Shelving that frustration for later, I glance back at our keeper and focus on the much bigger issue we’ve all been contemplating for the last few days.
“Within her subconscious, have you seen anything yet of the blood oath she made to Arati?”
He shakes his head, his violet gaze serious as he slips back into the ripped leather. “I’ve seen far too much of her bleeding golden ichor in Paradise, but nothing about that fucking oath.”
Baelfire rolls over to squint at Crypt. I’m not surprised our lowered voices woke up the shifter with his keen hearing.
“Wait. Why the hell was she bleeding so much?” he asks, his voice quiet and groggy.
The Nightmare Prince is thoughtful. “Thewhyis still a missing puzzle piece, much like her mysterious, soul-binding oath. Right, love?”
I thought she was still asleep, but Maven sits up and yawns. I don’t bother trying to hide my sigh when she pulls the sheets up to cover her delicious nakedness—a reminder of the heated adoration we lavished her with most of the night. Instead of addressing the topic at hand, my ever-unexpected, beautiful keeper instead glances at the window.
“The demons will arrive this morning,” she says as if she’s announcing she likes cheese.
Everett is immediately awake, bolting upright to frown sleepily at her. The elemental is always testy, but especially first thing in the morning. “What?”
“I needed them to supply the final part of the plan.”
Ah, yes. Her plan.
Much of yesterday was spent watching Maven go over attack strategies with the other Reformist leaders. Many troops not fully utilized elsewhere on the front lines have mobilized outside of Halfton as we prepare for the attack. Aside from the massattack strategy, all I’ve gathered of Maven’s plan so far is that she intends to use ghosts to boost our numbers.
I intend to do the same with Undead.
After all, as a necromancer, why shouldn’t I take advantage of the dark arts for our benefit? For the last three days, I scouted out countless places of death around Everbound as I’ve prepared to raise a large number of reanimated beings. Others may object, but I know my blood blossom will understand the practicality of such measures, once I tell her.
Better to tell her now, since the attack is planned to take place in two days.
“About this plan—” I begin.
“He’s right, we absolutely can’t rely on demons,” Everett huffs, getting out of bed to search for those foolish silk pajamas on the floor.
I frown. “That’s not what I was?—”
“Hold up, what exactly are those demonic fuckers supplying?” Baelfire asks Maven, confused.
My blood blossom gets out of bed, too. I forget whatever I was about to say as she stretches slightly, showing off her beautifully strong, nude body. Crypt hums in approval beside me, and Baelfire sits up to see her better. Everett looks like he’s forgotten that he was searching for clothes as he stares at her.
“Information and changelings,” she answers.
When Maven brushes her dark hair out of her face, my attention drifts to her mouthwatering neck as I?—
Wait.
“Changelings?”I repeat, certain I heard her incorrectly.
Maven nods and tells us the rest of her plan in brief, simplified terms. When she’s finished, we all gawk at her, and not just because every move she makes is so enchanting as she begins searching through the discarded clothing that we practically ripped off of her last night.
It’s a damn good plan.
“So that’s why you opted to spare the changeling the cultists captured,” I realize.
“Will that even work on changelings?” Baelfire asks, fascinated.
“We’ll find out today,” she says, searching in her discarded hoodie. “If not, I’ve thought of several ways to bribe them, if they choose to cooperate instead. That wouldn’t be a surprise, since like most creatures in the Nether, they hate Amadeus so much that?—”
She cuts off as she grips Cuttrina within her hoodie. As soon as Everett realizes she’s in another memory trance, he scoops her up and sits on the edge of the bed to hold her. As we wait for her to come to, Crypt chuckles despite his glowing markings.
