two stared at one another. Veliana watched, a smirk growing across her face.
“Don’t you d…” Victor started to say before Kayla flung her dagger. It stabbed up to the hilt in his chest. His eyes bulged at her. Veliana stepped close and grabbed his hair in her hands.
“You betrayed me,” she told him. “A shame I don’t have the time to make you suffer.”
He died, Veliana’s dagger rammed deep into this throat. Tears ran down Kayla’s cheeks as she stared at all the blood. She did her best to hold in her sobs, but one still escaped. Her shoulders shook.
“You aren’t made for this,” Veliana said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Go back. Appoint someone else to be in charge.”
Kayla thought of all the sacrifices she’d already made to put herself in this position. After tonight, she would be in Thren’s highest graces. She would almost be a queen in power. But when she looked over at Veliana and saw the honest compassion in her eyes, her resolve broke.
“Thren wants us to kill you,” Kayla whispered.
A shadow seemed to fall over Veliana’s face.
“What?” she asked.
“Once the mansion is secure, we are to help the Hawks kill you all,” Kayla explained. “Please, you must get out now.”
“But we gave in,” Veliana said. “We gave him what he wanted.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Kayla said. “James resisted once. He might again. This night is Thren’s victory, don’t you understand? Not over just the Trifect, but over everyone. He’s even planned to kill the king. After tonight, the city is his.”
Veliana slammed the door to the bedroom shut and spun to face Kayla.
“We have little time then,” she said. “Were your men to wait for a signal?”
Kayla shook her head.
“The Hawks were to start it. We just needed to stay out of the way and help if needed.”
“Shit,” muttered Veliana. “I need to warn James. We need to get him out of here, now!”
Kayla shook her head, then wiped away a few of her tears.
“Can’t you hear?” she asked. “It’s already started.”
Veliana paused to listen, the color draining out of her face. Screams had indeed continued. Each had thought at first that it was Gemcroft’s guards, or perhaps remaining members of his household. But they were too many and too scattered for how much time had passed. The Hawks had turned on the Ash, without warning and without mercy.
“They have twice as many as we,” Veliana said, her eyes wide with shock. “We thought to flee, or turn on them. Never did we think so soon, so…”
She stopped and looked at Kayla.
“You knew,” she said.
Kayla weakly nodded her head.
“I did,” she replied.
“You let us walk into this damn trap, all because of Thren, all because of that stupid egotistical twat. I’ll make him pay. I’ll…his son. Where is his son?”
“Aaron?” Kayla asked as she took a small step backward, her hand resting on her belt of daggers. Veliana drew her own two and then pointed one at Kayla’s neck.
“You know his plans,” Veliana said. “I may not be skilled enough to kill Thren, but I can kill his son. Where is he?”
Already conflicted, Kayla hesitated. Veliana was faster. She dodged to one side, avoiding the hurled dagger, and then kicked Kayla in the head. As Kayla collapsed, Veliana fell upon her, her knees on her wrists and her dagger at her throat.
“Tell me,” Veliana seethed, her face inches from Kayla’s. “Tell me, or I’ll do to you what was done to me.” Her wounded eye was ugly and red, and Kayla stared at the milky pupil in horror as Veliana’s dagger slowly trailed up her neck toward her left eye.
“I sent him away,” Kayla said. “He was watching us, so I made him promise to leave us be. He’s turned against his father. He wants to stop all this, but he’s just a boy. Just a stupid boy.”
Veliana left her dagger pressed against Kayla’s face as she thought. If Aaron was anything like Thren, then his promises were both true and false. He’d follow the letter, but not the law. He wanted to stop Thren, and he’d promised Kayla to leave her be. That left one option.
“He’s at Connington’s estate,” Veliana whispered. “He must be.”
She stood and slowly backed away, watching for the slightest movement on Kayla’s part.
“You gave me warning,” Veliana said. “For that I let you live.”
“Aaron has done no wrong,” Kayla said, her voice a fraction above pleading.
“Neither did she,” Veliana said, pointing at the body of the dead girl. She put