Page 56 of Ice

Brynn and the redhead turn to run, but I throw fire at them. They catch light, screaming and trying to put themselves out. Then, they explode the way Evan did.

Into nothing.

Zephrya’s eyes widen. She reaches into her dress, pulls out a vial, and downs it.

Smacking her lips, she tilts her head back and laughs at the ceiling. “You will never get out of here alive,” she says. “I have your blood now, Fire Bird. Which means I have your strength and mine, and I’m the oldest vampire—”

“Zephrya?” Nova’s eyes flicker.

Zephyra stops, mouth hanging open.

“Shut the fuck up.” Nova waves her hand and the bags containing her blood explode. They splatter our faces, our clothes, the walls, the floor.

Droplets rain down on us, and Zephyra becomes wild. She falls to her knees, rubbing her hands through the blood, trying to gather it up in her hands. She licks the wall. She rubs it over her hands and face.

The room is on fire, and Zephyra is still scrambling to keep hold of what she truly believes will be the making of her empire.

Nova simply watches. Then she turns to me. “Do you want me to let her live?” she asks.

My entire body pulses with rage. I grab the stool Brynn was sitting on and break it across my knee, then I pull a metal leg free, stride over to Zephyra, and stake her in the back.

It goes right through her thin little body, pinning her to the floor.

Her body quivers.

She twitches.

Then she goes still.

“They don’t explode?” Nova asks, tilting her head.

“Some do.” I flex my fingers. “One as old as her? She’ll probably just melt into the ground.”

Nova reaches out her hand. Her palm flickers with electricity as it comes into contact with mine but I don’t pull away.

In the corner of the room, Miranda steps through the flames as if they’re nothing. She’s holding Zephyra’s remote in one hand and her collar in the other.

I frown at her and she smiles. “Nova created a fine distraction,” she says. “Gave us a chance to get this away from her.”

She stands over Zephyra, then stoops down and wriggles the stake a little further into her back. Then she loops the collar around Zephyra’s neck, fastens it tight, and stands up again.

“Just in case,” she says.

Nova smiles at her, then wraps her into a tight embrace. “Do you know the way out of here?”

Miranda nods. “Of course. Do you wish to retrieve the boy first?”

Nova glances at me. Her eyebrows raise, just a little, as she waits for me to answer.

“Yes.” I nod. “We get Kim.”

27

LUTHER

I’m staring at the whiskey glass in front of me, sending heat to it that makes it bubble.

Warm whiskey is fucking dreadful.