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Glass clinked together behind the wet bar as the bartender cleaned the surface.
“Wait, were you ever held captive by the Winter Court?” I asked, remembering Colin’s reason for his late arrival in the fight against William.
Edric scoffed. “If you can call it that. Those fae can hardly form complete sentences, let alone keep someone like me behind bars.”
I wasn’t an expert on fae politics, but having dealt with William and the fae in the woods, I knew the prince’s perception wasn’t totally accurate. I had to assume there was some beef between the Summer and Winter Courts.
As they say, perception is reality, which might explain how the fae skirted around the truth so well.
“Can I break the spell?” I asked.
Xavier took a sip of his whiskey, his gaze never leaving mine. “No, but your little group has recently acquired a weapon that can.”
23
TUESDAY EVENING
With the Master Vampire’s revelation that he knew about us having the Last Hope, Lena tensed behind me, followed by the sound of steel sliding from leather.
Goosebumps rose along my arms. Surely Adam hadn’t told him about that. “How do you know about that?”
“I make it my business to know everything,” he said with a predatory smile.
“We’re not giving you the weapon.” Thane leaned back in his chair. His pose seemed relaxed, but his body was as tense to fight as Lena’s.
“I don’t expect you to,” Edric said, waving aside the idea. “I can get the wielder inside the palace.”
Thane and I exchanged an uneasy glance. If Angela broke the spell binding the queen, then the entire fae army would be on our side. We would decimate Colin.
But the danger involved was extraordinary, especially since she was a human.
I rubbed my temples as a dull throb crept in. “This is a lot to process.”
“I’d say take your time to think it over, but we know that’s not possible,” Xavier said.
Thane’s phone rang. He showed me it was Adam calling and answered it. His expression darkened as he listened. After a few tense moments, he agreed to something and hung up.
“What is it?” I asked, my scalp prickling.
“Xavier’s more right than we realized,” he said. “Colin has amassed an unseelie army at the Summer Court palace, preparing for war.”
Dread sank deep in my stomach like a boulder, and Lena muttered some colorful Yazyk curses.
He knew we were coming for him.
As much as I loathed letting Xavier out of sight again, we had work to do. Thane, Lena, and I left the club to join the others at the DEA. There was no way we could show up with Xavier without giving everyone a heads up, and doing it over the phone wasn’t ideal after the news Adam had just shared.
Leaving the Master Vampire was a tremendous risk, but my priority had to be Colin. If Xavier betrayed me, I’d stake the traitorous bloodsucker after I killed Colin.
Yeesh. My to-kill list was getting long. If it got any longer, they’d have to take a number.
To say things were chaotic when we arrived at the DEA was a massive understatement. Reapers scurried down hallways or winked in and out of view via teleportation circles. Conversations outside our usual conference room were much louder than normal as everyone tried to be heard on phone calls or in groups.
Already in the conference room and at the table were the leaders or VIPs of each major Community group involved: Imos and Tundreg, Pietr and Ivan, Adam and Nathan, and Angela and Kit, who’d reluctantly agreed to represent the covens after they insisted.
Word of Octavia’s imprisonment had spread, and witches from various covens had sent their heartfelt thanks. Kit would have to deal with a newfound celebrity status.
Not present were Luka and Rico, who were busy preparing their packs.
