I force myself to open my hands and let her go. She stumbles back, shooting me one last heartbreaking, wide-eyed stare. And then just like at the airport, she turns from me and walks abruptly away, her matted blond hair falling against her shoulders. And just like before, she doesn’t turn back.

I roughly yank the gorilla head over my face. It smells as sour as I feel.

Damn the Maker and the Deceiver. Damn them all.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Anna’s Test

“I really miss your hair in my face

And the way your innocence tastes.”

—“Better Than Me” by Hinder

We’ve been good. We’ve stayed away from each other since Halloween—two months exactly. But still, we are not safe. Always, threats lurk, and this one snuck up.

All the fear I’ve known since meeting Anna seven months ago has led to this night. She is under suspicion. I could have helped her avoid this fate. I could have put aside my own selfishness and properly trained her during our road trip. But I didn’t. Instead, I’ve played games, pushing her away and reeling her back in for the past seven months. And now she’s forced to go against her personal morals to save her life.

Honestly, I don’t know if she can pull it off. The other Neph and I have given her as much information and advice as we possibly can. We’ll be at her side tonight, each of us working, but she has to do her part on her own. I’m more nervous for her than I’ve ever been for myself.

“You all right there, babe?” Marna asks, leaning up from the backseat. My knuckles are white, and I force myself to loosen my grip on the wheel.

“Yeah,” I say. “Fine.”

Blake claps my shoulder from the passenger seat. “We got this, brah.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Ginger mutters at me from the back, where she’s applying another coat of eye shadow. “Like that bloody awful haircut.”

I ignore her, running my hand over the buzz cut I gave myself while wasted on eggnog.

“I like it,” Marna says. “It’s cute. He looks a bit like a criminal.”

Blake turns in his seat. “Criminals are cute? Dude, whatev. Girls are weird.” At this, Marna giggles.

I catch Kopano’s eye in the rearview mirror. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, hanging with the lot of us here in Atlanta for holiday break when Father and the other U.S. Dukes met at my house and called us all together, suggesting we work together as a group this New Year’s Eve for maximum damage to the humans. We didn’t know at the time Anna was under suspicion. Thankfully Belial tipped her off. She’ll most likely be tailed by whisperers all night, who will report back to the Dukes about whether or not she’s a suitable worker. Her life depends upon being a bad girl tonight.

Kope will be working for the first time since he was fifteen, and I know he’s doing it for our sakes. For Anna’s sake. I’m grateful.

We park at the hotel and I chug from my flask before I get out. I straighten my tie as we walk, and feel the heavy slap of my wallet’s chain against my thigh. I try to concentrate on these small details so as not to freak the hell out. Thankfully no whisperers are in sight. Yet.

It takes me half a second to find Anna when we walk into the darkened ballroom. She’s dancing with that Veronica chick, in true Anna fashion, as if this were an ordinary party and not a test in which her life is the prize.

My worries are momentarily sidetracked as I watch the way her body moves with fluid grace—the way her arse shakes in perfect time to the beat. I reach down to adjust myself through my trousers, and Ginger huffs next to me, mumbling, “Oh, gawd.”

Whatever.

Anna is smiling and fanning herself when the song ends. And then she sees me and stops. I want to go to her and remind her of everything we told her about dealing with the whisperers. I want to shield her and protect her and take this burden from her, but she’s got to do this on her own. I cannot be a distraction, so I will make myself scarce; however, I’ll be listening and watching when I can.

It doesn’t take long for the whisperers to show—two of them—and they stalk her like the creepers they are. I want to tell them to back off and give her room to breathe. She’s completely rigid when they first take to her, but to my surprise she heads straight for the bar and shakes off the stiffness with determination.

Knowing she’s okay for now, I find a brunette in an emerald dress to talk to in a corner where I can see Anna from across the room. I manage to keep up a conversation, answering, nodding, even making the girl laugh, but she’s only got a small portion of my attention.

I’m more than a little proud of the way Anna handles herself at the bar, but I’m worried her friend Veronica is going to be an issue. I think she’s together with Jay, and . . . oh, fantastic. Marna has him in her sights. What is she thinking? She should not be working on Anna’s friend and causing unnecessary drama for her to deal with when she’s trying to bloody concentrate! The moment Marna breaks away, I excuse myself and head over to her.

I catch Marna near the poker tables. “What are you doing? Not Jay, okay? Leave him be so Anna can focus.”

Her eyes are sad and she whispers, “Sorry.” Ah, shite. I think her play for Jay was less about work and more about her possibly fancying him.

Ginger marches up, frowning at me. “She’s got nothing to be sorry for. She’s working the way you should be. Come on, Marn.”

She takes her sister by the elbow, and Marna casts an apologetic glance over her shoulder at me before they walk through the room, making eyes at all the guys who’re coupled up. I shake my head and catch sight of Kope at a poker table. The blokes he’s with are all edgy, their auras stirring with gray. We give each other a nod.