Page 88 of The Darkest Night

Hellreaver hummed.If these allies are of those angels’ bloodlines, then they are soldiers worthy of our respect.

Frustration brought a sour taste to the back of Mae’s mouth.

But they won’t help us. Or rather, it sounds like they can’t.

Vlad drummed his fingers on the table, his brow furrowed. “If Dickson and Calvarro are part of those groups, then they must have been sent here for a purpose.”

“I agree,” Violet said reluctantly. “We weren’t aware of their identities.”

“We should call them,” Mae said brusquely.

She’d just brought up the number for the 17th Precinct when Nikolai spoke.

“Before you do that, I have an idea.”

Chapter 40

Ryu’s stomachchurned as she sneaked a look at the dark-clad figures visible through the doorway of the dilapidated room where she and Ye-Seul were being kept prisoner.

They’d been halfway to Clearview when their car had been run off the road on a secluded stretch next to a park. Ryu had barely had time to register what had happened before she and Ye-Seul were pulled out of the vehicle. They’d had hoods yanked over their heads and been hastily bundled into the back of a van before they could utter a single scream.

For a moment, Ryu had feared they had been kidnapped for ransom or were the target of gang crime, victims of mistaken identity.

The glimpse she’d caught of one of their assailants from underneath the covering obscuring her vision while her hands and feet were being tied told her the reason for the attack was wholly different and even more deadly than she’d thought.

There had been an animal with the man. A rat perched on his shoulder that the other kidnappers seemed to ignore.

A familiar.

It was only when she and Ye-Seul had reached their final destination and been greeted by the last person they’d expected to see that Ryu had realized how much trouble they were in.

She glanced to her left, fear tightening her chest.

Ye-Seul lay on her back, eyes closed and face pale. She’d knocked her head badly on the dashboard when they were driven off the road and had become increasingly drowsy in the last few hours, the blood from the gash on her forehead congealing messily on her thin skin.

Ryu bit her lip, hesitating. She took a ragged breath.

I can’t be weak. Mae will come for us. I have to keep it together until then!

“Hey!” she called out. “I need some help in here!”

Silence greeted her. A man finally appeared in the doorway. He studied her coolly before turning away.

Ryu scowled. “I’m not done talking to you, asshole!”

Footsteps drew close, the clickety-clack of heeled boots echoing across a cavernous space. Ryu’s mouth went dry at the sight of the figure looming in the entrance of their makeshift cell. She swallowed and met the eyes of the woman who was once as close to her as Mae.

Rose Blake smiled faintly. “Few dare raise their heads in my presence. I see the Witch Queen’s family are all made from the same mold.”

Ryu clenched her jaw at the inhuman voice that left Rose’s lips. “Ye-Seul knocked her head when your goons ran us off the road. She needs medical attention.”

Rose’s gaze shifted to Ye-Seul. She came inside the room, the air around her smelling of despair and chaos. Ryu flinched when she squatted next to Ye-Seul.

“The old woman is not near death’s door yet.” Rose traced Ye-Seul’s cheek with a light finger. “I’m sure she’ll live to see us capture her beloved granddaughter.”

Ryu’s eyes widened. Crimson drops were blooming on the thin line Rose had scored in Ye-Seul’s skin. Her face grew hot.

“Don’t touch her, you bitch!”

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