Page 20 of An Oath at Midnight

Calvin stepped forward. “Yes, there’s been another murder.”

“Who?” Willow asked, paling.

His jaw tightened, fury in his eyes. “As if you don’t know! You fucking murdered Katana!” His hand shot out, magic buzzing from him.

Warrick stepped in front of him, grabbing his fist, and got in his face. “She did nothing. You aim your magic at her again, and I’ll turn you inside out.”

“Katana’s dead?” Willow asked, moving around Warrick again. He locked his arm around her, pulling her back. “Why the hell would you think I did it?”

Isaac Eldridge placed his hand on Calvin’s shoulder, and there was a smug-as-fuck look on his face. “Justice will be done, Cal, I promise you that.” His gaze slid to Willow. “This was inevitable, wasn’t it? You wanted everyone to know how powerful you were during your trial, and you took pleasure in defeating my family, in watching your mate kill my brother, but you let that power go to your head, you let it corrupt you.” His eyes darkened, filling with hatred. “You let it turn you into a monster.”

Willow’s gaze sliced to Asuka. They were friends, had been since school. No, they weren’t as close anymore, but Asuka had to know Willow wasn’t capable of this. “I didn’t do it. You know me. You know I’m not capable of what they’re accusing me of.”

Asuka looked pained. “They found Katana in your shop, Willow, in your bedroom in the back. She was tortured and killed, like the others.”

Willow said, her spine stiff, “My shop is warded. Did the council break that one as well?”

“It was already down.”

“And that’s not a fucking red flag to you?” Willow bit out. “We keep the store warded at all times. Somehow, someone broke it. They’re trying to set me up.”

“Or that’s what you want us to think,” Asuka said, without heat.

Willow stared at her friend, stunned. “This is insane, you have to see that?”

“Time to go, Willow,” Isaac said, fucking glee dancing in his eyes as he motioned their enforcers forward.

They weren’t listening to her, to reason.

Warrick roared, the sound rattling the windows, his canines extended. Willow grabbed his arm and shook her head. Warrick and the hounds slaughtering the council would only make this worse.

Warrick’s furious stare slid to me, then toward the door to the den. I knew what he wanted, and I eased my way back through the crowd of people. They truly thought Willow had murdered those females and bringing enforcers here, onto the hound’s territory rather than waiting to get her on her own, said how desperate they were to bring her in, and just how guilty they believed she was. I quickly plugged in the code right as the room erupted into chaos. The hounds ran forward, getting between Warrick and Willow and the council as magic snapped through the room.

Warrick snatched Willow off the ground and ran toward me, I opened the door and slammed it shut, the locks clicking into place behind them.

Calvin strode over, grabbed me, and shoved me back. “Open the fucking door.”

“Can’t, sorry, I don’t know the code,” I said.

He gripped my wrist tight, so tight I knew he’d leave a bruise. “Yes, you can, you lying, little bitch.” He forced my hand over to the keypad. “Enter the fucking code. Now.”

Warrick and Willow needed more time. I assumed there was a secret exit, but I needed to buy them as much time as I could.

Draven closed in, baring his teeth. “Let go of her or I’ll take off your fucking head.”

Calvin spun around. “She needs to open the door, or we’ll be taking her in as well for her interference.”

I yanked my hand from his. “It’s fine, I’ll do it.”

I pushed a bunch of numbers, then tried the door. A red light flashed, and it remained locked. “Hang on. Let me try again.”

Calvin hissed behind me.

I did it again, punching in some random numbers. Again, it flashed red. He was an asshole, but his cousin was dead, had been murdered brutally, so I understood his anger, but he was directing all that rage at the wrong people.

He spun me around and slammed me into the door, the handle digging into my spine, making me wince. “My cousin is dead, and your sister murdered her. I’m not in the mood for your bullshit. Open the fucking door. Now!”

Draven threw him back and stepped in front of me. “She doesn’t know the code. Maybe you should ask one of the hounds.”