Jewels sparkled in the light as I turned to face the mirror and sucked in a breath of surprise. How the hell the woman in the reflection could possibly be me I had no idea. My hair was perfectly styled into an elaborate up-do, leaving my long neck bare to showcase the staggeringly expensive diamond necklace draped around it.

“Elena,” I breathed, leaning in for a closer look at myself. “You have some serious talent, girl.”

“Oh stop,” she giggled, acting coy even though I knew full well she was anything but. “I just work with the materials I am given.”

She’d done my makeup for me in a sparkling, almost ethereal style, so I looked more like a fairy princess than a real girl. Or Ban Dia as it may be.

Huh, I wonder if faeries are real too?

“Well, I think you look perfect, but how have you managed to attach your weapons? Are they all sorted?” She gave me a stern look, and I smiled. She and Lucy had started officially dating just a few days after that night out with Vali, even though Lucy was also still seeing Finn. She was totally open about it, though, and Elena didn’t seem bothered by it, so who was I to judge?

As well as being just what Lucy needed after the crap of her abduction and near death, Elena was just a joy to be around—for all of us. Hell, she was even charming Austin!

“Uh, haven’t sorted them out yet. That’s next on my list.” I checked the time on my phone and realized I was already running late. Oh well, fashionably late was the in thing, right?

“Go get dressed, and I’ll tell River or Cole to come help with the weapon concealment.” She threw me a saucy wink and sashayed out of the dressing room that I’d been getting ready in.

After taking another long look at the incredible job Elena had done, I stood and stripped off the satin dressing gown I’d been wearing and lined up my arsenal of weapons on the ledge below the mirror. Nervous excitement fluttered in my belly as I ran through the plan for the night. All things considered, it should be almost easier than a lot of the heists I’d pulled in the past. So why was I all jittery?

“Princess, we’re late!” Austin snapped, barging through the half open door and pulling up short with a stunned look on his face.

Not one to cower with modesty, I propped one hip out with a hand on my waist, and casually flipped a knife in my other hand.

“I’m aware of that, Austin,” I snapped back at him, narrowing my eyes. “Some of us require a little more preparation than simply throwing on an old suit and calling it done.”

Oh God, Kit. Fucking listen to yourself sometimes!

Austin was far from in an old suit. He was decked out in a custom tailored tuxedo, his dark hair slicked back and his face freshly shaved. Hell, even his shoes were polished to the point of reflective, and he smelled divine. I, meanwhile, was in nothing but a strapless lace corset, matching thong, and a couple of empty weapon holsters.

“Are you just going to stand there and gawk at me, or are you going to help?” I demanded in my very best sassy tone, flicking the knife at him and snapping him out of the stare down he’d been giving my tits.

He sneered, catching the knife by its blade between the flats of his palms and tossing it to hold the handle. “Didn’t Caleb ever tell you not to throw a blade unless you’re trying to hurt someone?”

“Who says I wasn’t?” I challenged, lifting my foot to place it on the chair I’d been sitting in. “Actually, pass that one back. I don’t need your help securing that.”

The sheath for that knife was strapped to my inner thigh, so I really needed no assistance putting it away and held my hand out to take it from him.

Green eyes blazing, Austin stalked across the small room to me, then ever so slowly dragged the knife tip up from my knee to the top of the sheath before carefully securing it and adjusting the Velcro straps holding it to my thigh.

“Wouldn’t have wanted you to cut yourself, Princess,” he murmured, his face unreadable as he held my gaze a long, tense moment.

“Five minutes, then we leave,” he snapped as he spun and disappeared out of the dressing room, leaving me pressing my palms to my hot cheeks, cursing myself. Just a quick glance in the mirror showed how worked up he’d just gotten me, and I desperately prayed he wasn’t yet in tune with my emotions enough to have read that from me.

“Vixen,” Cole called out, tapping lightly on the open door before entering. “You need help?”

“Um, yeah,” I huffed, trying to gather my scattered thoughts from the wake of hurricane-Austin. “Yeah, I just need help with getting this thing to sit right.” I held up the mesh and Velcro contraption that would sit just below the waistband of my dress and store both ammunition and a handgun without being obvious.

Cole nodded silently and took the harness from me, deftly strapping it around me and sliding all the correct items into their homes. He then held out my dress for me to step into, and zipped it up, his finger brushing up my spine and making me shiver.

“Seems strange,” he murmured, placing a soft kiss on the back of my neck, “putting clothes on you. I can’t wait to take them off again later. Although I’m still not happy that you’re going without a disguise.”

“Cutie,” I growled, spinning in his embrace and wrapping my arms around his neck. “We’ve been over this, and I won. No disguise. Gray isn’t even in town tonight, remember? He’s been seen in Miami just this afternoon, and your guys have eyes on him as we speak.”

“What if one of his friends is there and recognizes you?” He scowled. “This is too risky.”

“If anyone does, then good. I hope they fucking-well tell him that his Foxy Girl is the one who ripped him off yet again.” My jaw hardened in stubborn determination, and Cole frowned. “Besides, you guys will be there as backup, so I’m not alone. And don’t forget I am a supernatural badass.”

“How could I ever forget,” he groaned, then kissed me lightly so as not to upset the makeup Elena had so painstakingly applied to my face. “Just promise me that you’ll be careful?”

“Cutie.” I grinned. “When am I not careful?”

“Run me through it one more time,” I demanded, snagging a glass of champagne from a passing server and sipping it. Not because I needed to drink but more as something to do with my hands.

“No. I have run through it maybe four times since we arrived here, and I don’t even know how many times before tonight. You know the plan.” Austin was pitching his voice low, maintaining a polite, calm expression that contradicted his frustrated tone of voice.

Over the countless test runs and simulations we had done in the past few weeks, Wesley had eventually concluded that Austin and I held the most relevant skills for the job, so while Cole, River, and Caleb were in attendance as waitstaff, Austin and I were running point.

“All okay down there?” Wesley’s voice crackled over the little earpiece I wore, and I smiled at his concern. So far the most exciting thing that had happened was some old drunk grabbing my ass. Hopefully things would stay that way, too. Nice and boring.

“All is fine, Wes,” Austin responded quietly, letting the little microphone pick up his voice, and I heard Lucy’s distinctive laugh in the background.

The gala was being held in a staggeringly ostentatious mansion on the outskirts of Toronto, so Lucy, Elena, and Wesley were back in our hotel room listening in and generally just backing us up in case we needed tech help in a hurry.

“So?” I prompted Austin, and he gusted a long sigh.

“As soon as Caleb sets the diversion, you make the switch with the rings, and I activate the illusion spell. Simple as that. Should take no more than a few seconds at most.” He raised an eyebrow at me in a vaguely condescending way. “Do you have it now? Or shall I repeat myself? Again.”

“No need to be an asshole, Austin,” I murmured, smoothing a hand down the bodice of my dress and feeling the comforting outlines of my knives under the fabric. Not that I should need them, but it never hurt to be prepared.

“Oh, fucking seriously?” Austin snarled. “What the fuck is he doing here?” His gaze had locked on someone behind me, so I turned to see who it was. A slow smile spread over my face as I locked eyes with the granite grey ones staring back at me.

Vali was also immaculate in a tuxedo with his shoulder-length hair pulled back into a short ponytail and his usual stubble shaved clean off. He looked like utter sin, and my nipples tightened with desire just from looking at him.

“Let’s see what the hell he’s playing at and make sure he knows not to interfere with our mission,” Austin muttered, placing a strong hand on my lower back just above my Glock and steering me through the crowds toward my Romanian bad boy. As we came closer though, Vali held my gaze and gave a tiny, barely perceptible headshake, which I knew was him telling me not to approach. Clearly, whomever he was here with, they weren’t people Vali wanted me meeting.

“Actually, darling,” I said in a louder voice, turning to Austin and placing a hand on the front of his shirt. “Why don’t we dance a little? We always come to these things, and you never dance with me.” I pouted like a petulant trophy wife, and Austin’s emerald eyes widened a fraction. He flicked a lightening fast glance from me to Vali and back again before sinking into the character he was playing.

“Well, sugar pea, that’s because you can’t dance,” he responded, loud enough for the men standing near us to hear and chuckle a little.

“Darling.” I affected a whining, bored housewife sort of voice. “You know I’ve been taking lessons with the pool boy. Please?” I pouted, and Austin put up a good act of looking pained by my pleading. Or maybe it wasn’t an act. Either way, he sighed heavily and steered me out onto the dance floor where other couples were swaying though a formal sort of waltz.

Austin lifted one of my hands, placing his other hand firmly on my lower back and pulling me in tight to his body as he began to lead with surprising skill and grace.

“I wasn’t aware ballroom dancing was a class in Omega training,” I commented lightly, following his lead without missing a beat in my delicate heels. I’d attended a very snooty private school for five years, so learning to waltz had been a requirement, something I was actually glad of now.

Austin didn’t respond to my question, directing me around the dance floor like a seasoned professional while my full skirt billowed and twirled with each turn. As we moved, I spotted my backup placed around the room playing their roles as waitstaff, but their attention was entirely on us.

“I’m just going to duck to the bathroom quickly,” I whispered, and Austin raised an eyebrow at me. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Those glasses of champagne go straight through me, and the last thing you want is me bumping the alarm sensor because I’m busting to pee.”

“Fine,” he groaned. “Come on then.” He took my hand and started leading the way in the direction of the bathroom that we’d seen earlier.

“Did Austin just offer to take you to the bathroom like you’re a two year old?” Lucy snorted in my ear, and I rolled my eyes. They had no visuals this time, just audio, but I knew she was just stirring shit.

“Austin, I can probably handle this one on my own,” I remarked in a dry voice, dislodging my hand from his. “There was a bathroom out near the pool, if I remember correctly. It’s less likely to have a line waiting than the ones close to here.”

Austin gave me a long stare, then shrugged, like he didn’t give a shit either way. “I’ll wait just outside for you. God knows trouble will find you otherwise.”

“Suit yourself,” I snapped and brushed past him. He followed close behind as I made my way out of the ballroom and down some steps to the darkened pool area. There were low outdoor lights illuminating the path, so I could see where I was walking, but other than that, things were pretty dim. Probably to discourage guests from congregating outside and missing the auction at the end of the night when the jewels would be displayed.

“Here is probably far enough,” I told Austin, pushing open the door to the pool house bathroom and locking it behind me. Thankfully, I’d been right in my guess that this one would be unoccupied, and I was able to get in and out as quick as a flash.

Returning outside once more, I found Austin leaning against the low garden wall opposite the door, looking like something straight off a billboard somewhere. The way the shadows fell across his high cheekbones and strong jaw made him look more like a high fashion model than a secret agent.

“Done?” he asked, seeing me standing there gawking at him.

“Clearly,” I replied, like the snarky bitch I was. “Let’s head back inside. The auction should be starting soon, so the jewelry will be getting displayed.”

He nodded, falling into step with me as I made my way back along the path past the pool to head back inside. What caused me to look over at the shadowed pool, I had no idea, but something must have caught my attention, and I stopped short, peering through the darkness.

“What is it?” Austin asked, frowning into the shadows where I stared.

“I thought I just saw something move,” I murmured, stepping off the illuminated path and making my way closer to the huge pool. These mansions were insanely overdone, and the pool was no exception. It had to have been bigger than an Olympic pool or something.

Austin coughed a laugh. “It’s probably someone getting a blow job in the shadows, Princess; leave them be.”

“No, I mean in the water.” I picked up the front of my dress and stepped through the little garden bordering the pool area. “There was something...” As I stepped closer, it became clear what it was that I’d seen. Lying facedown in the water, a woman floated motionless, her pale blue dress fanned out around her.

“Shit.” I rushed over with Austin close on my heels. “Quick!” I dropped to my knees at the edge of the pool and stretched out to try and grab the woman, knowing that my huge dress would just slow me down if I got into the water.

She was too far away for me to reach, but Austin dove in without me needing to say anything, swimming a few short strokes over to her and dragging her back over to the side. With him in the water lifting her dead weight, I hauled her out by her armpits. My enhanced strength made the task easy, and within moments I had the woman on her back beside the pool while Austin clambered out to kneel on her other side and press two fingers to her throat.

“She’s still got a pulse,” he panted. “Just barely, though. We need to get the water out of her lungs.”

“Kit?” Wesley’s voice sounded in my ear. “What’s going on? Austin’s earpiece and mic just went offline?”

I ignored Wesley and followed Austin’s directions, placing my hands over the woman’s sternum and pressing down firmly in an even rhythm to try and dislodge the water from her. My earpiece let out a high pitched squeal, so I flicked it out and tossed it in the pool before continuing the chest compression.

“Nothing’s happening, Aus,” I muttered, staring down at the woman’s blueish lips. “She’s dying. I need to use my magic.”

“Christina. No,” he ordered, his gaze snapping up and locking on my face with an intensity that almost made me obey him. Almost.

We had all agreed during the planning of this mission that I would retain my full magic at all costs so that if anything went wrong, I wouldn’t be vulnerable. But we hadn’t anticipated this.

Cocking a brow at him defiantly, I let my mental reins go on the magic, and it rushed forward. The fizzing tingles hurtled down my arms and through my hands into the woman who lay dying between us.

“Princess, stop,” Austin commanded, tugging at my wrists where I pressed firmly to the drowning victim’s chest. “You agreed, dammit. We discussed this, and you agreed. No magic used unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“She’s dying, Austin. That’s pretty necessary.” My voice seemed to echo through my head, and I realized this was the first time I’d tried speaking while healing someone. It was a strange sensation, like my voice wasn’t really connected to me. Or like someone was talking through me like a ventriloquist dummy.

“It’s not. She might have been trying to commit suicide or maybe someone killed her or maybe it was just a damn accident, but news flash, baby girl—people die all the damn time, and it’s not up to you to save them all.” He tugged at my wrists again, but my strength was far superior, and I wasn’t budging.

“Fuck off, Austin. I’m healing her whether you agree or not.” I glared at him, making sure he damn well understood how stubborn I was prepared to be on this. I’d been given the ability to heal people, and I wasn’t about to just ignore it when someone needed me, just in case it made me a bit dizzy.

Okay, that was an understatement. As the magic poured from me and into her, forcing the water out of her lungs and bubbling from her mouth, I could already feel the heavy, lead-like feeling setting into my bones.

“That’s enough,” Austin growled, as the woman rolled slightly and began coughing up mouthfuls of pool water. This time when he yanked on my wrists, I no longer had the strength to fight him on it, and my hands fell away from the coughing woman.

With a hand like a steel band, Austin dragged me to my feet and away from the pool area so fast I had to run to keep up. I glanced back a couple of times, but the nearly drowned woman was sitting up, so I was confident she’d be okay.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Austin snarled, shoving me into a study off the main hallway and slamming the door behind us. “Look at yourself! You’re so weak you’re practically shaking! How the fuck do you plan on making a sleight-of-hand theft when you are trembling like a goddamn shaved cat in winter?”

“Oh, quit with the dramatics, Austin,” I sighed, not really having the energy necessary to argue with him effectively. “The auction isn’t for half an hour yet. I’ll just go find one of the guys and get a quick recharge, and I’ll be fine.”

“Right, so you’re going to, what? Grab Caleb or Cole and go let them fuck you quick and dirty in the closet or something? Is that how this goes?” His lip curled in what seemed like disgust, and my blood boiled with rage.

“Is that a fucking problem for you, Austin?” I seethed. “Is it really so deplorable that I need a few minutes of sexual contact with my guardians in exchange for saving a damn human’s life?”

“Oh sure, like there’s nothing in it for you? I think you’re addicted to using the magic. You can’t seem to stop, even when you know you shouldn’t be doing it! I mean, how fucking dense can you be not to suspect there is something fishy going on with all these ‘accidents’ around you lately?” He was firing up now in response and crowding me against the desk. “So go on then, Princess. Prove me wrong.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I spat back. “How the hell am I supposed to prove something that is a figment of your imagination? Fucking crazy person.”

“I’m one of your guardians, too. Use me.” He poked me in the chest, and my brows shot up.

“No.” I recovered from my shock quickly and glared death at him.

“No? Why? You scared you’ll like it?” he taunted, boxing me against the desk with a dripping wet arm on either side of my huge skirt.

“Not even close,” I lied like a big old liar. “Get out of my face, Austin. I’m not fucking you when you so clearly find me repulsive.”

“Oh, Princess,” he chuckled, a dark sound, deep in his throat. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

For a tense moment, neither one of us spoke. Our gazes were locked, our faces only inches apart, as close as lovers and yet not touching at all. From behind Austin, the study door opened and a woman stepped through.

“Do you mind?” Austin snapped, not looking away from my startled stare. “We’re in the middle of something.”

“Austin.” The woman spoke, and the blood drained from his face. “I thought that was you I saw come in here. Well, either you or Caleb, but he isn’t so rude.”

“You,” Austin breathed, stepping back from me and spinning to face the speaker who, I could now see, was a small, delicate young woman with short red hair.

“Uh, let me guess,” I smirked without amusement. “Peyton?”

“Who the hell are you?” The nasty bitch sneered, eyeing me up and down like something the cat just dragged in. I glanced to Austin, but he still seemed gobsmacked.

“No one.” I slipped out from behind Austin and brushed past the petite woman. “Absolutely no one. See you at the auction in thirty minutes, Austin.”

I didn’t wait for his response before sweeping out of the room and shutting the door firmly behind me with shaking hands. Fuck, maybe I was more drained than anticipated.

Chewing my lip nervously, I debated going back into the study and throwing that poisonous bitch out so I could take Austin up on his offer. But I knew he had been bluffing, and whatever was happening between him and Peyton was probably going to be brutal. Nope, I’d be fine. Caleb, Cole, and River were all out in the main party somewhere, so I just needed to find one of them. Easy, right? I was armed to the teeth with weapons too, so I should be just fine alone for a few moments.

Of course, all the weapons in the world weren’t going to help me if I was too weak to use them. Stupid, Kit.