But my dad didn’t smile. “Your mother is my responsibility, too. This doesn't just rest on your shoulders, Maeve.”
For so many years, my parents had been a collection of absences, half-truths, grief, and so many things I hadn’t understood until recently. But now they were real people standing on opposite sides of danger, and I wasn’t going to choose.
“I know,” I said, softening.
His jaw tightened, and I could see the argument building, but Nova stepped in before it could launch.
“Maeve is right. The Priestess is interested in the bloodline. Each piece carries weight, and we have to be careful which pieces we place on the board.”
“Pieces,” my dad muttered.
Nova gave him a sympathetic look. “Living pieces. Loved pieces. Still pieces.”
“She’s always needed to work on her delivery,” Skonk said around a crouton.
“Yes,” Twobble agreed. “Still mildly offensive.”
Bella came closer, fox grace in every step. “We need two teams.”
“I agree.” Caleb nodded. “We need one that’s visible and one that isn’t.”
My stomach tightened. “A decoy. I don’t like the sounds of making one group a target.”
“A believable one,” Bella said, ignoring what I said. “The Priestess thinks she understands your heart, so we give her something emotional enough to look real.”
“Are you going back to using my dad?”
Nova moved to my small writing desk and pulled a blank sheet of parchment closer. “The visible team approaches the edge of the compound but doesn’t enter. They let the Priestess’ watchers see conflict. Hesitation. Maybe even disagreement.”
“Who?” I asked, not liking how it was leading back to my dad.
“Frank,” Nova said. “Possibly Caleb. Stella.”
My gaze snapped to Stella. “Absolutely not.”
The vampire witch looked delighted. “Oh, finally. A terrible idea with flair that I get to be a part of.”
I shook my head and grunted. “You’re not going to be bait.”
“Darling, I’ve been bait before. I’m excellent at it.”
“Why do I feel like this was decided long before I ever stepped into this room?”
“There have been discussions,” Nova said softly. “You can’t do everything.”
I nodded, glancing over at Twobble.
“For the record, I told them you wouldn’t be thrilled with sending Frank in.” Twobble cracked his bony knuckles. “And I was right.”
Caleb leaned against the dresser. “The Priestess knows Frank matters. They’ll expect him to come for Maeve’s mom. It’s logical and from the heart. They’ll expect Stella because she’s powerful enough to be useful and dramatic enough to be noticed.”
“I beg your pardon,” Stella said.
He shrugged. “Am I wrong?”
She considered that. “No, but I dislike your tone.”
“And me?” Caleb asked Nova.
