After a moment on the curb, Edward wheeled and headed left along the sidewalk. At the first stoplight, he joined a small crowd and waited, rocking on the balls of his feet. When the light changed, he wove through the other pedestrians, then darted into the first door on the other side.

I broke cover.

“He went into a coffee shop,” I said. “Lying low?”

“Perhaps. I’ll take a look. Once I verify he’s there, I’ll call for backup. Best not to try taking him in on our own, not when he’s armed.”

“But he’s in a public place. He wouldn’t dare shoot—”

“Are you sure?”

“You’re right. In that case, though, I’m not sure I even want you peeking in the window. We need a spell. What about that glamor spell? The one you used with Savannah, to make me look like Eve.”

“It only works if the viewer wants or expects to see someone else. I don’t know how much information that desk clerk gave Edward, but I suspect he knows who he’s watching out for. I believe we’re down to the most obvious, and least satisfactory, choice. Arm myself with a good spell, slip in there, and hope for the best.”

“Arm ourselves. I’ll cover you.”

Edward wasn’t in the café. Lucas even popped into the men’s washroom to be sure, but came out shaking his head. I did a visual sweep of the room. Next to the bathrooms was a short hall with three doors. Two were marked STAFF ONLY. The third had a push bar on it—a back exit.

We peeked out the rear door, then stepped into the alley. The empty corridor stretched a half-block in either direction.

“Damn,” I muttered.

Lucas surveyed the ground. Water dripped from a leaky eaves-trough. During the cool night, a puddle had formed but now, in the heat of morning, it was drying fast. There were several footprints in the hardening mud, but only one still had water pooled between the tread marks. Lucas gestured in the direction the print pointed.

A dozen yards down, the alley branched off, heading farther away from the street. Lucas motioned for me to wait, then peered around the wall. A second later, he pulled back, brows knitting, and motioned for me to look.

I glanced around the corner. Edward was there, less than thirty feet away. I started to pull back fast, then noticed he’d stopped with his back to us. His knapsack lay at his feet and he was pulling out a map. Lucas tugged me back, then bent down to my ear.

“Go into the shop,” he whispered. “Call my father.”

I leaned over to his ear. “What if he leaves?”

“I’ll follow and call you.”

We’d let the café rear exit close behind us, so I had to walk all the way around the building. I was still in the alley when my phone vibrated. I glanced over my shoulder, but Lucas hadn’t moved. I picked up the pace to getto the sidewalk, where I could answer without fear of my voice carrying to Edward. Before I was there, the phone stopped. I’d just set foot on the sidewalk when it vibrated again. I checked the number, but didn’t recognize it.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” Jaime’s voice, words rushing out.

“We’re—”

“Get over here now. Stop whatever you’re doing, grab Lucas, and get over here.”

“We can’t. We’re following Edward. We have him on the run—”

“Shit! No, leave him. Just back off and leave him alone. Where are you? I’ll get the Cabal to send someone. Get back here—no, just get someplace—”

“Slow down, Jamie. What’s—?”

The line buzzed, then Cassandra came on.

“Paige? Listen to me. We’re with Faye. She knows who Edward’s next target is. It’s—”

I knew what she was going to say even before the name left her lips. I hit disconnect and fumbled to shove the phone back into my pocket, but it slipped and fell to the sidewalk. Ignoring it, I raced back into the alley.

Coup de Grâce

WHEN I REACHED THE ALLEY BEHIND THE CAFÉ, LUCAS was gone. Edward was on the move. Of course he was. He knew who was chasing him. He wasn’t running from Lucas; he was luring him in.

I raced down the adjoining alley, where we’d last seen Edward. I didn’t worry about how much noise I made. If Lucas heard me, he’d come running, away from Edward, which was exactly what I wanted.

When I rounded the first junction, I saw Lucas. He was walking carefully, looking from side to side, his back to me. I opened my mouth to shout to him, then stopped. If Edward was lying in wait around the next corner, any disruption could spook him. I wasn’t about to spook a vampire with a gun.

I jogged down the alley. A few yards from Lucas, as I ran under a fire escape, a shadow moved overhead. I whirled and looked up to see Edward, crouched on the fire escape.

“Lucas!” I yelled.

As I raced toward Lucas, I realized that we were in a blind alley, with only an alcove adjoining at the end. I wheeled just as Edward leapt to the ground. He raised his gun. I side-lunged into his firing path, and started casting a binding spell. Edward trained the gun on my chest.

“I’ll fire before you finish,” he said. His sunglasses were gone, and his eyes were as flat and emotionless as his voice. He looked over my shoulder at Lucas, who’d also frozen mid-incantation. “You, too. Cast and I’ll shoot her.”

“Paige,” Lucas said. “Step aside. Please.”

“So he can shoot you? You’re the one he’s after. That was the message Faye was trying to give us. You’re the target.”