“You’re right.”
“Is war something opposed by Aleksander?” Hasan raised an eyebrow. “Or his second?”
“Not if it means killing snakes.”
“The East Coast tires of having a serpent as a neighbor. We’d delight in having some Chains in our arsenal should we wish to cut off its head. So to speak.”
Natalya stared at him, momentarily stunned with realization. Hasan and his Queen were talking about war. About killingVarro. The East Coast was making a play for the Heartlands territory.
Natalya stayed silent until she was sure her surprise wouldn’t show in her voice.
“And what would the Chains get for such a service?”
“Illinois and Wisconsin. We cannot affect the other Courts, obviously, but Night will rescind control. The states would be yours.”
That was more than generous. That was a bloody gift.
“I cannot make decisions without my King,” Natalya said, but she smiled as she spoke. “Though I have a feeling he’d be interested.”
“That pleases me. It seems my decision to call on you rather than Aleksander was fruitful.” Hasan returned her smile. Natalya narrowed her eyes, even though Hasan couldn’t see it.
“You wantedmehere to ensure fiendish tempers don’t tilt towards unneeded havoc. Didn’t you?”
“And because of the situation with the slave. It worried Zahra, and so it worried me.”
Natalya thought of Evie sleeping in her arms. Of Evie kneeling on the floor for her. Of the purple pendant Natalya could have easily thrown away, but which was still in her pocket, despite Evie vehemently saying she didn’t want to be Claimed.
“No reason to worry.”
Hasan smiled more genuinely than he had before.
“I would see you and your King about this tomorrow night if you’d allow it. We can talk with less pretense when surrounded by Chains, wouldn’t you say?”
Natalya returned the smile. Then she felt daring and held her hand out to Hasan.
“I thought you didn’t let anyone touch you,” he said.
“I don’t want to be impolite.” She grinned in a way she knew was fiendish. “I’ll go easy on you.”
Though he hesitated, it wasn’t as much as he could have done. Hasan slowly closed his hand around hers, stiffening when her influence rushed through him. It wasn’t painful, but it would be strange. No creature could be entirely immune to it other than her summoner.
No one except Evie.
Hasan grinned as he withdrew his hand. “Now,thatis interesting.”
There was a click. A mechanical sound echoed half a dozen times. Not near, but recognizable. Hasan heard it at the same time as she did.
It didn’t save him.
A torrent of gunfire rained down on their table, shattering the glasses and piercing into Hasan and Natalya. The shots tore through her, painfully and sudden, but then the sensation lessened. Hasan wasn’t so lucky.
He fell to the ground, first groaning and then screaming. Several bullet holes, oozing blood, littered his body. Silver.
A trap. Or an ambush? Or maybe just awful luck.
The patrons of the restaurant started panicking. People rushed to the exits just as figures wearing masks only showing their black eyes descended on the restaurant garden. They ignored the humans, letting them escape.
They didn’t want witnesses. They wanted her and Hasan.
