to let you drag my brothers down with you!”
Veliko stepped forward, passing Petra in the process. “To be honest, one of you is already pretty much dead. Aren’t you, Ansel?”
“What the hell are you doing, Veliko?” Petra gasped, caught off guard.
Ansel was just as confused. “What… huh?”
“You got caught. The rest of the outsiders know about you. It’s only a matter of time before the public learns of your stupidity. With one Darkling in the Visentis clan, more doubt will linger over your mother and siblings. It will put the mission at risk. We can’t have that, especially since you’re young enough to be tortured until you tell everything you know.”
“No!” Petra snarled. “I told you, Veliko. Don’t touch my son!”
Veliko snapped his fingers. “I’m here to do what you don’t have the courage to do, Whip. You’ll thank me someday,” he said. The Darklings brought their scythes out so fast, the Visentis siblings didn’t see them coming. Petra, Aganon, Simmon, Tudyk, and Moore were suddenly still, blades pressed against their throats. “It’s time for some law and order in this place. No more nepotism and family favors.”
The brothers and uncle were livid, but they couldn’t do much with Reaper scythes so close to cutting their heads off. Petra remained calm, but she was pale as a sheet of paper. That worried me. How would I get myself out of this? She’d cut me off from my brother with a mere snap of her fingers. And Kalon, despite his good intentions, was still badly outnumbered.
“I take it you’re trying to be the next big chief among the Darklings?” I asked Veliko, looking to buy myself some time. I couldn’t leave Ansel at his mercy, so I needed a way to get all three of us out of here.
“You can’t do this,” the young Visentis said. “I’ve been loyal. I haven’t said anything!”
“To answer your question, Esme Vaughn, yes. I am the new leader. The new Scholar, to be specific. And the Whip here knows that what I’m doing is right, according to the Darkling bylaws,” Veliko replied, shifting his focus to Ansel. “As for you… you were weak enough to get caught. If Valaine or Corbin get their claws on you, boy, you will sing like a bird. I know your kind better than you know yourselves.”
“You’re not touching Ansel,” Kalon growled. “You’re not touching anyone in my family! If anyone’s going to take them down, it will be me!”
Veliko laughed, throwing his head back for good measure. “Look at you, all brave and foolish. I might as well kill you, too, and rid the Darklings of a potential risk. Your family affair is beginning to sound more and more like a promise, while Valaine Crimson is still breathing.”
“Has anyone told you that you talk too much?” I asked, then bolted toward him.
“Esme, no!” Kalon shouted, but it was too late.
I went straight for Veliko’s head, my claws out and thirsty for his blood. Veliko brought his scythe up, eager to take me on. He was so focused on countering my attack that he didn’t anticipate my last-minute shift in direction. I slid to my knees and slashed at Ansel’s restraints. My claws caused sparks to fly, but the metal broke, and Ansel was free.
The Darklings held the Visentis dynasty back, but Veliko tried to nab me with his scythe. I’d already learned my lesson from my previous encounter with Zoltan. He missed me by inches. Ansel reacted quickly, jumping out of his chair to pull me back before Veliko could strike again.
My heart was pumping blood fast enough to make me feel lightheaded, but I welcomed the adrenaline rush. Things were about to get extra icky in this place.
“I really hope you’ve changed your mind about the Darklings,” I told Ansel. “You’re obviously in for a painful death if Veliko gets you.”
Fumbling through my dress pocket, I picked up a few blue smoke bombs, my gaze fixed on Veliko.
“Yeah, consider my lesson learned,” Ansel breathed, his cheeks red and his eyes bright with fear.
“Good,” I muttered, glancing at him and Kalon. “I’m not sure about your brother and me, but you’ve got a good shot at getting out of here.”
“You’re joking, right?” Veliko chuckled. “Can you not see you’re surrounded?”
His overconfidence would be his weakness. Had I been in his shoes, I would’ve attacked us already. This gloating moment of his was bound to be his undoing, and I was already looking forward to burning his ass to the