“Not at all. I know your loyalty lies with Sloan. I’m just surprised you aren’t up there with everyone.”
“I’ll be of better use here. I’m sure you can understand.”
It was lucky that I understood because his tone left no room for argument. I didn’t want to imagine what could unfold if one of the Gods were to use Andreas’s gift without his permission. How much messier it could get.
Looking back at Archer, I asked, “Did you find any of the oleander?”
Archer shook his head. “I searched the greenhouses before the chaos made its way over to me. I would try and threaten Tobias, but it’s impossible to find anyone with everything going on.”
“It can’t have just disappeared,” I told him. “Hunter’s room is locked, so he must have some in there.”
“None of us are welcome in his home, are we?” Archer pointed out. “Have you been to the lab?”
“No, I’ve been sitting here having a catch-up with my brother. Of course I’ve checked the lab. They’ve got rid of it all under Hunter’s orders.”
“He’s planned well to this point,” Andreas mused. “But war is unpredictable. He’ll have to think quick on his feet now.”
“Not if he has the oleander at home,” Archer replied. “And how long before he comes back for her? Success is exactly what he needs right now. He only put her down here so Grayson couldn’t get to her.”
That statement brought Cass back to life. “They aren’t taking her back,” he said. “I won’t allow it.”
“What are you planning to do? Offer him a hip replacement?”
The bickering became a hum as I thought about Hunter’s plan. Andreas was right. Up until now, Hunter had thought of everything. He planned meticulously to make sure that there was always an escape route. He would have factored in the possibility of things going south and escalating into war. And if he had made contingency plans for that eventuality…
“The oleander isn’t at his house,” I said, voicing my thoughts.
Archer took a breath from snarking at my brother and narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“Hunter would want plausible deniability in case it didn’t go his way.” The pieces were falling into place. “If he got caught and had to stand in front of the council and Elysia. He needs a scapegoat.”
“I assume that would be you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s Mabel.”
“Mabel?”
“She told me he trusts her.”
“We all know that isn’t true.”
“Listen. It’s not about trust. It’s about what he can make her believe. She said something like he doesn’t have anyone but her. That he knows she’ll never let him down.”
The realisation dawned in Archer’s eyes. “He’s growing it at Mabel’s.”
“We need to go there and find it,” I told him.
“No.”
The refusal came from both Archer and Cass. I turned to look at my brother first.
“Quentin, I can’t…” His voice wavered. “I can’t let you go back there and get involved in all of this. Not when I don’t have a guarantee you’ll be back.”
“There’s never a guarantee…”
“None of that bullshit,” he cut me off. “This is an entirely different situation and we both know it.”
“Far be it from me to wade into family issues, but she’ll need to be back with the rest of her kin,” Archer said, ignoring the way Cass shot him a murderous glare. “But not quite yet.”
