“Let them breathe,” Dove panned dryly. She continued to eat her breakfast unfazed by their return or the glimpse of the conversation we just had. But I couldn’t let go of Scottie’s words, of what she’d overheard.
“We can get into the prison,” Peter panted. His emotions were flickering so fast between relief and worry, it was giving my ability whiplash. “I found a way to get Sie out, but we have to go right now.”
TWO
SCOTLIND
“We’re not rescuingSie right now,” Dovelyn said, wiping the crazed smile off Peter’s face. “I agreed to make a plan today, and then help move you to a new location.”
“We can’t wait. We have to get him outnow—” Peter started to cut in.
“You aren’t in any position to make demands,” Dovelyn snapped. “You can barely breathe, and your body needs time to refill your reserves.”
“My reserves are fine.”
“Breaking into the prison isn’t a last minute thing with half-ass plans. I’ll come back in a week, and we’ll get him out then. That’s final.” Dovelyn crossed her arms over her chest, still refusing to get up from her chair. “It gives you time to finalize a plan and—”
“Sie doesn’t have a week.” Everyone stilled at Peter’s words. “He’s dying. I don’t even know if he has a day.”
“What makes you say that?” Tezya asked.
“Because I saw it. I saw him while I was down there.”
“Bullshit,” Dovelyn drawled. “You just don’t want to wait.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to wait,” Peter said. “But I’m also not lying. Sieisdying. His arm’s broken, and—”
“You want to prioritize him because of a broken arm?” Dovelyn scoffed.
“No.” Peter ground his jaw. “I want to prioritize him because he has a fever. His body broke out in a sweat, and he’s half convulsing. They left the bone sticking out of him. They aren’t healing him.”
“Shit,” Tezya swore as his gaze flicked to his sister’s.
“Why do we have to wait a week?” I asked, not understanding why they were so hesitant.
“Your friend will still be fine in a week,” was all Dovelyn said, completely ignoring my question.
“No, he won’t,” Peter retorted. “Besides, wouldn’t it be better to act right away? Waiting will only risk the Lux King finding out we’re all gone, and everything I did to scope out the prison will be for nothing if he ups the security down there.”
“He won’t realize you’re missing in a week. We have time,” Dovelyn said before leaning back into her seat, her expression set.
“And how exactly is he not going to realize we’re all missing yet? It’s been, what, three days, hasn’t it?” Peter asked, holding up three fingers for emphasis.
“Dove told her father we’re taking a trip to the hut,” Kallon answered as she gestured to Tezya and Dovelyn. “She said that Tezya needed a distraction from Scotlind. We take trips there often to get away from the castle, so he didn’t think twice about it.”
“And me? I was chained in Arcane’s room. Won’t he notice I’m not there?” I asked.
“She threatened Arcane with the only thing he cares about, so he’s putting up the facade that he’s still running tests on you, and you can’t leave his lab. The King wants to make your bloodinto serums, so he won’t bother Arcane if he believes he’s getting close to succeeding.”
“Okay, fine,” Peter countered. “The bitchy silver one came up with good excuses.” Dovelyn’s eyes narrowed at Peter’s nickname for her, but he was either oblivious to it or didn’t care. “But it still doesn’t fix the issue that Sie isn’t going to make it a week,” he continued. “I’m not risking him by waiting.”
“The King still has Brock,” Tezya said. “Rainer is searching for him right now, but he can’t find him. That’s why we need another week. It’s not just about Sie.”
“What do you mean he can’t find him?” I asked. Guilt washed over me—I completely forgot about Tezya’s two other friends. I knew Tezya told me Brock was missing, but that was back in Tennebris. I assumed Rainer already found him, but now, knowing he hadn’t…
Dove turned to me. “Ever since you blinded him, no one’s seen him.”
“It’s not her fault,” Tezya warned.
