“Perizada is old. She’s endured much, and I think that even the most powerful supernaturals have their breaking point,” Gerick offered. “I’ve known her a long time, and I don’t think she would have made such a decision lightly.”
“Myanin?” Lilly’s voice interrupted their conversation. She turned to find the queen holding out the phone to her.
Myanin stared at the device for a moment, unsure if she really wanted to touch it. Lilly kind of shook it at her and raised her brow as if to say “take the damn thing,” or maybe that’s simply what Myanin would have said in her shoes.
Finally, she reached out and took the phone, looked at it in her hand, and then put it to her ear.
“Hello?” Her voice cracked, and she wanted to kick her own ass for it.
“Myanin.” Thadrick’s deep voice filled the line. “I am very sorry for what you have been going through.” Myanin had known the male djinn for a very long time, and she could tell he was sincere. Even with his weird sense of humor, entitled attitude, and, at times, downright asshole tendencies, Thadrick cared deeply.
“Do you know anything?” she asked, getting straight to the point. Idle chitchat would serve no purpose. Myanin had things she needed to get done. Namely finding her hopefully-not-dead BFF and then beating the ever-loving crap out of her, because nothing says I love you like a beating from your BFF.
“I wish I could give you something,” he said, sounding much too defeated for her liking. “Things are still so chaotic. I do remember a high fae using the cold fire a very long time ago, but there was nothing left standing, much like the Order compound. There’s just not a lot we know about the cold fire.”
Myanin tapped her foot as she considered his words. “You may not know for sure. Even though you’ve held the memories of things that have passed, that doesn’t mean you possess all of the secrets, right?"
“True,” he said, the word sounding more like a question.
“But the high fae council knows everything about the fae. And weren’t they super pissed about those of their people who had died in the battle of the Keep?” Myanin’s mind was taking off at a run with this new line of thought. Why hadn’t she considered it before? Maybe because the fae have always kept to themselves. They’ve never concerned themselves with those outside of their own realm unless directed by the Great Luna. If there was ever a time for them to turn over a new leaf, it was now. “Okay, thank you, Thadrick,” she said quickly. “I’ve got to go. Keep in touch and all that stuff.” Pleasantries still weren’t her strong suit.
“Myanin, maybe—” he began but she ended the call before she could hear whatever he had been going to say, no doubt a warning of some kind that she would ignore anyway.
“Let’s go see the high fae.” Myanin tossed Lilly back her phone. “They said they were going to join in this fight. It’s time they held up their end of the deal.”
Lilly glanced at Gerick. Myanin couldn’t see his face, but she assumed her mate would support her.Her mate?The thought almost came naturally to her now, but if she hesitated and truly considered the implications of the word, then the whole concept would become unreal to her again. She shook her head. No time for that now. Gotta see some fae about a cold fire.
“Theyareon our side,” Gerick said, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t think there would be any harm in speaking with them. Though perhaps giving them some notice would be respectful.”
Myanin held her hand out to Lilly. “Let me see your phone again.”
“What happened to your phone?” A leery expression passed Lilly's face as she held out the phone to the djinn. Myanin plucked it from the queen’s hand. “Who should I call in order to get in touch with the fae?”
Lilly arched a brow at her. “I could make the call.”
“You could. But I need to do something. Who do I call?” Myanin stared at the phone, unable to look at the queen. She’d been one of the warriors that stood at the veil of her people for centuries. It was a job that required patience. Apparently her patience ended when she’d lost her friend.
After several beats of silence, Lilly finally spoke. “Click on the contacts, then search for Wadim. He’s the pack historian. If anyone will have that information it will be him.”
Myanin did what Lilly told her, found his name, and clicked it. After three rings, Wadim answered.
“What’s up, warlock queen?” he asked. Clearly, Lilly's contact information was programmed into his phone.
“Not the queen,” Myanin said dryly. “This is Myanin. If that means nothing to you then know that I am an ally, and I will protect Lilly with my life. Now, I need to get in touch with the high fae.”
“I’ve heard of you. More importantly than who you are is why do you have Lilly’s phone?” Wadim asked, sounding a little more tense and alert than he had been when he’d first answered.
“She’s telling the truth, Wadim,” Lilly said loud enough that she would no doubt be heard through the phone. “I’m fine. She’s here at my invitation.”
Myanin’s jaw clenched. She ignored Lilly’s declaration as she answered, “Because I’m at her mountain, and we are trying to figure out what happened at the Order’s compound.”
“Well, that's no mystery. It’s been incinerated, courtesy of the lovely Perizada.” Wadim's voice was clipped, and he sounded pissed.
“Thank you for that enlightening revelation, wolf. But how about something like ‘is there any possibility that anyone survived’?” She snapped before she could tell her mouth to stay shut.
“You do realize I’m a historian, and facts are sort of my thing, right?” Wadim asked dryly. “Cold fire isn’t something anyone survives.”
“And you do realize that you’re a flawed person who doesn’t always know everything despite what your beast ego wants you to believe, right?” she shot back.
