Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Guardian 3)

"I don't care about the reasons, I just care about the kill. You're going to be a great guardian once you fully accept your fate."

"Don't hold your breath waiting for it, boss."

"Wouldn't matter if I did. I don't actually need to breathe."

Well, yeah. I guess it was a pretty stupid statement to make to a vampire. "I'll leave the link on."

"If you start getting static, turn it off. It probably means they're catching the signal."

"Will do."

I turned on my heel, wrapped the shadows around me, and ran back to Starr's property. The dinner bell was ringing loud and clear as I neared the house. I swore under my breath and headed for my room. The window was still open, so I climbed through, grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my body to hide the blood, grime, and scratches, then headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

A guard appeared minutes later. "Hey, you, can't you hear the dinner bell? Hurry up."

I hurried. At least there was one good thing about running around in skin - no struggle trying to pull clothes over a wet body. I finger combed my hair as the guard hustled me along.

I expected to be led to the holding pens behind the main arena for our wrestling match, but instead was taken into the arena room itself and led to a table.

Berna was already there. I plonked down beside her and crossed my arms.

"A successful affair?" she asked, as the guard walked to the back of the room.

"Yep."

"Then how the hell are we going to rescue Nerida?"

"I don't think we really can."

Her fury swept over me, its heat blistering. "We had a deal."

"We had a deal to try." I waved a hand around the room. "Do you think either of us have a chance of getting her out with all the hardware and personnel in this place?"

"I can't not try."

There was a desperation in her voice that was more than just concern. More than just a favor owed.

Berna and Nerida, as I'd suspected earlier, were lovers as well as friends.

"We may not be able to get her out, but maybe we can give her the one thing she really wants."

"But in seeking that she may very well die." In the depths of her eyes, a war between fury and fear briefly raged, but the emotions were gone as quickly as they'd appeared, sucked away behind a facade of calm acceptance.

There was no "very well" about it. Nerida was going to die, and we both knew it. And the pain I'd seen so briefly in Berna's eyes only confirmed that. "Look, this is her one chance to fight Merle, and possibly kill him. Do you honestly think she'd appreciate you taking that chance away from her?"

"Probably not. But I can't - "

"You can. You have to. They'll kill us both the minute we try to make any rescue attempt, and I'm sorry, but this operation is too darn important to risk that."

And if she tried, I'd have to stop her. She knew too much now. If they caught her, and she blabbed...

My gut churned at the thought of killing Berna, but I'd come too far now to let it all fall apart at the last hurdle.

Berna made a low sound in the back of her throat. Whether it was anguish or acceptance was anyone's guess.

"If she rights Merle, maybe she can put her ghosts to rest."

"I thought you said the ghosts wanted her death?"