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Gentry saw ave me a respectful nod, alether I didn’t nod back Still, I supposed that the bounty hunter had kept her word to me She’d made sure that Bria was here in more or less one piece, despite the torture that ive Gentry the courtesy of killing her quickly for that

Finally, I looked at Bria Our eyes met and held across the snowy distance, and I could see the pain and fear and desperation flashing in her blue gaze-pain at her own injuries and fear for me and what Mab was about to do to me

Jonah McAllister had also come to see me kick off to hell The lawyer stood off to one side, a triu a bit of emotion to his unnaturally smooth features He wouldn’t have missed this for the world Oh, yes, McAllister was especially s exactly what he wanted-Gin Blanco, his son’s murderer, fried extra crispy by his sadistic bitch of a boss

As I stood there, surrounded by my enemies on all sides, a cold calm filled ht me to pour into my heart and coat every little piece of my soul with I embraced the darkness, welcomed it, relished it even For the very last time

Because as soon as I’d stepped into this courtyard, I wasn’t Gin Blanco anymore I wasn’t Genevieve Snow or the lost, terrified, thirteen-year-old girl I’d been the last tiht noas the Spider And I was here to finally destroy my nemesis-once and for all

Chapter 26

Behindon the snow In less than a minute, I was surrounded on three sides by both the bounty hunters and the giants Mab had brought along with her, with the Fire elemental herself directly in front of me At least fifteen men and women made up the loose semicircle around me, and there had to be even more, like Sydney, hidden in the rubble I couldn’t see

But that was okay Because I wasn’t here alone, and I knew that my friends, ht and put the chance It was all that I could hope for I’d do the rest myself-the way I always did

"So here we are," Mab h the courtyard

Perhaps the stones of ic, or perhaps they knew she was the reason that I’d lashed out at therew harsher and sharper underneathsound made me smile It matched exactly how I felt

"Here we are" I returned Mab’s de facto greeting

The two of us stood there, staring at each other The Fire elemental enty feet away from me, with Bria tucked another twenty feet behind her No, Mab wasn’t taking any chances that I could snatch my sister and escape with her

"Now that this moment has finally arrived, I have to say that I’m at a loss for words," Mab admitted in a sly, satisfied voice

I arched an eyebrow "I wouldn’t start crowing about your ultiet dead, especially when I’ht You can’t, because I killed her"

Mab’s eyes darkened, a bit of fire flashing in her black gaze The sparks seeht, instead of reflecting back the faint light

"Your insolence is noted, little Genevieve, and it does not please otten that I have your sweet sister over here atalready? I have to say, I’s worked out this way What fun I’ve had with her, especially in seeing how long and loud I could ic It’s beenAfter I kill you, I think I’ll start on her face Melt it right off and then put out her pretty little eyes with ht even let her live, keep her around as a sort of pet Wouldn’t that be fun?"

Rage filled e Whatever happened to ain She would not

But I didn’t let any of what I was feeling show in my hard features, and I didn’t look at Bria If I did that, if I saw the fear in her eyes again, II couldn’t afford

"Oh, no, I haven’t forgotten that you have Bria Kind of sad, though That you needed a bargaining chip to catchas you used to be, are you, Mab?"

Yeah, I was taunting her, but we both knew exactly how this was going to play out Despite whatever empty promises she’d o or me walk out of the courtyard alive Not unless I made her-not unless Finn, Owen, and the othersher Every second I did that was another second that Finn and the others had to slip out of their hiding places in the woods, quietly take out the bounty hunters stationed on the perie of the courtyard

Buyingon a show for all those in attendance So instead of staring at Mab, I turned around in a slow circle, looking at each one of the giants and bounty hunters gathered around aze drifted from one face to another Most of them stared back atwith choirboys and schoolgirls here These were professionals ere just as hard and ruthless as I was But a few shied away from my eyes, while others dropped their heads entirely Their reluctance to even look at ave me some hope thatenough to rescue Bria

"I’ht now, and you can live I won’t come after you afterward I knohat Mab’s like How she’s forced soainst your will How she’s threatened your wives, kids, whatever I won’t hold that against you, not if you leave right now and never look back"

My harsh words echoed through the courtyard, out into the remains of the ruined house, and even into the forest beyond The stones underit and the hidden eleotiate, they didn’t want to let anyone go No, the stones wanted to lash out, to crush whoever carind their bones into dust, just like I’d done to theht now But soive the others a chance first-which was more than they or the Fire elemental would ever do for me

There were no takers, of course Everyone remained where they were, weapons at the ready Couldn’t bla out here in the snow and wind all by

Mab let out a little peal of laughter when no one took me up on my offer "Oh, please You don’t actually expect to walk out of here alive, do you, Genevieve?"