“Brynleigh de la Point.” She could have offered an alias, but something told her this entire evening was a test from Jelisette. She didn’t want to risk messing it up.
The shifter grunted and tapped on his tablet. After a minute, he looked up.
“Welcome to Horizon, Miss de la Point. Your Maker has set everything up for you.”
Brynleigh furrowed her brows. Set what up? She was supposed to meet with someone named Dimitri. Still, this didn’t seem like the time for questions. A car was pulling up behind her, and she needed to get inside.
No matter what waited for her on the other side, she would handle it.
After all, nothing could be worse than The Pit.
Steppingacross Horizon’s threshold was like walking into another world. Brynleigh had expected to walk into a meeting of rebels, not… this.
Whatever this was.
As she entered the warehouse, magic pressed against her skin. It was like walking into a bubble. Pressure built in her ears for a moment, and then it popped.
A ward.
As soon as she was within the magic’s protective sphere, hundreds of sounds collided with her at once.
Even when she’d been human, Brynleigh would’ve found this place overwhelming. As a vampire, she could barely suppress the shiver that ran through her.
Noise assaulted her from all sides.
Loud conversations battled with booming music. A steady beat shook the floor. Feet stomped. People cheered and roared.
She stood still for several seconds, letting the sounds wash over her until she got used to them.
Only then did her other senses kick in. The scents of alcohol, sweat, and bodies tightly packed together wove through the space. Beneath them all was the cloying, coppery aroma of blood. Her fangs ached, and she curled her fists at her sides. She’d had several servings of blood earlier in the evening to ensure she’d be prepared for anything.
And the people.
The warehouse was packed to the brim. Horned and winged elves, shifters, werewolves, witches, fae, vampires, and humans milled about. A long black bar stretched along one wall. Dozens of bottles were shelved behind the three bartenders filling countless drink orders.
The lighting was dim, save for two blinding spotlights shiningon an elevated platform in the middle of the warehouse. Though the stage was empty, people kept glancing at it.
Brynleigh grabbed the arm of a horned elf walking by. The woman was stunningly beautiful, with umber skin and long, silky black hair that reached her waist.
“Excuse me, would you know where I can find Dimitri?” asked Brynleigh.
The woman looked at her like she was asking whether the moon hung in the sky.
“Of course.” Her tone made it clear that Brynleigh was an idiot for asking such a ridiculous question. “He’ll be out later.”
Before Brynleigh could ask a follow-up question—like what this place was or who this mysterious Dimitri was—the elf disappeared into the crowd.
Brynleigh asked about Dimitri three more times. Each time, she got the same looks and story. He would be out later.
Vague as hell.
Annoyed and wondering why Jelisette had sent her here, Brynleigh made her way to the bar. Thankful she’d brought money, she ordered and paid for a glass of blood wine. Once the beverage was in hand, she turned and leaned against the countertop.
A frown pulled at her lips. She’d told Jelisette she wanted to take down the Representatives, and her Maker had sent her here. This was one of the strangest things Jelisette had ever done.
What was Brynleigh doing here?
Sipping her blood wine, she meandered through the crowds. Luckily, she’d adapted to the noise, and though it was still loud, she could filter out the conversations from everything else. Some were everyday discussions she’d expect to hear anywhere: relationship woes, life troubles, job problems, and other pedantic issues.