George glares at me for a beat and then starts laughing, low and deep. “Let’s pretend I lent you these men, Eloise. How exactly would you get them to…” He draws out the last word, circling a bent knuckle between us.
“Tenebris,” I chime in. “It’s another world, like Earth, but the atmosphere is safe for vampires. Safer than here, actually. There, it’s always night. They divide their time based on the rising and setting of their moon.”
He makes a dismissive noise deep in his throat. “How exactly would you transport these soldiers to this night world of yours?”
I clear my throat. “I’ll open a portal. As it turns out, I’m a talented witch.”
He snorts. “Of course you are,” he says with a note of disbelief. “Okay, kid. For shits and giggles, how many men do you need?”
“How many do you have?”
“Don’t be cute.” He picks at something on the side of his thumb.
“Five thousand.”
Silence, like an exclamation point, is followed by the rise of both bushy brows. “You’re serious?”
“You asked what I need. That’s what I need.”
“I don’t have that many to give, doll. The armies of Night Haven were split when you vanquished Valeska. Liberty coven has some, and Night Haven has a few more,but nowhere near that amount, and I can’t leave the coven undefended.”
“How many can you lend me?” I ask again. “To appease your debt of gratitude?”
He thinks for a minute, rubbing his chin. “A thousand.”
A buoyant ray of hope bobs through me. It’s fewer than we need but more than I ever expected, considering the source. I hadn’t even thought to ask George for help and probably wouldn’t have if Ren hadn’t invited him. But his yes means even more to me, because if George can say yes, then so can Morpheus and Cassius. A yes means everything.
“Two thousand,” I counter.
He rubs his chin. “I have to check with Marcel, but it’s as high as I can go, Eloise. Two thousand. No more.”
A warm smile spreads across my face. “Done. I forgive you.”
He blows out a deeply held breath. I reach out a hand and give his a few firm shakes.
“You know,” he says, peering at me through the corner of his eye, “I always saw the darkness in you.”
“The darkness in me? You think I’m evil?”
“No! No. You, of all people, should know that darkness doesn’t equal evil. All of us have a shadow self, Eloise, a part of ourselves we conceal in the deepest darkness of our spirit. What we conceal says a lot about a person. Someone like Damien made a show of being outwardly callous, when inside, he was secretly kind and capable of loving you. I’d like to think I’m that kind of man. That my shadow self is selfless, but maybe I like power a bit too much to claim that entirely. But you…you came across sweet and helpless the first time I met you, much too pretty to be a killer. Though, inside, your shadow self is ruthless, not in an evil way, but in a loving one. You’d kill for the people you love, and you’ll play whatever game you have to to end the injustice you see on this world. You were never a meek little mouse, Eloise. And now your shadow self is so big and strong, it’s shining through your skin.”
“My new shadow self thinks you should shut up about it already,” I say with a laugh. “I’ve grown and changed. It doesn’t make me any better or worse than who I once was. I simply have different options.”
He huffs. “If you think so, you must be a true leader, doll. Never lose that. It’ll keep you grounded.”
The door behind him opens, and Marabella, dressed in a low-cut red gown, steps out onto the deck. “Is she going to kill me if I join you?” she asks, one hand on the door. Her heart hammers in her chest. I remember too well what it was like to be a vulnerable human.
“Not if you move out of my way.” I glide past her, through the door before she has time to blink. “I want to dance.”
22
Trap
Damien
Convincing Thane to wait for Eloise’s return before making any strategic moves isn’t particularly difficult. What choice does he have, given our circumstances? If we attack New Stygarde with the men we currently have, we will lose. There’s no other way to spin it.
Days pass. We train, but morale is low. Everyone knows our odds. Everyone hears rumors of how their homes have been ransacked by silver coats. Everyone wants to do something.
