“Mmm-hmm,” said Naomi, watching the drama show play out with a strange fascination that was bordering on excitement. “Cutler led them to the abandoned subway station. By then, they were close enough that Kai was able to hone in on your magic and find you.”

Sera looked at Kai. “You could find me through all that iron?”

“Your magic has an entirely unique flavor.”

Riley stiffened at the mention of ‘flavor’.

“What about the Magic Games?” she asked Kai. “Since we’re here and not still in New York, I hope that means Blackbrooke didn’t insist that he keep testing me until I broke.” She glanced out the window. “Or should I be worried that we’re on the run and be very likely to be bombed out of the sky.”

“You shouldn’t be worrying about anything,” Riley told her. “Between the Games, the vampires, and Alden, you’ve had enough on your plate. You need to let us take care of things for once.”

“Agreed,” said Kai.

Naomi bobbed her head. “Yep.”

“I can’t help but notice that you didn’t actually answer my question,” Sera said. “If we’re expecting an attack, I need to know about it.”

“We’re not,” replied Kai. “Duncan wasn’t happy that you withstood his tests, but you completed all your matches. And you fought monsters outside of the pit, to save him and other members of the Magic Council, no less. He agreed you’ve done enough fighting for him to complete your magic levels assessment.”

Bullshit. She’d seen the look in his eyes when he’d promised her he would break her. That was a man who wouldn’t simply back down.

“How much did you pay him to get me out of additional testing?”

“You followed all the rules,” Kai said. “You completed all the matches. He can’t just make you do more.”

“He can do whatever he wants. The Council has given him a lot of power.”

“Duncan was grateful to you for saving him from the vampires. The Council was grateful too.”

Sera gave him a hard look.

“Fine. Ok. I might have bribed him a little.”

Sera sighed. “I hope it wasn’t too much.”

“It’s not anything I can’t afford to pay.” Evasive again. Kai owned a jumbo jet. He could afford a lot of things.

“So less than the cost of a skyscraper,” she teased, thinking back to their battle in the Empire State Building.

His eyes flashed. “Yes.”

“Ok.” She looked at each of them in turn. “What about Alden? What is the Magic Council going to do about him?”

Riley picked up the remote, switching on the large television. He flicked to the Magic Channel. Bright text headlines played over a montage of images from the Games, the underground tunnels, and a few distinguished members of the Magic Council. ‘The Grim Reaper Returns’ was one of the juicier headlines. It sounded like a blockbuster movie sequel.

“The Council wanted to keep this all under wraps, but there were too many witnesses. Too much evidence,” Kai said.

“They shouldn’t want to hide this,” replied Sera. “If people don’t know about Alden, how can they defend themselves against him when he comes? Look at how easily he seduced all those mages, whispering sweet lies while hiding from the shadows. We need to shine a light on him, to remind people why he was entombed to begin with. Otherwise, he’ll just keep corrupting and recruiting people.”

“Is that what he tried to do to you?” Riley asked.

“Yes. He got inside my mind. Showed me things…” Her gaze drifted over to Kai. “Horrible things. He finds out your worst nightmares, twisting them into something a hundred times more awful. And then he uses them to break you.”

“But not you?” Kai asked.

“I’m too stubborn,” she joked, her smirk wobbling.

Riley snorted as Naomi’s hand squeezed her shoulder. Kai just watched her, his face completely neutral.

“It hurts,” she said in a soft whisper. “When he’s in your head. You feel every punch. Every cut. Everything. Most of all, it’s the fear. It gnaws at you from the inside. I think…I think he feeds on that fear. It makes his magic stronger.”

“That’s what the legends say,” Kai said.

He stared at her, wonder in his eyes. They sang to her in sinful promise. His magic caressed hers, ruthless and sensual. It was a bold move for him, even knowing that neither Riley nor Naomi could sense magic. He was essentially feeling her up in front of them. The man was wicked to the core.

“Yes, well…” Sera cleared her throat, batting his magic away, even though she wanted nothing more than to grab it and rub it all over her. She was so doomed.

Kai’s eyes smirked, like he knew what he’d done to her and liked it. “We’ll figure out how to deal with Alden. He was defeated before, and we’ll do it again. But for now, Sera, you really need to rest. You’ve been fighting nonstop for weeks. We have a couple hours left in the air before we land in San Francisco. Take a nap.”

“Ok,” she agreed, spreading her blanket over herself.

Before she could even close her eyes, Riley had swung around the sofa. He was staring down at Kai. “We need to talk.”

“Yes,” Kai said, standing. He nodded toward the door that led to the next room. “There.”