She hesitated, then grabbed the one marked "Yellow." She picked up her windproof lighter and pushed open the bedroom window. A rush of icy wind and snow blasted into the room, biting at her face. "Wonderful. It's snowing again," Fiorella grumbled, shielding the flare as she lit the fuse. A bright yellow burst shot into the dark sky and exploded overhead, glowing through the storm. She shut the window quickly and stepped back, feeling a flicker of relief. Then she headed back downstairs and sat at the tunnel entrance once more, waiting in silence. The flare was meant for the other two leaders. Green signaled a meeting request. Yellow called for help, asking them to send at least one elite group. Red meant all-out war. Since there were only two enemies, Fiorella figured the red one was overkill. If she called the entire gang and they showed up to find just two people, Cloudshade Hall—and Fiorella herself—would be a joke. Yellow was safer. It left the decision of how many men to send up to the others. The gunfire was so heavy and constant that the other two leaders had to hear it. Whether they decided to bring everyone or just a handful of men was their problem. Either way, no one could blame her. As long as backup showed up, they'd buy her time if things got ugly. Her safety was what mattered. Fiorella touched her swollen, burning cheek and clenched her jaw.She hoped the two leaders wouldn't disappoint her. She hadn't called them just to stay alive. She wanted that wretched couple to pay. The image of her husband throwing himself in front of her before she escaped made her chest ache. She couldn't deny it—when she'd seen that handsome stranger earlier, she'd been tempted. Who wouldn't want a beautiful man by their side? But she'd never wished for her husband's death. They'd been married for years. He had volunteered to be her first test subject for the heart-binding cursebug. Before that, they had been deeply in love. Back then, she hadn't used the beauty cursebug yet. She had been ordinary, maybe even unattractive. But he'd still treated her with affection. He was the only man who had ever loved her for who she was, not for her beauty or the power of her cursebugs. Over time, the beauty and heart-binding cursebugs had made her stunning, and her admirers had multiplied. So had her pride. After all, the boss and both other leaders were exceptional men. Even the newcomer, Anthony, was better than her short, ugly, sleazy husband in every possible way—looks, strength, charm. If keeping her old husband around didn't help her balance the power among those men, she would have replaced him long ago. But she had never wanted him dead. Now that he was gone, every memory they'd shared suddenly felt precious. Her grief ran deeper than she expected. "Wait for me, honey," she whispered. "I'll make them pay for you." She would turn the man who hit her into her pet, forcing him to grovel every single day.Then she would drain that insane girl until her body withered, rip her apart piece by piece, and make that man swallow what was left. Meanwhile, out in the freezing wind, Selene lifted her head toward the bright yellow flare in the sky. Relief washed over her. Fiorella had summoned the other halls. Feeling safer, she slowed her pace again. The cold sliced through her coat. The streets were empty and dead quiet. After walking for what felt like forever, her legs and feet had gone numb. If she kept this up, she'd lose all feeling below the waist. She cursed herself for not going back to grab a few extra layers before leaving. Then she spotted faint shadows in the distance. She narrowed her eyes, squinting through the snow. The figures grew larger with every step—they were headed straight toward her. Her pulse jumped. She scanned the area, then slipped into the yard of a nearby house. There weren't many ordinary survivors left in Greendale. The ones still breathing were part of the Greendale Gang. Most houses stood abandoned. Even if someone had been inside, no one would dare stop her once she dropped the gang's name. This house wasn't locked, which meant it was empty. She hid behind the door and peered through a crack in the wall. When the group finally got close, her stomach twisted in shock. Out of the entire crowd, only three were actually human—Anthony, a man, and woman she'd never seen before. The three figures at the back weren't people at all. They were a white pig, a wild chicken, and a rabbit. Each one was massive, round, and glossy with fat.Anthony led the group, the a man and woman close behind, with the three animals trotting obediently after them. Selene blinked and rubbed her eyes, half convinced she was imagining things from the cold.