I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm and nudged her with my hand. “Let’s go, tough chick.”
Now that we were in the thick of the crowd, I realized that my prediction of a security nightmare had been right on the nose. In addition to the disguises preventing us from recognizing enemies, it was difficult to hear anything. Besides the cacophony of cheering, a wall of sound blasted the area from the rock band on the stage in front of Rome’s northern gate next to the piazza.
Working through the crowd was its own challenge. Some areas were little more than mosh pits where we had to dodge flying elbows and body slams. Alexis seemed to enjoy this part the most since it allowed her to punch mortals with abandon. I had to admit I didn’t hate that part, either.
My knuckles stung from jabbing a big dude in his concrete jaw, but otherwise we got through the perimeter check without incident. Soon we switched direction toward the obelisk. About the same time, the band finished their set—thank the gods—and an emcee jumped onstage to rattle off some sort of announcement. He spoke in rapid Italian, naturally, so I wasn’t sure what he was saying, but a ripple of excitement went through the crowd.
I spotted Adam standing next to one of the four stone lion fountains at the base of the obelisk. He waved to make sure I saw him. I nodded and turned toward Alexis, who had been bringing up the rear.
“There’s Ad—” My words were swallowed by a sudden explosion. I ducked and covered my head. My heart pounded as I waited for the inevitable heat concussion. For the crowd to panic and stampede. Except the crowd didn’t freak. Not even when the second explosion came, a third. I looked up and let out a part-relived, part-annoyed sigh.
The sky above the piazza sizzled with fireworks. All around, spectators craned their necks as they oohed and aahed over the impressive display. I shook my head and laughed at myself. The emcee must have been announcing that the show was about to begin.
Relieved and a little embarrassed by my brittle nerves, I turned to look for Alexis. The vampire had fallen behind as the crowd closed in to watch the show. Probably twelve beings separated us. I stood on my tiptoes and tried to flag her down. She saw me and I pointed toward the obelisk. Adam, I mouthed.
She nodded and started working her way toward me with an annoyed expression. I looked back over to where I’d seen Adam. He caught my gaze and raised his hands in a what’s-the-holdup? gesture. I held up a finger. “Hold your horses, mancy,” I grumbled.
I turned to check Alexis’s progress and froze. Just behind her, a redhead in a devil’s mask materialized out of the mass of people.
Panic, white hot and ice cold.
“Look out!” I shouted. Another explosion smothered my warning. “Fuck!” I shouted, and started hacking my way toward her. She’d stopped and was arguing with a woman who’d taken exception to Alexis shoving her aside. The devil was closer now, too close.
“Alexis!” I screamed.
She looked up and saw me. Her eyes narrowed into a confused expression.
Boom!
Alexis froze, her eyes wide. Her pale lips parted, emitting a thin trickle of blood.
Boom!
She swung around. A flash of metal in her hand.
Boom!
The devil and Alexis Vega both burst into flames.
“No!” I screamed. I started hacking my way through the crowd. A few spectators had noticed the pair combusting in their midst and were looking around in confusion. They clearly couldn’t decide whether it was part of the show or something they should actually panic about.
Without thinking, I took off through the crowd. Alexis, gods protect her, had taken out her killer, but I knew better than to believe he’d been working alone. I needed to find his partners and show them what Chthonic mages did to enemies. As I prowled for other foes, I bowled over several pissed-off mortals, not caring if I was creating a scene.
“Sabina!” Adam’s shout was faint, but it acted like a bucket of ice water on my fiery anger.
I slowed my pursuit. What the hell was I doing? If Cain was orchestrating this, he’d want nothing more than to separate me from my team. That’s why they’d taken out Alexis. At the same moment, I saw a flash of red—a mask with black horns—running in the opposite direction. My muscles ached to pursue, but I fought the instinct. Instead, I watched as the crowd swallowed the devil. Fighting the urge to find and kill that prey wasn’t easy. But it was necessary if I was going to win this battle.
I swiveled my body, intent on making my way back toward Adam. But when I did, I couldn’t see him. The fireworks were picking up speed now and the constant barrage of explosions set every nerve in my body on overload.
Everywhere I looked, all I saw were masks. Strangers. Potential enemies. Any one of the bodies surrounding me could be Cain. Cold sweat broke out on my back. Time to abort this mission. I needed to find Adam and get us the fuck out of there.
I took a deep, calming breath and told my galloping heart to chill. Pulling the gun from my waistband, I held it down next to my side. The gun’s heft and solidity calmed me. Centered me. I was not the prey here. I was the hunter.
I ripped off my mask to clear my vision and stalked through the crowd. Despite the noise and the confusion, I focused all my senses on seeking out my prey. Cain was there. I could feel it in my marrow. And I needed to find him before he found Adam. Because if he did, Cain would gain the upper hand and he knew it.
I headed back toward the obelisk since that’s where I last saw Adam. On my way, I had to pass the burning embers that used to be Alexis. I sent a quick prayer to the Great Mother to accept the vampire into Irkalla. “Rest well, my friend,” I said silently. “You earned it.”
I stepped over the burned mass and continued on. The humans who’d witnessed Alexis’s death cast occasional glances at the pile, but the brief panic had dissipated. That’s the great thing about mortals. They’re so determined to keep things normal that they rationalize all sorts of crazy shit. Including, it seemed, watching a vampire explode at their feet.
“Sabina,” a voice whispered in my ear. I turned, trying to locate the source, but I was surrounded by mortals. I felt the hum of magic farther into the mass of people, but close by… nothing. No scent of dirty copper penny that would indicate a vampire, no lavender of the fae species, no mage sandalwood, or even the eau de wet dog that clung to werewolves like body odor.
“Sabina.” The whisper again. This time like a breeze against my ear. A chill ran down my spine. Dread mixed with anticipation. I forged ahead. Cain wanted me to turn and run scared into his trap. With my eyes scanning constantly, I pulled out my cell with my free hand.
“What’s wrong?” Giguhl demanded by way of greeting.
“Get ready.”
“Is everything okay? You sound pissed.”
“No time. Just be ready to rock ’n’ roll.” My left shoulder burned like I’d pulled a muscle. I massaged the stiffness, but it didn’t dissipate. If anything, it throbbed hotter.
“Always. Watch your ass, magepire.”
“Always,” I echoed. “Okay, I’m leaving the call connected but putting the phone in my pocket. Listen up for the signal.”
I shoved the phone into my pocket, careful not to disconnect the call. I’d reached the obelisk now. Young children sat on the backs of the stone lions and splashed in the water that came from the statues’ mouths.
And not ten feet from all the innocence stood the inventor of murder—Cain, aka Master Mahan, aka He Who Kills to Get Gain.
I stopped ten feet away. My features were passive but inside, my stomach roiled like it was filled with serpents. The last time I’d been this close to Cain, he was killing my twin.
Though not a large male, he seemed to take up the whole space. He was dressed in street clothes—jeans, a button-down, and loafers. But the modern clothes didn’t reduce the magnetism, the wild, untamed energy coming off him. He had the kind of face sculptors dreamed of and the lithe body of a predator. High cheekbones, full lips, honeyed olive skin. His emerald-green eyes promised sin.
And by sin, I of course meant ritualized, sadistic murder.
“Cara mia,” Cain drawled. He leaned back against the shaft of the obelisk. His arms were crossed, his posture relaxed. “Welcome to the party.” He stepped down to my level, his movements predatory, like a jungle cat. He tipped his chin down like some sort of signal.
A dozen beings wearing red devil’s masks emerged from the crowd and circled us. Their crushing presence closed in, blocking me and Cain from mortal eyes. The effect was… intimidating. But I stayed calm.
After all, I had a demon up my sleeve.
I could have sat there and exchanged clever banter with the deranged killer. But this wasn’t some fucking movie and I wasn’t about to miss my opportunity to take the upper hand. “Now, Gi—”
Pain exploded in my back. Like a steel fist punching through muscle and bone. The impact and the searing pain threw me to my knees. My gun skittered away, lost among a sea of feet. I choked on the bile and fear rising in my throat.
Ignoring the hot convulsions in my back, I pushed myself off the ground until my ass was resting on my heels. With great effort, I leveraged myself upright. I wanted to be looking directly into Cain’s eyes when I said my next words. “Applewood stakes can’t kill me.”
Cain’s seductive mouth spread into a lopsided grin. “It’s not applewood.”
“Then why—” I cut myself off. The loss of blood and the pain had addled my brains for a moment. I was wasting valuable time. It didn’t matter what weapon he’d used. It was time to fire back with one of my own.
I screamed, “Now, Giguhl!”
Nothing happened.
Cain clucked his tongue. “Magic not working?”
I ignored him and tamped down the rise of panic. Scrambling, I pulled the phone from my pocket and yelled, “Giguhl get your ass here now!”
“Red?” Giguhl’s muted shout came through the receiver.
“Sabina, darling, save your breath,” Cain said. “Your demon friend’s not coming.”