Deals and desperation are a dangerous combination...
Alex will do anything to protect the man she loves from an eternity as the vampire council’s political puppet, but a favor from the fae Lord of Enchantment comes at a steep price. A decision must be made, and she’s running out of time.
The peace summit that will determine the fate of all paranatural beings on Earth is just around the corner, and vampires coming out of the closet isn’t the only complication. Purists are ramping up production of Fantasia—a drug distilled from the bodies of abducted fae to grant magical abilities to mundane humans—and whispers indicate an attack on the summit.
In order to save the summit and protect the people she loves, Alex must travel deep behind enemy lines with the last person she wants to trust as her only backup.
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A back door to the kitchen that blended almost perfectly with the white walls opened, and a second man stepped through. This one was shorter than Mr. Mustache—shorter than any of us, coming barely to my chin. He was stocky, with a bushy beard and frizzy brown hair that reached his shoulders. He reminded me of a dwarf from Lord of the Rings.
I frowned. Could he actually be a dwarf? Human lore about elves were based on a variety of fae species, including the sidhe. Stories about dwarfs probably had a similar background. I wonder which fae inspired them?
The probably-not-a-real-dwarf held out a small tray that looked like a safety deposit box with a locking lid. “Cell phones and weapons.” His voice was gruff but not unpleasant.
Ash dropped a phone and folding knife into the tray. These were both for show, since Ivan had warned us about the procedure. He’d supplied us each with burner phones and simple weapons, as would be expected. I placed my set of disposable possessions in the box as well. My actual phone was tucked alongside my gun and knife in my backpack at the safe house.
The new guy stepped back, and Mr. Mustache brought out a security wand. “Spread your arms and legs.” He did a quick sweep with the wand to verify we didn’t have any transmitting devices and gave us each a physical pat down to ensure we hadn’t stashed any additional weapons. “Clear.”
The second man closed and locked the metal box that held our props. He handed Ash a small silver key. “Don’t lose this if you want your stuff back.”
Ash nodded and tucked the key into their pocket.
“Follow me,” said Mr. Mustache.
He slung his pack over one shoulder and led us out the back, into an alley that smelled of stale food and mildew. A silver SUV with tinted windows blocked most of the alley. He opened the back door and motioned us to climb inside. I slid through to the far seat and latched my seatbelt. We were almost there. This was going to work.
The second man carried Chase’s cage to the back of the SUV and secured it in the trunk with bungee cords. When he was done, he circled the car and opened my door.
I looked at him curiously. “Forget something?”
“Last step,” he said. He pointed, and I followed his finger to find Ash looking back at me. Behind him, Mr. Mustache stood beside the other open door. A hypodermic needle glinted in his hand, moving toward Ash. Something sharp pierced the side of my neck.
I twisted, shoving the dwarf-like man away, but the cold pressure surging through my veins told me the damage was done. He closed my door, and the distant echo of a thud told me Ash’s door had been closed as well. I turned to look, but the colors in the car streaked and ran together like paints in the rain.
What the hell was going on? Ivan hadn’t mentioned anything about drugs.
I reached for the latch on my seatbelt, but my muscles turned to jelly. My fingers fumbled against the button. I couldn’t depress it. Whatever he’d given me was very fast acting.
We passed all their stupid tests! But we must have done something to give ourselves away. Had Mr. Mustache noticed my reaction when he hurt Chase despite his back being turned? Had Ash’s illusion wavered when their blood was wiped away?
I slumped in my seat. My shoulder bumped against Ash. My eyes closed. It doesn’t matter what tipped them off. We’re screwed.
Love the cover! Alex is so badass! :D
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