"There's one kind of creature who gives the best payments," the Collector goes on with his villain monologue. I didn't know this was a thing out of movies, but he seems so into it. Today, he's in a velvet suit of a blue so dark it looks black, and the glasses balancing on the tip of his nose are the color of a cloudless sky. He keeps looking at me, batting his eyelashes. Is he expecting a reaction?
"I don't care," I spit, hating he now wants me to participate in this boring preamble to my new capture.
The knife bites into my throat, forcing my head back into an uncomfortable position. The Collector raises his brows, pressing a hand to his chest as if he's honestly offended. Fuck that. My magic warms inside me, trickling into my veins not like cold water, but like lava. I grind my jaw and stand down. The girl behind me looks qualified enough to stick a knife to my neck before I have the chance to attack.
"What about you, Mr. Soldier?" the Collector asks, eying Apollo, but the dragon shifter just bares his teeth and growls back at the man, or whatever he is. The Collector grins, turning then to Tristan. My stomach sinks with the disappointment I see on his face. "Oh, Tristan. I never thought you would come to this. A lowly traitor. An ungrateful child."
"Ungrateful for being kidnapped and treated like a slave?" I bark at the man, and this time I feel warm liquid running down my throat. A mere warning. Lailah doesn't want to hurt me but she will if necessary. I can almost hear the unsaid — how they can slice my throat to put me down, and then heal me back just fine.
This time the Collector definitely looks insulted, lips parting, eyes wide as he adjusts the glasses on his nose. "I treated him like a child of my own. And yet, he takes the first opportunity to run away with a stranger, kidnapping more of my creatures on the way." He waves for Oreo. The dog winces with the motion, without even being touched by him, and that sets me off like nothing else.
I bare my teeth and raise my hands, the woman behind me growing taut, knowing something is about to come. And they have no idea. No idea what I learned in the time Prince kept me, no idea what I can do now.
Before I do anything, thunder claps right next to me, making everybody duck in surprise. The woman behind me lets go for the briefest of moments, and a clawed hand on my arm pulls me away. I crash onto a body, cold like death.
Prince holds me close, but it's not gentle or reassuring like the way Apollo was holding me. No, he holds me like a possession, like something he can't afford to lose. "I knew you'd eventually find us," he shoots with a cool voice to the Collector, though his hair and clothes are disheveled, the hems of his robe burnt. "Didn't expect it would be this soon."
The Collector shrugs. "As I was saying, I adore receiving payments from vampires. You know they deal with favors? And having a favor from Kayn is something immeasurable." A smile crosses his face. "But, of course, this is business, and I need to give him the merchandise first."
I spread a hand on Prince's chest and push off, but he keeps an animalistic hold on me, making me wince. "She's mine," he roars, and Apollo roars back. "She's taking me back home, and with the power of the Shadow Mage on my lineage, no one will stop me."
That makes me pause. I look up at his angled face, but he glares at the Collector and doesn't give me attention. I poke him in the chest. "Your lineage? What the fuck does that mean?"
"It means he wishes to procreate with you," the Collector so helpfully says. My cheeks burn. And I thought I wasn't one to blush.
I push away from Prince, but he doesn’t budge. "What the fuck?" I hiss at him. "Let me go, Prince. I have no intentions of having babies with you."
"You don't have a say in that matter," he shoots me a heated glance, his claws biting into my arm.
"As if! You're just announcing your intentions of raping me and you expect me to be fine with it?" I struggle against his hold, and this time his nails sink deep enough to draw blood. Prince bares his teeth at me.
"I saved you from a much worse fate, and I taught you your magic. You should be grateful."
"What is wrong with you lot and your warped sense of gratitude?" I jerk my arm free, looking down at the half-ripped sleeve and the blood staining my skin. "This shirt was expensive, you know?"
Prince scowls at me like I'm out of my mind, but Apollo gave me this shirt and I treasure it. It also looked good on me, though I agree this is not the time.
The fae reaches into his pocket and raises one of his stones. "I can get out of here in the time of a heartbeat. Either you come with me, or he'll take you straight to the vampire, and he won’t be happy you ran."
The Collector lets out a deep, throaty laugh. "Oh, but there's something you got wrong."
Prince's minions gather around him, some with guns, others clutching stones just like him. They don't look ready to run but to fight, eyes intense, locked on the Collector. Whatever Prince promised them, it's good enough to make them stay. I glimpse at the Collector, wondering if he still wants to face Prince when he's so outnumbered.
"And what is that?" Prince asks with his upper lip curled. I step away from him, but he glances at me, following my moves.
"You are not getting out of this alive," the Collector tells Prince, a grin on his face. He raises a hand and snaps his fingers.
And all hell breaks loose.
The Collector didn't come unprepared and his own minions come out from every possible corner, jumping on Prince's small army and drawing blood. Screams and the voice of several calling for spells reach my ears. I turn, my eyes locking with Apollo's, and I make to run. Prince grips my arm again, but this time I'm ready.
I turn, slamming my palm into his face and drawing the darkness toward me. It explodes like a cloud of shadows, covering everything around me for a moment. And a moment is all I need. I jump out of his hold as Prince snaps his head from side to side. Shooting out a hand, I grip Tristan's fingers and race to Apollo, who scratches his eyes. They don't see in this darkness the way I do. I hold them close and guide them out of the cloud, bursting into daylight and looking around for Ren.
He's gaping in confusion at the cloud, still on his perch atop the car. His eyes connect with mine and he jumps down, entering the car. Apollo and Tristan still shake their heads in confusion. Oreo presses his face to Tristan's chest, hiding from the mess. I swear I'll give him a nice cuddle tonight after this is all over. The poor thing doesn't deserve to be in the middle of this mess.
Screams ring in the air as the cloud disperses. The sound of guns going off and fists meeting jaws reach me, but I don't look back. The armies will get on each other's throats, and the others will be too confused to find me for a second. I wish I had stolen Prince's portal stone, but I don't even know how to use it.
"That was amazing," Tristan calls, looking over his shoulder with his mouth agape.