Silence drew out for several seconds until Moncho said, “Baz?”
I glanced up at him. He’d been staring down at me, and now he shook his head as if to clear it. He ran both hands along his face, through his hair, tangling in the small plaits and his long tresses.
He sighed. “We have bigger problems than Terencia. Junot’s missing.”
“Whaddya mean, ‘Junot’s missing’?” Lev asked, then laughed nervously. “He’s the scorching emperor. Emperors don’t go missing.”
“Tell that to Mauldrene.”
Several of them sucked in quiet gasps.
“You’re kidding…” Night said, his voice a rough grumble that suggested he didn’t use it often.
“I wish I were. I went after him, but by the time I caught up, he was gone. Just … gone. The only exit was a trapdoor.”
Ed narrowed her eyes. “That hall doesn’t have a trapdoor.”
“Not normally, no. Led straight to the dungeon.”
“Ah,” Night said, like that made sense of everything.
“Caught the goblin trying to let her out.”
All of them glared at me, like I was at fault that my faithful servant friend would try to free me.
“And my prisoner,” Baz said, making my breath stutter absurdly at hearing him call me his prisoner—something was seriously wrong with me—“was in bloodlust.”
“Logical,” Lev said. “What else did you expect to happen when you wouldn’t let ’er feed off anyone but you, and she refused?”
Baz scowled. “I couldn’t leave until I dealt with the bloodlust.”
“Didn’t matter that Junot was missing, huh?” Lev said.
“No. She’s too dangerous.”
“Like we keep telling you,” Moncho said.
“I don’t need the reminder.”
Moncho pursed his lips into a firm line, as if desperate to tell him that yes, yes he fucking did.
“I know exactly just how dangerous she is to me. What about Crute? Is he safe?”
Ed nodded. “Handed him over to a few of the maids for now. They’ll take care of him till things calm down.”
“Good. I need to find Junot, calm Terencia, and contain the nobles.”
“And the goblin?” Félix asked. His voice was refined and smooth as silk.
“I’ll deal with her too.”
I stiffened. “Don’t you hurt her.”
“You dare to demand anything of our general?” Moncho said.
I tipped up my chin. “She’s not the one to blame here.” Baz was to blame, for all of it. If not for his choices, his actions, I wouldn’t be here, and neither would Marina.
“Of course she’s guilty,” Moncho said. “She tried to free a prisoner of the dominion.”
