Page 75 of The Darkest Night

“My girlfriend wanted to see the best strip club in New York.”

A muscle twitched in Nikolai’s cheek.

Gomez and Sobol studied Mae.

She kept a straight face by sheer willpower.

Girlfriend?!

Mae smiled coolly at Sobol and Gomez and carefully pressed a heel on Vlad’s foot. Considering she was wearing stilettos, it had to hurt. He touched her knee and squeezed lightly. The message was clear.

Play along.

“I’m new in town,” she said grudgingly.

Vlad’s hand remained on her thigh, his touch burning her flesh.

“Really?” Sobol murmured. “You have a Queens accent.”

She met his stare unflinchingly. “I grew up here and just moved back.”

Other men in Sobol’s position would have been vexed by her open impudence. Sobol just watched her with an inscrutable expression.

“Come now, Emil,” Gomez said amiably. “Everyone has a backstory.”

“True.” Sobol’s gaze moved to Nikolai. “What about you? What’s your backstory?”

“Vlad and I know each other,” Nikolai told Sobol in a neutral voice.

“We were college buddies in Paris,” Vlad drawled, the lie falling from his lips with practiced ease. “You could say we’re brothers in arms.”

Though he didn’t show it, Mae felt Nikolai’s twitch. His reaction seemed to amuse Vlad.

She swallowed a sigh.

He’s such a goddamn tease.

Vlad’s eyes twinkled, as if he’d read her mind.

A thin smile played on Sobol’s lips. His gaze swung between Nikolai and Vlad. “Vous n'avez pas l'air de gens qui sont allé à la fac à Paris.”

Mae stiffened.

He speaks French?!

“Et tu n'as pas l'air du genre de gars qui parle français,” Nikolai said fluently just as Vlad opened his mouth to reply.

“Touché,” Sobol murmured.

Mae sensed Brimstone’s restlessness where he sat under the table. To be fair, she was feeling pretty on edge too. The faint aura of corruption she’d detected above Sobol’s head was now fully evident, the ochre light in the depths of his dark pupils as he observed them a surefire sign he was possessed by a demon.

He wasn’t the only one. There were four other demons and six sorcerers in the room, all part ofOniks. A bitter tang of black magic came off the sorcerers; they hadn’t bothered to shield their powers, no doubt confident in their abilities to overcome any foe who crossed their path. As for Sobol, it seemed he was able to suppress his demonic energy to an extent.

Her hands fisted on her lap.

Does that mean he’s more powerful than Antonovich was?

Brimstone spoke.From your memories, I would say yes.

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