FIFTY

Soulless

MimiForce,Azrael,drovethrough the desert plains of the Sahara el Beyda, the white desert. The rolling dunes of white powder resembled snow-covered hills and valleys. It was a place that was as beautiful as it was desolate. Unearthly towers of chalky white earth rose on all sides, and the soft creamy stone, worn from centuries of desert wind, formed mushroom-shaped towers of white salt.

She did not want to be late for her assignation with Jack.

As Mimi put the pedal to the floor, she felt the heat and excitement rise in her veins. This was it. After all this time, she would finally have her revenge.

The underworld and all that had happened there was but a distant memory. She had woken up in her bed at the Oberoi, to find Kingsley martin, of all people, seated by her bedside.

He told her she’d fainted on the way out of the underworld, and he’d carried her back to her room.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she’d screamed. “Get out!”

The ridiculous idiot had tried to convince her that she was in love with him. What a laugh! With him? The Silver Blood traitor? Kingsley martin? Oh, he was handsome, all right, but beyond his good looks, there was nothing that she found even remotely appealing about him. What great love was he talking about? The boy was out of his mind.

Mimi Force had no love left in her body. There was only one thing on her mind when she woke up. Revenge. She would destroy her brother and slay him at the blood trial.

Kingsley had turned pale. “What did you do to yourself ?

What did you give Helda?” he demanded. “Mimi. Tell me!”

She had laughed. “I will tell you nothing, as I owe you nothing. Now, get out of here before I call security.”

Then another ridiculous thing happened: that moronic human Conduit of the Van Alen mongrel—what was his name—Oliver Something-Stupid—had come in blathering about how he’d just gotten news that the New York Coven had disbanded—and that all the Covens worldwide had gone dark—and they had to return to the city immediately to see what they could salvage of their community and history. She’d thrown him out of her room as well. When did she ever take orders from a Red Blood?

No. How convenient that the moment she’d finally cleared her room of all those jokers, Jack had gotten in touch.

Mimi, let’s end this, he’d sent. The white desert. Blood trial to the death.

She clapped her hands in joy. Finally. She would get what she deserved. She would dance over his blackened corpse tonight.

Azrael would finally have her revenge.

In a way, it was the best thing that could have happened.