Page 67 of Shadows and Flames
The ache behind my eyes grew in intensity, as I held a portion of myself downstairs and here, but I had enough to do this. To take this and notfail.
“Meline,” Elián barked, infusing his voice with command. But now wasn’t the time. I pointed another finger at him, this one a warning to stay back, and even with every muscle in his jaw and neck tensing, he obeyed.
Tomás hissed as my power wrapped around the strap of the pack, retrieving it like a faithful pet. The Shadow stumbled a few paces backward, right into the wall, as I pulled his bag and the head back to me.
I rolled my eyes as I situated the leather strap onmyshoulder. “I did not harm you.”
“No, but the threat was fucking there!”
El joined in, chastising. “Meline, that was?—”
“Both of you, shut the fuck up,” I snapped and beckoned Tana. “Weare going.” Because whatever piss-poor band of city guards Vharas could scrape up would certainly come at some point.
Thankfully, my cousin did not ask questions. She stood with me.
Tomás remained at the wall, but Elián loomed over us. And though exhaustion was seeping into my bones, I held my head high.
“You are not leaving with our proof of kill.”
“I couldn’t give a shit about that. I’m trying to right whatyouhave now ruined.”
His fangs flashed and his palm closed around my throat.Heat. “Idid not ruin. And you will not run.” He exerted no external pressure—no, all of that was beneath my skin, swimming in my blood. “You’ve lost this contract fairly.”
“Ourcontract was to retrieve Von Herron and bring him to our employer.Alive. This head is our chance to still get the information we need.” Blackwood hadn’t stated his intentions, but he knew Paschal enough to have some sort of vendetta. Some score to settle. If he didn’t know where these Folk were, then maybe he could point us ina clearer direction. I was grasping at seawater, hoping to hold onto enough without drowning under its weight, but I had totry.
Elián went still, forcing me to do the same, as he searched me with unflinching intensity. He asked no questions, begged no clarification. And after nine shared breaths, his hold tightened a fraction, then released entirely.
I didn’t dally, exiting Von Herron’s apartment the way we’d come.
ELIÁN
I had yet to make full sense of what my queen told us. Why their contract, to be fulfilled with a live Von Herron to take back to their employer, was so important. What information they needed. But the wildness coming off of Meline was explanation enough.
Truthfully, the contract mattered naught, to me. The coin, I did not need. The honor, I did not crave. It had been a way topass the time, then a path toward her, then… a way to spend time. With her.
Now, she led us out of the building, skirting around the bodies littering the corridors and entryway.
The Vyrkos Tom and I had seen stalking the streets when we arrived was plastered to the wall, snakes of Death holding him in the air and muffling whatever he was mumbling to himself, to us. He appeared paler than last I had seen him, his lids dropping over his enraged blood-red eyes.
My queen did not even glance at him. She flicked her fingers his way, and the Death released him, dispersing like fog disturbed and slithering along the wall and floor back toward her.
“You—what thefuck!” The Vyrkos, Fenix, sputtered, but none of us answered. I could feel my brother’s annoyance, Tana’s and Meline’s determination. So, we ignored him and proceeded onto the street. It was not my instinct, to leave so brazenly, but my queen appeared past caring. With blood on our clothing, we joined the night.
Vharas was a seedy place, grimy in a way few other cities were, and if I had not experienced many of the horrors of the world, I may have been surprised by the apathy with which her people lived. The way they looked past evidence of how dangerous we were and instead reflected hunger for what we could give, what they could take.
We went on like that for some time, following my queen to the outskirts of the main city, then further still. We did not tire, and even Tom knew not to protest. It was then, however, Fenix made himself knownagain.
“I’ve been talking to you, you entitledbrutes! You owe me a fucking apology!”
His fussing was louder, now that we were in a quieter area, yet he carried on with volume as if we were in the busycity center. I bared my fangs without turning toward him. His outrage was very low in my order of priorities, with the top being Meline, who held her shoulders high, fingers trembling, and soft, intelligible whispers escaping. Death swam close to the surface, even wafting off of her like smoke from a fire.
“Hello?I could have youhangedfor what I just watched you do.All of you!” He yelled as my boots went from paved streets to packed dirt.
My queen spoke up, then. Even angling her head in his direction, to my left. Her voice was smooth, quiet and deadly. “You know now what it feels like to have your life slowly drained from you. Need I acquaint you with snuffing it out before you can blink?”
I held back a groan, grinding my teeth together instead. My thoughts ran to how it felt to hold her to me in the tavern. To sway together and pull her hips into me.
The Vyrkos sputtered, looking to the golden witch, now, but I was watching my queen. Her ass moving left and right as she prowled. Meline glanced at me, and though I kept myself entirely silent, she noticed the surge of lust all the same. Her gaze flicked up and down at me, sending another surge of heat I had to concentrate on cooling.
