Page 117 of Death Game: Supernatural Battle

I’d spent five hours on the Ferris wheel. I read three books and packed up my grandmother’s suite. I endured terrible pep talks from TommyandLaurel.

Yet with an errant compliment,Fredhad convinced me of my path.

Reaching the lobby, I hastily smoothed my expression in preparation for the next onslaught.

Lady Treena’s chauffeur pulled around her gleaming steel-grey car. Before he could stride around to open her door, my grandmother’s best friend was out of the vehicle, champagne chute raised in the air.

Was she here as a representative of all the oldies or was this a personal visit?

This was old money I was dealing with. If they were on my side, this could be her digging for information on my loyalties. If they’d turned on me…

… Things were about to get ugly when I couldn’t afford—and didn’twant—them to get ugly.

“Basilia,” she said cheerfully.

The tightness around her mouth spoke otherwise.

“Aunt Treena,” I replied, gesturing to the house.

“No, no. Just here for a fleeting visit, I’m afraid.”

This woman was afraid of one thing and one thing only.Vissimo.

She took a fake sip of champagne, observing me.

I was glad to see my grandmother’s friend.Reallyglad. No matter what happened next, I had no intention of harming my oldies. Just as I had no intention to back down from what I’d said.

My choice was made.

The old woman hummed and reached into her purse, passing me her chute. As had been the way since I hit sixteen, I chugged the contents behind the curtain of my curls.

When I glanced back up, her expression had softened.

She held out an envelope.

I took it on autopilot, exchanging it for her chute.

Lady Treena held her hand to my cold cheek. “We hope to see you there, dear.”

I stared at the envelope as she got into her car and disappeared as swiftly as she’d come.

Hooking my thumb under the wax seal that only served to remind me of the last wax seal I’d pried open, I worked it free.

An invitation. To a soiree. Four days from now.

“And what that means, I have no idea.” Could be good. Could be a trap.

If all my oldies were there, however, it worked in perfectly with my plan.IfKyros deigned to show up in the next day. Attending their soiree during my thrall seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Hiccupping from the champagne I’d necked, I hustled inside. I had so much shit to do that sleep seriously wasn’t an option for me.

Entering the office again, I groaned at the stacks of paper from estate matters piling up while I disregarded everything forIngenium. I had thirty-two emails in my inbox. Scratch that, that was if I just counted the emails requiring thoughtful responses.

All of it would have to wait.

Sliding open the desk drawer, I grabbed my Vissimo law book and theIngeniumrule book. Reading them had become a ritual. I’d memorised some parts by chanting them over and over when stressed out of my mind.

Knowing the rules of the game was everything. Ofanygame, whether surviving as part of the human working class or in a life-and-death vampire battle. Each time I’d lost, it was due to ignorance of the rules or uncertainty about the rules.

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