The artwork above is not mine.

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    Ruhn hid his hands in his pockets as he and Sarai made their way down a side street. Night was falling over Crescent City, but still, they persisted in their investigation. Ruhn glanced at Sarai from the corner of his eye. Was it just his imagination, or was she walking closer to him than usual? His stomach flipped with nervous excitement.

    They hadn't discussed what had transpired at the house three days ago, but Ruhn knew it had to be on Sarai's mind just as much as it was on his. Or...maybe it wasn't. He bit down on his lip ring. This was why he hadn't brought it up yet.

Suppose Sarai wasn't thinking about it at all? Suppose he ruined whatever was happening between them? How many times before had he opened his mouth when he shouldn't have and destroyed a newly formed relationship? Bryce's face flashed before him.

    "We shouldn't stay out too late," Sarai said, wrapping her arms around herself. "I've heard reports that another demon has slipped into the city. The Umbra Mortis hasn't disposed of it yet."

    "Are you afraid?" He asked, knitting his brows.

    Sarai lifted her chin proudly. "Of course not, but only an idiot stays out after dark when there's a demon on the loose." Hollow pain reflected in the depths of her eyes. "Especially when that demon is a Dissiri."

    Ruhn suddenly understood her tension. The Dissiri came from one of the lowest levels of Hel, the Abyss. He had only ever seen illustrations of the creatures, never one in person, and for that, he was grateful. The Dissiri were creatures of nightmares. He prayed he would never meet one.

    They walked on their hands and feet in a hunched position, and still managed to reach nearly eight feet in height. Their legs were often tucked up beneath their bodies and they had extremely long arms. They were covered in wrinkled black flesh that was said to smell of tar and sulfur. Their heads were humanoid in shape, but they had no eyes or nostrils, only the ridge of a nose.

    Their mouths could unhinge to reveal five rows of razor sharp teeth and one long tongue that could lash out and grab a person. The end of their tongue was also sharp enough to draw blood, and was tipped in venomous glands. Their venom could cause immediate paralysis of the entire body and all its organs.

    But the most terrifying thing about the Dissiri was that they rarely used their venom. Instead, they preferred to tear their victims limb from limb using their teeth and retractable talons, all while the victim still lived. Ruhn had seen two corpses left behind by a Dissiri attack, and even he had vomited.

    Ruhn paused, noticing that Sarai had fallen behind. Her eyes were closed and she still hugged herself tightly. "Are you all right?" Ruhn asked, retracing his steps until he stood beside her. Sarai gulped, her shaking breaths becoming audible. "Hey." Ruhn tucked a finger beneath her chin, tipping her head up. "What's wrong?"

    Sarai still refused to meet his gaze. "Can we just...not stay out here?"

    Ruhn narrowed his eyes and quickly scanned their surroundings. He spotted an unassuming thrift store nearby. Sarai didn't protest when he draped an arm around her shoulders and led her over to it. Surprisingly, the store was still open, though there was no one at the register. They slid inside and made their way to a secluded aisle. As soon as Ruhn drew back, Sarai slumped to the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

    Ruhn crouched in front of her, concern washing through him. "What's wrong?" He brushed his thumb over her jaw and smoothed hair out of her face. Sarai still didn't protest, and Ruhn couldn't bring himself to stop touching her.

    Sarai rested her head back on a shelf, closing her eyes. "That demon is the same breed as the one that killed my parents," she murmured.

    "Your parents were killed by a demon?"

    She nodded. "I only remember bits and pieces of the encounter. I can't picture the demon except in my dreams, and I've never looked it up because I don't want to remember. That thing... It destroyed my parents in seconds. Both of them."

    "How did you survive?" Ruhn asked.

    "The Umbra Mortis arrived and killed the Dissiri before it could turn on me. I blacked out after that."

    "I don't remember hearing about that attack," he said, more to himself than to her.

    "Sabine and the Governor decided to keep it under wraps. My parents were two powerful wolf shifters who were devoured in seconds. That didn't look good for anyone."

    Ruhn gave a slow nod. "I'm sorry, Sarai."

    "It was a long time ago."

    "But it clearly still bothers you."

    She opened her eyes, finally looking at him. "Watching a demon eat your parents would bother anyone." She gave a dry laugh. "At least I was young enough that my mind blurred out most of the memories."

    "It's all right to still be afraid."

    "I'm not..." Sarai's protest died away as she held his gaze.

    "You are, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Hel, there's a lot of shit that I'm afraid of," Ruhn replied.

    "Like what?"

    "You, for one." He gave her a crooked smile.

    Sarai rolled her eyes. "You're not afraid of me."

    "On the contrary. I'm terrified."

    "Why?" She studied him carefully.

    Ruhn leaned closer. "Because you have complete control over me." His heartbeat quickened as he waited for her reaction.

    "Do I?" Sarai breathed. All signs of pain and fear were gone from her face. Only an excited flush remained.

    "Yes. You..." Ruhn broke off as the front door swung open.

    Sarai perked up, and both of them remained silent, listening for the newcomer. "I'm tired of waiting," a male voice spat. "Just give it to me now."

    "I told you, I don't have it yet. I won't until later this evening."

    "I have plans this evening!" There was a muffled thump followed by a crunch. "So let's try this again. I played your little game. I gave you what you asked for. Now, hold up your end of the deal."

    "I will, I swear!" The second male spoke in a nasal tone, as if he was plugging his nose. "I'll have it tonight. Just tell me where you're going and I'll bring it to you. I swear!"

    "This is your last chance. I'll be at Crown Royale. If you don't bring it tonight, I'll hunt you down and rip out your entrails myself."

    Ruhn jerked his head towards the door, taking Sarai by the hand. His shadows folded over them, masking them from view as they slipped outside behind a charcoal winged Angel. Ruhn didn't let the shadows disperse until he and Sarai were safely out of reach of the Angel's senses.

    "That sounded like a planned drug deal if I ever heard one," Ruhn said.

    Sarai nodded. "I assume we're going to follow that Angel and figure out what drug he purchased?"

    "Exactly."

    Sarai smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "And luckily for us, I have an idea so we won't have to wait in line. We can just hide ourselves in your shadows until we're inside the club."

    Ruhn stared at her, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "I don't know why I didn't think of that in the first place."

    "That's a good question."

    "Let's go."

    "We can't go like this. We'll stand out too much."

    Ruhn rolled his eyes with a sigh. "I suppose you have a plan for that too?" Sarai's smile grew as she took his arm and guided him towards one of the stores whose windows were still lit.

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    Sarai stood in a dressing room, swiftly changing into the evening gown she'd persuaded Ruhn to buy for her. She had even convinced him to grab a matching suit. Hopefully the new outfits would help them blend in with the crowd at Crown Royale. Well, blend in as much as the Crown Prince of the Fae and his female companion could. Sarai didn't doubt that they'd be all over social media come morning, but that didn't matter right now.

    What mattered was figuring out how to clasp a diamond brooch through two panels of fabric over her breasts without tearing the wine red satin. Sarai curled her mouth sideways, shimmying the sides of the bodice up. She stuck the brooch in place, securing the material at last. Sarai looked up and surveyed herself in the full length mirror that leaned against the wall.

    The gown was beautiful. It hugged every inch of her body, not uncomfortably, but enough to accentuate her curves. The bodice sat so low on her chest that she'd be afraid of it falling off completely, if it weren't for the brooch holding it up.

    The two separate panels of fabric stretched down to the center of her stomach before coming together and melting into the skirt. A long slit spanned the center of the skirt, reaching just below her thighs to allow for more mobility. Detached sleeves wrapped around her wrists and back up to her biceps.

    Sarai had managed to find a pair of gold heels that went well with the gown. They weren't the four or five inch heels that Bryce loved to wear, but they gave her a little more height. Sarai combed her fingers through her loose hair and tossed it until it fell into a decent shape. She tucked a few loose strands behind her ear and made sure her pack tattoo was covered before leaving the dressing room.

    Run was already waiting for her, dressed in his own wine red suit. He'd braided his hair again, and though she couldn't see the Starsword, she knew it was strapped to his back. She guessed he'd hidden it using his shadows, and his handgun was tucked into the waist of his pants. She'd secured her own dagger to her thigh, but she wouldn't be able to hide her gun beneath the satin folds of her gown.

    Their old clothes, Sarai's cell phone, and her handgun were piled in the bag that their new outfits had been placed in. "Is someone going to take care of those?" She asked, gesturing to the bag.

    Ruhn blinked, shaking his head briefly. "I already called Flynn. He'll meet us at the club and take it, then go back to the house. He and Declan will be watching the security feed around the club, just in case something goes wrong." His gaze swept over her again, lingering on her hips, then her chest, before darting back to her face.

    "I bet you don't have any complaints about my dress now," Sarai teased. "Except maybe that I'm still wearing it." She flicked his chin as she walked past.

    Ruhn caught her by the wrist. "You say the word, Rai Rai, and we can remedy that." His voice was nothing but a low growl. Every inch of her tightened at the sound. He released her and Sarai hurried out into the street, trying to steady her racing heart.