“Leigh, we need to talk,” Gianna says to my right. I eye the curly-haired Blade at her side before covering the mouthpiece on my phone with my hand.
“I am on the phone with the president,” I say as Bennett seethes beside me.
“It can’t wait,” Gi insists.
I close my eyes, willing myself the patience to deal with one fucked up situation after another. “Janus, give me a second,” I say before muting the call. Then I turn to Gianna. “Yeah?”
“Ry just got back from scouting,” Gi says, gesturing to the Blade.
In a deep voice, Ry reports, “The wolves are indeed in Aurora; they’ve set up camp on the outskirts of the desert, just three miles shy of the train station.”
My mouth grows dry. They are closer than I thought.
“It’s worse,” Gianna adds, her voice wobbling. “They’ve taken Stellan prisoner.”
“I thought they were working together?”
“So did we, but someone reported seeing a man matching Stellan’s description being blindfolded and taken against his will. The call came into the precinct an hour after Stellan left Furies. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
Did Stellan’s usefulness expire? Or was this part of a larger plan?
“Leigh!” Janus’s voice screams from the phone.
Fuck. I take her off mute, my hand still trembling as I bring the device back to my ear. “Yeah?”
“I need to address the Council, then the city,” Janus says.
“Don’t go yet. I just learned they’re camped three miles outside Aurora. The city will fall if we don’t act fast. We need to send more Blades to Aurora.”
Janus gasps, followed by prolonged silence. When she speaks, her voice shakes. “Leigh, we can’t afford to saturate our army. You focus your efforts on Aurora, and I will focus on what needs to be done everywhere else.”
“We need backup,” I say. “How are we supposed to convince the wolves to leave if we don’t have a strategy against them? They will take the city, and they’ll take me as their prisoner.”
Janus curses. “If that’s true, then the Council and I will figure out how to get you back.”
“But I am the queen. I should be involved in your decisions with the Council to keep Aurora safe. Someone working on the Council still has ties to Stellan and the wolves. We need to be cautious.”
“Yes, well, you’re not here,” Janus snaps. “You ran off to Aurora alone, against our wishes. Your inability to listen has cost us greatly, Leigh. It pains me to say this, but I will hold a vote of no confidence in your favor so that you don’t interfere with whatever we decide to do. I understand someone on the Council may be working with the wolves, but I will deal with thatmyway. We’ve already tried yours.”
My lungs feel as if they’ve shrunk. It sounds like she’s kicking me off the Council.
“You’re going to vote me out?” I ask.
“It’s nothing personal and, hopefully, temporary,” Janus says.
“B-but I’m the queen.” I can’t believe my ears.
“And as the president, my duty is to my people. It might be too late for Aurora, but Borealis has a chance.”
Tears fill my eyes. I can still save my kingdom and people if they listen and give me a chance, but with the Council casting me out, they will turn their backs on me when I need them most.
“Janus, you’re making a mistake,” I rush to say. “If we lose Aurora to the wolves, we lose valuable resources. You might as well give Borealis to them as a gift, complete with a pretty bow, and hand over the kingdom without a fight.”
“Maybe so, but I can try to devise peace negotiations with Alden and Zeus,” Janus declares. “Since Alden likely knows you’re in Aurora, I suggest you have Commander Eddo take you someplace safe. I will contact him soon.”
“You can’t do this. I am the rightful ruler of this kingdom. I must protect it.”
But even as the words leave my lips, I know they’re futile. Janus has made her decision, and I can do nothing to change it. I’m over a thousand miles away. If I’m going to save everyone, I need to do it on my own.
