Ryver and Mercury said their goodbyes and hot-footed it to the alley at the back of Diablo. Mercury practically skipped his way there, all the while singing in his head, “Ryver and Ria sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G—"

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Ryver barked.

Mercury grinned at him. "Don't know what you mean, bruv." When Ryver rose an eyebrow at him, Mercury just laughed. "If you could see the daft look on your face."

Despite himself, Ryver felt a smile spreading across his face.

Mercury slung his arm around Ryver's shoulders and pulled him into a sort of walking hug. "C'mon, kid. Let's get this show on the road."

Just before they dematerialised Kaden called to say the chase had moved to Regent's Park.

"At least it's easier to land there," Mercury mumbled.

True enough. Camden was always heaving even on a quiet night. Finding a dark alley to materialise in without being seen would have been a nightmare.

"Can't believe those pair of pansies need bailin' out!"

"It is what it is. See you there."

They landed in the north-east corner of the park, home to London Zoo. The inhabitants knew something evil walked among them. The warning calls of a myriad of different species rang out across the park as Ryver concentrated on locating his brethren. It didn't take long. Their anger and frustration fizzled through the air, their thoughts so loud Ryver felt sure Mercury could hear them too.

Mercury couldn't hear them, but he obviously felt them. The guy shuddered. "That's two pretty pissed off campers over there," he said as he pointed towards the Broad Walk and the Ready Money Fountain.

They took off in a blur, using the trees that lined the path as cover. The closer they got, the louder the errant thoughts became and one thing became worryingly clear: the report they'd received of one rogue Fallen was false. Their brothers had run straight into an ambush. Ryver skidded to a halt and held his arm across Mercury to stop his advance.

"What the fuck are you doin’?"

Ryver held firm as he cocked his head and listened. Times like this, he wished all his brothers could hear. Instead, he used hand signals to tell Mercury he could pick out nineteen Fallen and they were advancing on Phoenix and Skylar.

Mercury didn't need hand signals for his reply. His, "Are you fuckin' jokin'?" rattled loud in Ryver's mind.

He wished he was.

"WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?"

Ryver winced. It didn't seem to matter how many times he told him there was no need to shout. If Mercury wanted Ryver to hear something, he always yelled it.

Ryver checked his weaponry. Yeah, they might have been out for a bit of R and R, but that didn't mean they were ever really off duty. It definitely didn't mean they went out unarmed. Ryver had three knives and two Glocks and signalled as much to his brother.

Mercury nodded and mentally shouted that he had two Glocks and one knife.

Ryver nodded and dug out his phone. He sent a message to Kaden with an update. Four against nineteen weren't bad odds given who the four were, but Kaden would rip them a new one if they didn't report the change in situation.

Mercury outranked Ryver both in years of service and in experience, but Ryver had the advantage of being able to hear what the enemy would do before it happened. That meant Ryver would be taking point.

"ON YOUR SIX, KID," Mercury bellowed.

Ryver nodded his understanding and stepped out from the trees and onto the battlefield. The Fallen had Phoenix and Skylar surrounded and took turns taunting them. The Guardians hadn't taken kindly to that, and there were several headless victims lying at their feet, proving that the fight was by no means over. Ryver signalled Mercury to move to the left.

As the guy disappeared in a blur, Ryver heard Skylar properly for the first time. “Sweet Goddess of Fae, you two took your time!”

Now he had his brother's attention, he signalled that Mercury was directly opposite him on the other side of the circle the Fallen had formed. Skylar murmured over his shoulder to Phoenix who stood back-to-back with him. Ryver saw his brother's head snap up and heard the acknowledgement in his mind when he locked gazes with Mercury. The two of them would coordinate their own plan and Ryver felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders lift slightly.

He was just about to signal his advance to Skylar when he felt the air shift behind him. Gun in hand, he spun around, his finger applying the smallest of pressure on the trigger when he heard Kaden's voice echo in his head. "Easy, Tiger."

If silence wasn't critical, Ryver would be telling Kaden exactly what he thought of him materialising right fucking behind him. Unexpected arrival aside, he was pleased to have the boss man there. Yeah, they'd all vanquished multiple Fallen by themselves at one point or another, but increasing the odds never hurt.

He heard Mercury counting down from three in his mind and he signalled as much to Skylar.

And then it was on.

He and Kaden advanced from the west as Skylar broke forward from the centre. Mercury and Phoenix mirrored their actions to the east. There was a brief moment of excitement from the Fallen as they thought this would be Phoenix and Skylar's last stand. The feeling was fleeting as Ryver heard the realisation sweeping through them. Back up was a bitch when it came armed with Glock 17s.

The sound of rapid-fire gunshots rang out across the park as The Order engaged the enemy. Those who went down were quickly dispatched by Skylar's blade. The stench of rancid Fallen blood hung heavy in the air as Ryver took aim at another of the scum.

It was all very well shooting the bastards, but Fallen used to be Vampires and they could withstand a lot. Not every shot was a kill shot, and the bitch coming at him was only wounded. Blood poured from her chest—even hits to center mass weren’t enough to put her down. She was hurt, but he'd missed her heart.

She charged at him, black eyes wide and manic as she screamed. He fired again but she ran straight through his shots. She was on him in no time, knocking the gun from his hand as she ploughed into him. They rolled across the grass in a tangle of limbs and weapons. Ryver managed to scramble free and sprang to his feet. He heard her intention before she swiped her leg out and he jumped over her. She screamed again as she tried to find her own feet. She wasn't quick enough, though, and Ryver stamped his foot on her chest, relishing the crack of her ribs—though not the scream of agony that careened through his mind.

Despite his battle experience, it caught him off guard and he hesitated. It was all she needed. She sprang to her feet, wielding an all too familiar gun. His gun.

Fuck. If she didn't finish him off, Kaden was going to kill him.

He pulled his spare Glock from his holster, hearing her congratulating herself on her victory. They stood there in some sort of suspended stand-off for what felt like an eternity before he heard her make the decision to pull the trigger. The beginnings of a grotesque smile spread across her gaunt features as she readied her aim.

"You're finished, Vampire."

"Am I? You seem awfully sure about that."

"What? How?"

Ryver grinned back at her as she gaped at him. He saw the realisation dawn in her evil black eyes.

"Ryver of House Blackwood," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Indeed."

She pulled the trigger.

* * *

Soraya learnt quickly. She moved as gracefully as Lena expected—Soraya would look graceful taking out the rubbish—but with a sword in her hand, the Princess's movements had purpose. They'd done away with the practice swords, such was Lena's confidence in Soraya's natural ability. The Princess's sword was much lighter than Lena's but it didn't make it any less deadly. The Princess advanced again, their weapons clashing, the sound of metal on metal echoing around the gym as Lena parried her strike. Soraya had yet to land a significant blow and Lena could sense her frustration.

Soraya swung her blade wide, aiming for Lena's head, but in her determination to see her blade home, she forgot the number one rule: protect yourself at all times. Lena had been doing this a damned sight longer than Soraya. She was quicker, more cunning. Deadlier. As the other woman left herself exposed, Lena aimed straight for her mid-section. Of course, this was only practice so she pulled up short, but Soraya still jumped backwards to avoid Lena's razor-sharp blade.

"Damn it!" Soraya said, breathing sharply. "How could I be so stupid?"

"Learn from it," Lena told her.

Soraya pushed a few errant locks away from her face and nodded.

Lena smirked. She didn't think she'd ever seen the woman look so disheveled. Soraya was still breathing heavily and Lena thought perhaps she might have been pushing her too hard.

"C'mon. Let's call it a night."

"Am I that bad at it?"

"Honestly?"

"Oh Goddess! I'm awful, aren't I?"

Lena laughed. "Quite the opposite. I know I shouldn't be surprised because you're annoyingly brilliant at everything, but I am. Seriously...is there anything you can't do?"

She beamed. "Really?"

"You need practice, but you have so much natural talent, I can't believe you haven't done this before."

"Shall we continue then?"

Lena shook her head. "In an hour or so, your muscles are going to be screaming at you, and you're gonna hate me."

Soraya laughed. "I'm sure I could never hate you, but I do take your point."

Lena put their training blades back in the locker while Soraya tidied away the gym mats. Both of them were sweating, messy hair plastered to their faces. Lena had only really meant to show Soraya the basics, but the Princess had proven to be an exemplary student. Soraya was the epitome of elegance and grace, and that had transferred perfectly to her swordsmanship. As surprising as it was, Lena had to admit Soraya could handle a blade pretty well.

"I think everything is squared away. The boys won't know we've been here," Soraya called out from the other end of the training room.

Lena took one look at the pile of gym mats and burst out laughing.

Soraya frowned. "What is so amusing?"

"I'm not sure I've ever seen the boys arrange the mats by size and colour," Lena replied, still giggling.

Soraya's frown deepened, her confusion even more pronounced. "Why ever not?"

Lena laughed harder.

The Princess put her hands on her hips, the frown turning to a scowl. Since Lena could count on one hand the times she'd seen Soraya actually scowl, she thought better of laughing so hard at her. "I'm sorry. It's just well..." She took another look at the stack of mats and tried really hard to stifle a snigger.

Soraya's furrowed brow softened. "I'm really not very good at this, am I?"

"If you mean acting like a Neanderthal, then no, you're not. I meant what I said about your skill with a blade though. You're much better at this than I ever gave you credit for."

"I am?"

Lena nodded. "I don't give compliments often, especially when it comes to swordsmanship."

"Really?"

"Absolutely! Even Kaden would be impressed."

The Princess inhaled sharply at the mention of the Keeper's name.

Now that was interesting. "Is everything alright?" Lena asked.

Soraya shifted awkwardly on her feet.

"Soraya?"

"Kaden must not know about this," she snapped.

Her tone changed completely and Lena felt the power behind the words. Lena's brow shot skyward. She had absolutely no intention of telling Kaden anything. She knew her brother well, and she had no doubt in her mind that he would rip her a new one if he thought she'd let Soraya anywhere near a blade. What surprised her though was the conviction in Soraya's words. Since Lena's mating to Thorn, she no longer felt the physical need to obey any order, but it still echoed around her mind.

"Soraya, did you just give me an order?"

The Princess's golden eyes widened. "Holy Mother of Faerie! Lena, I'm so sorry. It just came out."

Lena took a deep breath. Orders had never sat well with her, regardless of who gave them. The Princess's order didn't have the effect it would have in that past, but that was beside the point. She'd still given it. Something in Soraya's pained expression gave Lena pause, quieted the anger in her mind.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"It's nothing," Soraya replied a little too quickly.

"Soraya?"

She ignored Lena's pressing and set about rearranging the mats.

Lena stood, hands on hips, staring at her, willing her to meet her gaze. It didn't work. What the hell was going on?

She was about to ask again when she felt a twinge of pain pulse through her. She knew without having to think about it that Thorn was fine. She and Soraya were obviously uninjured. That meant only one thing. One of her brethren was in trouble.

* * *

Time seemed to stand still. He was sure he'd counted correctly, but as her finger pulled back on that trigger, the doubt crept in.

Click.

Click.

Click.

And the doubt was gone.

The absolute rage spewing from the Fallen was palpable. Her unadulterated fury screamed through his mind as she flew at him. Distracted, Ryver hadn’t properly readied himself for her attack and he landed with a crack as they both fell to the ground. The air rushed out of his lungs and he struggled to catch his breath again as her assault continued. The gun may be out of bullets but that didn't mean the bitch couldn't still use it as a weapon. He got it together enough to block her from slamming it into his temple, but his breathing was still ragged.

“Get off the fucking floor, Guardian!”

The Keeper's order careened through his mind and he had no choice but to obey. As the Fallen readied herself for another go at his head with his own damned gun, he ignored his desperate need for oxygen and rolled away from her.

Her furious scream reverberated around the park as she slammed the butt of his gun into the ground instead of his skull. Her anger clouded her mind, momentarily freezing her in indecision. It was the reprieve Ryver needed.

He finally found his feet and took his first proper breath in what felt like a lifetime. Jesus fucking Christ! He could swear someone was waving a razor blade around inside his lungs. It hurt like hell. The need for air forced him to take another breath but he couldn't quite catch it. More fucking razor blades.

Behind him, he heard the bitch coming again. He knew her plan. If he didn't move, it wasn't going to end well for him. In about thirty seconds, she fully intended to rip out his throat and reduce him to ash. Move! For the love of Faerie, move!!

Slowly, too damned slowly, he turned to face the screaming Fallen. His hand shook as he tried to bend and retrieve his knife. Agonising pain ripped through him and he staggered backwards. His hand never reached his blade. Time ticked by and still she came at him. Glittering black eyes and a macabre smile filled his vision as she sailed towards him. He tried to brace himself for the attack, but he was buggered if he could take that breath he needed. Small spots obscured his vision as his body screamed for more oxygen. C'mon, Ryver, get with the fucking program.

And she was on him. Impossibly sharp nails digging into his shoulders as she reared like an angry snake, jagged fangs aiming for his throat.

Despite the debilitating loss of oxygen, Ryver's hands came up automatically, stopping those vile fangs from finding home. His fingers found their way across her throat and he squeezed with everything he had.

The bitch riled against him, shredding his shirt and tearing through the flesh across his shoulders.

I'm going to bleed you dry, Guardian.

Yeah. He kinda got that part of the plan. He squeezed harder. Not. Going. To. Happen.

Those evil black eyes bulged as her cracked lips pulled back. The macabre grimace revealed rotting fangs as she too struggled for air.

Ryver's breathing remained ragged, but each intake became easier as adrenaline kicked in. No fucking way he was going out like this. He forced his arms to work harder, pushing her away from him, giving himself the room to move. More room to reach his knife. Left hand still clamped like a vice around her throat, he reached down to his thigh holster with his right.

With what felt like Herculean effort he pushed her further away, releasing his grip on her neck and sending her careening into a great oak behind her. She landed with an oomph but rebounded quickly, already coming at him again. He let her come.

She wailed like a banshee and threw his gun at him. She missed. Charging at him looking like the Questing Beast of legend, her lips peeled back further, exposing more of those disgusting fangs than he ever wanted to see. Her eyes focused on just one thing—his carotid and the life force flowing there. Ryver readied himself but the bitch didn't care. Her plan was clear and nothing Ryver did was going to stop her.

She slammed into him, forcing more of that precious oxygen from his lungs. Too late, she realised her mistake. A last gasp escaped her lips as she froze. Ryver's knife pierced her heart and he used all of his mental strength to block her diabolical thoughts from his mind as he pushed her away. She toppled backwards, confusion flickering in the dying light of those cruel eyes.

The pain in Ryver's lungs had eased, but he still needed a moment to catch his breath before stooping to retrieve both his gun and his blade. As he bent, more pain ripped through him. What the hell was going on? He'd been injured before but he'd never felt anything like this, not for this long. Vampires healed lightning fast. Their ability to heal meant he'd fought for twenty-four hours straight on more than one occasion. He looked around to find his brothers and saw Phoenix decapitating what looked like the last Fallen. Mercury, Kaden and Skylar made their way over to him sporting cuts and bruises that had already started to fade. Phoenix followed quickly on their heels.

Ryver used the tree at his back to stay upright, but he still couldn't catch his breath. If he hadn't already heard his brothers' thoughts change abruptly from congratulating themselves on a job well done to instant concern for him, the furrowed brows and worried eyes would have said it all.

Something was very wrong.