Something rustled. I wanted to open my eyes to see what it was, but for some reason, my eyelids just wouldn’t lift.

“Is that silverstone?” the woman asked again.

Some small part of my mind frowned in thought. I knew that voice, that soft, breathy voice that resonated with so much raw power. I just couldn’t remember whom it belonged to.

“Yeah,” the man replied. “She had five of them on her.”

“And you really think she lured you out here to kill you?” the woman asked. “Perhaps she was just carrying them for protection. Hookers tend to do that, you know.”

“I know it was her. I’ve seen her before. She was at Fox’s store yesterday, along with a cop. She must be working for the old man.”

Silence. Again, I tried to open my eyes to see what was going on. Once again I failed. The pounding in my head intensified, as though another drum had been added to the band.

“What a pity,” the woman said in a mocking tone.

“She had such potential.”

I sensed someone crouching beside me, and a sweet, slightly noxious smell filled my nose—like jasmine mixed with smoke. A finger trailed down the side of my cheek.

Hot needles of pain stabbed my skin, but I couldn’t even cry out. No part of me seemed to be working. The burning finger skirted down my cleavage, before sliding off my stomach.

A soft laugh echoed above my head. The sound made me think of fire, smoke, ash. Rough hands holding me down. The spider rune heating up between my palms.

Questions. So many questions about Bria. The silverstone searing my skin, melting into my flesh. The Fire elemental laughing as the rune burned me. Laughing.

The Fire elemental. Mab—

“Very well,” the woman said. “Do whatever you want to with her—outside.”

Her voice short-circuited my train of thought. I tried to grab hold of the wispy tendrils of memories, but they retreated back into the darkness—a darkness that was slowly swallowing me once more.

“Outside? Why? I want to take care of the bitch right now.” The man sounded whiny and petulant.

“Because in case you haven’t noticed, Tobias, I’m hosting a function for several hundred people. A dead body in the garden would put a damper on the evening, don’t you think? Besides, you claim she came here to kill you. So you can take care of it. I have no desire to get my hands or any other part of my person dirty tonight. Besides, she’s unconscious. No fun to be had there.”

“Well, what do you want me to do with her?” the man asked again.

“I don’t fucking care,” the woman snapped. “Just get her off my lawn. Now.”

Rough hands closed around my arms and yanked me up, but by that point, I’d sunk into the blackness once again.

———