Backstage was a whirlwind of activity. It was only my second shift at the club, which was crazy. With everything that had happened, it felt like I’d been there for weeks. Priyanka dropped down beside me as I painted on some eyeliner. There was a haunted look in her brown eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked gently.

I glanced up from the mirror. “Yeah, I’m fine. More importantly, are you?”

She’d known Willow a little longer than I had. A sense of melancholy had settled over the dancers, but Az had decided not to shut the place down for the night. He hoped the killer might be tempted to corner me here. And now that he’d met him face-to-face, albeit masked, Az was certain he would spot him in an instant.

Tears filled Priyanka’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. “No, it’s horrible. I didn’t know Willow well, but she was a nice girl. Always said hello with a smile. Never complained. Even if she was the only werewolf here. The rest of us are fae.”

I stiffened and lifted my brows.

“Az told me that you know everything,” she admitted. “To be honest, I’m glad. I hate secrets. I think it’s about time humanity knows we exist. Here, let me help you with that.”

She took the eyeliner from me and motioned for me to turn her way. I did as she asked and sat still while she flicked the edges of my lids.

“To be honest, I don’t think a lot of humans would react the way I have. A lot would freak out,” I said.

“You’re probably right,” she said, sticking her tongue out between her teeth as she did my makeup. “But that’s not why we keep it secret.”

I frowned. “Then why?”

“Ancient laws. Set forth by the Creator and Lucifer. We’re supposed to control humans for whichever side we’re on. If you know about us, it’s harder for us to do that.”

My stomach flipped. “Um, wait a minute. Control us?”

“Yep.” She dabbed on the last flick. “We’re competing for souls. It’s a game that’s been going on for centuries.”

Horror flooded through me. “You mean to tell me all of this is about a game?”

Priyanka leaned back and sighed, dropping the eyeliner onto the table. “I’m sorry. This is probably too much to unload on you.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I want to understand. Tell me about this game.”

“It was a bargain struck between the Creator and Lucifer, centuries and centuries ago. Who could win fifty billion souls the fastest?”

“And what happens when one of them wins?” I whispered.

She pressed her lips together. “This world ends, and everyone goes to the winner’s afterlife.”