Leonin groaned, his fingers digging into her flanks. He was right on the edge, exactly where she wanted him. “Ione, you know I?—”
She pushed herself up, then sank down his cock again. Very, very slowly.
“Fuck,” he growled. “Yes. Alright, whatever you want just?—”
The memory dissolved as soon as Ione wrenched her arm from Cassandra’s grip.
Cassandra paled. “Does Tristan know? DoesEamonknow?”
Ione’s voice shook. “What did you see?”
But before Cassandra could grab her again, Ione tapped her cuff and melted away in a rainbow flash.
“Felix is gone, too,”Seraavi said, stalking into the war committee room with murderous intent darkening her fuchsia eyes.
“Who else knows?” Trophonios asked, his long fingers massaging his ebony forehead.
Cassandra, seated beside Tristan and still trembling from shock, held her fiancée’s hand beneath the table and ran her thumb across his Turning scar.
Referring to him as her fiancée helped ease the sting of Ione’s betrayal. Slightly.
Tristan was taking the news surprisingly well. Or perhaps he was just trying not to fall apart in front of his Council.
“I haven’t said a word to anyone outside this room,” Cassandra promised. “As soon as Ione portaled away, I sought out Tristan.”
“Nothing’s spread through the village yet,” Layla added from her seat next to Ronin and Mireille. Hella rounded out the Council—what was left of it—her tiny golden braids piled in a knot atop her head.
“I don’t want to lie to them,” Tristan ground out, squeezing Cassandra’s hand. His lifeline.
Trophonios lifted his gaze. “I don’t disagree with you, Your Highness, but…this is the worst possible timing. Might it not be wiser to wait until after we’ve marched and won? Ione is a powerful symbol within the Teles Chrysos. Knowledge of her dishonesty could shatter morale.”
Tristan sighed, releasing Cassandra’s hand and raking his own through his hair.
“He’s right,” she said softly, fingertips resting gently on his thigh. “We need to stay the course. I’m not sure our rebels could stomach such a blow right now.”
“We need story for why Ione gone,” Hella added.
“Like what?” Seraavi asked.
Trophonios sat up straighter. “Something that willboostmorale. Even if it’s not precisely accurate. We’ll tell them Ione has journeyed into the Icthians, with Felix as protection, to commune with Adelphinae in the wilderness and solicit blessings for our fight.”
“That would do it,” Ronin nodded, fiddling with his eye patch.
“I don’t like it,” Tristan grimaced, tapping his fingers on his armrest.
“Sometimes a lie can be kinder than the truth,” Mireille piped up. “In this case, what good would it do to tell them they’ve been duped by the female they’d come to trust above all others? You’ll only distract them from their duty, open them up to harm.”
Cael, who’d been standing in the corner with his wing tucked and his arms crossed, chimed in. “She’s right,” he said in a deep, ferocious grumble. Someone had fucked with his friend. Hisbrother. “And once we win back your throne, there won’t be a corner of the fucking continent Ione can hide. Signys and I will smoke her out ourselves.”
Tristan dipped his head to his chest, blowing out a resigned sigh. “Remind me why I appointed you all to tell me what to do?” He turned to Trophonios. “What kind of threat does she pose? Not just once we march, but after.”
Trophonios grimaced. “I suppose it depends on how much your brother knows of her truth. Or if her plans involve luring any of the membership to her side.”
“What if she aligns herself with Eamon?” Cassandra asked. “He remains unmated. She could make a bid for him. Or, Creator forbid, show up with him in Delos.”
“We find out in day and half,” Hella grunted, rustling her crimson feathers.
Cassandra continued, addressing Trophonios. “Ione knew of things that I’d only heard from Reena in the Halfway. It was more than just an interpretation of the prophecy. Where would she have gained such knowledge?”
