“No, she’s with Zakkai. She’s fine.” Kols turned to me. “Zeph. That man was not my father.”
“What?”
“The magic around him was all wrong. And my father wouldnevercelebrate the trial of a fae in such a public setting. Either he’s been bespelled or someone was wearing his skin. And this?”He held up the speech. “Thisis not something my father wouldeverask me to say.”
He handed me the speech as though to prove it to me.
Only three sentences in and I had to agree. “You’re right. This has your grandfather written all over it.”
“Something’s very wrong,” Kols said.
I nodded.Aflora?I called, opening our link.
Silence.
I frowned and tried again.
More silence.
“Aflora’s not answering me,” I said, my brow furrowing. “But our link isn’t closed. It’s… it’s almost like all I hear is static.”
“Fuck. This isn’t good.” Kols took the note back and slid it into his pants, then began to pace. “Can we try to locate Shade?”
Normally, I’d laugh at such a ridiculous request. But I was fresh out of amusement at the moment. “I don’t know how to find him.”
“I don’t either,” Tray added.
Aflora?I tried for a third time, hoping that maybe I’d just messed up for the first two calls.
Still nothing.
“You don’t think she would try to attend the gala, do you?” I asked, thinking out loud.
Kols stopped to glance at me. “Who? Aflora?”
“Yes.”
He snorted and resumed his trek around the room. “Why would she attend?”
“Why would Zakkai allow her to dream of us every night?” I countered.
“To make her more agreeable.”
“Yes, to what end?” I pressed. “We’ve known from the beginning that he’s wanted something from her. That was hisreason for allowing her to talk to us. What if attending the Blood Gala was his request?”
“He’d be insane to come here. The Warrior Bloods are tripled around the border tonight. Not to mention the myriad of wards and spells. He’d die upon arrival.”
“He’s the Source Architect,” I reminded him. “He can undo all that.”
“To what purpose? To crash the gala?” Kols started to chuckle at the thought, then slowly came to a halt again. “The Warrior Bloods are looking for Zenaida.” He whirled around to face me. “That means there are fewer guards than usual. Because they’re distracted.”
“Do you think he’s planning something?”
“I think if he is, he’s going to have hell to pay for it,” Kols replied. “And that doesn’t explain whatever the hell that just was with my father. Or the fucking speech.”
True. I palmed the back of my neck, trying to think and coming up blank. “Maybe Shade will be at the gala.”
“Not likely,” Tray interjected. “He’s never attended before.”
