“The girl will go with you,” the Empress says. Beaufort glares at me but his mom seems the only person in the realm he won’t argue with.
“And if Bardin resists arrest, your Majesty?” he asks.
“Then you have our permission to kill her.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dray
We don’t hang about after that, we’re gone before the Empress can change her mind. Pushing past all the people in their fancy clothes, most of them gaping at Briony like she isn’t human.
We’re almost at the door, when a hand catches my arm. I go to brush it off, but then my mom’s voice is in my ear, whispering, “You didn’t tell us about the girl?”
I pause, smiling over my shoulder at her. “I guess I didn’t.”
Her clever eyes roam my face. “What is she to you, Dray?”
For once, I’m glad I’m the only one of our bond brother’s without the fate marks on my wrists because if I had them, my mom would have sought them out like a fucking sniffer dog.
“She’s our thrall.”
“A thrall from Slate who can wield light.”
“Yeah, I guess we got lucky.”
“You should have informed me of this immediately.”
“I’ve been busy.”
My mom scoffs, making up her own mind about what I’ve been busy with and obviously disapproving.
I shake off her hold and go to follow the others.
“This mission is a death sentence,” my mom whispers.
I’d like to say she says it as a warning, that she’s worried about me and my safety. But my mom’s never been like that. She says it as a statement and for the first time in a long time, her words bury themselves under my skin.
To any other shitty shadow weavers, stepping out into the demon realm would be suicide. But we’re not just any shadow weavers. We’re the Princes, our fated mate has magic not seen for hundreds of years and we also have a fire-breathing dragon along for the ride.
We can do this, right? My mom simply underestimates me. Like she always has.
I shake off the bad feelings and sprint after the others. They’ve made it all the way back to Beau’s apartment before I catch up with them. Little Kitten is locked in the bathroom changing into something more suitable for fighting demons. I step inside the apartment and begin to do the same, unbuttoning my shirt and flinging it on the floor.
“Where have you been?” Beaufort says in annoyance, he’s already changed into a sweater and pants.
“My Mama wanted a chat.”
“What did she want?” Thorne asks, stepping back into the main room. He’s also changed out of his suit.
I shrug. “She thinks this mission is a death trap,” I tell the others.
“It is,” Kitten’s skinny friend says pacing by the windows. “It’s madness. You need a whole army to go fight Bardin in the demon realm.”
“The Empress is allowing us to take a group of her men with us.”
The friend appears momentarily relieved. “And how many men is that exactly?”
“Ten,” I tell him.
