“Believe what you want.” Faith’s gaze didn’t waver. “But Dante was the one who set this whole thing up. This was part of his test, coming up with the plan to bring you back to the organization.”

My throat was suddenly dry. “And if I refused to come?”

“Then I had orders to kill you.”

Reeling, I shook my head, still unwilling to believe. Dante had truly done this? My own brother had sent a Viper after us, with orders to kill me if I didn’t return? That couldn’t be right. He wouldn’t do that to me. We might’ve argued, fought, disagreed on a lot of things, but Dante wouldn’t give the order to take me out if I refused to cooperate.

Or would he? Was he so invested in Talon’s doctrine that he’d really believe he was doing the right thing? I remembered something Riley had told me once, and it made my stomach twist. Talon has him now. He’ll betray his own blood if they give the order.

Faith curled an arm around her side, her face creasing with pain. “What are you going to do with me?” she asked in a tight voice.

I stood up, wincing as the movement pulled at the charred, blackened cuts on my body. The Viper flinched, as if expecting a sudden attack, but I was just about done with this. My mind was spinning, I ached and I felt nauseous in more ways than one. “Take a message back to Talon,” I growled at the Viper. “And Dante. Tell them to stop sending people after me. They’re just wasting their time. I’m not coming back.” Faith still eyed me warily, like I might pounce on her as soon as she moved, and I bared my fangs. “Get out of here!”

She scrambled to her feet, holding her side, and staggered into the darkness. I watched until she slipped down an aisle and vanished, then I slumped to the cool cement.

“Ow,” I whimpered, wishing I could just lie here and not move for a few minutes. I hurt all over, but at least I had won. I’d actually won a fight with a trained Viper. A small Viper, but a Viper nonetheless. I guess I should be thankful I was alive; Lilith’s prize student certainly wouldn’t have spared me if the situation were reversed. She didn’t know how close she’d come to beating me, that I wouldn’t have been able to kill her if she hadn’t surrendered. I guess I’ll never be a proper Viper after all, I thought, and felt nothing but relief at that notion. And if Faith had realized that, I don’t think I would’ve won. But I didn’t have to worry about her now. My bluff had worked. She was gone.

Though Mist was still out there. And Riley.