Page 132 of Savage Blood
As we passed a group of shifters murmuring to one another, probably coming up with an escape plan, a figure emerged on the outskirts. A pair of dark eyes behind a plain mask widened on me, and my steps faltered.
I knew those eyes.
And the ramrod-straight set of her spine.
The disappointment thinning her lips, the same expression I’d earned many times when I first became a raven, was all too familiar.
“Coltrane,” I hissed, a mix of fury and confusion swirling around me. “What are you doing here?”
Who the hell gave her intel about Barric’s party, and how did she even get into the manor?
She peered around to see if anyone had heard me, but everyone’s focus remained on Barric and the impending sacrifice. His minions attempted to strap a struggling Charla to one of those tables with chains.
My heart wrenched at the fight she put up because in the end, they would overpower her. She was just one against many.
You are not alone, Charla. I’m here, and I won’t let you die.
“Did you really think I’d give up after one failed attempt?” Coltrane’s words stole my attention from Charla. “You know me better than that.”
Fire burned in my veins, and a hundred curses tumbled from my lips. Coltrane, after sending so many ravens to retrieve it and die, entered the Underworld herself to take the Infernal Sol.
“How did you get in here?” Fane asked, flanking my side, his warm hand on my back.
Coltrane, her blonde hair slicked back in a low bun, gave a noncommittal shrug. “I have a lot of resources at my disposal and plenty of allies, even without the title of captain.”
Hot anger continued rushing through me, and I resisted the longing to slam my fist into her face. “You came for the amulet, but did you even spare your nephew a thought? He’s here, being held captive, and instead of going for the amulet, you could try to free him.”
“I could say the same about you.” She jerked her chin toward Fane. “Hawk used to be your number one priority, and I thought you two would eventually get married, but ever since the hybrid came into your life, you have no room for my nephew.”
My nostrils flared as I stepped toward her, my control cracking. “I love Hawk more than you ever did. I have a plan.”
Roxie had better be working on that right now or she’d have hell to pay.
“I came here to kill Barric,” Coltrane said in a voice low enough only for the three of us to hear. “And once I take the amulet, I’ll make sure Hawk gets free.”
“It’s not that simple,” I said. “You can’t just kill Barric. Reese stabbed him with a silver dagger, and it barely fazed him.”
The hard set of Coltrane’s lips softened, and she rested her hand on my shoulder, but she let it drop when Fane growled. “I know what will happen when you take that amulet.”
I seriously doubted that.
She turned to Fane. “Let me take the Infernal Sol. It won’t bond with me like it will with her. I’ll put it in a safe place.”
“Where? Around your neck?” Fane scoffed. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Roman,” Barric called, yanking my gaze toward the witch. “Your assistance is required for this.”
An invisible fist slammed into my sternum as Roman pushed away from the wall, slipping through my fingers. Luring him away was no longer an option, not if I wanted to finish this before Barric sacrificed Charla.
“We’ll have to sneak down there,” Fane whispered. “Maybe I can create a distraction.”
Or maybe Coltrane could.
But when I turned to her, she was gone.
A string of curses burst between my clenched teeth. “Where the hell did she go?”
Fane scrutinized the crowd and then jerked his chin to the left. “There.”
