E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  “Why do you suspect that?”

  “Because this one has never been used for that purpose. I’d be able to sense it otherwise.” Sapphire had a knack for sensing the history of an object, something not all witches could do.

  “You’re saying Kseniya has never traveled realms with this amulet?”

  “Correct. She’s only used that necklace for her immortality. There’s also an anti-compulsion charm on it that appears to have been added after she left our reality. She’s never had to use it, though, so I’m not sure why it’s there.” She shrugged again. “Another question for Roskana.”

  I frowned. Yeah, another question. Of which I had about a thousand now.

  Because this implied Kseniya’s curiosity had been real. Which suggested that everything else she’d told me… I swallowed, unable to complete that thought.

  Instead, I focused on Sapphire. “Thank you. I’m going to go check in with Dimitri.” Which would only prolong my return, but I needed his opinion.

  “Tell him I’m close to locating Anastasia,” Sapphire said softly, returning to the papers sprawled out across a long glass table. “Maybe another week or two.” She sounded almost lost to her words, her blue eyes taking on a faraway gleam as she returned to her task of dismantling wards and searching through space and time.

  Dimitri would be relieved to learn how close his witch was to finally locating the slayer. She was vital to our plans and perhaps the only one who could help us successfully remove Grigori from the reformed Vampire Dynasty throne.

  I uttered a soft goodbye to the witch, but she was too lost in her thoughts to hear me. At least she’d been able to pay attention long enough to give me the answer I needed.

  Tucking the amulet into my pants pocket, I headed out to find my cousin.

  He wasn’t far, his residence on the coast of Greece not nearly as vast as his former home. All the white walls and splashes of blue were appropriate for the region but were missing the golds and opulence of home.

  I missed Russia.

  But I didn’t miss what it had become in our absence. Grigori ruled the dynasty with a penchant for gluttonous behavior and debauchery. Humans were food. Slayers were toys. And vampires were expected to follow a strict hierarchical regimen, worshipping him at the top while vying for a lieutenant role at his side.

  The fools would never replace Roman. He was too valuable to Grigori. But I suspected Grigori enjoyed the constant challenges leveled at his second-in-command. They all ensured Roman remained in his position as Grigori’s right-hand man.

  Which was precisely why we needed Anastasia Romanov.

  Dimitri stood on the black sand beach, watching the sun set over the horizon.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked as I approached him from behind, his gaze on the water beyond. He had his hands tucked into his black pants, his shirt a similar shade that matched his dark head of hair. We were opposites in that way—my own strands a stark white to his sable shade.

  No one would know we were related by looking at us. While our statures were similar in height and athleticism, his skin was tan, whereas I was pale, and his eyes resembled the ocean, while mine shone with a silver gleam against the dimming light.

  He turned as I stopped beside him, his expression contemplative. “Well?”

  “Sapphire says she should have Anastasia’s location in a week or two.”

  “Then I hope your revenge is going as planned,” he drawled. “Because I’m going to need you soon.”

  I pulled the amulet from my pocket, allowing the sun to play off the pretty tanzanite stone. “Sapphire confirmed this has never been used to travel realms.”

  “Meaning your Kseniya hasn’t used it to come back.”

  I nodded, thoughtful. “It’s possible Roskana has teleported them.”

  “Your tone tells me you don’t believe that.”

  I didn’t. One thing I never understood was how they could have left Anastasia to her fate. Kseniya had always loved that woman like a sister. But I’d spent so long thinking everything she’d ever proclaimed was a lie that I’d ignored the obvious. “They haven’t tried to save Anastasia because they don’t know how to.”

  “An interesting theory,” Dimitri agreed. “Have you tried asking Kseniya?”

  “I’ve been a little busy torturing her.”

  He smiled. “I bet. Leaving her mortal and alone is a punishment in itself. She must be losing her shit over the missing necklace.”

  I thought about that. “Actually, other than demanding it back a few times, she’s not been all that bothered. She was more interested in learning how I found her. And she seems to hate you.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Because I’m a vampire?”

  “She called you King Dimitri. Then claimed we’d won. But I have no idea what she thinks we won, or if it was all just a lie meant to confuse me more.”

  “What would she gain by crafting such a tale?” Dimitri asked, his blue eyes swirling with the power of his bloodline. “Why waste your time?”

  “Perhaps to convince me not to kill her,” I said, the words making me frown to utter such a frivolity out loud. The Kseniya I knew would never play that hand in a game. “I spent the last century analyzing the woman and her choices. I was so certain I had her all figured out. And now I find out her amulet has never been used to travel realms.”

  It left me wondering what else I’d misjudged.

  “She said she accidentally portaled to the new realm.” I was thinking out loud, recalling everything she’d claimed last night. “She also accused me of using her for information.”

  “What information?”

  “About the secret tunnels.”

  “Beneath Romanov Palace?”

  “I think so,” I replied, considering our conversation and everything else she’d revealed. “She said I destroyed the Romanovs.”

  Dimitri grunted. “She can thank Grigori for that.”

  “What if she doesn’t know?” I asked him. “What if she…?” I trailed off, thinking it through. “If she thinks I betrayed the knowledge of the tunnels to you, and that you destroyed the Romanovs as King…”

  “That would paint you as the villain of her story,” Dimitri surmised. “Or she’s fucking with you, just like she did a century ago.”

  “But what was her motive?” It was the one question I never could answer. “Why leave me for Grigori to find?”

  If what she said about portaling was true—that she’d accidentally jumped realms—then that would mean she hadn’t abandoned me at all. That she’d fled to escape potential death. And if she didn’t know how to return, that would explain why she’d left me to rot in that cell.

  “What if she had no idea that Grigori had captured me?” That would demolish all of my assumptions about her. Every scenario I crafted was based on her setting me up for eventual incarceration. “He told me she bargained my life for her own.”

  I hadn’t believed him at first, but when she never came for me, the truth of it settled inside me, brewing a deep-seated hatred founded in betrayal.

  She’d sentenced me to hell.

  Unless…

  “Grigori has a penchant for using matters of the heart against his victims,” Dimitri murmured, his oceanic irises whirling once more. “It’s entirely possible that he crafted a tale meant to poison you against your own soul. He’d see it as the ultimate way to weaken a man. And if you killed Kseniya as a result—”

  “I’d never forgive myself,” I realized with a start.

  Shit, I’d have a hell of time forgiving myself for all the things I’d already done.

  “I need to talk to her,” I said, my thumb already resting over the ring on my right index finger. “You know how to reach me if anything develops in the interim.”

  “Cassius.” Dimitri’s tone stopped me from portal-jumping. “A suggestion.”

  “Yes?”

  “Bring her back for a visit.” He looked at me. “Her reaction should prov
ide you with all the answers you seek.”

  I studied him for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right. If she believes you killed her family, she won’t be able to hide her rage.”

  “And if you tell her what we know about Anastasia’s current fate, you’ll be able to read the emotion of that reveal. Not even an award-winning actress could fake that sort of pain. Not to our senses.”

  He was right.

  The Kseniya I knew—the woman I’d fallen in love with—would be ripped apart by the knowledge of what had happened to her former friend.

  If Kseniya was the female I once adored, she’d react violently. And if she was the vixen I’d created in my mind, then she’d try to feign a reaction—a reaction I would see right through.

  “I’m going to get her.”

  “Good.” Dimitri glanced up at the darkening sky. “Perhaps we can convince her to help our cause.”

  “Something tells me that’s going to be hard to do.”

  His lips twitched. “You’ll figure it out. You’re resourceful like that.” His eyes found mine once more, his expression void of emotion. “Just remember that she can’t know the full truth about what we have planned.”

  I nodded, understanding.

  There was only one way to defeat Grigori.

  And it wasn’t without significant cost.

  “You know where my loyalty lies, cousin,” I told him.

  “I do,” he agreed. “I also know who owns your heart.”

  “Owned,” I corrected.

  “Sure. Go find your slayer. You know where to find me.” He turned then, heading back up the beach to his home. His shoulders were tight, the weight of all our futures hanging upon them with such force that it was a wonder he remained standing. But if anyone could handle the pressure, it was him.

  Pressing my thumb to the ruby on my ring, I whispered the incantation Sapphire had taught me, and navigated my way through the portal realms.

  Rather than go to my place in New York City, I let myself out of the network in an alley near Kseniya’s building and jogged up the stairs to her flat. Knocking twice, I waited. A whine from the other side of the door had my lips curling downward. Using the ring, I created a quick portal that allowed me to step through the locked entrance and found Luci pacing on the other side.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked her, immediately sensing the distress in her expression.

  She snapped at me and gestured to the door with her nose, then made an impatient noise.

  “Do you need to go out?” I wondered out loud, uncertain of how often a hellhound required use of the outdoor facilities.

  She growled, then shook out her black coat as though negating my guess.

  “Is it Kseniya?” It was a natural second theory, considering Luci’s clear affinity for my little killer.

  Her low whine had my heart skipping a beat.

  “She’s in trouble,” I translated, understanding the antsy behavior now. “Do you know where she is?”

  Luci huffed as though to say, Obviously.

  And she couldn’t get out because she lacked the ability to unlock and open doors. Right.

  “Where’s your collar and leash?”

  She growled.

  “I can’t just walk you through Manhattan without one,” I said, exasperated.

  She darted into the other room and returned with the items in her mouth, spitting them out at my feet. Then I swore she lifted an expectant brow, saying something along the lines of, Hurry the hell up.

  I wrapped the leather around her neck and hooked on her leash. She was at the door a second later, her nose pressed against the wood.

  Using my ring, I created another portal and took us to the alley below again. “Lead the way,” I told her.

  12

  Violet

  I rolled my shoulders, my body tight with exhaustion and the blossoming bruises created by the frenzied humans. But I wasn’t about to let a little pain get me down.

  It was time to dance.

  I had my lucky stake, precision, and a lifetime of training on my side. These bloodsuckers didn’t stand a chance.

  I hope you’re watching, Cassius, I thought, shifting from foot to foot, preparing to dance. You’re next.

  The beat of the club seemed to shift as I engaged my lethal side, the slayer in me coming out to play with a ferocity I kept well hidden. Cassius thought I’d grown complacent in my old age? Well, the joke was on him. I’d stayed at the top of my game, preparing for a moment just like this.

  Ignoring the fatigue in my limbs, I strode forward, locating a few vampires on my side, and went to work. The first one went down with a surprised pop, his body bursting into flames and instantly turning to ash. Humans shrieked around me, their shock a palpable wave that only seemed to excite the thirst in the room.

  At least until the vampires realized what was coming for them.

  I had two more in my sight, their chests blinking in the red light. Metal, I realized, calculating where and how to hit them. They had the chains pulled tight across their pecs, wearing it like old-fashioned armor but in a gothic setting. Bizarre, yet oddly appropriate for this nightclub.

  And really damn frustrating because it blocked my target—their hearts.

  Even more frustrating was that they’d noticed my approach thanks to their friend’s fiery demise.

  I fell into a crouch as they prowled forward, their gazes sharp and narrowing in on the stake in my hand.

  The big vamp on the left lifted his lips into a snarl, while his shorter, bald buddy just licked his lips. I smiled. “You hungry?” I asked him, twirling my stake. “Come and get me.”

  He grinned, accepting my invitation. My blood thrummed with excitement, the slayer in me thirsting for death. I measured their pace, anticipating their arrival, only to suddenly be yanked backward by my hair.

  A growling beast stared down at me, his eyes red and terrifying, his jaws snapping cruelly toward my neck.

  What the fuck?

  This wasn’t a vampire, yet I sensed the afterlife lurking inside him. It didn’t make any sense.

  I struggled against him, trying to find my footing, when a blinding light flared through the room, the UV bomb one Alaric must have had in his pocket. The creature holding me shrieked, releasing me to bound back into the shadows, his skin on fire yet not bursting into ash. The two vampires I’d originally intended to play with went up in flames, sizzling to crispy remains on the floor. But not the thing that had grabbed me.

  “We need to get the fuck out of here!” Alaric shouted at me, his hulking form somehow appearing at my side.

  “What the hell is that thing?”

  “Not a vampire.”

  “No shit.” I watched it spin and howl and set everything around it on fire. Clothing and upholstery were all blazing to life, igniting the sprinkler system overhead. Humans were crying, the nightclub clouded in chaos and smoke and a streaming rain. It all happened in the span of seconds.

  More vampires poured into the room, the entire underground unleashing into the insanity.

  Trapdoors, I realized. Had they all been waiting for their feast?

  Blood sprayed, a true massacre unfolding around us.

  One of the leeches lunged at me, and I struck upward with my stake, nailing him right in the heart before turning to face another.

  Alaric was at my back, fighting for his life as I tore through the army descending upon us.

  This was not survivable.

  A trap meant to take down even the best E.V.I.E. had to offer, right in the middle of fucking Brooklyn.

  How? I marveled, my head spinning as I tried to piece it all together, my body moving on autopilot.

  Then that monster turned toward me again, his skin blackened with soot, his red eyes gleaming with rage. He had grown to twice a normal man’s size, his fingers shaped into talons.

  A shifter.

  Cassius’s comments regarding wolf packs came back to me in a flash. Was this what he meant? Had we s
tepped into some sort of conflict between the vampires and the wolves?

  But that thing was more than just a shifter.

  He had fangs.

  I watched as he bent to rip out the throat of a pale-skinned female, his tongue snaking around her neck and lapping greedily at her essence. All the while, he watched me, his gaze holding a promise of death. My death.

  A hand caught my arm, Alaric’s voice in my ear. “Let’s go!”

  But I couldn’t move.

  I was captivated and enthralled by the beast stalking toward me.

  All the others seemed to bow to him, his presence holding a command they clearly revered.

  Then another UV bomb went off, drawing me out of the moment and back to Alaric as he dragged me toward the exit.

  Someone had cut through the chains, allowing the humans to rush up the stairs.

  But a door held them all captive at the end.

  My head spun, escape seeming impossible.

  The music reached a higher pitch, the beat thundering through my skull. Alaric crumpled beside me, his hands on his ears. I thought he yelled a word, but I didn’t catch it, my nose twitching at an almond-like scent infiltrating the room.

  What now?

  I blinked, my vision clouding. My knees buckled, sending me to the floor beside Alaric.

  Victory sounded in the distance.

  Howls.

  Or were they growls?

  Everything around me spun, the mortals all seeming to grow quiet as one while my enhanced senses hung on. My slayer bloodline strengthened every part of me, making me less human, but it was my amulet that ensured my immortality. Without it, I could die.

  No, I would die.

  Because the vampires were surrounding us now, their expressions triumphant, and my limbs refused to move. I was trapped motionless on the dirty concrete, watching my fate walk toward me with a mouth of too-sharp teeth. The lights were all on now. The creature had returned to a normal size, his red eyes shifting to dark brown orbs.