We finally parted, though he seemed reluctant to release me. I went to the door, opening it enough to allow Shay to enter before closing it behind her.
The wolf released a whine, a look of concern in her eyes.
“You already got the message to them?” I asked her.
She snorted a confirmation. My gaze met with Erik’s and we both turned to the wolf.
“I need to know how far out the forces are. Will they be here tonight?” I asked her.
A soft whine, which I took as a no.
“Around dawn?”
Another soft whine.
“By noon?”
A snort of a confirmation.
“By ten?”
Another snort.
“By nine?”
A whine.
I was leaving this place.
This gave me something to focus on.
I sealed away the pain of what I had just done. Locking it deep within myself and turned to the future. For that was theonly way to see this through. We did not have time for me to mourn. To feel.
The determination to bring all of this to an end fueled me. Erik brought me back to life, but Shay fed the flame within.
I turned to Erik. “How ready are we, really?”
“We are prepared. Iver has been training everyone to take down Malavika. We know non-conjurors are Clause’s weakness, and we are prepared to use that to our advantage.” Fire blazed in those blue eyes of his. “We will win.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth, a plan formulating in my mind. “Clause rules his people ultimately. No one can hardly sneeze without permission from him. All decisions go through him. It is absolute. No one speaks or decides for him. That means that without him, they fall apart. I can keep him distracted around the time of the attack so no one can get direction from him. Buy our forces some time, an advantage to make way into the city.”
Erik’s brows furrowed, forming a prominent wrinkle that seemed to come more and more easily. “How will you distract him?”
“I’ll go to him before the scheduled breaking of our morning fast, which is often around ten, anyway. My goal is to keep him secluded and prevent any contact with his people. I’ll surround the room in mist if I must.”
Erik’s gaze broke from mine as he thought it all over. “I don’t like this.”
“I know. But you cannot be anywhere near me during this. If he gets an inkling that I care anything for you.” The fear of this possibility nearly had me shaking. “I am telling you. That cannothappen.”
“Will he hurt you?”
“He won’t kill me.” I said with certainty, though perhapsClause keeping me alive was a worse outcome. What type of torturous punishment would he see fit for what we were about to do? I couldn’t let my mind run down that road of possibilities. Not when this was our best chance at potentially freeing the imprisoned conjurors within the capitol. I had to do this.
Erik searched my eyes. “I am not leaving without you.”
I stiffened. “If I cannot get away from him then I do not want you coming anywhere near him.”
His lip curled in anger, flashing those elongated canines. “I am not leaving without you.”
