I swallowed hard, hesitating. This whole thing felt off. None of it made much sense. Surely he didn’t believe that this would work? Yes, a solitary fae would be able to get inside the castle and set this thing off. Maybe, she’d be able to get a look at Lugh’s spear. But it was highly unlikely she’d stop him from locking the case after, even if Lugh was drugged out of hismind.
Not to mention, how exactly did he plan on getting past the added security at the gates? Ever since the attack last month, Castle Wraith had become even more impenetrable. There were guards everywhere. No one was getting inside unless Lugh wanted them inside, and a little magic drug wasn’t going to convince him to open the gates for an enemy hell-bent on stealing hissoul.
“Sure,” I squeaked. “Noproblem.”
With a wide smile, the fae sent me on my way. I clutched the Sapphire bomb tight against my chest as I hurried toward the castle, heart thumping. Something wasn’t right about this, but I didn’t know what. And I had a terrible feeling that when I figured it out, it would be far toolate.
7
“He wants you to what?!”Lugh stood in the center of the training room, gawking at me. He wasn’t the only one. Saoirse, Boudica, Warin, and Nero wore identical expressions. Even Uisnech looked shocked, and that was saying something. It took a lot to freak out thegoblin.
I held up the glowing orb. “He wants me to drug you. After letting you catch me.Tonight.”
Saoirse frowned. “He wants you to drug Lughinsideof the castle? He doesn’t want you to try to draw himout?”
“Yep.” I set the orb down on the table, desperate to get rid of the thing. “He thinks that if I drug the King, then I can get him to show me where he keeps his spear, and then leave the case unlocked. He has some magic thingy spell attached to the orb. When it goes off, he’llknow.”
Lugh pursed his lips. “And then he plans to seize the castle, taking the spear along with it, when I’m otherwise…engaged.”
“Seems that way.” I shrugged. “Although he didn’t confirm his plans to attack the castle, I can’t imagine what else he plans todo.”
“He didn’t want to share more of his plan with you.” Warin frowned. “Just in case you blabbed to Lugh, I’m guessing. If you set off the Sapphire, he won’t be the only one drugged byit.”
I pressed my lips together. I really hadn’t thought about that. I’d be hit by it,too.
“Okay,” Lugh said, nodding, before turning to Saoirse. “Get the extra defences into place. Wake anyone who has experience as a guard. We will fortify the castle and then set this thing off. When he attacks, we will be ready forhim.”
My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. “So, you’re going to go along withthis?”
“It’s the best way to stop him,” Lugh said. “He will launch an attack. If we do it when we’re ready, we have the best way of defeating him. This is actually a very positive development. You did well tonight,Moira.”
I smiled and stood a littlestraighter.
He gave a few more commands to the crew, and then he led me out of the training room, across the courtyard, and into his palace. Inside, his quarters were just as messy as they’d always been. A new series of books had taken the place of the last ones. Several were open on the coffee table, surrounded by half-empty mugs of tea orcoffee.
He held up the glowing orb. “You can wait outside with the door shut. I’ll set this off by myself and stay here so that I don’t do anything stupid while I’mdrugged.”
I frowned. “No, that’s ridiculous. The Court needs you. I’ll set the Sapphire off, and you can go take care ofbusiness.”
I strode across the room and tried to grab the bomb from his hands, but he held it up in the air over his head, well out of myreach.
Scowling, I glared up at him. “Don’t be so stubborn. You know it would be better if I were the one locked uptonight.”
He let out a low chuckle. “That’s rich coming from you, Moira. I don’t think you, of all people, can lecture me onstubbornness.”
Scowl deepening, I jumped up to try to grab the Sapphire from his hands. Instead of wrapping my hands around it, my knuckles knocked hard against the glass-like orb. It launched out of Lugh’s hands, shattering in the middle of thefloor.
We both stared at each other, eyes wide. In an instant, I was rushing toward thedoor.
Lugh’s hand wrapped tight around my arm as the misty blue gas filled the room. “Neither of us can leave now. We’ve both beencompromised.”
He didn’t look particularly upset about it. In fact, a wicked glint in his eyes gave him away. I pulled away from him. “You’re enjoying this far toomuch.”
“I wasn’t, actually. But the drugs are already making me feel a bit odd.” He shook his head as his eyes went glassy. “This is one strongdose.”
He wasn’t lying. Already, I felt a tad unsteady on my feet. The room had begun to spin around me, and Lugh...well, I was annoyed at him a second ago, but that seemed silly now. I loved him. He was my mate. There was no reason to beangry.
Infact...
