“She is worse,” I said.
He didn’t look up. “I know.”
I hated that he sounded apologetic. Hated that a man who irritated me to the point of bloodlust was the only person in this century who understood the sorcery of what was killing her.
Killing her.
I swallowed the thought before it could fully form.
“We are missing something,” I said, pacing the length of the room. “Ambrosia hinted as much.”
“At the ball?”
“Yes.”
“But what did she say?”
“A threat disguised as poetry.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “She spoke of flames. Mortality. Tethers fading.”
Ezra’s eyes widened. “And you didn’t think to mention this earlier?”
“I did not realize what it meant.” My jaw tightened. “I realize it now.”
He shoved both hands through his hair. “Then you need to talk to her.”
“Correct,” I said. “Wedo need to talk to her.”
His head snapped up. “You mean, in person? At the manor? Tonight?”
“Yes.”
He stared at me like I’d suggested we cuddle inside a volcano.
“Cristian,” he said slowly, “You’re playing exactly into what they want. And I hate that house. I—I really don’t want to go back.”
“I do not care about your preferences,” I replied. “I need a second set of ears. Mine are… compromised.”
“You mean emotionally compromised,” he said, frowning.
“I mean I trust no one,” I corrected. “Except perhaps her.” I nodded toward the room upstairs where Nadia slept. “And she is dying.”
Ezra’s expression softened for half a breath before he wiped it away.
He closed the laptop, but his fingers trembled. “Fine. I’ll go. I’ll bring my equipment.”
“What equipment?”
“My laptop.” He patted the device like a pet. “I have each of their magical frequencies stored. If I’m close enough, I can tell exactly where Ambrosia is in the manor. Think of it like supernatural radar.”
I didn’t know what radar was. I didn’t care. “Good.”
I had walked in and out of that dreadful place several times without resistance, but now wasn’t the time for taking chances. The court was unpredictable.
He hesitated, then added, “But Cristian—if you want a chance at confronting her, you need to be strong. Really strong. You haven’t fed in days.”
My jaw flexed. “I will not feed from Nadia again until I fully understand what this bond is doing to her.”
“Yeah,” he muttered, “except you’re going to pass out on the front lawn of a vampire mansion from the pull of the bond unless you’re at full charge.”
