and climbed the stairs to the banquet hall, letting my expression settle into something calm and controlled. A smile, just convincing enough.

A security attendant stopped me. "Your name, miss?"

"Amy Jefferson," I said. He checked his tablet, frowning slightly. My pulse spiked. Did Kael get me in or not?

"Ah, yes. You may enter." I exhaled quietly and stepped inside.

The ballroom glittered. Bodies moved in perfect sync with the music, soft laughter echoing through the room. The Ventura family was known for events like this. Untouchable. Filled with the worst kind of people: corrupt politicians, bought law enforcement, and a network built entirely on fear.

The most dangerous mafia family in Europe. And tonight I was walking straight into the heart of it.

I picked up a drink and scanned the room. I needed to find Caspian.

I fidgeted with my ring finger, where a lace-poison dart sat hidden beneath the gemstone. One prick. Just one. And it would be over in seconds. If that failed, the blade against my skin was ready. My grip tightened on the glass as I moved through the crowd.

There. A signet ring caught the ballroom light, and my focus locked in.

"Do you see him?" Kael's voice came through.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Be careful, Sera."

"Doubting me?" I muttered. "You think I can't take down one old man?"

"I never doubt you," he said. "You're the best assassin in the academy." I smiled faintly at that. A rare compliment from Kael was worth more than praise from anyone else. I just wished he knew how much I meant it when I said thank you.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Watch your surroundings."

"Too much security," I murmured, adjusting the wig that was starting to irritate my scalp.

"You can handle it. We've trained for this," Kael said.

The man who killed my parents stood across the room, smiling, sipping wine, letting people pay their respects like he deserved them. The sight of it turned my stomach. His life ended tonight.

"Caspian's a womanizer," Kael reminded me. "You know what to do."

I took one steady breath. I moved through the crowd with a deliberate sway, stopping to chat with a stranger just long enough to draw the right kind of attention. Caspian's eyes found me. He walked over wearing that predatory smile, convinced I was his prey.

He had no idea.

"Miss." His voice slid over me like oil. "You're beautiful. Care to dance?"

"The pleasure's mine," I said smoothly.

I placed my hand in his and let him lead me to the center of the floor.

"What's your name, young lady?"

"Amy," I whispered. As he spun me, I pressed the ring just enough. A tiny dart slid into the back of his hand. He hissed. Confusion crossed his face. His gaze dropped to the thin line of blood forming on his skin.

"You. What did you—" his words slurred. His grip loosened. He went down, collapsing to the floor in a heap. Shocked gasps rippled across the room.

"Call the paramedics!" one of his guards shouted. I stepped back, wide-eyed and startled, playing my part perfectly before slipping into the crowd.

"Well done, Assassin Raven," Kael's voice in my ear.

My heart pounded. I took a side exit, the cool night air hitting my skin. Once I was far enough from the building, I pulled off the wig and breathed easier. The mask came off next. I dropped it into a bin as I passed.

"Move quickly. We need to go," Kael said.

I broke into a run. Footsteps behind me. Closing in.

"Stop! "A guard. Right on my heels.

"I can't make it to the van. I need another exit," I said under my breath.

"No. Stay where you are. I'm coming to you," Kael replied.

I turned into an alley and collided with something solid. I hit the ground hard.

"Ugh."

"You're the one who killed my father."

I snapped my head up.

Tall. Broad. Dark blond hair. A face that might have been handsome if it weren't wearing that expression. And those eyes, ice blue and colder than anything I'd ever seen, fixed on me like I were already dead.

I was back on my feet before I'd made the decision to move. I pulled the knife from the slit in my dress and lunged. He dodged without effort. I came at him again. He blocked it just as easily. That irritated me more than it should have.

"What's happening, Sera?" Kael's voice is in my ear.

"Surrounded by Ventura men," I whispered. "Zavier's here."

I went at him again, this time landing a punch that made him stagger back a step. Small victory. It lasted half a second before something hit me hard on my leg. Pain detonated through me, and I dropped to my knees. By the time my vision steadied, he was already there, standing over me, his shadow swallowing me whole.

Those ice-blue eyes looked down at mine and didn't blink.

"Sharp claws, Serafine Montravo."

He knows my name.

How? How did Ventura's son know who I was? I scanned the alley. Men on every side. Every exit cut off. The odds weren't slim; they were gone.

Is this it?

After everything, is this how it ends? Without finishing what I came here to do? Without making them pay for what they did to my parents?

Something hard connected to the back of my head.

The world blurred. Then it went dark.