“Pandan leaf. It’s to flavor my water.”
See, total fuckbonnet. Total Pandam Leaf Fuck Bonnet.
“Can we leave this?” Cosmo huffs. “Today is already enough without an interrogation into my failed love life.”
Did Cosmo Drakeward just use the L word?
“Max!”
“What?”
“Please, for the love of Gods, help me. Help.”
Did Cosmo Drakeward just use the H word?
Today is one for the record books indeed.
Actually, today will be a day that goes down in history. Fair enough. Time to stop pissing around.
I hitch myself onto the counter and get serious. “OK, so we got the invite list you sent, and the floor plan. Did you learn anything else last night?”
Last night, Cos had been to a cozy dinner at Singleton-Smith manor.
The look on his face makes me wince. “The amount of security is going to be intense, but luckily no one looked too carefully at all the names I added to the guest list, and the distraction of fire-spinners and acrobats will work to our advantage.”
Neither Dono, nor I make a comment on the entertainment, though I can tell Donovan is dying to.
There’s a knock. “Expecting visitors?” After a quick sniff, I grin. “I’ll get it.”
My heart beats double time when I pull open the door. Theo is there with Lexi, Willow and Naomi. “Morning, Princess.” I pull her into a brief hug, then release her. She feels tiny in my arms, and her silver eyes are shadowed.
“This had to be quick,” Lex says, looking exhausted too.
Willow and Naomi cuddle up on the couch together. Watson has finally been brought into the fold. I guess we need as many bodies as we can get.
“I wish Lu could be here,” Theo sighs. Yeah, I want Bully too, but the stupid guards are amassed on the ground floor for some kind of meeting, so we needed to assemble up here.
“Alright, let’s get to it,” Alexis says. He spreads a map of the Singleton-Smith manor across the island.
“Donovan, Max—you will watch the library doors. If so much as a maid tries to enter while I’m inside, you get rid of them, quietly. Duncan will be our outside eyes, monitoring the exterior of the mansion through the hacked cameras.”
“Sorry I couldn’t get to the inside ones,” I sigh. That fucking encryption was next level.
“Yes, inside we are blind, so Willow and Naomi have to be our eyes. Constantly moving, looking for problems. All communication goes through Theo, telepathically.”
“Still not used to that,” Watson mutters.
Alexis taps the conservatory on the map. “Stage two is getting Janine and Theo together. This will happen after the binding ceremony. The ballroom will be filled with guests and entertainers. Drinks flowing, loud music etc. Cosmo will approach Janine and tell her something is up with Theo. He’ll suggest she take a look and lead her to the conservatory off to the side.” Feniks looks at Cosmo. “And you’re sure the party goers will not be in there?”
“Yes. Jordan’s mother is very protective of her orchid collection. Max has to pick the lock.”
Not a problem.
“Theo and I,” Lex continues, “will be in the conservatory when Cosmo brings Janine in. Donovan, Max, you will position yourselves close by, ready to react if necessary.”
“And then I do the thing.” Theo closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “I can do it.”
“And if things go wrong,” I say. “Donovan gets her out. You and I will clear a path for that to happen.”
