“We will do everything we can to ensure their safety. She’s my family,” Del says, gesturing to Aurelia. “We will get them out.”
Emmanuel shakes his head. “Not what I meant. The full moon is tomorrow night. If we aren’t successful this evening—”
“Shit,” Second spits.
With everything that’s happened, I’d forgotten about the full moon. We’ll all be out of our minds tomorrow night and useless to these women.
“Then we makesurewe’re successful,” Del says, and Emmanuel nods at him.
My mind races. If we aren’t able to ensure their safety by then, especially if their escape is discovered, Nerian has hundreds of human guards to do his dirty work in the bright light of day, or during a full moon.
“We need to get themout.”
Del rolls his eyes at me. “I already said we would.”
“Watch those pretty eyes, Del. They should never roll in my direction.”
He nods at me through a smirk and then fixes his face.
I roll out my neck and shoulders, trying to fight off my emotional and daytime exhaustion. “We need to get them to theNight Kingdom. It’s too risky to send them to their families in Goreon. We can’t ensure their safety, especially with the fullmoon.” I look at Del. “We house them in our territory until we know it’s safe to return. Especially given our other pressing goals.”
Second glowers at me, and Emmanuel and Charlotte bounce their focus between Del and me.
“Something we need to know from your bedroom dalliance?” Second asks brusquely.
My turn to roll my eyes. “Del has asked for our assistance in taking Nerian’s throne.”
My people lose an entire shade, alabaster complexions looking back at me now.
Second moves his hand to his hilt. “Just to be clear,” he grits. “Are we speaking about Goreon treason with thesecond of Goreonright now?”
“We are,” I reply.
Del hits us with a winning grin before he speaks. “I agree we should send the girls to the Night Kingdom. Thank you for your gracious offer,” he says.
“The girls will be safe there. I promise you. We’ll send a letter with them, my legion at the wall will get them to Prosperity.”
Del nods.
“Don’t you want to know what Prosperity is before agreeing to it?” Charlotte coos at Del.
He looks down at her, face softening as he watches Charlotte hold Aurelia. “I gave myself a tour of your kingdom decades ago.”
“Godsdamnit,” Second fumes and marches his ass over to the window like he can stare out of it to cool off.
“Del,” I say and he looks at me. “Do you know if any of them will want to turn?”
He gazes at the girls from the cellar, his throat tracking a slow swallow. “Yeah. Sophie will want to turn,” he says about my siren. “She has no one left.”
He shifts his focus to Emmanuel’s doe. “Amelia will turn. She’s hated her vulnerability ever since she was locked in that cage. The one with the braid is Samantha,” he says, peering down at Second’s girls, curled together. “She has human family. She’ll go to the Night Kingdom. And the blonde is Hannah. I fear she may not want either option. Death preferred.”
“Whatever for?” Second asks, expression stern as he whips his gaze from the steel shutters he can’t see through.
“Her unborn child didn’t survive her capture.”
I tent my fingertips against my forehead, pressing my hands into my face to stave off the curdling scream I’d like to release. “You know all their real names?” I ask softly, dropping my hands.
Del nods, leaning an elbow against the mantle. “I snuck down to the cellar when I could. To talk to them, to keep their spirits up.”
