Irritation bubbles up inside of me, causing my face to grow flushed with anger, and a strong desire wells up within me to wipe that arrogant smirk from his face. Nix lands on my shoulder, and I can feel the weight of her hand gripping my wet hair.
“You should leave while you can,” she warns calmly.
Leave?
“Like hell!” I hiss.
No, we need to find out who is feeding him information. Maxon will want to know.
“Everly,” Nix whispers.
“No. You should stay and wait for Maxon to return.” I am fuming. “Better yet, let me make you comfortable.”
The storm inside me rages, each thunderous heartbeat echoing the intensity of my emotions. Zaria and Tristan are caught off guard as vines suddenly erupt from the open door behind us,knocking them off balance in their pursuit of the seelie prince. With an eye roll, he produces a sword, slicing at the vines, but the tingle of magic in my blood grows stronger and the vines grow again. His eyes dart to mine in shock, and I can see the disbelief reflected in his expression, if only for a second. Then he waves a hand in the air, and a shimmering ripple distorts the atmosphere. Tristan lets out a loud curse and races toward him, just as the prince steps through and disappears.
“Fuck!” Tristan bellows, running a frustrated hand through his hair.
Zaria stands off to the side, her usually radiant brown skin now appearing pale and her face filled with concern.
I storm into the bedroom and rip some clothes from the wardrobe and drop the towel, not bothering with underwear or modesty. I step into some tight black breeches and snatch a gorgeous blue long sleeve dress I had Zaria make for me. It has secret slits up the sides that go to my waist so I can fight easily. Zaria rushes over and laces up the back of the dress so it’s tight enough to hug my curves and keep my breasts from escaping the confines of the dress.
Irritation and annoyance swirls around me like a thunderstorm, creating an electric tension in the air. “How did he get into the castle?”
“Someone would have had to let him in, but it could only be someone of high stature,” Tristan replies stiffly.
Once Zaria is done, I slam the door on the wardrobe and storm over to where I keep the dagger Raiden gifted me and a few knives and quickly strap them on; the dagger at my back and two knives at my thigh.
“I want the traitor found,” I snarl, not recognizing my own voice.
I slip on my boots, the familiar weight grounding me as I stand tall, ready to confront Zaria and Tristan. Both are staring at me oddly.
“What?” I question.
Zaria is the first to respond, shaking her head. “Nothing.”
“Just what are you going to do? You look like you're dressing for a fight.”
“We have a traitor in the castle, one who let in the enemy. They need to be found.”
“Maxon has it under control. Nix has been spying on the nobles and Zaria has–”
I blink, scanning the area. “Where is Nix?” I interrupt.
Glancing around, Zaria and Tristan frown.
Zaria’s face pales. “I don’t know,” she replies uneasily.
“Why would she tell the seelie prince to leave before it was too late?”
Zaria looks off to the side. “If he was caught here in the castle. It would be a declaration of war.”
Understanding dawns, no one wants that war is the last thing anyone wants.
“I’m going looking for the traitor. Kian should be back by now . . . ”
“Yes, he should.” Tristan sighs. “I need to inform the queen immediately of what just happened.”
My fists clench tightly, the knuckles turning white as anger courses through my veins. The exhaustion that weighed me down earlier evaporates, replaced by a renewed energy that propels me forward. I want to take action. My muscles tense,coiling like a predator ready to strike, as steely determination settles deep within my bones. I will find this traitor and deliver them to Maxon. Opening the door to the hall, I feel Tristan's palm forcefully land on it, closing it with a heavy thud before I can step foot outside.
