Page 63 of Ascension of the Pack

‘Who?’ I pressed.

‘Her name is Mindy Hunter.’

I froze. Fucking Mindy! ‘Is she Domini?’

He shook his head. ‘Not as far as I know. She’s just brethren, mindlessly serving her family dragon, Geneve. V didn’t believe in bringing too many people into the fold. She said it wouldn’t remain asecretsociety for long if we opened our gates to all and sundry.’

‘What will happen to Mindy now that Geneve is dead?’

‘Geneve’s brethren will be passed to her nearest surviving relative, a niece, I believe.’

I sighed. ‘And is she Domini?’

‘I don’t think so, but as I said Geneve believed in keeping things tight. Each of us only know of a handful of the others.’

‘And who did you know about?’

‘Larsden, Ramsay, Kearns, Isaacs, Geneve.’ He licked his lips. ‘I believe that I know all the werewolves that are part of The Order, but I’m not certain.’

Another heavy sigh slipped from my lips. ‘And how are we to know who is Domini or not?’

‘I tried to point you to me,’ he mumbled. ‘Idiotic, isn’t it? On some level, I wanted you to stop me – that’s why I suggested putting roses on the mantelpiece. Surely you associated me with roses? And then I drugged the dark seraph and made sure they saw me bringtheir food.’ He looked at me caustically. ‘I’m under a vow, you see, not to reveal I’m Domini.’

Even as he said that, I saw a cloud of black smoke start swirling around him. The Other realm had recognised him as an oath breaker and was exacting its price. He would be remembered as an oath breaker forever, but even after all he’d done I didn’t want that for him.

‘Stop talking!’ I said sharply. ‘Maybe we can undo this. Amber will know a way!’

He smiled sadly. ‘Even now you’re trying to save me. I’m sorry, Lucy. And please, ask Nina to forgive me, too. I tried to get Isaacs to stop the destruction but I thought I had more influence than I really did.’

He shook his head at his own folly. ‘Ask Daniella to forgive me. I never meant for her to get embroiled in this or for her to get hurt.’

David took off his tortoiseshell glasses and set them down next to him on the bench. ‘I didn’t want an oath-breaker’s death, nor do I want to kill myself like The Order says that I must, so I’ve arranged other means. I want my death to be on my own terms – though now it’s upon me, it’s hard to know that death is coming for you and in what form. Death is surely our last greatmystery.’

He smiled at me and nodded as he squared his shoulders. ‘But I have courage enough for this.’ He raised his voice. ‘Do it now.’

Voltaire stepped out of the shadow of the pagoda. I’d no sooner registered his presence than he sped towards David. His fangs were bared and in David’s throat before I could even take a step forward.

A low moan escaped me as the vampyr bit into David’s carotid artery. It wasn’t a delicate nip but a savage bite, then he went back for more and ripped out David’s jugular.

‘No!’ I screamed but it was too late, far too late. Hot tears welled up in my eyes.

‘He was Domini,’ Voltaire explained, blood staining his chin.

Tears streaming down my face, I stared at him. ‘He was my friend.’

‘You’re a Queen,’ he said harshly. ‘You don’t have friends, you have subjects.’

I shook my head wordlessly and pawed at my cheeks, smearing salty tears across them. ‘I could have turned him, made him a spy.’

Voltaire shook his head. ‘No, you couldn’t. Once he’d told you what he was, he was destined for an oath-breaker’s death.’

Ilooked at the vampyr. ‘Why did you kill him then? Why save him from having his name recorded in the book of oath breakers?’

Voltaire sighed softly and suddenly he looked old and tired. ‘He wasn’t born of the Other and he wasn’t raised knowing our ways. He wasn’t warned of the Domini at his mother’s knee. He couldn’t have known what he was in for when he joined them.’

‘So it was a mercy killing? You were being kind.’

‘Let’s not go that far,’ he said abruptly. ‘He was Domini and I ended him, which is my job.’

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