THE NARROW ALLEYWAY of red brick leads behind a building in the night district. People walk by, far enough away that he doesn't have to conceal his weaponry. He feels separate. He has been for a long time, but now he feels it to his core.

With his father, he felt a divide between himself and other humans. Most don't know the terrible truth of what goes bump in the night, not even about the mages that rule most of the world, the werewolves, or the vampires that live amongst them.

He has a focused mind. The ring is held tightly in his hand, and it's glowing brighter. The purple hue is vibrant enough to be seen through his fingers. Reid is here, in this club that's under construction. The sign is covered with a tarp that flaps in the strong wind of the coming storm, which darkens the sky overhead.

Club Hedone.

There's a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to press his back flush with the alleyway's wall that's radiating warmth from within. 

He stares into Lucas's eyes and feels his heart beat faster in outrage, but nothing goes beyond that initial reaction. He knows that his breaking point is near. He'll hold on a while longer, and then he'll deal with whatever he needs to when Reid is safe.

"Kane," Lucas says with a deep frown. He risks keeping his hand heavy on Kane's shoulder. "We're about to walk into a fight, and that look in your eye is fuckin' worrying."

"I'm good."

"Good? I've seen you in a fight, and this isn't the crazy bastard I know."

What can he say? He's an idiot. He should have sent Hannah away the moment he knew he felt deeper than attraction for her. Every time he looked into her eyes and touched her, he felt calmer, and that stupidity lulled him into believing that they'd all be okay.

He can't afford love, not in this life, not when he's fighting these kinds of monsters that ruin lives and hurt unfathomably.

He should've seen the signs that Reid was going to do something stupid when he started apologizing. He can't keep that moron safe. How did he ever think he could keep Hannah from succumbing to all the shit they deal with daily?

Fuck. He couldn't keep his dad alive.

"I'm good, okay? I can fight," Kane returns gruffly. His ears are full of cotton, and his mouth is dry. He's standing strong, but within, he's stumbling. He shoves Lucas's hand away harshly. "Worry about keeping yourself alive in there, not me."

Kiernan has been quiet until now, leaning a shoulder against the wall not far away. "Alma will be expecting us."

He pushes away from the wall when Kane's gaze slips toward him. The vampire nears with a soft exhale. "This won't be easy, but Reid believed in you, or he would never have put himself in this position. We can do this, but only if you're level-headed."

"You know what we are walking into," Lucas says angrily. "We can't fuck this up."

The other page of Reid's note. The one Kane hadn't shown Hannah. She'd have demanded to come if he had. He doesn't know where he missed Reid's unsettling sharpness. The idiot wrote in detail about Alma's plans.

The vampire will accept Reid's surrender and demand to be brought to his uncle. Alma is vindictive and will not adhere. He'll keep Reid for a day, at least. Torture, or whatever else the asshole feels, will make up for Reid's constant impudence. He'll hide in a safe house that Azrael does not know of. Alma won't dare have Azrael find out he's being a sneaky fuck.

Then Alma will have his most trusted, toughest vampires to protect him while he carries out his sadism. He won't have the numbers his coven provides because he can't risk Azrael catching wind.

Alma fully expects Kane to come for Reid and probably thinks bringing Azrael both of them, subdued, will wash away any pesky betrayal he might have accumulated by not telling Azrael about his nephew's deal.

Hannah knows they're walking into shit. She doesn't have to know that they're facing vampires that Alma deems tough enough to kick his ass and crazy enough to face him in battle.

When he'd had her on that table, he thought she was going to beg him to stay, saw it in the quake of her shoulders, and quiver to her lips.

He wouldn't have, but he'd have been tempted—so tempted.

She's distracting. Her presence pulls him out of focus, making him yearn and want blindingly. He can't have her in his peripheral vision, or he loses his goal because it becomes her.

Rain breaks through the dark clouds swirling overhead and patters against his face. He looks at Lucas and says, "If something happens to me, get Reid out. Take care of him and Hannah. Tell them I died doing something really fucking cool."

"I will," Lucas promises, smiling past the misery in his eyes.

"Rowan and the baby too," Kane says, feeling his throat close up at the thought of not being around to protect them all himself, but he has to do this just in case fate has decided he'll die in this club tonight.

Lucas says softly, "Don't worry, mate. I've got them."

Kiernan straightens from his slouch when Kane's attention turns to him. The vampire's curly hair catches stray droplets of water and drips down his face. He doesn't wipe them away, listening intently when Kane stares at him but says to Lucas, "Don't let him go back to Gabriel."

After Lucas's nod of affirmation, Kiernan scoffs, and Kane nears the asshole with a deepening glare. There must be menace in Kane's gaze because the vampire's eyes narrow, but he stands his ground at Kane's advancement, tipping his chin.

Kane growls, "I don't give a fuck if you have Stockholm syndrome or some shit."

There's a startled flinch Kiernan makes when Kane slaps his palm on the side of the vampire's face. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to make his point. He leaves his palm there and says, "Reid needs you. If you don't care about yourself, at least fucking care about that."

He laughs gruffly when Kiernan gives him a wide-eyed look of boyish shock. Kane says hoarsely, "I should've said this before, and I might not get another chance, so thanks. For giving Reid your blood and taking that whipping. I don't fucking know what to say. I don't think there are words to convey that kind of gratitude."

Kiernan doesn't reply, blinking up at him with his hands in the pockets of his suede jacket. Rain batters them heavier now. They're beneath a slight overhang from the roof above, but droplets still catch them, and soon Kane can see the beads of wetness falling from Kiernan's lashes.

After a moment, Kane says softly, "Don't fucking go back, alright?"

"You might not be the only one that dies tonight, Rainer," Kiernan whispers. His voice is apathetic, but his expression can't hide his inner turmoil. His shoulders have a slight shake, and his mouth is twitching like he wants to say something, but he's holding it back. "If I... tell Alexander. He'll wonder otherwise."

Kane scoffs. "Neither of you will die tonight."

He told himself when Milton died that he'd never fail like that again. On his last breath, he'll make sure they're safe—all of them. If he can ensure that, he'll die happily. Even if the thought of never seeing Hannah's beautiful smile again or Reid and his big blue fucking eyes make him want to vomit.

They'll understand that he fought for them.

Fuck, he's tired.

They forgo the front, following the brightening of the ring, and enter through a back door hidden beneath hanging ivy.

Down a set of red stairs that creak under their weight. There's no point in masking their approach; they're expected. The interior of the club is deceptively quiet. Leather furniture. Crystals hang from the ceiling, giving off dim red light. Low tables and sectional couches are placed semi-circularly around a velvet-curtained stage.

Club Hedone isn't a club for dancing. That much is obvious from a cursory sweep. He can imagine what waits for them further inside, private rooms. His blood boils at the thought of Reid being brought through this place, in Kane's mind, by force.

There's crimson fabric half-draped over a doorway at the far end of the room. He whispers to Kiernan, who's shadowing his left, "Do you feel him?"

"Yes," Kiernan whispers, "he's unconscious."

Kane's knees feel weak, but he keeps himself steady with anger. He hears Lucas from his right, exhale a shaky breath.

Kiernan says suddenly, "I can't hear anyone else." The vampire stops, and they follow. They're in the open, near the curtained stage.

"What?" Kane asks, hushed.

Meeting Kane's gaze, Kiernan whispers, confused, "I can't hear your heartbeat, Rainer."

The crystals overhead clink faintly. They're below ground level. There's no draft.

"Fuck..." Kane breathes and looks up as realization dawns. Those aren't just crystals among the red-hued light bulbs.

Lucas catches on quickly. He curses as he takes in the runes hanging from the ceiling, glowing faintly. "Kane," he whispers shakily. "We're..."

"Fucked."

The etched wood has swirling black lines carved into both sides that he doesn't recognize. This far away, he can feel the anger. He can sense its stickiness crawl over his skin and permeate the air—forbidden power.

Dark magic.