A Throne of Blood and Vows

n Mo

ike a city hold

ke a blade through the haze-beautiful, ancient, and sharpened by secrets. The black cars line

d every on

out looking at me. "You only get one chance

ian-tailored to perfection, his ring glinting like a war medal. Don Luca

distract. Tight enough to command. My pistol's weight

n," I said. "

tonight, they'll c

he hallmark of h

t. "These men inside want peace. But peac

I walked down a blood-red carpet laid over a thousand-year-old floor. The altar had been

ront row: th

, the brute enforcer who wore violence like cologne. Kael Nox, the ghost-eyed sniper who didn't

of them watched me like I was the next

e heads of the families sat at opposite sides, like a wedding from hell.

t to seal peace.

, someone br

od at the altar, making a final plea, wh

ngle

d sprayed the altar. Silence followed t

screami

owder and incense making my eyes burn. I reached for my thigh-my gun already drawn.

the fo

calmly in t

his knuckles, smiling like this was foreplay. K

win

sh

h agape. He died mid-sentence, mid-deal, mid-life. My hands tr

yanked

go, prett

mr

l me that,

breathing. That's

ough the cathedral. I looked around for Kael, but he was alr

ed my arm. Heat and pain blo

me, grinning like we w

at a massacr

st sho

lared. "Who

id

lls

But charm

"We need to extract her now. The pact won't hold

them. "You think

pid. "It's always about you now, M

My city on fire. And these four lunatics were circl

d. "I'm not part of

s. You already were. You jus

a ghost. His eyes met min

t a bloods

in

ther'

tti signet. Passed only whe

it like it

"Put it on, Raven. Or t

d me, another g

the ring.

still

that-I became

mrys led, pistol ready. Theron barked orders into a radio.

me if I wan

t junction

You'll come with us. Until

blood

one your father signed. Binding you to

. "You mean... I

said, "You'r

It sounded

ghing, I whispered the

t. But I will make every

of them, my voi

them with