Page 95 of Only Cold Depths
“Yeah,” Zane chimed in. “Before my trigger finger slips, and you have a tragic accident.”
“Okay, okay!” a familiar voice called out. “Don’t shoot me!”
In the archway, a hand appeared, clutching a small silver blaster. More footsteps crunched, and Asterin stepped into view.
Zane hissed out a tense breath and lowered his cannon. “We really have to stop meeting like this.”
Asterin’s eyes narrowed. “I rather enjoy having my blaster aimed at your chest.”
Zane grinned. “Your murderous urges have been duly noted, my lady.”
Asterin harrumphed, but she lowered her weapon and strode over to us. Her silver gaze flicked from one body to another, and fury, disgust, and sadness surged off her and punched into my chest like arrows. “The Serpens Corp mercenaries did this?”
I nodded. “Esmina and Pollux sent squads to attack the main castle, front and back, but they’re just a distraction. Esmina and Pollux broke off with another squad of mercs and came here to the guest wing.”
Asterin frowned. “Why would they do that? Verona and Aldrich are always in the main castle.”
“Esmina and Pollux are trying to kidnap Vesper again,” I replied. “We need to find her. Now.”
Zane shook his head. “No, Esmina and Pollux aren’t after Vesper. At least, not right now.”
“How would you know?” I growled. “You didn’t even see the mercs before they landed on the estate.”
Zane hesitated. “I just . . . have this feeling. I don’t have time to explain it right now, but for once in your bloody life, trust me. Okay, Kyrion? I don’t know what Esmina and Pollux and their men are doing here, but they arenottargeting Vesper.”
I had opened my mouth to growl that we were wasting time when a couple of quick, crunching footsteps rang out, quickly followed by dozens more, all headed in this direction.
There was no time to run for cover, so I snapped up my weapon and whirled around, as did Asterin and Zane. In an instant, the three of us were standing back-to-back-to-back in a loose triangle in the center of the courtyard.
One merc appeared in a nearby archway, then two more popped into sight in another archway. Then three more . . . four . . . five . . . six . . .
A dozen mercenaries flooded the archways and streamed into the courtyard. More footsteps crunched, and another dozen mercs appeared on the second level, all armed with hand cannons pointed at me, Zane, and Asterin.
“Fuck,” Zane muttered.
We were surrounded and outgunned, and the three of us had no choice but to lower our weapons.
One of the mercs touched the comms device nestled in his ear. “Target acquired and courtyard secure, just as you predicted.”
More footsteps crunched through the rubble. Pollux strode into the courtyard, clutching a hand cannon, and Esmina followed him, her long red cloak rippling around her body like a river of blood. Something silver glinted in her hand. For a moment, I thought it was a weapon, but then I realized it was an injector. What was she going to do with that?
Esmina stopped in front of us. Her green gaze flicked over Zane and Asterin before settling on me. A cruel smile spread across her face, and my gut twisted with dread.
Zane was right. For once, the mercs weren’t after Vesper.
“Hello, Kyrion,” Esmina purred. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
VESPER
“Vesper!”Beatriceyelled.“Becareful!”
I sucked down another breath and kept running. I didn’t have time to be careful. Wendell was in trouble. Iknewhe was. My seer magic kept whispering it to me over and over like a rolling drumbeat warning of danger.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Pew! Pew! Pew!
