Chapter 12
TWELVE
Dawn came too quickly. Nadi was getting really sick of the late nights and early mornings.
But with the sunlight, came another phone call. For her.
Raziel was out with Ivan, getting things ready for the hit that night on Braen. She knew that was precisely why the caller felt safe to ring the private line in the bedroom.
This time it wasn’t Lana. It was Mael.
“Good morning, Monica. I hope I didn’t wake you.” His voice was warm—she could hear the smile in it.
“You’re taking a risk. The line could be bugged. Or recorded.” She rubbed her hand over her face.
“It’s neither.” Mael paused, clearly trying to decide how much to tell her. How much to trust her. “I have people within his people.”
And she was certain that Raziel had people working among Mael’s staff, as well.
This was precisely why Nadi always worked alone. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she leaned her shoulder against the headboard and pined desperately for a cup of coffee. “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure this morning?”
“I want to know if you’ve considered my offer.”
She paused. “I have.”
“And?”
She kept her voice natural, nonchalant. “I’m considering offers from multiple brokers.”
Mael laughed. Hard. “Oh, you truly are a natural at this. Lana told me you two spoke.”
Ah. Well, that answered that question. The brother and the sister were working together, at least to some degree. Damn. She was hoping she could play them against each other. “And what did she tell you?”
“About tonight. About what she offered you, should… things go slightly awry.” Silence stretched between them for what could have been thirty seconds.
Nadi wasn’t going to give up anything. This was Mael’s call, it was up to him to provide more.
This was his move. Finally, he relented.
“I… would obviously support you, if this… tragic incident were to take place.”
“That’s lovely to know.”
More silence. “But I feel like I must warn you.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve noticed a change in Raziel.” His tone grew softer, more thoughtful. “You’re different from his other companions. You’ve survived longer, for one thing.” He chuckled. “But there’s something else.”
Once more, she said nothing.
“He’s more focused. More disciplined. Almost as if there’s a goal he’s fighting for beyond his twisted pleasures. He’s working toward something—and it’s been ever since you arrived. But I don’t know what. Either the bastard is truly in love with you—”
They both paused to laugh at that.
“—or he’s scheming. Something big. Something that could tear us all apart.”
Oh. Oh. Lana hadn’t told Mael that “Monica” wasn’t really “Monica.” Lana might have told him that she had asked Nadi to take out Raziel during the Braen hit… but everything after that? Interesting.
“Why do you think he’s choosing to move now? It certainly can’t be because of me.”
“Potentially, it could. The Nostrom family is at a crossroads. Volencia is losing her grip on reality, becoming more paranoid and vindictive by the day. Lana schemes in her corners. Now, if she has access to the Rosovs and their resources? She’s a real threat.
If Raziel has dreams of power, he may see this as a now-or-never moment. ”
“I’ve never known Raziel to be anything but loyal to the family.” The lie left her easily. Sometimes, she really wondered about herself.
“I appreciate the fact that you want to believe in him. I truly do. But…” He paused. “Raziel has always been a loose cannon.”
“Killing him won’t be easy.” That was true. “Braen will be hard enough. I may not get the opportunity.” This was just simple logistical facts.
“I know. He is… damn hard to kill. Trust me, we’ve tried. However, there could be another way.”
Nadi said nothing, once more waiting for him to continue.
“You give us leverage we’ve never had before.”
“You want me to be a leash on your rabid brother?” The idea was as offensive as it was absurd. She snorted in laughter. “You think that’ll work?”
“No. Not a leash. A bridge. A way for me to reach him—influence him—without triggering his paranoia and rage. If he can’t be killed, then I want to work with him.
He’s my brother, Monica. I love him, no matter what you might believe.
In the end, I would much prefer he be alive and at my side.
I just can’t trust him. But I can trust you. ”
Oh, buddy…
But this wasn’t what she’d expected. She heard true sadness in Mael’s voice. True remorse. This was a man looking at his rabid family dog, the one he’d loved his entire life, and putting it down with tears in his eyes.
This wasn’t Lana’s gleeful ladder-climbing. This was a man who honestly wanted what was best for him and his people.
“Raziel and I, together, truly aligned? We could create a new kind of order in the metropolis. One free of the old-world cruelty and stagnation that my mother so very much adores.”
It almost sounded noble, put that way. Almost kind.
But Nadi had lived too long among liars to take his words at face value.
“And what happens if I refuse?” Now, that was the kicker. How would he respond to that?
Mael’s tone hardened. “Then, you remain under Raziel’s… protection. Until his interest wanes or his mood darkens. And we both know how that story ends.”
The threat was clear. Play my game, or face Raziel’s inevitable betrayal alone. “Tonight is the hit on Braen. Depending on how that goes… I’ll need time to think.”
“Of course. But events will move quickly. You may not have much time. I can protect you from him. Remember that.”
It was a fight to keep her voice neutral. “I will. Thank you.”
“Oh. One more thing.”
She furrowed her brow and waited.
“Whatever Lana has offered you?” His voice was suddenly harsh. Bitter. “Whatever it is, she’s lying. Or she plans to betray you. That is what she does. Do not let her control you or influence you. There is no room in her world for anyone but Lana.”
Swallowing, she hesitated before replying. “Noted.”
“My sister plays games within games. And those who trust her tend to end up dead.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Good luck tonight, Monica. Please… be careful. I would hate to see you get hurt.”
By the moons, that sounded real. Either Mael was the best liar of the Nostrom clan, or he truly was giving in to feelings for his brother’s arranged wife.
It almost made her want to laugh. Instead, she summoned as much softness into her voice as she could. “I will, Mael. Thank you again.”
A click on the line signaled he had hung up. She did the same a second later, and flopped backward onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. With a groan, she pressed the heels of her hands against her cheekbones. The weight of her situation was starting to bear down on her like a physical force.
Trapped between three siblings, all trying to use her for their own ends.
One knew what she really was and had her.
One suspected what she was and wanted to use her.
And one seemed to just want her.
She’d thought she’d been so clever, infiltrating the Nostrom family to destroy them from within. But now she was the one who felt destroyed—torn between vengeance and something else.
Between her past and a future she could barely imagine.
As she finally got up and started preparing for the day’s chaos, one thought burned through her mind—
I’m running out of time to choose a side.
Including my own.
Nadi crouched in the darkness of the Rosov estate’s eastern garden, the smell of night-blooming jasmine heavy in the air. The sweet scent mingled with the metallic tang of her freshly sharpened knives—a combination that reminded her of perfumed death. Something she’d dealt with a great many times.
Also fitting, considering what they were here to do.
She repositioned herself behind an ornamental bush.
She was wearing a form that she used on occasions like this—a muscular, slender human woman with dark hair and unremarkable features—perfect for blending into the background.
That, coupled with simple black clothing, and the whole thing almost felt routine.
Raziel had given her guff about how mundane she looked.
But she’d simply rolled her eyes and told him it wasn’t her job to look sexy for him this evening. Her job was to kill.
“Braen’s not coming,” she muttered, barely audible even to herself.
Raziel was stationed behind a decorative column nearby, a shadow among shadows. “Patience, my little murderer. He’ll arrive.”
The moonlight caught his profile, highlighting the sharp angles of his face. Even after all that had happened, she couldn’t deny that he was beautiful—deadly and beautiful, like a perfectly crafted blade.
“We’ve been here for nearly two hours,” she replied, fighting to keep her voice steady despite the competing urges to either flee, stab him to death, or pin him to the ground and have her way with him. All options had their appeal.
“Which means we’re closer to success than we were two hours ago.” His low voice carried a hint of amusement that set her teeth on edge.
“Easy for you to say. But I can’t feel my feet anymore.”
He glanced at her, those crimson eyes faintly luminous in the darkness. “It will be worth it.”
Nadi fell silent, her thoughts turning to the competing offers from Mael and Lana.
One brother and one sister, both offering her a place at the vampire court if she betrayed Raziel.
Why did everyone in this family insist on playing games with each other’s lives?
The Nostroms were a pit of vipers, and she had somehow found herself swimming in their midst.
“I believe it is time for you to finally tell me the truth.”
She huffed a half-laugh. “Like you’re telling me all your schemes. Be reasonable, Raziel.”
His movement was too fast to track. One moment he was several feet away, the next he was directly in front of her, his face inches from hers, one hand wrapped around her throat—not squeezing, but present. A reminder of what he was capable of.