Page 13 of You Only Love Twice
"I know."
Their eyes met.
"If he kills the queen, then London goes up in flames," Malloryn said in a dangerously soft voice, and suddenly Gemma knew the stakes were higher than they'd ever been. "We cannot afford to fail."
No matter what.
But who the hell was the real Chameleon?
And where had he been?
Chapter 5
"Where the hell is Langley?" Ghost demanded, standing on the docks that led to the Core—the secret heart of their London operations.
Where you'll never find him, Obsidian thought, though he didn't dare meet his brother's searing blue eyes.
The leader of thedhampirpaced along the train platform deep in Undertown, where their base was hidden. Ghost stood almost an inch taller than him, his hair an unruly shock of white, his brows and eyelashes bleached to match. He didn't dare go aboveground for fear he'd send people screaming at the sight of his pale, pale skin; a certain sign of the Fade.
But then, Ghost generally preferred to avoid most humans anyway, unless he was thirsty.
"You sent Langley after a dangerous target," Silas replied. He was another of the originaldhampirwho'd been created by Dr. Erasmus Cremorne at Falkirk Asylum. There'd been seven of them that survived the initial experiment, their bond forged through blood, pain, and finally fire, when they'd banded together to break out. "What'd you expect?"
"Success." Ghost clasped his gloved hands behind his back. "This makes two of our acolytes dead by the hands of one of the Company of Rogues. The Master won't appreciate our failure. And Langley was good. I trained him myself. This makes no sense."
"Clearly your new batch ofdhampiraren't as good as you think they are," Obsidian murmured. "Or you underestimated Miss Townsend."
The same way he once had.
Never again.
"Do you wantmeto take care of it?" Silas asked. "Why not send your best?"
Obsidian's gut muscles locked. He kept all expression off his face, however, and merely stared at the old train platform beneath his feet.
Silas was the onedhampirhe actually gave a damn about anymore.
If he considered anyone a brother, it was Silas.
Killing him would be... difficult.
Could he do it? Was Miss Townsend's life worth the price of the one man he still considered a brother?
No. Surely not.
But there was that slither of darkness within him, a whisper of demand and ownership.Mine. The mere thought of someone else putting their hands on Gemma made the craving rise within him, as if his darker half was trying to tell him something.
What the hell was wrong with him?
What had she done to him?
"Why not send two of the acolytes?" he countered. Ghost stiffened, as if considering both options, and Obsidian realized he needed to sell his suggestion. "This is plainly a larger task than one can handle alone, but I hardly think Silas needs to stir himself. Send two. Give them a week, at least, to watch Miss Townsend's movements before they make an attempt. Perhaps Langley rushed the job?"
"Perhaps I should sendyou?" Ghost's voice grew dangerously soft. "If we're speaking of my best...."
"I thought you wanted me watching the Ivory Tower? You've been praising your new Falcon recruits. Surely they can handle a simple assassination?" Pain bloomed within him, stabbing through his brain. Easy. This felt like a trap, though he had nothing to prove. He'd burned Gemma from his memories years ago.
Which is why you're killing those sent to hunt her.
