Page 96 of The Queen’s Bodyguard

She stepped aside, allowing Pyre to shift him, laying him back against a set of pillows. Meanwhile, Theora pulled Apollo’s letter from her waistband and unfolded it, looking for signs that her best friend was in fact not a traitor.

That her entire life hadn’t been a lie.

The message was the same, the handwriting still his. But…the lighting was different. Theora paused, then moved the letter closer to the bright light Pyre had used. And suddenly she saw it.

Words. Vague words written within and around the ink.

Venita is guilty.

Theora gasped. This entire time, Apollo had been trying to warn her. She knew Argos had been wrong about him, that Apollo would never hurt her.

But she hadn’t realized Venita was capable of hurting her, either—not when she’d practically been an older sister to her.

Hurting her? Was she behind the attack that killed her own sister? She had definitely almost had Theora assassinated in one of the most awful ways possible.

She had to be stopped.

Theora turned to Pyre, who was busy changing out of her sweaty clothes into new loungewear. She looked away quickly with a heavy sigh. Dread Sovereign, this woman might as well be a Warrior, the way she just minded her business in front of people, naked and unashamed.

“Do you want to negotiate now?” Theora asked. “Or can we just agree to peace?”

By the time Theora looked at Pyre, the Vespulan queen had opened the closest desk drawer, and was taking out a pad of paper and a pen. “There are a few things I could use.”

“Fine, then.” Theora steeled herself, her stoicism returning. “Let’s negotiate.”

Pyre led the way out into the living room area. This room was larger than the one in Theora’s wing, with two long couches facing a coffee table. Theora made sure to sit on the opposite couch from Pyre.

“I suppose we’ll need witnesses,” Theora began.

“Only for the signing portion.” Pyre signaled to one of her maids, handing the woman the writing pad when she approached. “You’re welcome to begin.”

“Your guard patrols are not allowed on our border.”

Pyre let out a breath of laughter. “Is this how we’re starting off ? Locking up our borders?”

Theora tried not to show her hesitation. “You said yourself there are traitors in your ranks.”

“And in yours, clearly. So what do you say we help each other out with that?”

Pyre leaned forward, resting her powerful forearms on her thighs—forearms that were lacking the shackles meant to keep her stingers safely away. Wrists that exposed the small slit where the stingers extended. Theora took a breath to keep herself from panicking.

Pyre wouldn’t hurt her. She was here for peace.

Venita was the real enemy.

“What do you have in mind?” Theora asked.

“I’d like your help in the form of Warriors, plus spies and ambassadors to help sniff out the loyalists.”

“Warriors require handlers.”

“So get more.”

Theora paused. An unsavory proposition, but unsurprising for a woman who had assassinated the queen before her to take the throne, even if said queen had been a villain. “And how does that benefit Aranea?”

“They would be paid by the government. And the ambassadors would help bolster relations between our people.”

“Then you would send ambassadors to Aranea as well?”