Page 40 of The Arbiter

“Asshole,” I grind out through my teeth. “They better still be alive, or I’ll ash everyone in that god forsaken place.”

The voice barely lets me get my words out. “If you know what’s good for you, Arbiter, you’ll keep that mouth shut. Otherwise, your Strige loverboy will never make it ‘til you get here.”

I grit my teeth together to keep from cursing him again. Instead, I say, “Just tell me what I have to do.”

***

Larkan

What a fucking week!I say to myself as I lock the doors behind the Rites. Once they got everything that they needed from the scene and his body, they gave me permission to cover him with a sheet from one of the spare rooms upstairs.

Nocturna isn’t in a place where she can logically decide what she wants done with the body, probably will hold out hope of finding her friend so she can decide. As I carry it upstairs to the same room in which I found the sheet, I can’t help but think what a disaster this whole situation has become. It’s not surprising that someone would try to make a power move in the same time frame of switching Arbiters. I’d bet almost anything at this point that whoever is behind this also had insight as to who the next Arbiter would be. That would also mean that they’re behind the death of the old one, Cassia. If my assumptions are true, then it will be a whole lot to answer for when they’re revealed.

I finish the cleaning before heading up the stairs to check on Nocturna. It’s been a couple hours already, so I’m hoping that she did as I said for once and is trying to get some rest. Climbing up the outside stairs to her loft, I let myself in at the door. It hasn’t even swung open all the way before I realize that the loft is empty. Rushing around to all the rooms, I continue checking for her before flipping the fuck out. After I see for myself that she’s nowhere to be found, a yell is ripped from my throat.

“Why, oh fucking why could you not just do as I asked?” I’m mad enough to rain wrath down upon anything within reach. Lucky for me and everything she values in this place, I’ve got years and years of control under my belt.

The door slams against the back of the wall, and I have my blades drawn before either of us can take a breath. I bury the first one in the door as a warning; the other I have pulled back to let loose just as I realize it’s Enoch. With all this other shit going on, I haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly who he’s been going to see, but he’s out of time now.

“What’s your deal, Infernal?” I insist, throwing my hood up over my head.

His face reveals nothing as he says, “I need to talk to her, now.”

My laugh is short and nowhere close to humorous. “Well, good luck with that. She’s not here. More than likely run off to find Monroe and Jamie.”

“Then I suggest you take that other blade and make sure that it hits home this time,” he tells me, sagging in defeat.

“What are you hiding?” I demand, not entirely wiping his suggestion off the table.

He walks over slowly and sits on the couch in front of me, placing his head in his hands. “It doesn’t matter now. If they have her, then it’s over.” Glancing up at me, I can tell the words he speaks ring true. “I sold my soul a long time ago to save hers, and I’d do it all over again. They wanted me to help tip the precarious balance that she now sits on, but I wouldn’t do it. That’s why I kept pissing her off. The further she stayed away from me, the better. I just couldn’t help it when I saw her again for the first time in so long. Damn, I missed her something fierce.” He shakes his head in shame. “After all this time, I still failed her.”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I don’t know if it’s because I know that he’s finally speaking the truth, or that I could use the backup,ut I say, “I can find her.”

His eyes jump to mine. “What do you mean?”

“I marked her,” I answer, “the first time that I kissed her. I can find her anywhere that she goes now. Depending on how far they’ve taken her already, it may take a few days to sort it out, but I’m going after her. I could use the extra manpower, if you’re willing. It’ll take too long to call in Rite reinforcements.”

He stands and moves toe to toe with me. We’re almost the same height, but that in no way intimidates me.

“Just so we’re clear, if you try to double cross either one of us, you will die,” I say to him. “It won’t be a lovely quick death either. I will draw it out as long as possible before letting her ash your lying Infernal ass and sending you where you belong.”

Nodding, he says, “I deserve that and understand.”

“Good,” I tell him, starting for the door, “now, let’s go save our girl.”

Nocturna

The silver binding my wrists together is burning like a motherfucker. My breath is hot, and my face sweats from this stupid black sack over my head.

Still, I don’t regret letting the humans take me.

I need to find where Monroe is and hopefully figure out a way to get the Damned within their captivity freed. This is what I was created for.

The vehicle I’m in comes to a stop, and the men on either side of me start sliding me out of it. They begin to roughly usher me forward, and I stumble in what feels like thick grass whipping at my shins as we walk. I can’t see anything around me, but I can smell a horrid, burning scent in the air and hear the distant hum of some kind of machinery.

My boots hit a flat, level surface and scrape against tiny rocks as we continue. A heavy metal door creaks open, and the guy on my right shoves me inside. My footsteps begin to echo, and the air around me becomes warmer. Pain-filled screams above ring out me, letting me know the building is at least a few stories tall.

“Evening, gentleman,” a formal-sounding voice says to the men. “Another one? What is she?”

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