“What’s the plan, Kade?” If it made him nervous, I wasn’t sure I liked it.
He looked at Nix. “A diversion.”
Right before my eyes, Nix changed her appearance to that of a smaller, less-imposing black crow. Everyone would recognize Kade’s large rare eagle, but a crow might be passed off as just another New York pest. I grinned. It was a good idea, but it did put Nix at risk.
“They’ll never catch her,” Kade said, either reading my thoughts or my expression.
He nodded to his familiar. As she launched off his shoulder, Kade snatched up my hand and we were running. Nix began squawking like a bird in mating season, and we slowed our steps, choosing to take the last few at a silent tiptoe. Finn remained by my side, now looking like his dog persona.
A door opened on the back porch. A guard peeked his head out to hear what the commotion was all about and Nix took the open door as her entrance, flying right into the back patio and entering the castle.
“She’ll use her energy to keep the doors open, and make sure all the guards follow her,” Kade murmured to me.
Sure enough…
“What the—”
Two guards yelled as she dashed past them. They then raced inside after the bird. I saw Nix circle around a few times, before heading upstairs, squawking the entire time. A few guards followed, but there would be more around. We’d have to be cautious.
The door remained open, as Kade said, so it was time to move. We crept across the back patio and slid inside. Nix’s screeching was distant now, but still echoing across the many floors, no doubt waking the entire castle. Which could be an issue for us in the long run, but getting inside had been our first obstacle, and we’d managed it.
Even though my rule had been short, I knew the estate quite well. I led Kade and Finn to the elevator just off to the side of the entrance. This particular elevator was not used a lot. Most shifters preferred the grand stairs, so we slipped inside unseen, hit the button for the floor that the mecca crystal was on, and the doors closed.
“How will she get back to us?” I said, as soon as we were secured inside.
The plan worked to get us inside, but now we needed Nix back before we could enter the fae lands. Kade just grinned. “Don’t worry about Nix, she’s a wily familiar. She’ll find us before we leave.”
Trusting him, I focused on the elevator numbers. We were closing in on the floor, and Ipressed myself to the side of the door. Kade did the same on the other side, preparing for the fact that there would probably be guards on this level somewhere. It was the queen’s private floor after all –myprivate floor. I tried not to let my anger about Selene stealing my throne get to me now. That needed to be dealt with later.
With a barely perceptible ding, the lift doors slid open. Finn went first, scouting out the hall. Somehow we all knew this was the plan, though none of us had discussed it. This mental link thing was getting stronger. And even though I couldn’t hear Nix now, I sensed she was near.
All clear.
Kade and I moved out of the elevator and straight along the corridor. The small library-sitting room that hid the entrance to the mecca stone was at the end of this hall. We passed no one in the first half, and I was giving myself a mental high-five when a door to the right opened and two people stepped out into the hall.
Selene and her lead guard.
16
The dance of life, one step forward, ten steps back
AS SOON AShe saw the queen, Kade gathered me up into his arms, slamming us both back against the wall. We’d have barreled right into them otherwise.
“There has been no security breach, Your Majesty. You have nothing to…” The lead guard trailed off as he finally noticed Kade and me standing there. I recognized him from our time together in the Summit. He’d stuck pretty close to Selene’s side and was a brutal fighter. He wore a spelled talisman that gave him mild magical powers and increased strength. Selene had always said she needed such a talisman to make upfor the fact she had no personal magic born like me. Yeah, no bitterness there.
I should have known this initial infiltration had been way too easy. Of course we would run into the freaking queen and her most powerful wolf. The four of us faced off, and the redheaded wench stepped forward, dressed in a ball gown of all things, floor length with a mass of tulle and satin. Upon her head was a simple diadem, nothing like my crown of mecca, which was still in the possession of the council. Either they hadn’t had time to make her crown yet, or the special covenant that the council used to figure these things out had run out of ideas. It was literally a few pieces of gold twirled around some greenish hued gems. So simple. And I was pleased to see she was sans her slimy snake familiar, although I doubted he was far.
“How the hell did you get in here, Arianna? The guards have strict instructions to remove your head should you step foot in Manhattan. I have all the vortexes being triple guarded.”
Clearly not all of them.
When I didn’t answer immediately, her voice went into a shriek. “What are you doing here?” She slapped out at us with mecca, but Kade easily absorbed it, filtering it out into the world.
My wolf rose within me, both of us letting out low growls.“I am here to rescue Violet, and anymore of our people who might have been taken by the Tuatha. I will not let them die in the Otherworld.Iprotect my people.”
My voice was low, each word resonating across the hall with a heavy and powerful tone. The mecca was so close here, it was filling up the gaps stolen by my dethroning. Almost like the power didn’t like our joining not being complete.
“A queen’s responsibility is to all of her people, not an individual few,” her lead guard said, shifting around slightly. They were maneuvering themselves to attack from both sides. I recognized the procedure, and found it amusing they thought I wouldn’t notice.
