"So, has Ruhn finally asked you out?" Flynn asked, taking the bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

    Sarai rolled her eyes. "No, we're here on business."

    "Business that I think you'll both enjoy." Flynn glanced between the two of them with a suggestive wink.

    "Get going," Ruhn said. "We don't have all night."

    "Good luck. Our phones will be on if you need us." Flynn patted his pocket and ducked down a side street.

    Ruhn heaved a sigh and turned back to Sarai. "Let's go before he comes back."

    Sarai took his offered arm and his shadows folded over them, shielding them from sight. "We should probably discuss what we're going to say when your father and Sabine ask why we were seen here together."

    "We'll tell them we were following a lead and hope they believe us instead of the media." Sarai pursed her lips and looked away, surveying the street in front of the club. "Are you looking for the Dissiri?" Ruhn asked, keeping his voice quiet.

    Sarai gripped his arm tighter, then forced herself to relax. "No."

    He was silent for a moment, before asking, "What's our cover inside the club?"

    "Everyone will assume we're there as a couple, so we might as well make it convincing. It'll make things more difficult when handling Sabine and the Autumn King, but at least no one will ask questions when we suddenly disappear. And they will notice when we leave. People will be watching us," Sarai pointed out.

    Ruhn grimaced. "Perks of being a Crown Prince."

    "And the Chosen One."

    "Sometimes I wish I'd never found that fucking sword."

    There was an underlying tension in his voice that had Sarai glancing up at his face, but his sapphire eyes revealed nothing. Sarai remained silent as they reached the front doors of the club. The shadows did their job well, keeping the two of them hidden until they were able to slip inside behind two other patrons.

    Once they were safely past the entrypoint, Ruhn's shadows melted away. Sarai stared at her surroundings, doing her best to keep her mouth from hanging open. Crown Royale was without doubt the fanciest place she'd ever visited. The entire building resembled a massive ballroom, with upper level verandas that led to private rooms.

    Crystal chandeliers lit by firstlights dangled from the vaulted ceilings. Fresh lilac bouquets hung from marble pillars. The floor was polished to a reflective shine. Some couples were dancing to the upbeat, but still classical, music that was being performed by minstrels. Other patrons sipped glasses of wine and champagne or sampled savory appetizers brought around by waiters.

    "How did Marcus manage to do drugs here?" Sarai whispered, leaning towards Ruhn. "It seems too...posh for that."

    His eyes flickered up. "The upper levels are for private entertainment. Drugs, whores, and so on."

    "Oh."

    "We'll stay down here unless our Angel takes his business venture upstairs."

    "Fair enough." Sarai stepped closer to Ruhn, hooking her arms around his neck. "People are beginning to stare. We should start blending in."

    She tried to ignore the burst of heat that flared beneath her skin as Ruhn's fingers trailed from her neck down to her waist. His hand slowed when he reached the curve of her breast. A shiver ran down her spine. Sarai lifted her chin, drawing a steadying breath. His hand drifted lower and settled on her waist, while the other found her hip.

Ruhn tugged her closer still and they began to dance. Sarai kept one eye on the ballroom, hoping to spot the Angel soon. She knew she couldn't rely on Ruhn to. His attention was focused solely on her. Maybe I should've gone with the black gown, she thought, recalling the plain dress that would've covered every inch of her skin.

    But something told her not even that would've been enough. Whatever attraction Ruhn felt for her went deeper than just her looks. Yes, they certainly caught his eye, but she had begun to realize that other things did too. Her happiness caught his eye. Her pain as well. Her sorrow, her anger, her fear, her desire... He saw everything. He saw her. It had been a long time since anyone but her friends had done that, and he was a male she once hated.

    Why had she hated him in the first place? Because...because... "I thought you were going to use me," Sarai blurted out. "Someone told me you only wanted me to get close to Bryce, or for information on the Wolves. I was told that you were a dick who would take what you wanted and toss me aside when you were bored."

    Ruhn tilted his head, but said nothing. Now that the words had begun to flow, Sarai couldn't make them stop. "I've spent my entire life being tossed around, used and belittled at every turn, and I was only seventeen then. You know, I was so excited when I got your invitation. I thought that maybe you were genuinely interested in me."

    "Me," she scoffed. "An orphaned and shunned Wolf, when you were Crown Prince of the Valbaran Fae and Heir to the Starborn Fae. The Chosen One. And then someone told me all that shit. I don't even remember who. I grew so angry that when I showed up at your party, I couldn't even think straight. I just..." Sarai looked away. "You know what happened."

    Minutes dragged by and they continued to dance. Finally, Ruhn spoke. "It's true, your friendship with Bryce was what first caught my eye, but I was never interested in you solely for that reason. Though, given my reputation, I can understand why you believed it."

    Sarai's breath caught as he cupped her cheek in his palm, lifting her gaze to his once again. "But, Sarai, I would never use you. Not then, and not now. I swear it."

    "I believe you."

    Ruhn held her gaze for a moment longer, before something behind her caught his attention. "There's our Angel," he hissed. "He's leaving the club."

    "Then so are we." Sarai drew his head down and pressed a few featherlight kisses to his neck.

    A small sound passed from his lips. "What are you doing?"

    "Making our disappearance believable."

    "I..." His breath shuddered when she caught his earlobe between her teeth and gave a short tug. "Mm...fuck."

    Sarai smiled, watching him through half-lidded eyes. "You like that, Danaan?" His breath scalded her cheek. "We have a job to do," she reminded him. "But if we do it well, maybe I'll let you help me out of this dress."

    "Don't tease me like that," he groaned. Sarai flushed as his shadows engulfed them once more, and they hurried out of the club.

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ☾☽ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

    It was all Ruhn could do to refrain from grabbing Sarai and crushing his mouth to hers when they left the club. A warm buzz filled his entire body, and certain parts of him ached with need. He did his best to calm himself, knowing he needed to be thinking clearly when they confronted this Angel. Urd knew what kind of shit they might be dealing with.

    They trailed the Angel for one block before he entered a secluded alleyway. A narrow secondary alley jutted out from that one. Sarai drew a deep breath, scenting the air, before ducking into it. Ruhn followed her lead. He kept his shadows pulled taut around them.

    "He seems impatient," Sarai remarked, keeping her voice just below a whisper.

    Ruhn glanced back at the Angel. His feathers were ruffled and he was pacing back and forth. Every now and then, he whipped his head around, as if paranoid that he'd been discovered. Ruhn drew his focus from the Angel and began to prepare himself for the confrontation.

    He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and removed the handgun from his waistband. Sarai took it wordlessly. Ruhn checked the buckle on the Starsword's scabbard, ensuring that it was held securely in place. "Are we taking the Angel and the dealer?" Sarai asked.

    "Just the Angel for now," Ruhn replied. "I can have Declan track the dealer from here to wherever he goes next. He might lead us right to his stash, or to other dealers." She gave a curt nod. "I'll confront the Angel, but I want this gun aimed at one of his wings. If he tries to escape, shoot him."

    "All right."

    Ruhn paused, folding his arms over his chest with a smile. "I wish you were always this agreeable."

    "I wish you were always dressed like this." Her eyes roamed over him appreciatively. "And...I wasn't teasing you."

    His heart faltered. Ruhn risked a glance at the Angel, but he was still pacing. He turned back to Sarai. "You weren't?"

    Her onyx eyes glittered, even in the darkness of the alley. He could hear her heart racing. Smell the excitement and nervousness, the arousal, in her scent. Sarai swallowed hard. "No."

    He took a step closer. She didn't move. She couldn't move, he realized. Her back was already against the wall. Ruhn guided her hips to his and silenced her faint whimper by touching his fingers to her lips. "If this...if I, am what you want, Sarai..."

    She gulped again, gripping his arm to support herself. Sarai knit her brows, looking down. He stiffened, realizing that her hand covered one of his more prominent scars. "Ruhn..."

   "I'll never get tired of hearing my name from your lips."

    Sarai didn't acknowledge his words. "Are these scars your own doing or someone else's?"

    "I..."

    Voices reached his ears and Ruhn broke off. He and Sarai stepped apart, peering around the corner to watch the exchange. A Human in a suit was handing a small vial to the Angel. "That style of suit again," Sarai whispered. "I still can't place where I've seen it before."

    The two males' conversation carried on for a moment longer, before the Human turned and ran out of sight. Ruhn took a step forward, then paused. The Angel had pulled a small syringe out of his pocket. Sarai's gaze shot to his.

    The Angel stuck his syringe into the vial and sucked up a fair amount of clear liquid. Ruhn narrowed his eyes, watching as he injected himself with the liquid. Minutes passed, and the Angel repeated the process. "Maybe the drug will incapacitate him," Sarai murmured. "Go."

    Ruhn nodded, dispersing the shadows and unsheathing the Starsword. "Something tells me you aren't supposed to have that," he called, approaching the Angel. "But I believe in share and share alike. You tell me what it is and who you bought it from, and I'll tell my superiors that you were compliant and recommend a shorter sentence."

    The Angel ignored him. Ruhn came closer, bracing himself for a possible attack. "I know you heard me. Do yourself a favor and comply. I'd rather not have to do this the hard way. A beautiful female promised I could help take off her dress once I get this done, and I don't think she'll appreciate me showing up fresh from a fight."

    The Angel spun, lunging at Ruhn almost faster than he could perceive. Ruhn narrowly avoided the blow, dropping into a roll. A shot rang out just as he popped back up. Blood dripped from the Angel's wing. He eyed the wound, then slowly turned to stare in the direction it had come from. Power rippled off the Angel in unnatural tides.

Ruhn's blood ran cold with dread. "Sarai, run!"

    The Angel surged towards the alley and Ruhn tackled him to the ground. He heard a faint scuffle, but before he could see if Sarai had gotten clear, the Angel grabbed him by the shirt and flung him across the street. Ruhn smacked into the side of a building with a sickening thud. He hit the ground, shock reverberating through his limbs.

    Ruhn forced himself onto his hands and knees. The Angel was storming towards him, something utterly feral written in his features. Ruhn readied himself, and then the scent hit him. Tar and sulfur. Rotting flesh from the second lowest level of Hel. A dark figure rose behind the Angel, its jaw already unhinged.

    The Dissiri gave a bloodcurdling roar and tore the Angel's head from his neck.