Page 55 of Consort of the Crime Queen

And the others pick up the cry, shouting out Hadria's pseudonym as she straightens up and looks around. She holds up her hand for quiet, but I'm sure I see the faintest smile cross her face before she does.

"Alright," she says evenly. "We've still got problems."

"Maybe not as many as you think," Mario pipes up. "We killed every last goddamn one of those traitors who turned on us down there."

I'm not sure if mass slaughter is a cause for celebration, but a murmur of fierce assent goes around the room, threatening to erupt louder until Hadria raises a hand. "Good. And I killed Ilona myself, after that rat Tony tried and failed to stab me in the back." She pauses. "Someone saved me," she says, looking around the room. "One of you threw yourselves over me and protected me through that first part of the fight out on the lawn. Who was it?"

The room goes silent, but there's an undertone to it that I can't place until Mario speaks again. "Yeah," he says. "It was Ricky. He's over here." He beckons Hadria over, and I follow, though I don't want to leave Lyssa alone. But a few more from my trainee group have come over to help tend to her, so I hurry after Hadria after assuring Lyssa I'll be back in a few seconds.

"Oh, no," I breathe, when I reach Hadria and Mario. They're both bending over Ricky, who is slumped in his usual chair at the table having his wounds bandaged up by another Syndicate member.

He doesn't look good.

"Hades," he says with a pained grin when he sees Hadria. "Knew you'd…pull through…"

"Mario tells me you threw yourself in front of Tony's knife for me when he tried to finish the job," Hadria says, crouching down next to him. "You stupid old man."

He laughs and then groans. "Well, someone had to have your back after that motherfucker put a knife into it. Where is he?"

"Dead."

"Good."

Hadria reaches out to squeeze his hand. "Thank you."

"Eh, anytime. Though maybe not again. Not sure I'll pull through. But as far as ways to go…" He gives a smile, a real smile that reaches his eyes and softens his whole face despite the lines and the weariness and the blood all over it. "I'm glad I could be useful to you."

"You'd better not die on me," Hadria says. "That's an order. I'll need your help making a few changes around here once the dust settles." She stands and touches his shoulder. "I'm off to kill Nero, Ricky. Wish me luck."

"I wish you cold fury and a warm blade."

She gives a half-smile and a nod, and then we go back to Lyssa. She's passed out by now, as Mario bandages up her wounds. As Hadria looks down at her, I can't quite read her expression. Then she says, "I will kill all of them for this."

"There aren't many of Nero's guys left," Mario says. "Lyssa went through them like a fucking wrecking ball on her way to try to find you, Boss."

Hadria's jaw clenches tight. "She's been saving my ass her whole damn life," she mutters. She turns to Mario. "I need you to take charge in here, just like I think you have been doing. Can you keep doing it, while I go and finish this?"

Mario stands, bringing himself up to his full height, and gives a nod. "Hell yeah I can, Boss."

Hadria puts an arm around me and leads me to a quiet corner. "I need to find Nero. This ends tonight."

"I'm coming with you."

"I want you to look after Lyssa for me. If she dies, I…" Hadria hesitates. In the dim overhead lights, she looks suddenly weary, almost fragile.

Mortal.

She goes on. "Aurora. I need to kill my brother. And I need to know you're safe while I'm doing it. My focus will be split if you're with me."

I hate that I know she's right. Panic flutters in my chest. I can't lose her. Gripping her hands fiercely, I stare into the eyes of the woman I love. "Promise you'll come back to me."

A score of emotions flicker across her face. Then she leans down, kissing me with heartbreaking tenderness. Pulling back, she says in a low, firm voice, "Never doubt it. You're my fate, Aurora."

Before I can respond, she turns and walks to the door, giving me one last look before she exits again.

Mario locks it behind her and tries to give me a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine, Suzy. She's indestructible."

She's not, though. Hadria bleeds just like all the rest of us. I have the proof on my hands, which I look down at now, and I find myself praying hard to whatever will listen, a repetitive mantra.

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