“Sleep well, Your Majesty,” Pallas murmurs.
I focus on Alden, picturing his face in my mind’s eye, the cadence of his voice, and a haunting melody that fills my thoughts.
With the last remnants of my energy, I forge a bridge between us, a connection that will allow me to slip into his dreams, praying that the nightmares that haunt me do not plague him, too.
“I got it!”Bennett screams as he hunches over a rippling water bowl on the floor inside Gianna’s messy room at the garrison down the hall from a sleeping Leigh.
I’ve instructed Gianna to stop contacting my mom at the hospital. Desiree can take care of her. Instead, I need Gianna to focus on Brigid’s lessons on wielding a knife to convince potential attackers that she is a formidable opponent. Ideally, she would be better off conjuring lightning to electrocute her enemies, but I’m unsure if Gianna possesses that level of power.
Bennett grins, and Marlowe mirrors his infectious excitement, her eyes light up with the thrill of impending violence. I will likely regret bringing her along on this mission, but I’d rather not leave her unsupervised. If she means what she said about changing, this is her first opportunity to prove it. However, I suspect she will bolt at the first sign of trouble, just like she did the night of the Domna Trials when she disappeared before I forfeited the competition.
“Queen Jorina and Stellan are being held in the wolves’ camp on the outskirts of the city. Their tent is located at the center of the encampment. Just past the bonfire between Prince Alden and Prince Zeus’s quarters,” Bennett says.
I meet Marlowe’s stare, and silent communication passes between us. “You got that?” I ask. She nods, her face set with grim determination.
“What’s the plan?” Brigid does a press check to ensure a round is in the chamber.
All eyes turn to me. “Now that Leigh’s asleep, the retrieval team will move to rescue Queen Jorina and Stellan. Bennett, you will stay here and assist Eddo and Ry with the evacuees.” I focus on Marlowe. “We will drive to West Aurora, leave our car, and walk the rest of the way to the camp on foot. Then?—”
“I need a gun. Mine was taken downstairs,” Marlowe says, eyeing Brigid as she holsters hers.
I lift a brow. “That’s because no one trusts you.”
“Come on, Wilder, if I were going to shoot you, I’d have done it already,” Marlowe insists.
I chew on the inside of my cheek. I’d rather take a beating of a lifetime than trust Marlowe with a gun, but then why would I bring her along at all? If she will work with us, I must believe she won’t betray me.
“Fine, Brigid. Get Marlowe whatever she needs and meet us at the car.”
Brigid’s upper lip draws back, but she doesn’t fight me. She exits the room without another word. Gianna attempts to give Marlowe a small smile before giving us a minute alone by walking over to Bennett.
“Thank you for bringing me along on this mission. I hope this means you’ve forgiven me,” Marlowe says.
I laugh. “Not even close.” I turn to leave, then say over my shoulder, “If you plan on turning your back on us when we reach the wolves, I won’t give a damn about Leigh’s pardon. I will hunt you down and finish you myself.”
I’m in the hallway when Marlowe says, “You’ll forgive me one day, Wilder.”
My shoulders hike toward my ears. Maybe, but not today.
We bypassthe hospital’s front entrance, opting for the loading dock where supplies are delivered. After telling me he has a way inside, Vane leads the way. As we approach our rendezvous point, a familiar figure emerges from the shadows—the black-haired healer who tried to stop me earlier crosses her arms. Her scrubs are even more wrinkled and blood-splattered now.
Our gazes meet, and I brace myself for the alarm to sound, but she remains silent.
“You owe me,” she says to Vane.
I raise my brows. Do they know each other?
“You know I’ll make it up to you, Lilith,” Vane replies with a tone as smooth as silk. The witch smiles. Her pupils dilate before she blinks. My insides swirl with unease. I try to ignore the feeling as I pass them and climb the emergency stairs to Mom’s lab.
“Don’t be jealous,” Vane whispers behind me. “And before you say you aren’t, remember that I had to watch you go on a date with Jaxson.”
A pang shoots through my chest. Jaxson should be in Glaucus by now. With the wolves’ invasion looming, will the Domna trials be postponed? “You practically forced me to go on that date,” I remind Vane.
“Because I wanted you to see that you had a life outside the Nest,” Vane defends.
I stop walking. Now I understand his intentions—he wanted to push me toward Jaxson and away from the Nest so I could discover acceptance and belonging elsewhere. But his methods are still manipulative, even if they came from a place of care.
“We will talk later,” I reply.
