“Sounds like my boy, all right,” Foster chuckled.
#
The security room at Evermere hummed with that particular tension that always preceded violence. I felt it in my bones as the screens before us flickered with static.
Behind me, Zane paced like a caged tiger, his footsteps a staccato rhythm against the floor, while Cas stood completely still against the far wall and I fiddled with my equipment. Foster leaned back in Zane’s gaming chair, cleaning his fingernails with a throwing star. And our precious Seri sat in the center of the room on the floor, petting Brumous, who had his head in her lap.
I leaned forward, adjusting the microphone one final time as the connection stabilized. Two windows appeared on the main monitor, King Julian’s sharp blue eyes on one side, Kaori’s face on the other.
“It’s finished,” the vampire queen said without preamble. “We’ve confirmed the meaning of the glyphs. Both King Julian’s scholars and mine came to the same conclusion, separately.”
“It’s the spell Foster overheard Arabesque mention,” King Julian confirmed. “The Hollowing Rite. A ritual designed to use all the stolen magic Arabesque has stored and funnel it directly into her rogue army.”
“On the full moon, no less,” Kaori added. “She’s timed it perfectly. Lunar amplification—”
“She’s going to supercharge them,” I said, the words settling like lead in my gut. “Make them nearly unstoppable.”
For a beat, no one spoke.
“Now that’s just unfair,” Zane grumbled. “Fucking cheater.”
“Koa’s right. The rogues who survive will be stronger than most alphas,” Kaori confirmed.
“The ones who survive?” Seri tilted her head to the side.
“The spell is a gamble,” Kaori explained. “Either it takes or it doesn’t, and for those it doesn’t, it’s a most painful death.”
“If she has that large of an army, she can afford the pre-battle attrition,” King Julian pointed out.
“Foster, what was the last head count you heard?” I asked.
“Just over eleven hundred, but unless she’s found another dominant alpha at least as powerful as me to be her enforcer, I’d be surprised if she was on the plus side of a thousand by now.”
“Even if the spell kills half of that, she’ll have five hundred alpha-level shifters at her beck and call.” Cas pushed away from the wall to pace.
“Cruor! And we still don’t know which kingdom she’s going to strike.” Zane ran his hand through his hair disaster.
“It’s down to me or your father,” King Julian said. “Logistically, she can’t reach the Ice Cloud Kingdom or the Woodland Realm in time for the spell to hold. She needs proximity.”
“So both kings prepare to be attacked at full moon.” I rubbed the scar along my jaw as I thought. “Gather allies. Reinforce defenses. Secure your vulnerable points and people.”
“Seri, you know Arabesque on a different level than we do.” King Julian fixed his eyes on her. “Do you believe she herself will lead this attack?”
“Absolutely. For several reasons. She’ll want to make sure nothing gets messed up. She won’t trust someone she deems lesser, which is nearly everybody, especially with her big moment. And…”
“And what, beloved?” I prompted when she paused.
“And there’s something inside her that craves the blood and the screams,” she whispered, fidgeting with her fingers. “Maybe it comes from whatever Darkness she’s dealt with most of her life—”
“Or maybe she’s just an evil cunt,” Zane cut in. “I agree with honeybee. For what we’ve seen and studied, the Harrow bitch will wanna be center stage, all spotlight, for this.”
“Wouldn’t we all?” Cas countered. “If we had planned and invested in one massive move for years, would any of us be absent during its execution? Whether she fights or not, whether she shows herself or not, she’ll be there.”
“We’re overlooking the Gravewrought,” Foster said. “Rogues, even supercharged, stay dead. The Gravewrought? We could kill them a hundred times over, and they’ll just keep coming back. Unless we destroy their hearts.”
“Then we destroy the hearts.” Seri’s quiet voice held nothing but determination. “They’re in Arabesque’s stronghold. My old farm. Brummy and I can go. Quiet. Fast. I’ll shadow walk us there, destroy the hearts, and shadow walk us back.”
“No.” The word burst from my mouth.
