you see,

han a winter grave. He leaned over the dark mahogany desk. His golden eyes lock

were no bright lines of loyalty and no dark ropes of deceit. He was a black hole. If I told him the truth, he

my magical sight, letting the vibrant col

ste his time on standard interviews,

s silver dagger onto the desk. The shar

d. He was searching for the lie. The scent of ozone and cold iron rolled off

his pristine left cuff link. "Resumes are useless pieces of pap

tration?"

ded. He turned and walked toward the h

hurried after him, my heels clicking softly against the polished hardwood. Leo fell into step right b

ate world parted like the red sea for Silas. No one met his gaze. The level

brushed steel without any buttons. Silas pressed his bare hand against the

fined space with the two

or began to plummet. It was not going down

sence consumed all the oxygen. I could feel the low frequency vibration of his dark magi

. "They are a mid tier vampire syndicate controlling the southern shipping docks. They missed

lying?"

hoarding the blood shipments and trying to build a private arm

n of the steel doors. "We are going to have a brief meeting with their leader. You w

refuse to s

have some fun," Si

rs above the door read negative fifteen. We we

n here was freezing and stale. It smelled of damp earth and old decay. In the cent

Fang va

ide of his pale throat. He wore a heavy leather trench coat and a sneer

er dropped instantly. The vampires stiffened, their predatory

approached the metal table. Silas did not offer his hand. He did not sit in the

name sounded like a deat

a raspy hiss. "We were surprised by the summons

s Sienna Vance. She is our new legal contractor. S

th hungry malice. He saw a fragile human stan

collectors last week, the southern docks are dry. The hunters are

e did not look at Viktor. He looked at the wal

sheet of heavy parchment and my silver binding pen. My hands we

see their hidden motives. I blinked, pushing my mag

y tones. The glowing threads of the

f deceit. Every word he spoke was a calculated lie

ds. The threads of aggression and coordinated attack. I followed the red lines

blades. They had not come here to negotiate a tribute. They h

ire. Silas and Leo were fast, but silver bullets at point blank range were lethal eve

nk parchment. "You will pay double the missed tribute within

. "I just told you, hu

s were tensing their muscles. They were

lized magical binding. It was a highly illegal, incredibly dangerou

g an official audit is considered an act of treason

led my raw magic down my arm and into the ink. I visualized the golden threads of bi

r to the table. His hand slipped inside h

cte

ing the full force of my Thread Binding magic outward.

our guards like invisible steel chains. The vampires gasped, their bodies freezing mid

e around the table. Anyone standing within the circle of magic was now p

twisted in agony as the magic burned against his skin. Hi

hoked out, unable to mov

nding took a massive toll on my energy. My vision swam for a

You brought weapons to a peaceful audit. That violates the primary laws of the Supreme C

to look a

en magic erupted. He was staring at me, his predato

y were goin

e armed. He brought me down here specifically to see what I would do when fa

ilas's face. It was the smile of a beast

softly, his eyes n

sure," Leo

e bypassed the invisible magical barrier with a specific s

from his shoulders in on

the concrete floor. The four paralyzed guards screamed, tr

brother, his tone as casual as if he were orde

the blank parchment on the table. He reached out and picked i

me that the scent of his cologne and the fresh ash filled my senses.

d him, trying to keep my voice steady despi

tray lock of hair away from my face. The touch was terrifyi

e not going back to your dingy office. You are not going back to your empty

ing me standing in a room full of ash and monsters. I ha

d the Beast, I realized I had just locked

or's

caught Silas's attention. What did you think of Silas testing her like that? Do you think she can handle living in the Malphas est