Callon’s voice was lethal. “Why the hell would we trust you? As you’ve just pointed out, you don’t exactly have much sense. I have a tendency not to listen to stupid people. And you fall firmly under that category.”
Wolfgang sighed theatrically. “Because you’re running out of time. And because your enemies are more dangerous than you realize. Think about it. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
The line went dead.
Nico stared at the phone, jaw clenched, mind racing. He knew something was off, had felt it in his bones since he’d received the messages from Lyric. Now Wolfgang wanted forgiveness? That could only mean one thing: they weren’t just fighting the royals of Silk, or maybe as he thought, it wasn’t Athena and Aurelius at all. They were fighting something—someone—bigger.
He looked at the others. “We need to make a decision. Now.”
No one argued.
Outside, the night was silent, but Nico felt a storm coming.
Chapter Fourteen
“Before you make any major decisions in your life, you should consider the domino effect those decisions will have. You might think you’re the only one affected, but you’re wrong. Everything in life has a ripple effect. Sometimes it’s just that, a ripple. But sometimes it’s a tidal wave.” ~ Wolfgang
Half an hour earlier . . .
Cassia didn’t need to see Wolfgang to know he was pacing. She could hear it in the uneven breaths on the other end of the encrypted line, the subtle scrape of something—nails, maybe—tapping against wood. The wolf was nervous, and it made her smile. Distance didn’t matter. Fear traveled well; it was practically her native tongue.
She waited, giving him just enough silence to make him sweat.
Finally, Wolfgang spoke, voice brittle. “You said this line was secure.”
Cassia’s tone was silk over steel. “If I wanted someone to listen in, you’d already be dead, Wolfgang. Is this how you greet all your benefactors?”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m not your lackey. I did what you asked. I’ve risked everything by sending you those females.”
Cassia could almost see him, jaw clenched, shoulders tight, trying to sound more dangerous than he felt. It was cute, in the way cornered animals sometimes were.
She let the silence stretch again, then lowered her voice to a purr. “You’re alive because you’re useful. Don’t mistake that for charity.”
There was a pause, and she heard the faint clink of glass—liquor, maybe, something to steady his hands. Good. Let him try.
Wolfgang’s bravado flickered. “Nico has been digging. It’s bad enough he’s found information that tied me to Azure. If they figure out I’ve been feeding you information, I’m dead. I want out.”
Cassia’s laughter was soft and cold, the kind that made even ghosts uneasy. “You want out? Oh, Wolfgang, if I had a coin for every traitor who thought they could just walk away, I’d buy enough explosives to burn Silk to the ground.”
“I’m serious,” he bit out. “I’m done. The punishment is not worth it. I just wish I had realized it sooner.”
Cassia’s amusement vanished. She let her power bleed into her words, each syllable a threat. “You’re done when I say you’re done. You think you can just slink away, tail between your legs, after everything? You have so much left to lose.”
He was silent, but she heard the hitch in his breathing. Fear, sharp and sour.
“What do you want?” Wolfgang’s voice was hoarse, stripped of the last of his arrogance.
She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “You’re going to call the shifters. You’re going to offer them your help—tell them youhave a way into the palace, inside knowledge. Just enough truth to make them believe you. You’ll offer your physical assistance and you’ll make sure they walk straight into the web I’ve woven.”
He swore, low and bitter. “You’re setting me up. If they don’t kill me, you will.”
Cassia smiled, letting him hear it in the hush between words. “If you’re clever, you’ll survive. If not—well, at least you’ll know your kingdom benefited from your sacrifice.”
Wolfgang’s bravado flared one last time. “If I do this and I make it out alive, you let me walk.”
She hummed, almost thoughtful. “I’ll let you crawl, if you’re lucky.”
There was a long pause. Cassia could imagine him, staring at the phone as if it might bite. Maybe it would.
