I groan. Can he stop thinking with his dick and remember he has a brain? I’m dealing with espionage, and he’s flirting.
“Misty, will you give us a minute?” I ask. Annoyance drips from my tone.
Misty cowers before slinking off. Then Desiree returns to the room, a scowl on her face. Bennett pouts, his lower lip jutting out. I roll my eyes, my fingers drumming against my thigh.
“I liked her. She was nice and pretty, and?—”
“Did you ask Janus about Stellan Navis or his articles?” I ask.
Bennett sinks into the cushions, rolling up his sleeves as he bobs his head to the beat, ignoring me. His lashes cast shadows on his cheeks. I sit up straighter. Is he for real?
As the seconds tick by and Bennett continues to avoid my gaze, my patience wears thin. With a sharp snap of my fingers inches from his face, I finally break through his dream-like haze. His eyes flutter open, a flicker of annoyance dancing in their depths.
“Well?” I prompt.
“Janus said she was dealing with a personal matter during the blackout when Stellan’s latest story broke,” Bennett says with a sigh.
“Did you ask her whatkindof personal matter?” I ask through gritted teeth.
What’s more important than your city and most of your country experiencing a blackout? Parts of Corona are still without power, and the darkness lingers like a suffocating mask.
Bennett peers over the back of the couch. Misty waves at him, her fingers wiggling in a coy gesture. “When something is personal, usually that person doesn’t want to talk about it, but if you must know, she mentioned something about Hebe.”
I frown. Why did Janus bring up the hospital? “Is she sick?”
“She seemed well enough to me,” Bennett replies, still gazing at Misty.
“Did Janus seem surprised about Stellan running for mayor?”
Bennett’s head lulls to the side, his glasses slipping down his nose. “No.”
I jostle Bennett’s shoulder. No, because she already knew what Stellan wrote because they are working together, or no because of some other reason? “Bennett?—”
“Excuse me.” Bennett leaves me gaping after him as he stumbles over to Misty.
I want to scream.
“Leigh, can we talk?” Ravi appears like some apparition, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
My patience snaps. “Now?”
“I need to speak to you.”
I rise to my feet. Ravi’s intentions are unclear, and now isn’t the time to clear the air.
“Not now,” I say firmly, meeting his gaze head-on.
I leave, fishing for my phone from my tiny purse, to call Pallas to check-in. My fingers shake slightly as I dial, and I pray he has news that will help me decide who to trust and who not to trust among my Council.
Pallas answers as I lock myself inside the black-and-red-veined marble bathroom attached to our private room, the door clicking shut behind me.
“Funny, I was just about to message you,” Pallas says. “How’s Little Death?”
“A total snoozefest,” I say, my fingers absentmindedly running along my sleek, smooth ponytail. It felt strange getting all dolled up for tonight’s outing, especially with the chaos and uncertainty plaguing my kingdom. But in these turbulent times, my appearance is one of the few things I can still control.
As I stare at my reflection in the mirror, I barely recognize the hardened woman staring back at me. My gaze is sharper than a blade, cold and unyielding as stone. The distrust radiating from my eyes serves as a silent warning to anyone who dares to cross me.
I cut straight to the point. “What did you find out?”
