81 Lifeline

ARIEL I walked back to my room on autopilot.My legs carried me through the hallways, past the portraits, past the windows, past everything I didn't see. My mind was still in the dining room. Still hearing his voice. Still watching his lips form the words that had cut through me like a blade.We're formally courting. And we'll be settling down in a matter of months.I closed the door behind me and against it. Pressed my palms against my eyes and tried to breathe.It didn't work.I'd known this was coming. I'd known he would choose his pack. I'd told myself I didn't care, that it didn't matter to me and I was really nothing to him. I wasn't ready to confront that part just yet. I'd heard the words. I'd seen the way he looked at me when he said them, like he was trying to hurt me, like he wanted me to feel every syllable. And I'd felt them. I'd felt them all. He succeeded. I slid down the door and sat on the floor, my knees pulled to my chest, my head bowed.Then my phone buzzed.I

82 Last time

ARIEL Dimitri insisted on driving me.I'd tried to refuse. Told him I could take the car myself, that I didn't need a chaperone, that I'd be fine. But he'd looked at me with those steady, knowing eyes and said, "I'm not asking, Ariel. I'm telling you. You're not going alone."And I hadn't argued. Because part of me was relieved. Because part of me was terrified of what I was about to do, and having someone there, even if they didn't know the full story, made it easier to breathe.The car was warm, the heater humming softly against the winter chill. Dimitri drove with one hand on the wheel, his eyes on the road, his expression neutral. He didn't push. Didn't pry. Just let the silence stretch between us like a comfortable blanket."You don't have to do this, you know," he said finally."Yes, I do.""Whatever you owe him…” "It's not about what I owe him." I stared out the window at the passing trees. "It's about what he knows. What he can use against me. It’s just better to pay him off

83 Small fish

KAZIMIR The casino fire was my only escape.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. The way she'd looked at me when she heard me tell the council I was courting Katherine. The way she'd turned and walked away. The way she'd closed the door in my face and left me standing in the hallway like a fool.I couldn't think about that. Couldn't think about her. If I did, I'd fall apart, and I couldn't afford to fall apart. So I buried myself in work.The casino fire was the perfect distraction. Someone had torched my property. Someone had sent me a message. And I was going to find out who.Nikolai was already waiting in the car when I climbed in."You look like hell," he said."Thanks.""I mean it. When's the last time you slept?""Few nights ago. Busy with work and all…”"That's not healthy.""Don’t have much of a choice."He studied me for a moment, his usual levity replaced by something more serious. Then he started the engine and pulled out of the driveway."Where are we going?" I a

84 An unexpected change

ARIEL Katherine made herself at home like she owned the place.She'd been in the house for three hours, and in that time, she'd managed to rearrange the flowers in the foyer, criticize the placement of the furniture, and demand tea from the maids like they were her personal servants. She moved through the halls with the confidence of someone who had already decided she belonged here.I watched her from the doorway of the kitchen, my arms crossed, my jaw tight.She caught my eye and smiled. "Ariel. So good to finally see you. I was hoping we could talk.""About what? I don't have anything to say to you.""Don't be like that. We're both adults. We can have a civil conversation."I stepped into the hallway. "What do you want, Katherine?""To simply understand you." She walked toward me, her heels clicking against the stone. "You're a fascinating woman, Ariel. So many secrets. So many layers." She stopped a few feet away. "I've done my research, you know. I know quite a bit about you. Ab

85 Ouroboros

KAZIMIR Dimitri was waiting for me in the study when I came downstairs."You're not going alone."I didn't stop walking. "I'm going alone.""Kaz…” "It's not up for discussion, Dimitri."He fell into step beside me, his jaw tight, his eyes blazing. "You don't even know who they are. What they want. What they're capable of. And you're walking into a meeting with them without backup?""I'll have backup. I'll have my phone. I'll have my claws.""Against what? You don’t even know who they are. An organization that's powerful enough to make Marcus Volk their messenger?" He grabbed my arm. "This is insane."I stopped. Turned to face him."I know it's insane. But I need to know who they are. What they want. Why they've been watching me." I pulled my arm free. "And I can't do that with an army at my back. They won't talk to me if they think I'm coming with backup. They want me alone.""So you're going to walk into their territory alone and hope they play nice? Does that sound sane to you?!”

89 A mistake

ARIEL Tessa stepped forward, a tablet in her hand. "The new formula isn't the same as what you were giving her before. It's weaker. Significantly weaker. I don’t even know how Lev missed it.” "Weaker?""By about forty percent." She turned the tablet toward me, showing me graphs and data I didn't understand. "Whoever made this diluted the active ingredients. The medication is still working, but it's not working as effectively as it would have been working before. We had it compared with her former bloodwork and we could see the difference.” "But why would he do that?""That's the question." Lev crossed his arms. "There's also an additional compound. Something we've never seen before.""What kind of compound?""We don't know yet. It's not toxic, at least, not from our perspective. We’re still conducting further tests. But who knows what kind of effect it’ll have on her system. Or how we can stop or change that. I’m still monitoring everything and rerunning tests to be completely sure