Page 139 of Tin God

Zasha’s eyes were dancing. “Either way, Brigid’s life would have been ruined.”

“Why ruin her?” Tenzin shrugged. “Why bother, Zasha?”

Zasha shrugged. “She killed Ivan.”

Tenzin didn’t know if that was even true, but it was evident that Zasha believed it was. “Why did you destroy our house in New York?”

“That was actually a favor from an old associate, one that I enjoyed cashing in.” Zasha stepped closer, rolling the ball of fire from one hand to another. “They may have gone a little too far, but it gave you a push, didn’t it?” Zasha winked.

“You got our attention.”And I am going to kill you. Or watch happily as Brigid kills you. Either way is fine.

“I would have liked to go to New York,” Zasha said, “but I was busy with Paulson’s little shore excursions up here. He actually thought he could draw Katya and Oleg into a war. Can you believe that?”

“It almost worked.”

Zasha shook their head. “No, I knew as soon as Brigid came up she would see through it. She’s really very keen. She understands how we think.”

“We?”

“Monsters,” Zasha whispered. “You’re the worst, you know.”

“Am I?” Tenzin felt Brigid’s power building, and she noticed the fire in the hearth moving in ways it shouldn’t. Had Brigid’s power grown that much?

Interesting.

“You are.” Zasha was staring at her. “You pretend to be on the side of the angels, but you’re a monster who hunts down vampires for the sins of their sire.” Zasha’s friendly veneer cracked. “Hypocrite. Is your own sire blameless? Shouldn’t you be hunted too?”

“Probably. And my sire isn’t blameless.” Tenzin stepped farther into the room, sensing the shift in the air. She could feel what Brigid was doing, and she wanted to stay well out of the way. “But he is useful. And he has” —she racked her brain for the word Ben had used once— “evolved. Have you?”

Zasha lifted their chin. “Why would I want to evolve? I am as I am.” They spread their arms, both hands holding growing balls of swirling fire. “I am as I have always been. I revel in it,Saraal.” Zasha spat out her old name with ire.

Ah, Saraal. That poor girl buried in a tent beneath Temur’s war chest.

“Saraal is dead,” Tenzin whispered. “And I… have never pretended to be on the side of the angels.”

In the space of a human heartbeat, the fire in the hearth leaped up and shot across the room, spearing from the fireplace to the window, blowing Zasha backward as it raked across their face, exploding through the room as the fire vampire screamed.

The flames blasted Tenzin across the neck, and she raised her arm to blow it back as she turned her face to shield herself.

Too late.

Tenzin pushed the air away from herself, but not before she felt Brigid’s lashing flames eat into her skin.

Carwyn droppedfrom Ben’s grip to the deck of the speedboat where two vampires were propping shoulder-held rocket launchers on the backs of dead-eyed human men.

“Fire!” One launched toward the front deck of theNautilus, streaming though the black night and hitting the railing as it exploded and the deck where Jennie had been fighting erupted into flames.

Carwyn barreled toward the vampires firing the rockets and spread his arms wide, knocking both of them to the deck before they realized they were being attacked.

Thud.

He bent down and twisted one neck.

Scramble.

He pivoted on one leg, sweeping it out to knock the second human holding a rocket launcher to the ground.

“Conrad!” The vampire’s shout was cut off when Carwyn gripped him by the throat and lifted him in the air, the blade of the hunting knife at the vampire’s nape.

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