And, still, the Reaper continues to slip through our fingers like smoke.
Giselda’s not just hiding, she’s constantly moving. Switching safehouses, switching cities. Every time we get close, she vanishes into the shadows again. She’s always one step ahead of us, but it’s not just luck. No, this feels intentional. The Reaper is toying with me.
She knows the game we play. She grew up in this lifestyle just as we all have. Even married into it.
And the knowledge that she’s continued to best me festers.
It’s not often I’m up against an opponent worthy of my time.
Something’s shifted beneath my skin since the flash bond locked into place with Cressida. It’s more than just the hunger I feel for my fiancée. It’s power that’s sharpening, growing.
I should be afraid of it, but, surprisingly, all I feel is ready.
Ready to see the full potential of my abilities, but mostly just ready forher.
My wily little fox.
My secure line buzzes, and I drag the burner out of my coat pocket and flick it open. No caller ID. Just a string of encrypted code that translates into coordinates and a name.
Kron Vass.
One of Giselda’s known associates. Dead on paper just like her, which makes him perfect company for the Reaper.
“Found you,” I mutter, my voice gravel against the silence.
But before I can move, I need to see her. My little fox. My truth-teller.
I connect the call through a separate encrypted line and wait as the screen flickers.
Her black painted toes wiggle against the edge of the coffee table as she readjusts her camera angle. And then she’s there, and I can’t recall ever seeing a more beautiful sight. She’s curled up in a ridiculous blanket with cartoon skulls and snack wrappers are littered around her. She’s so fucking adorable that my heart lands in a heavy thud inside my chest.
We’ve only been engaged a short time and haven’t spent much time together yet, but strangely, I miss her.
“Lisichka,” I say softly. And just like that, the tightness in my chest eases.
She smiles, and it fucking slays me. Turns my black heart into sludge inside my chest. “Hey, monster man. You look like you haven’t slept.”
“I haven’t. You have ruined my rest. All I do is dream of the moment I get to claim you.”
She rolls her eyes, but she’s blushing. My admittance has pleased her. “You’re dramatic.”
“I am hungry to taste what belongs to me,” I correct her, leaning back in the chair and studying her face through the screen. There is a question that has been burning me since the night at the club. “That day with Venyara . . . how did you know he was lying? It was not just instinct.”
Cressida shifts, and I know that look. That little glint that says she’s about to flip the script.
“Maybe it’s time you told me something,” she purrs. “What’s really going on with your powers? You’re getting stronger. I feel it through the bond. You’re vibrating with it, so don’t play dumb.”
I smirk. “I am never dumb. Just selective with my truths.”
“Cute. That’s my line.”
We talk longer than we should. About everything and nothing. About plans for the wedding, the bond vow, and the shadow haunting both of us. We begin to weave threads that have nothing to do with the flash bond that ties us together and everything to do with the kind of marriage we want to have.
When Misha sticks his head in, it’s only then that I finish our conversation.
“Be a good girl. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Being good is overrated,” she replies with a wink before hanging up.
