My usual immobilization spell was one he threw off with a curse within a few seconds. Nolan didn’t bother trying his magic, knowing it wouldn’t work on his magically superior cousin, but used the wind to push himself forward at great speed. His knife caught the skin of Kylan’s side and he hissed, the wound closing instantly.
“I see those marks on your neck, cousin,” Kylan said, drawing two blades from a hidden belt. It was impossible to tell what else he had on him, considering everything was hiding underneath his crisp suit. “You let these two bond you and make you their dog. It’s unbecoming of the Jitara family.”
Nolan laughed, throwing on the unbothered persona that had irritated me so much when I’d first come into his custody. “Unbecoming? And you think what you do is ideal for the face of the family? You kill people to prove your strength, but whenever someone has a chance at actually killing you, you flee.”
Kylan’s posture stiffened. “I strategically choose my battles and delegate the rest.”
“That’s called being a little bitch who’s afraid an Omega is going to kill him,” I said, drawing attention back to me. “You were right to be scared.”
I wasn’t sure if poking the bear would make him more predictable or more erratic. Nolan and I had spoken about Kylan before coming here, and he hadn’t been sure how his cousin would react either. Apparently Kylan had a temper, but he didn’t release his hold on it often.
As he glared at me, flames flickered up the two blades Kylan held.
His lunge for me was one I was ready for. I threw up a shield and Oswald stepped in to strengthen it. Nolan came at Kylan from behind, trying to plunge his blade into his cousin’s chest. The man noticed before it happened, twirling around to parry the blow. Nolan kept Kylan’s focus on him, his air magic swirling and fighting to extinguish the flames.
I jumped in front of Oswald, getting my dagger into Kylan’s back mere inches from where it had to be.
He snarled and Ozzy pulled me back, out of range of the dagger that was swung in my direction.
“You say I run from fights, but it’s not like any of you are going to take me one-on-one,” Kylan said.
His vampire speed brought him back behind his desk and I was grateful to have two vampires on my side this time around. It was hard to fight against his assets when I didn’t have the same ones. “We don’t have to,” I said. “This isn’t an ego trip for us. Killing you is about living in peace. I’m happy however we accomplish that, whether it’s traditionally fair or not.”
“What if I let you go?”
The words floored me.
Bargaining?
If Kylan was bargaining, it was either a con or he truly believed we had the power to kill him. I would be on guard until I figured out which. Glancing around, I didn’t see any additional security hiding in the shadows. The ones who had been in here were struggling to battle against Ward and his team. Vampires dropped like flies.
“You’re not going to do that,” Nolan said firmly. “You’re trying to save your ass, but I’ve been planning this too fucking long to let you.”
“You were originally going to use the Omega, weren’t you? Have her kill me so you didn’t have to deal with the consequences?”
“It was the strategic thing to do. I’ve since realized I’d rather kill you myself, or help my mate kill you.”
“She’s not your mate. You’re a Beta.”
“You saw the marks on my neck.”
My heart swelled. Nolan had never claimed his place as my mate so overtly before, let alone in front of someone who would judge him. I imagined Kylan himself was responsible for plenty of Nolan’s self-image issues, which of course made me more desperate to fucking kill him.
Before Kylan had a chance to launch into any kind of tirade, I pulled a tiny knife from the set at my waist and tossed it, whispering the spell to coat it in poison in mid air. With his speed, he was able to dodge, but the defensive maneuver gave Nolan a chance to stab him in the stomach.
His blood spilled and my confidence grew, though I tried to stifle it.
What had Joanne said about being too cocky?
She’d been talking about the memory manipulation, and she’d been right. The words applied in all sorts of situations, though.
Nolan came back to stand near us and I reached out to brush my fingers along his arm with my free hand, taking comfort in his presence. He might not have been able to kill his cousin alone, and I wouldn’t have either. But together?
Kylan wouldn’t make it out of this room.
Shouts sounded in the hallway, drawing focus for a second. A flash of worry came through my bonds, but I shook my head.
We had to trust the plan. Any guards would be taken care of by the team we’d brought with us. That was the only way they were getting the full payment for this job, so they wouldn’t back out.
