“Myanin,” Lilly said, her voice stern. “It’s best not to be a jerk when asking for a favor.”
Myanin closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Not the enemy, she reminded herself. “Sorry,” she told Wadim. “I’m just a little tense.”
“It’s understandable.” Wadim sighed. “I’m sorry I was—”
“An ass.” Myanin heard a female voice through the phone.
“Yes, Z,” Wadim said, his voice much gentler. “I’m sorry I was an ass. What was it you needed?”
“We need to talk to the high fae,” Myanin repeated, though she tried to sound a little less demanding.
“I’ll text you Disir and Nissa’s numbers,” he responded. “Can I inquire as to why you need to speak with them?”
“We want to learn more about the cold fire that took out the Order, or at least most of it,” she amended. “We’ve heard about the healer that has gone missing, which means some of the leaders must still be alive and well.”
“I’ve been researching it myself, and I can’t find jack.”
Myanin frowned. “Who is Jack, and what does he have to do with cold fire?”
She heard Lilly and Gerick chuckle. Dammit! Where was Tenia when she needed her to explain the human expressions? Oh, that’s right, she was busy getting her fae butt set on blue fire.
“It just means I can’t find any information,” Wadim explained. To his credit, he didn’t laugh at her lack of understanding. “I’d been planning on contacting the fae myself, but things have been a little intense around here with Fane’s mate injured, Lucian being caged, and sprites gone missing,” he said. “I could go on, but then we’ll have to get some alcohol to go with our pity party.”
“The alpha’s mate is hurt?” Myanin asked, her brow furrowed as she turned to face Lilly.
The warlock queen’s eyes widened and then in a blink, she plucked the phone from the djinn's hand.
“What’s wrong with Jacque?” Lilly asked, her voice brisk. “I told her to stay put.”
Myanin watched as Lilly listened to whatever the historian said. She tried to decipher the queen’s facial expressions, but Lilly was doing a great job at keeping her emotions closed down.
“I’ll be there as soon as we’re done speaking with the fae,” Lilly said and then ended the call.
“Is she all right?” Gerick asked, his hand resting on his sword as if he could somehow slay whatever it was that had hurt his queen’s offspring.
Lilly visibly swallowed hard and her jaw clenched. Myanin was impressed by her ability to not lose her cool even though whatever Wadim had told her must have been terrible.
Finally, she answered. “Jacque was hurt during the rogue challenges. There was a full-on attack against the mansion after Fane fought and defeated many of the individual attackers. One of the rogues"—she paused and took a shuddering breath—"pierced Jacque's heart with his claws. She's alive but injured. They took her to the sprite realm for healing, but…” She paused again and took another deep breath. “There aren't enough sprites to do the job. Apparently some of the sprites they need to perform the magic have been captured by the Order.”
Myanin forced herself to remain quiet. She wanted to throw out a few expletives, but that wouldn’t help the situation. Nor did she mention that those same sprites could very well have been at the compound when it was reduced to ash.Fricking, frick, frack, fruck!Her hands fisted at her sides, itching for a blade. Someone needed to die. Someone needed to suffer. Someone needed to pay for all the pain the Order had caused. They might not have been responsible for Lilly’s daughter getting hurt, but they were definitely responsible for the fact that she couldn’t be helped.
For several minutes, the room was simply quiet. What could be said? Platitudes would not fix anything. Perhaps, like Myanin, Gerick and Lilly felt that a moment of silence was necessary to allow each of them to gather their emotions back up, shove them into a mental box labeled “drag back out when it’s time to stab someone,” and refocus on what theycoulddo.
Lilly began tapping on her phone and then placed it to her ear. “Nissa,” she said after a few seconds. “Could I have a moment of your time?”
Less than three heartbeats later, the high fae was standing in their midst.
“I can take you to your daughter,” Nissa said immediately.
Lilly tucked her phone in her back pocket and nodded. “I would appreciate that. But before we go, can I ask you—”
“We,” Myanin interrupted. “Canweask you?”
Lilly raised a brow at her but then shrugged. “Okay, canweask you some questions about the cold fire?”
Nissa pursed her lips, and her shoulders seemed to slump as the air deflated out of her. “We have been searching our own archives for anything concerning the cold fire,” she said. “Honestly, there is little known about the spell other than it is only used as a last resort because of the destruction it causes. One thing does intrigue us about Peri's use of the cold fire, but I hesitate to mention it, lest it proves meaningless and ends up providing false hope."
"What?" Myanin said through clenched teeth, her tone making it clear Nissa wasn't getting out of there without voicing her thought.
