Chapter 31 Nova #2
For once, I didn’t force her back. I let her rise up and press against the edge of my skin, her hunger entwining with mine. Heat licked up my spine as I dragged my gaze over all three of them. Every instinct screamed to pin them to the nearest surface and ride out this lust.
Conrad smirked, his voice light with mischief. “We should probably wear these outfits again. Preferably when we’re… not in a time crunch.”
A ridiculous laugh nearly slipped out of me, but I caught it in time. That was too soft for someone who planned to spill blood tonight. I took one more heartbeat to indulge in the sight of them, in the ache pooling low in my stomach.
Then, like flipping a switch, I closed my eyes, inhaled, and opened them again with rage and violence simmering right beneath my skin.
“After,” I said, my voice all wolf. “Right now, I want that man’s blood coating my claws. His bones cracking between my fangs as he screams every secret he’s been hiding. Tonight, he learns what trespassing in my territory costs.”
The shift in the room was instantaneous. Focus sharpened. Hunger redirected.
We left the house and headed to my Jeep since it could fit all of us, but something prickled at the back of my neck.
Eyes on me, watching. The sensation stalked me all the way to the vehicle.
While the guys climbed in, I scanned the tree line, nostrils flaring, senses stretching to catch the watcher hiding in the shadows of the forest.
“Nova?” Deslen stood beside the open door, hand extended.
It took me a second to understand the gesture.
He was trying to help me in, which was cute.
Sweet. Ridiculous, even. My immediate reaction was to tell him I didn’t need it.
That I’d climbed in and out of cars long before he learned to shave, but instead, I slipped my hand into his and let him steady me.
Let myself enjoy it. A girl like me only got so many chances to be treated like this.
Zeth drove us out to meet my men, and once I got there, I met with the lieutenants and gave them the rundown in clipped, direct orders.
Spread out, stay low, and wait for my signal.
I had a magical device that could ping my men within a five-mile radius.
As soon as they felt the ping, that meant: tear the place apart.
I couldn’t have any slip-ups—not this time. I’d be damned before I let this bastard embarrass me in front of my siblings. I’d become the laughingstock of the family, and I could never let that happen… ever.
The low rumble of an engine approached, too fast, too close. I tensed, ready to shred whoever thought about ruining this op. An off-road motorbike skidded to a stop in front of me.
He killed the engine and removed his helmet to show off a Syndicate tattoo on his neck before pulling a thin box from his backpack. “Delivery to Boss Rossey from Boss Winstale.”
I snatched it the second it was offered. Inside laid a syringe filled with yellowish liquid and a folded note showing familiar handwriting.
Had to rush this to you. Use it wisely. Only have one for now.
- From your amazing, gorgeous big bro
A sharp puff of laughter escaped me. Gorgeous? Gods, Cal has a big head.
Looking down at my skin-tight gear, I searched for a place to stash it without the risk of cracking or losing it. I only had fucking one.
“Here.” Zeth held out a gloved hand, palm open, steady. “I’ve got a pocket.”
I handed it over, watching him slide it into his right pocket, carefully, deliberately, while praying we wouldn’t need it.
Leaving the Rossey men behind, the four of us moved on foot through the forest shadows.
This fucker was a slippery one, so I didn’t put it past this ‘Doc’ to have speed triggers setup, leading up to the bank.
That way if any one supe used their super speed to try and catch them off guard, they’d be warned and could make a quick escape.
“Did Gil send the layout yet?” Conrad asked.
I thumbed my phone, checking for incoming messages.
I’d texted Gil earlier for the old bank’s schematics.
Normally, I’d just walk near the building and tap my watch.
It could pull up a full magical layout showing us the walls, rooms, and holo-people drifting inside with their species tagged like floating labels, but that tech ran on air and rune magic.
If they had an air mage inside, and I was betting they did, we’d lose the element of surprise the second I used it.
An email pinged. “Hold up,” I murmured, stopping as I opened the file. “Got it.”
The guys closed in around me, heads lowering in unison to examine the building plans glowing on my screen.
Deslen surprised me by speaking first. “Don’t think the front will work.” His finger hovered over the image. “Wall of glass. Too exposed. Even vampire speed can’t outrun that many sightlines.”
“Even if we made it through the door,” Conrad added, raking a hand through his hair, “the floor plan’s wide open. First step inside, and we’re lit up like targets.”
Zeth let out a rough, irritated rumble and threw up his hands. “Great. There goes our element of surprise.”
I studied the layout, deep in thought. Front was suicide. Back wasn’t much better, with blind entry into who-knows-what. Unless…
“What about the ceiling?”
Three heads snapped toward me.
I pointed to the blueprint. “Here. Large exhaust vent on the roof. Big enough to crawl through.”
Zeth and Conrad immediately turned to stare at Deslen like he was the hinge this whole plan rested on. He plucked the phone from my hand, studying the image before shrugging. “My jaguar form might fit.”
“That works.” I looked at the other two. Conrad gave a slow nod. Zeth rolled his eyes like he wanted to object but didn’t. I put my phone into my boot again. “Then that's the plan.”
As we neared the building, I saw exactly what Deslen meant. The entire front was a glass showcase. No way in hell that would’ve worked, but the sides and back were brick walls that led up to the roof. Ceiling it was.
The boys followed my lead as we slipped around to the rear, moving silently and keeping low as we checked for traps. My watch pinged faintly, showing tiny mines tucked into weeds and shadows around the building. Zeth crouched to disable each one in our path, his fingers quick and sure.
When we reached the wall, we scaled it in silence. Using claws and fingers to find grip holes in the brick, we pulled ourselves onto the roof. The vent sat near the back corner, the opening wide enough for a person if the individual wasn’t too broad.
I used a claw to loosen the screws on the grate. Metal gave with a soft groan. I pulled out the filter, revealing the dark drop within. One look told me Deslen’s human shoulders weren’t making it through.
“Yep. You’re going to have to—”
I didn’t even finish before his body blurred, shifting in a smooth cascade of magic. Midnight fur rippled into existence. Pale yellow eyes lifted to mine, the same calm, steady gaze I’d come to lean on. Fae sigils shimmered down his sides like liquid starlight.
He padded forward and lowered his massive jaguar head to me. My hand rose without thinking. Fingers slid behind his ears and down the back of his skull. His body melted into the touch, a deep purr vibrating through him.
Behind me, Zeth muttered, “How’s he making me jealous in his damn cat form?”
The comment snapped me back to the mission. I let my hand fall and gave Deslen a wink before kneeling at the vent’s edge.
“Order’s simple,” I whispered. “I’m first. Then Zeth. Conrad. Deslen last. Stay tight. Stay silent.”
Conrad shot Zeth a glare, and the demon’s grin stretched wide. I frowned at them until Zeth leaned in, murmuring against my cheek, “I get the best view.”
I resisted the urge to smack him.
“Listen up.” I tapped the metal rim. “Short drop, then a flat crawl. Go in headfirst. Press your hands and feet against the sides so you don’t slide down like a sack of rocks and give us away. Clear?”
All three nodded. Predators, primed and ready.
The metal groaned softly under my palms as I crawled through the vent, inching forward until the shaft leveled out beneath me. Behind me, the guys followed, controlled, careful, bodies pressing into the sides to keep from dropping too fast.
I slid forward, scanning for my first vantage point. The nearest vent slats opened into a dark office. Empty, still, untouched. I kept going.
The second vent showed a werewolf leaning against a wall below, his thumb lazily flicking across the screen of his phone. Every few seconds, he lifted his head, eyes sweeping the hall before dropping back to the glowing screen.
I kept moving, keeping my breath quiet and even.
The next vent revealed a pink-haired fairy pacing the teller area.
She muttered to herself, soft, frantic syllables, wings twitching in restless agitation.
Her nerves sparked through the air, and even from up here, I could feel the tension rolling off her.
I took extra care not to let the vent creak.
Then, further down, I reached the last grate and froze.
A demon lounged outside a massive vault door, one leg crossed over the other. He tossed knives toward a wall, each blade sinking with casual yet precise flicks. A familiar shimmer rippled along the metal. Fae magic. Enchanted blades. One wrong move, and those things could make us bleed out.
Yeah. He’d be a problem.
The vent looped back around, and when I returned to the drop point, all three of my men were silently waiting, steady, eyes sharp.
I whispered my findings. “Fairy at the front, frantic but alert. Werewolf in the hall, phone scrolling, bored. Demon by the vault with fae blades and ready to use them.” My finger tapped the empty office vent. “Entry point. Quiet and clean.”
They nodded, and we moved as if a single mind guided four bodies. Not a scrape. Not a breath too loud. Down the vent into the darkness, we entered into enemy territory.
It only took a second to get to the right opening. Lifting up the vent grate, we silently dropped onto solid ground inside the empty office. Pride filled my chest as I saw how effortlessly they matched my movements.
Once we were in position, I pointed at Conrad then the hall where the werewolf was patrolling. I mimed sinking my teeth into a person's neck, trying to tell him what I wanted him to do. Conrad’s mouth twitched with a suppressed laugh, but he gave a thumbs-up. Target understood.
Next was Zeth. I wiggled my fingers in a slow swirling motion, then fluttered my hands behind me like wings. He looked confused for a second before a grin split across his lips as he winked at me. Jerk.
Finally, I turned to Deslen. I curved my fingers over my head like horns, then pointed to myself, telling him the demon was mine. His massive jaw dropped open in a silent protest, his head shaking so hard his ears flopped around. Too bad. I was the fucking boss.
I wasn't about to have any of them go up against someone with fae-magicked blades, so they didn't need to know that little detail.
I switched over to miming a giant vault door, using two fingers to show a person walking through it, then pointed at him. His job wasn’t the demon. His job was what laid behind that vault once I created the distraction.
He still shook his head in rigid refusal, so I flicked his nose.
His pale yellow cat eyes went huge, betrayal, outrage, and disbelief filtering through them as he took a startled step back. I just crossed my arms and waited.
Eventually, after he looked to the others for backup, and they gave him none, he dipped his head in surrender. Good boy.
Now that everyone knew their roles, it was time. I pointed to Conrad and mouthed ‘go.’
He silently slipped through the door with a feral smile.
We’d see how good these boys really were at following directions. One wrong move could get us into deep shit.