avel beneath its tires

ving behind the flickering streetlamps and grime of

didn't belong

rgoyles whose eyes glowed faintly in the cold light. Surveillance cameras turned in perfect silence as they pass

ad to the glass. Not to

t want to

ll, regal, unreadable-as if dragging a woman in

from the alley. Her hair was wild. Her face

sui

pho

cho

disguise

taircases swept outward from the main door like arms r

od waiting. Clean-cu

e car door wi

a velvet box li

didn'

til Da

then turned to her like she was just a

moothly. "You're not a

m. Precise. Disgu

jaw f

stepped out, one foot at a time, refusing

prison

e cold air bite

in high, eyes locked on the man

ble s

ured

s that watch

tate didn't lo

d like a

st been delive

-

the threshold, the tem

as warm, even lavish-but someth

ologne and old wood, but beneath that... something dar

clashing in eternal battle. Crystal chandeliers hung from iron chains, casting golden prisms

was unnatu

ehind her were muted, like t

every muscle taut. She wouldn't show fea

m, something with velvet curtains and a white grand p

lack handles sh

he wood: the

gripped a sword

t, Latin, she

cy for t

pushed the

m that didn't be

ed in a c

cathe

t chairs. Tall windows

-on a raised pla

d by t

The other is a sharp bl

a f

omach

sn't a

s a s

The chains on her

demanded. Her voice echoed thro

t smile. Di

of his shirt and met her

edding, s

-

N

m her lips before

ctively, like she could ward off the priest, the officiant, t

. "Absolutely not. I didn't si

st didn'

eady hands, flipping to a mar

ck document from his briefcase.

heart p

am. A nightmare

hrough her thoughts lik

not even looking up. "You didn't take

his head-eyes like

just fina

hest

re in

lied coolly. "

-

t move t

raise h

n't ha

forward and handed her som

dr

trapless. Ele

d handed Dan

it with a

e black diamond

brand disguis

't move.

elt heavier

oat clo

an't be

is fast.

it

was no

cro

c

Ja

way and vanished li

remaine

the city whi

r in a tai

-

d down from

o thr

and her t

e minutes to ch

en we say

-

urred like a nightmare

r of her jeans a

at the waist, bare at the shoulde

mak

mus

mir

nds and cold

handed h

apped

laying bride

ne a

idn't

ped back into that chamber,

ot

t a cel

cut

-

't changed, b

y. F

d waiting. Lati

held the for

i stood at the c

It's still per

site him, he didn't show a fli

the ring. Didn't spea

e of that

eady had

bl

ch

alread

riest

like a curse

d, Dante did

raphina Vale

le struck l

er ribs ached under the

was he

aid n

ched between th

iant didn

" he said, flipping to the fin

ched for

lid the ring o

k di

av

rgiv

ant sealed t

t blessed

ed more like a f

tared

St

le

thi

in silk

rriage built on

th

lean

o feel the warmth of h

n't to

t kis

ered-dark

're mi

gal

igio

plet