Wings and Shadowthief by May Sage

Roll the Dice

"Well, what have we here?"

Gwen smiled at the two vampires closing in on her, hoping to appear dumb, tipsy, or both.

She'd left her shirt and trench coat in the cave, leaving her to walk around in a black bra and leather pants. Tris had assured her she was suitably distracting.

Tris grinned, making a show of kissing the fresh puncture wound he'd left on her neck. "She's mine. Find your own."

The vampires were good sports, moving along to find another amusement, just like all those they'd come across so far.

"Are we getting close?"

They were relying on Tris's sense of smell to direct themselves through streets filled with bodies. Tris wrinkled his nose. "I think? It stinks so much, it's hard to tell. Seth has a distinct scent, but it's like I get a whiff of it everywhere."

Gwen rolled her eyes, hardly surprised. Then she regretted it, because out of the corner of her eye, she'd just seen far too much of yet another pretty boy bent over in the street.

Hadn't these people heard of bedrooms?

They passed what appeared to be a gambling hall, with a few tables of card games, when Tris suddenly took a sharp corner, eyes wide. Gwen followed without questioning it.

Tris leaned over her and closed his mouth over the bite mark he'd given her for show. Gwen pretended to moan, playing her part to a tee as she looked down the main street.

Then she saw her.

Aveka.

She walked with purpose, ahead of four vampires as regally attired as she, a suite of guards closing the march.

Gwen stared at Tris wordlessly. Something was going on, and she would bet their friends were involved.

Damn Seth and his stupid ideas. Damn them all for following him in this foolish venture. They were going to get killed.

Gwen started to follow their enemy, but Tris held on to her firmly, shaking his head. They couldn't exchange words here, where most people had acute vampire hearing, but Gwen didn't need Tris to voice his concern. She opted not to argue for several seconds, but then, with a warning look to her friend, she decidedly strolled out of the alleyway.

Tris didn't argue this time, trailing the queen with her. They kept a good distance, but thankfully their mark wasn't hard to spot.

The queen's party entered a house identical to most of those in the strange city of vice. Moments later, they were dragging each of their friends out of the house, one by one, hands bound behind their backs.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

What now?

Tris moved Gwen into the closest house and pushed her against a wall, keeping up the pretense.

"When I asked you to guard her, I didn't mean it quite so literally." The whisper made her freeze at first, then Gwen pushed past Tris, staring at Jack, who stood there naked but for a sheet of lace around his hips.

She couldn't decide whether she wanted to kiss or kick him for scaring her. He opened his arms, and she didn't hesitate to walk into his embrace.

"Where have you been?"

"Later," he replied, tilting his chin toward the window.

They could see the queen, but Gwen couldn't hear a word of what was going on.

Scanning the faces of each of her friends, she paused a moment on Seth. Because he didn't seem distressed at all. In fact, unless she was much mistaken, she would have sworn that Seth seemed…smug?

Which meant that the bastard had either betrayed them, or getting caught had been his plan all along.

Gwen considered it. If he’d meant for them to get arrested by the queen’s guard, he could never have convinced the rest of them to go along with the stupid, insane plan. But thinking of it, what better way to ensure that they could get close enough to her, without her being on her guard, than to let her believe she had the upper hand?

Seth was playing a dangerous game, either way.

"This is our shot," Tris whispered. "She's right here. We can end this."

“If we move now, they could hurt the others.”

“We shouldn’t speak,” Gwen reminded them.

Jack shook his head. “I shielded the house. We’re cocooned in a bubble where you are going to remain until the end of this.”

Funny that he thought he could tell her what to do. “No fucking way.”

“All other concerns aside, you’re our way out of here when things go to hell—and they will after we kill the bitch.”

She would have argued if she could. Instead, she canted her head toward the window. “What are they saying?”

Jack ran his finger over her neck, right under her ear. Suddenly, she could hear everything. His heartbeat, Tris’s, the sound of someone fucking nearby, someone else, and a scream in the distance, and the howl of a wolf. It was almost too overwhelming, until she forced herself to concentrate, focusing on the direction of the queen and her friends.

“I had hoped that you would consider joining me, and this is how you repay me?” Aveka asked, pacing in front of Seth.

He shrugged, unconcerned. “I just wanted to party with my sister and a few friends.”

“A few friends? A slayer sworn to that bitch usurper on your precious hill, and the Helsing elder?”

Seth sighed. “We were honestly just having a good time. If they’re enemies of yours, they didn’t mention it.”

“We were in Rome, then Seth brought us here. I had no clue this was your place,” Alexius stated convincingly. “I like it. Gives Vegas a run for its money.”

“Where is she?” Aveka demanded, eyes bright red. “Where’s the Eirikrson?”

“Home, probably,” Seth guessed.

Aveka slapped his cheek, leaving a red bruise that faded as fast as it had come.

“You can’t fool me. Where is she!”

Jack tilted his head. “Time to move in.”

Tris nodded his agreement.

Before moving away from her, Jack held a steady gaze, and repeated, “Stay safe.”

He stepped back, but Gwen closed the distance again, wrapped her hands around his neck, and brought his lips to hers in one hard, white-hot kiss as desperate and hungry as it was fleeting, over far too soon.

“You stay safe,” she demanded.