I cracked a smile at that. “Where’s Leanne?” I asked, looking at the scenery that flew past the window.
“She’s preparing for the evening. If you don’t diverge too much from her visions, then we should be seeing her soon.”
I nodded at that, pressing my lips together.
“What … what did he do to you, Sabertooth?” I could feel Oliver peering at me.
“I hate that nickname.”
Oliver took my hand. I stared down at our entwined fingers, then up at him. His eyes were somber. It was a rare day when Oliver was serious.
“What happened?” he asked.
I pulled my hand away from his. He’d never know, never understand what it was like to be there even for a day. All those burning souls, all those demons … all that attention from the devil. I’d come back to earth, but I’d come back corrupted, and now something wicked brewed within me. Now it whispered things of vengeance.
I shook my head. “Nothing worth discussing.”
The taxi came to a stop in front of the castle, the Politia’s headquarters. This place had taken me in and, for months, trained me.
“Sabertooth, you know I love the shit you get yourself into, but whatever business you have here—” Oliver eyed the castle, “you should really reconsider it.”
Revenge swam like a poison through my veins. I finally understood Andre’s need for vengeance.
Cut down the enemy. Right some wrongs.
And oh were there wrongs to right. One in particular I was especially looking forward to.
I opened the car door and slid out. Oliver made a grab for my wrist. “Seriously, Gabrielle. They’ll shoot you on sight.”
I turned back to him. “Leave this place while you can. I don’t want you hurt.”
“Gabri—”
I shut the door and crossed the road, heading for the building I used to work in.
Caleb might be in there, and he also might not. I’d find him either way. At this point, my anger wasn’t limited to him.
The entire organization had kept me under their thumb, training me, pretending to care about me, allowing me to believe I was one of their own. How quickly they all turned their backs.
My gown dragged along the ground, the spider silk sounding like scales over sand as I moved. Night had just fallen here.
My senses had expanded since I claimed my title as queen of the Underworld. I could feel magic, could sense spells and curses.
But more than that, I could feel a goodness to the world and my own corruption.
I didn’t belong here.
When I stepped up to the castle’s door, I could feel the protective spell that barred me from entering. An enchantment against dark beings. For the first time since arriving back here, I laughed.
Like they could keep me out.
I lifted my hands and forced my power out. The spell flared up, trying to blast me back. I braced my legs and pushed against it. As soon as I did so, an alarm went off inside.
Guess they now know I’m here.
I felt my hair ripple and shift. I shoved against the door, coaxing my supernatural strength to break the enchantment. Power continued to rise within me, the magnitude of it staggering. I funneled it into the wood all at once.
The spell shattered, and the door exploded inward, its metal hinges tearing out stone as they ripped away from the castle walls. A shockwave fanned through the air, throwing some of the officers in the lobby to the ground.
Did not know that would happen.
I stepped inside the castle as dust and rubble settled. Once upon a time, I had good memories here. This was where Caleb and I worked on cases together, where we brought bad guys to justice. Only now, I was the bad guy.
“Freeze!” Inspector Maggie Comfry, my former boss, stepped into the lobby. Both hands gripped the gun aimed at me.
“No.” My power snapped out, yanking the gun from her hand and throwing her against the wall. The energy coursing through me was terrible, addicting. The more I used it, the more I hungered for it.
My gaze moved over the other people in the room. Just like Maggie, I ripped their weapons away from them and thrust their bodies back with my power.
Papers scattered in the melee, and I could see the surface of someone’s cup of coffee ripple from the sheer force of the energy I wielded. I couldn’t contain it all. It filled me and spilled out into the earth around me, shaking the floor. The angrier I got, the stronger I became.
And boy was I angry. Scratch that, I was pissed.
These people lied to me. They never wanted a vampire on their force; they wanted to watch their enemy closely. And in the end, they wanted to kill me. They almost had too, the devil just beat them to it.
Rage pulsed through my veins. I would make each and every one of them regret that decision.
I strode over to Maggie’s prone body and lifted her up by the collar. “Where is Caleb?”
Her eyes flicked to the hall that branched to the right of the lobby. That was all I needed. The training rooms were in that direction.
I let go of her shirt. “I trusted you.”
“You are an abomination,” she hissed.