Night creeps closer as Lucetta runs me through the drill one last time. When we finally lock up, the city’s breath is visible in the air. Lucetta peels off toward the car to sweep the street, and Sunniva links her arm through mine.
“You’re really doing it,” she says. “Black dress, favorite holiday, and your favorite monster. One hell of a fairytale, doll face.”
“It was always going to be Halloween for me. It’s the only day that truly calls out to me.”
“And the monster you’re tying yourself to?”
I swallow as the bond throbs once like a heartbeat answering her question.
“He’s not the only one who is a monster,” I admit quietly.
“Look at you,” she whispers in a wicked tone as if she’s proud. “Growing up a villain.”
We’re almost to the car when the bond sends a jolt through me hard enough to make me grab the door. I get a glimpse of violence, smoke, and heat. It passes as quick as it hit, but my hands are shaking when it’s gone.
“Cressi?”
“I’m okay.” I breathe through the burn in my chest. “Something happened. I think he’s fighting again.”
“He always is.”
I rest my forehead against the cold metal for a second longer and let the anger and fear and that stupid, treacherous love settle where it belongs.
Not block, just redirected, like Lucetta said.
“Okay,” I say, straightening and sliding into the car.
Five nights until I put on a black dress and vow to my monster man that I choose him. Now, forever, and always.
nineteen
Konstantin
Mapsarescatteredacrossthe table of ports, alleys, service corridors, sewer lines, air vents, and any other place that someone could use against us. Red grease pencil circles the places where a man can disappear and not be found until spring. Misha draws an X over a cold storage near the river and another over the church basement where our people swear the floorboards whisper after midnight.
“Your cathedral,” he says, tapping the blueprint I stole from the sacristy cabinet. “Two entrances we can’t seal without starting a war.”
“Side chapels,” I answer. “Left transept has a delivery door for flowers. Right has a confessional with a private exit for the priest.” I slide a sealed envelope across the table. “Both now have ushers.”
“You mean shooters dressed as ushers.”
“Details.”
He grunts, amused against his will.
We’re all fucking tired, but there is too much shit to get done before our wedding and bonding ceremony to act like we are.
Repeat it back,” I order.
Misha rolls his eyes but does as I say. He’s quick about it and doesn’t leave anything out, not that I doubted he would. The man hasn’t been my second in command since I stepped into my position of power.
He leans against the table, fingers pressing into the edge of the blueprint. “This many families in one holy box, if anyone coughs at the wrong time, we could be stacking bodies in the baptistery.”
I shake my head, refuting his claims. “You need to believe in these men more than you do, my friend. They don’t want war any more than we do. The last time blood spilled into all our streets, we lost people we cared about.”
“Maybe not, but Giselda does. She’ll take the chance to create havoc wherever she can. She’s seeking attention. She wants the spectacle,” he warns me again.
“Then let her set the stage.” I cap the grease-pencil and toss it down. “We’ll take the bow.”
