“Then yes.”
“Sophia speaks for the elementals.”
“Solid choice. She’s close to both the greatest threat and yourself. Plus, she’s levelheaded.”
“And she makes excellent cabbage rolls,”Indigo mused.
Hudson laughed. “That too, mate.”
“Aira.”
There was a beat of silence. “Interesting. She appears to be rather placid.”
“Compared to her husband.”
“Compared to most of her faction.”
“She’s more than she seems, and part of her power is the unexpected. Being a queen isn’t always about brute force—being underestimated is part of her skill set. People spill more when they don’t see someone as a threat.”
“Who else?”
“Lucifer.”
Hudson snorted. “Figures, he seems to have his fingers in all the pies.”
“Agreed.”
“Let me guess, Harry is part of this gang?”
“Gang makes it sound criminal, but yes.”
“Which leaves us with the person who believes themselves good enough to represent my faction and keep me in the dark about it.”
I tipped my head back to look at him. “You already know who.”
“I was hoping you’d tell me I’m being ridiculous to even consider that my closest friend and chief of security was entangled in some clandestine organization.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“Does he know you’re telling me?”
“They all do. I told them as much the last time we met.”
“How long have you been part of…?”
“The Serpents of the Dawn,” I mumbled. “Since not long after you rescued me from Eloise’s clutches. Remember those weird business cards I kept finding?”
“Yes.”
“That was them.”
“What happens now?”
“Now? We have a free night under the stars before returning to the insanity of the real world.”
“Which I will take full advantage of, but I mean what happens now that I know? And they know that I know. Does that mean I’m invited in?”
“Every one of them is a step below their leader, a shadow of the powerhouse in the faction they represent. Having you there would alter the dynamic.”
