Danaus frowned as he looked at me, purposefully keeping his gaze from Stefan and his work. “Wouldn’t it be more painful to stake her out in the sun?” he inquired.

“She’s asleep as soon as the sun rises. She would never feel a thing. Your idea is a slow death, but it’s also very merciful. Stefan is quick and messy, but she dies in pain, which is what he wants.”

After a couple seconds Stefan walked over, dripping Odelia’s blood, a rare smile on his face. He might have lost an assistant that was important to him, but he had personally destroyed both of her killers with his bare hands. He couldn’t ask for better justice. And in both instances, Ferko and Odelia had been my gifts. Stefan would now be more willing to fight at my side for the rest of the evening. At least, I hoped it worked that way.

“Veyron and the warlock?” he asked, pleasing me. Apparently he had a taste for blood this evening and was ready to get his fill.

“They are waiting in the basement,” I said with a frown. “The entrance is single file down a set of wooden stairs. If we head down in a line, they will be able to easily kill us all. Let me go down first and scout it out so you can appear in their midst.”

“Like we did up here,” Valerio said, and I nodded.

“You’re doing quite well in your role as bait,” Stefan teased.

I was doing quite well as bait, but I wasn’t enjoying it. In fact, I was downright terrified by the idea of heading down into a basement full of nightwalkers and a warlock without my powers. If my companions hesitated, I was staked. Sensing my unease, Danaus placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. At least he would not let me die without a fight. I just hoped that the others felt the same way.

Air from the basement wafted up the stairs, smelling of dirt and mold. A heavy energy snapped and crackled from both Clarion and Veyron as they prepared for me to enter the place where they had decided to make their final stand. I resisted the urge to look back over my shoulder at Danaus and the others as I descended the wooden stairs into the basement. The heels of my boots clomped on the stairs, sounding like the drumbeat to a funeral march.

I frowned as I turned the corner and found that the coffins that had filled the basement before were now leaning against the walls, leaving the floor open for the fight that awaited us. Roughly a dozen nightwalkers were arrayed before me holding all manner of weapons, ready to attack me at the first indication from Veyron, who stood at the back of the pack. I would have to push my way through all the nightwalkers in order to get to him. To make matters worse, he was standing with his back against the wall, making it impossible for my companions to pop in behind him for a quick slaughter. This was not going to be a quick and easy fight.

And that didn’t even begin to take care of the problem that Clarion presented. I wracked my brain as I slowly descended the stairs on effective ways to take out a warlock without the use of my powers. The only ace I potentially had up my sleeve was Danaus, assuming the warlock wasn’t aware of the hunter’s unusual gift.

At the foot of the stairs I found Clarion standing at the back of the room near Veyron. He leaned one shoulder against the wall in his neat suit and tie, looking as if he had just come from a business meeting. In his right hand he held a gold pocket watch, which he glanced at before looking up at me with a questioning gaze. I could guess what he was wondering. How was I going to handle this situation and survive?

And then it hit me, bringing a broad grin to my face as my gaze shifted to Veyron, who squirmed slightly. I didn’t need to handle both of them. Only one of them was truly my enemy. The other one could still be made into my ally . . . if I could deliver what he wanted.

Stepping onto the concrete floor of the basement, I dusted off my hands and stopped a few feet away from the nearest nightwalker, smiling. “Ferko and the lycanthropes are dead. Sofia is dead. The humans are dead. Odelia is dead,” I listed as I dragged my gaze over each one of the nightwalkers that stood ready to attack me. “Do you really want to join them?”

“You can’t stop them alone!” Veyron laughed from the supposed safety of the back of the room. “You don’t have your ability to control fire now. You’re nothing. We will crush you.”

“In other words,” I said sarcastically, turning my gaze to the nightwalkers before me, “he will allow you to die trying to kill me so he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty or endanger his life. He will let you die for him.”

“Who doesn’t want the honor of being able to claim that he killed the infamous Fire Starter?” Veyron asked sweetly.

“If it’s such an honor, why don’t you come here and try yourself?” I countered, smiling at him so my fangs showed. Veyron went quiet and I chuckled in the silence. “I thought so.” I walked to my left, leaving an opening to the stairs while placing my back to the wall. “This fight is between Veyron and me. Not you. Take what’s left of your lives and leave here while you still can.”

There was a soft rustling among the nightwalkers as they looked around at each other, surprised by this unexpected offer. This wasn’t an opportunity they would receive under most circumstances. But then, I wasn’t like most nightwalkers. I was worse.

“You can’t do that!” Veyron shouted.

“Of course I can. I am keeper of this domain. I am an Elder on the coven. I can offer them their lives if I so wish it,” I said with a laugh. “But if you’re going to go, go now.”

There was a soft shuffling among the nightwalkers as a handful of them edged toward the stairs, cautiously moving around me. They were obviously distrustful, and they had every right to be. They had attempted to stand against me, to betray their keeper. They couldn’t be allowed to live so they could betray me again at a later date.

Kill the ones coming up the stairs silently, I told my companions waiting for me up on the first floor.

Meanwhile, the ones that remained attacked at once. Blades slashed through the air and fists came crashing down, aiming for tender parts. I came alive in a flurry of action. With fighting quarters so tight, I opted for my small knives, allowing me to get close and personal with each of my opponents. I delivered a round of slashes and stabs that left three of my attackers rolling on the ground, gripping gaping wounds that would take several minutes to close. Stabbing one opponent in the stomach, I released my blade and slammed my fist into his chest. I grabbed his heart and pulled it free before he could fall over. Seeing his black heart in my hand, the remaining two attackers that I had yet to reach backed off immediately.

“I have survived six centuries, battled both naturi and bori. I have slaughtered nightwalkers, shifters, and warlocks with my bare hands. Do you think in all that time I haven’t learned to kill without my powers?” I growled.

“Kill her!” Veyron screamed, earning a deep laugh from me, which simply danced around the dark room, leaving them jumping at shadows.

“Leave here,” I commanded. Those that had the power to scramble out on their own two legs scurried up the stairs, where they were met with a silent death by my dear companions.

Dropping the heart, I licked some of the blood that was dripping from my fingers as I turned my attention to Veyron and Clarion. I smiled and cocked my head to one side as I looked at them, trying to decide how I would continue. There was a good chance that Clarion could crush me with a single spell. Besides, I wasn’t sure I could manipulate Danaus’s gift without him standing in the room with me.

I might need to use your powers, I warned Danaus. I’m hoping to avoid it but I might not be able to.