Chapter 14
Blood on the Cliff
The darkness was not a refuge; it was a trap. The moment the lights in the Council room died, Esperanza’s world narrowed down to sounds: the terrified gasp of her friend on the floor, the metallic click of a firing pin, and the frantic thumping of her own heart. But there was something else. A cold, gnarled hand, with the strength of a corpse, clamped onto her forearm in the shadows.
It was Malachi.
Esperanza felt him jerk her with calculated violence, using her as a pivot to swing his own body. A deafening roar tore through the air. The muzzle flash illuminated the room for a fraction of a second, revealing the silhouette of a shooter in the upper shadows. The bullet wasn't meant for her. It was aimed at the heart of the Thorne patriarch. But Malachi
