I raced through the tunnels traveling faster than ever before. Darkness was a blur, the cold air rushing past me doing nothing to cool my anger. I reached the top of a manhole nearest Emma's house and paused briefly, noting the moon’s sinking position in the sky. I had maybe twenty minutes until sunrise.

It made me sick to think that Victor was still harassing Emma. How long had this been happening for, and why had no one told me? It filled me with rage that ignited every nerve ending on fire.

I surfaced, feeling the approaching sun on my skin. It tingled like it used to do, but it wouldn't be long before that tingling turned to burning flesh from my bones. I had seen it happen once before in Louisiana as a punishment to a vampire who had been caught killing humans, an offense punishable by death. Death by sunlight was not something I ever wanted to experience.

Emma's house was just down the block. I inhaled deeply, smelling for Victor’s scent. Even though it had been months, I remembered everything about him. During my training on the Bisou Islands, I would often think of him and of all the ways I would kill him. These thoughts had pushed me to train harder, for I vowed to get my revenge on him for his many crimes, including killing Kristen.

I darted down the sidewalk, tracking Victor's scent. I couldn't lose him now, especially if he had Emma with him. I passed by her house, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection should she happen to be home and glance out the window. It took my best efforts not to look back at her house, but I failed. It was too difficult. I had visited it almost every day since I had met Emma. Mostly from the outside to ensure she was safe, but still. It felt like a second home.

Once I passed, I could only smell Victor, which meant Emma was home and not with him. At least there was that, but I would still make Victor pay for harassing her. Anything could’ve happened to her while I was away. If something had, and Roman knew and didn’t tell me, I would never forgive him.

The streets were eerily empty for the time of day. There should at least be a handful of people heading to work, but it was as if humans sensed the danger in the darkness and preferred to wait until light before venturing from their homes.

I sniffed the air again. Victor was close.

Using my super speed, I caught up to him ten blocks from Emma’s house. It looked like he was walking toward Pigtown, the worst part of Coast City. Crime, even when I lived here, ran rampant along those streets, an area Victor controlled.

I stopped and peeked around a corner. He walked into an alleyway that I remembered was sealed off at the end. That meant he must be headed into one of the buildings through a side door. I had to stop him before he did. I didn't want anyone else to know I had returned just yet.

He turned around as if sensing me. I sucked up against the building. I would make his death quick, just as soon as I knew what business he had with Emma. I had to make sure there would be no further threats toward her.

"Whoever you are," Victor snarled. "I can smell you. You must be one of Bastian's men. I told him that if anyone followed me again, I would kill them. Show yourself, coward."

I stepped into the moon-lit entrance of the alley and stared him down, my hands balled into fists and chest heaving up and down.

His face paled, and his eyes grew big. "It can't be."

I appeared in front of him and gripped his throat, speeding him backward into a chain-link fence. His back slammed into it. He gripped my arm and tried to shove it away, but I was much too strong for him now.

"You were dead," his voice cracked, as there was barely enough air to pass through his windpipe.

"I was very much alive when you left me." I had to make sure he believed I had survived that night. If he knew all he had to do to become a vampire was die, he would probably change in a heartbeat. That’s the last thing this city needed—a more powerful Victor.

His eyes darted around frantically. "We need to get off the streets. Now."

I gripped him tighter, but he used both hands and shoved my arm to the side. This time he was successful.

"I mean it,” he said. “We can't be seen on the streets. They need to believe you are dead."

His words took me off guard. What did it matter to him if vampires discovered I was alive? He was in league with them.

He looked up. "Follow me."

Before I could stop him, he crouched low and jumped up past the three-story building next to us. I was right behind him, and we landed on the roof at the same time.

"Not high enough," he said, as he glanced over the ledge.

I reached for him, but he ran across the rooftop and leaped to the next building over, which was two stories higher. Again, I caught up with him, and this time I grabbed him and slammed him to the ground before he could get away. I drove my knee into his chest, and he grimaced in pain.

“What do you want with Emma?" I growled.

He shoved at my leg, but there was no moving me when I was in this position.

"To protect her,” he grunted through the pain that must be wracking his body. I let up a little on his chest so he could continue speaking. “I was told vampires were fighting near her street. I wanted to make sure she was safe."

I searched his eyes, looking for any sign of deceit, but either he was telling the truth, or he was an excellent liar. "Why? Why are you protecting her?"

He flexed his jaw and glared at me.

I snapped my hand forward into his collarbone, nearly wrapping my fingers around the whole bone. He didn't cry out as most men would have, but he did suck in a breath.

"For you," he gasped. "I was keeping her safe for you."

"But you believed me dead."

He turned his head away from me. "It was the least I could do."

My mind spun, but with thoughts that didn't make sense. I punched him in the face, hearing the crunch of his nose breaking. I hit him two more times. It felt good to see his blood. The smell excited my senses, and I reached back to punch him again.

"Kill me, if you must. God knows I deserve it but wait until you know the truth. I can help you."

"I will believe nothing you say." I hit him again in the face. It bothered me that he wasn't fighting back. I knew I could beat him, but it would've felt a lot better if he was at least struggling against me.

"Then believe, Alex,” he blurted. "Do you remember him? He showed you around my place. He's the only man I trust. He's been with me since the beginning and knows everything."

"The beginning of what?" I kept my fist hovering in the air, just waiting for another reason to send it crashing into his face. I wanted to see blood covering it until I could no longer see the pleading look in his eyes, an expression I had never seen from him before.

"Since the Principes Noctis arrived. Talk to Alex. I beg you. You must know the truth. I can help you."

"You killed Kristen," I spat. I couldn't keep my fist back any longer. It crashed into his eye socket, breaking bone.

He groaned. "I had no choice. Talk to Alex.”

I rose to my feet and stared down at the crumpled-up man I had once been terrified of. I could kill him so easily. I no longer had any reservations about killing those I felt deserved it. It used to be against my moral code to take anyone's life. That was for the justice system to decide who lived and died, not me. But the courts had failed the people of Coast City long ago. A moral code couldn’t exist in such an atmosphere.

"Don't leave the city," I warned him. "I will find you soon. Whether you live or die is still to be determined."

He opened his mouth to speak, but I’d heard enough. For now, my dream of killing Victor would have to wait.