Page 59 of The Serpent's Bride
“The other two men heard the gunshot and I tried to run, but they caught me.” This was when her lying skills had to come in handy. Sometimes, there were upsides to living one’s entire life as a fabrication. “They still wanted me alive, even though their friend was dead. That’s the only reason I’m still here. Otherwise, they would’ve shot me dead in a split second.”
Volencia was staring at her, studying her for any crack in her facade, any possible flaw in her story. Any piece that didn’t line up.
But there wasn’t one.
“I shot the other two.” Nadi sighed, and shrugged before sticking another piece of food in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed before finishing her thought. “It was me or them. In the fight, I fell over and knocked my head on the tile, which is how I got the concussion.” The story was so close to the truth it might as well have been real. The only difference was that she had left John alive.
Raziel reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She almost jolted at the sudden touch, she was so unaccustomed to it.
“I suppose resourcefulness is a necessary trait when one grows up in the outpost cities.” He combed his fingers throughthe strands of her hair before settling his hand on her shoulder. “It might come in handy in this family, depending on my final choice.”
“Hopefully, people don’t lob grenades at you too often.” She smiled at him half-heartedly.
“Only now and then.” His expression split into a grin.
That got a small laugh out of her. She shook her head as she went back to eating.
Mael took over the conversation at that point, thankfully. “The problem remains, that this likely means war. If we can’t convince them to leave the metropolis, the fae scum need to be exterminated once and for all. They clearly cannot be trusted.”
Raziel’s expression darkened. “I will not pass up this opportunity to tell you that I warned you, brother.”
“I know. I know.” Mael sighed. “But I thought even the fae had more honor than this. Clearly, I was wrong.”
It took everything in Nadi—every ounce of self-control—not to visibly react. She focused on the food on her plate and the cold beer in her hand. She had spent her life in the upper world of the metropolis listening to humans and vampires insult her people and spit on the fae. But to hear her worst enemies talk like that made her fantasize about the room covered in their dead corpses, blood splattered all over the walls.
Keeping her head down, she focused on eating her food. Her hunger had been turning to nausea, and now that she was placating the beast, it seemed to be settling down.
“Attacking them will only send them scurrying underground.” Lana shifted in her chair to lean against Azazel’s side. “Do you think they’ve already gone into hiding?”
“No.” Mael cracked his neck. “They won’t give up the caves. Not even when they know we’re coming for them. They’ve worked too hard for what they’ve got there. But with the mayoralelection coming up, Ireallydon’t have time to be covering up a mass slaughter in the warehouses.”
Raziel tapped his fingernails on the edge of his wine glass in slow succession. “I’ll do it. I’ll offer them an opportunity to leave peacefully with only a few lives lost. If they say no…”
“Then do what you do best, brother.” Mael smirked.
Raziel huffed a half-hearted laugh. “As always.” He paused. “I’m going alone, and I’ll need a few cases of Deniel’s weapons.”
She watched him curiously, seeing the wheels spinning in his head. Whatever he was scheming, she had no idea. The cave mouths that the Iltanis controlled were attached to the network of tunnels that ran deep into the underground, both of the metropolis and the Wild. It made it a veritable maze, and fae like Luciento knew it like the backs of their hands. It made the odds of cornering them slim at best.
“You’re talking about trying to catch a roach with a toothpick from across the room.” Lana huffed, giving voice to something that Nadi had wondered about, albeit in a much more aggressive and insulting way.
“Exactly. All I will need is precision, which is why I’m going alone.” Raziel shook his head. “Luciento and his entire gang of fae-loving humans will be exterminated by my hand alone.”
“Absolutely not.” Volencia sat forward, slapping her hand on the arm of the chair. “Are you afool?”
Raziel rolled his eyes. “Charging in with twenty men will be precisely what they expect and are prepared for. There will be a gun battle, likely more explosives, and a body count. If you want to avoid newspaper attention, this must be done quietly. Carefully. And surgically. By the time I’m in, I’ll have them under my control. I’ll attempt to make a deal with them in good faith. If they refuse to leave? They will all die.”
Nadi hated to admit it…but it was a good plan.
Mael seemed to agree, judging by his heavy, weary sigh. He wiped a hand down over his face before throwing both his hands up into the air in surrender. “Fine. The Iltanis came for you. We’ll do this your way.”
Fuck. Shit, shit,shit.Her worst enemy was going to charge in to kill her uncle and her old clan. Either Raziel was going to die or Luciento would. Raziel washerkill, not Luciento’s. And she still felt loyalty toward her uncle, despite recent events.
Fuck.Fuck!Nadi realized she didn’t have a choice. Taking a swig from her beer, she let out a sigh. “I’m going with you.”
The laugh that left Raziel was born of pure humor as if it were the funniest thing she’d ever said. “While I’m impressed with your performance during the abduction,absolutely not.”
“What’s to stop them from putting holes in your head the moment you roll up to the gate? No, you need something you’re willing to let them hold hostage while you talk ‘in good faith.’” She glared up at him, daring to meet him at his level in front of his family. “And I’ve proven I can handle myself, haven’t I?”
