Page 118 of Veil of Death and Shadow

Incendiary was a place for a nice night out. It was also a place where someone could casually introduce themself to a vampire.

I turned to Kieran. “Let’s go.”

“Hey,” Rex called out when we started to leave. “I really do hope she’s okay. And I don’t know—maybe it will be worth it. Maybe the ritual will work. She just wants to see her sister again.”

I froze, my body vibrating with barely constrained anger. As if I didn’t understand my best friend’s motivations. As if I didn’t know that she wanted to see her fucking sister again. Of course she fucking did.

But that’s not what he cared about.

“I’m supposed to be finding my joy,” I mumbled. “Instead, I’m only finding my rage.”

Kieran glanced down at me, his mouth pressed into that smirk of his. “I don’t know, Agony. Gotta say, rage looks pretty good on you, too.”

“Hey, wait.” When I didn’t turn or respond, Rex’s voice only grew louder. “What about my pendant? You said you’d get it back for me.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. Then I turned towards Menace and called him over.

When he latched onto my shoulder and dropped the warped leather and stone onto my palm, I thanked him, offering a piece of kibble that I kept in my bag in exchange.

Then I threw the necklace onto the ground.

The three of us left without looking back to watch him scramble for it.

“What now?” Kieran asked, his expression unreadable.

“We make a visit to Incendiary again,” I said. “Tonight.”

20

MAREENA

Present Day

“You’re not on the list.” The bouncer didn’t even spare me a second glance. It was the same guy who was here last week.

“I know I’m not on the list,” I said. “I’m not here to party. I just need to see if my friend is here.”

“What’s her name?” he asked, his voice a bored drawl. When I told him, he just shook his head. “She’s not on the list either.”

“I know that she’s not on the list. Please just let me check to see if she’s here?”

“No name, no entry. It’s a simple rule, girl.” He nodded towards the line of people huddling behind me. “You see them? They understand that rule. Feel free to join that line, and maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones granted entry.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, begging whatever gods existed for a shred of patience. “My friend met a woman inside, when we were here last week. I don’t know her name. But now my friend is missing, and that woman might know where I can find her—Please, I just need to take a quick look.”

“No name, no entry,” he said again, then looked me over, a flash of recognition passing over his features. It should. I was wearing the exact same thing I’d worn last week. I had no patience to put together another outfit the club might deem worthy of granting me entrance for. “Human, right?”

I nodded.

“Humans are required to wait the required three weeks before being granted entry again. You’re not above the rules.”

Kieran snorted. “How many humans do you know that can talk to dead people and share apartments with crombies? This girl doesn’t follow any rules.”

I bit the inside of my cheeks.

Kieran sighed. “This is getting us nowhere.”

“Clearly,” I muttered.

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