Page 44 of Deadly Alliances

The angel wrinkled her nose and sniffed. “Will someone please stop the bleeding?”

“Right away,” volunteered a young woman, who rushed forward and kneeled next to the angel. She had large glasses that made her eyes huge, her tall, spindly frame looking frail next to the vampire goddess with the red lips.

And suddenly recognition hit me—Piper! I’d only seen her once, but she had made quite the impression on me. The Initiate who wanted out. It pained me to see that she was still here. Had she changed her mind back about joining? Or was she going to add to my list of people to rescue?

“I keep a tube of superglue on hand at all times,” Piper said, coming to my side to dab some on my neck.

We shared a brief glance of understanding, and relief found me for only an instant before I sucked in a breath at the sting, and I nearly jerked my head away.

“Sorry,” Piper said. “I probably should’ve warned you it would sting.”

The pressure on my neck stopped, and Piper wiped her fingers and turned the cap on the glue tube. “There. That should do it.”

As she got to her feet and helped me do the same, I wondered with irritation why the beautiful vampire didn’t just seal my neck with her blood the way Julian had. Maybe they felt it was beneath them. After all, why heal a wound they had every intention of opening again?

“Thank you,” I told Piper, not for healing me but for not outing me. The fact that she didn’t told me she was still on our side. I tried to convey with my eyes a silent promise that I would get her out, too.

“And what is so important that I must be pulled from spending quality time with my daughter?” a man asked as he strolled into the lobby, and I nearly lost my breath again.

He was beautiful, an angel of death if I ever saw one. His devilishly handsome face was bespeckled by a five-o’clock shadow that I wanted to run my fingers over, his dark hair shiny and silky, swept back in a style that looked both pristine and effortless, like a model in a fashion magazine, perfectly captured for all time.

Where Julian’s goodness bled into his beauty, this man’s allure was heightened by something sinister, something morbidly thrilling. And I knew if I wasn’t careful, I could easily fall under his spell just like everyone else in this palace of darkness.

The red-lipped beauty sashayed toward him, as if the seductiveness of her movements was completely unintentional.“Hadrian, this girl claims she has a spell for daywalkers.”

Hadrian cocked a brow at me, stepping closer. “Ah, a witch. I’ve only heard of one other witch with such a spell.”

I blinked at Hadrian. Did he know where the grimoire came from? Would he know my relation to Julian?

He clasped his hands in front of his hips. “Well? I’d like proof of this spell.”

“Um, it’s in my bag,” I said, looking around the room. I didn’t see my backpack, or Thomas. But Adam stood a few feet away staring at me, his brows drawn. I looked back to Hadrian quickly. “And I hid it with magic, which I’ll need to use to reveal it.”

“And how do I know you’re not here to use your magic to try to destroy us? Witches aren’t known for looking out for anyone but themselves.”

“I hate the shifters,” I said, channeling that feeling of disappointment that I’d tapped into just moments before. “Theywouldn’t let me in their school.”

Hadrian laughed. “So you come to a vampire school instead? And what do you hope to accomplish?”

“Revenge,” I declared honestly.

Hadrian smiled, wagging a finger at me. “I have a feeling I’m going to like you. But I’m going to need you to prove yourself, first.”

My brow shot up. “I thought I just did.”

He shook his head. “Words, my dear. Those were just words. I want to see action. I want to see that hatred light your eyes.”

I took a deep breath to try to steady my racing pulse. “Of course. Whatever you need.”

He narrowed his eyes on me. “I recognize your face. You know my daughter, Arya, don’t you?”

My eyes widened, but I gave no other sign of my sudden panic. Was this the end for me?

Hadrian laughed again. “Don’t look so surprised. I’d been surveilling Arya for months before I retrieved her, and I took great care in studying her friends. I should’ve known one of you would come for her.”

“I came to join her,” I insisted with false bravado. “I had hoped that my bond with her would help me gain admission.”

“We’ll see.”

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