I'll Be Slaying You(88)

“Me, too,” Grim snapped. “You burn. And you scream. Then you die. Right in your lover’s arms.”

“You believe in prophets, don’t you, Grim?” The flames were so close that the heat seemed to graze his flesh, but Nina was holding back now, watching Dee. Why?

Because Grim had his hand up, and like the good lapdog that she was, Nina wouldn’t strike without his order.

“After all, you set all this into motion.” Dee’s right hand—which looked broken—lifted to indicate the flames and vampires. “Because a demon had a vision and told you that I would be your killer.”

Grim’s lips thinned.

“You killed my family,” she continued. “Everyone I ever loved because you thought a fifteen-year-old human girl would one day kill an all-powerful Born.”

“The demon was right! You would have come for me!”

“I came now for vengeance. Because of you. You are the one who set this in motion. You.”

He shook his head. “No, no, I wasn’t dying again. Those bastards, they betrayed me before. I wasn’t going to die like that again!”

His eyes darted to the vampires who stood so still and silent. “My men won’t turn this time. They’ll stand by me.”

“This isn’t about them.” Simon had no idea where she was going with this, but he caught movement from the corner of his eye. Slow, careful movement. His nostrils flared, just a bit, but he couldn’t smell anything but the smoke and blood.

“I won’t stand by you,” Simon called out. “I won’t be your fucking puppet anymore.”

A muscle jerked in Grim’s jaw.

Simon turned his stare on the line of vamps. “Sure you’re on the right team?”

One of the vamps cut his eyes toward Grim. Hesitation there. And anger in the man’s eyes.

He hates that control, just as much as I did. “What did he make you do?” Simon demanded, aware of that shadow slipping ever closer. “Kill your lovers? Your family? How did you prove your loyalty to him?”

Because that was Grim’s way. Loyalty could only be shown in blood.

“And if you didn’t kill them, he did, right?” Like the bastard had taken out his family. “None of us signed on for this shit, but we can get out. He just has to die!”

Grim took a step back. His hand rose again to trace the side of his back. Always checking for the wounds he’d had so long ago. Now, Simon understood.

“I know what’s going to happen,” Dee said and she was so close to the flames. He wanted to haul her back, to force her behind him, but this time, this moment was hers. And he’d follow wherever she took him.

“You believe in your prophets.” She lifted her hands high. “I believe in my witch.”

Unease flickered over Grim’s face and the vampires began to move in closer. Not closer to the fire, but closer to Grim. For his protection? Or—

“She scryed to see how this fight would end.”

Uh, yeah, and that shit hadn’t been so positive. Simon swallowed and ignored the fierce throbbing in the back of his legs. The blisters would heal, eventually, if they survived this night.

“Catalina knew she would die in the fire. That’s why she was running when your men caught her.”

Grim’s eyes widened, just a bit.

“Grim!” Nina’s voice screeched. “Let’s just kill them, now, let’s—”

“She saw you die.” Dee’s finger lifted and pointed at the Ignitor.

“The hell you say! You die, you—”

The shadows seemed to grab her. Nina’s words choked off and a thin line of red appeared on her neck.

“Your throat gets cut,” Dee said, just as Nina’s body fell to the ground.

The flames sputtered away.

The shadow—it was Zane. Standing there, body trembling as he stared down at the woman.

“I saw death. Zane was surrounded by flames. I burned. Nina—her throat was cut.” Catalina’s sad voice drifted through his mind.

But no, after that, she’d said—

“You die, Dee.” The whisper of her words filled his head even as Dee sprang forward and said—

“You die, Grim. You. Die!”

Grim came at her with fury, meeting her armed with the stake she’d used on him.

He drove that stake right at her chest.

“No!”

But Dee was ready. She spun away from the vamp, and the stake grazed her side, not her heart.

Simon grabbed Grim and wrestled the bastard to the ground. He ignored the claws and teeth and fought to hold the Born when he buckled, struggling to keep him pinned as—

“You die,” Dee whispered again and she had a stake in her hands. The stake she’d taken from Simon when his arms were locked around her and no one could see. The stake had been hidden near his waist, just waiting for her.