“You tried to kill him,” Edwidge said. “That kind of offense has to have consequences. Dire consequences.”
“Let’s focus on what’s in front of us right now,” Baz said.
“She’s in front of us right now,” Edwidge said.
“And unpunished,” Night said.
Baz tsked. “I don’t want either of the guys with Terencia any longer than necessary. Do you?”
That got Aziza to rise and begin pacing behind the couch. “Fine. Let’s do this.” She scrunched her mouth in distaste. “Velle.” She flicked the V off her tongue like an insult.
I smiled at her and batted my lashes. “I hate you too, you know.”
“Great. That’ll make it all the funner when I get to slice off that ugly head of yours.”
I didn’t so much as flinch. “There’s no way you’re my match. You come after me, I’m gonna kill you first. So it’s your choice. You wanna die?”
Baz growled. “Mauldrene could be chewing on the emperor right this very second. He’s my sire.” Which meant he owed him a lifetime of allegiance, including rescuing him from a hangry castle.
He faced me. “Mauldrene is what we call the castle. It’s the first”—he cleared his throat—“suitable name I came up with. Her shadows don’t solidify, at least not as far as any of us has ever seen.”
He glanced at his friends. They shook their heads.
“So no solidifying. They’re like regular shadows, but they can slice and dice like metal. All that blood you probably smelled on me when I landed in the dungeon? That was all fresh from her.”
“What else can she do?”
Aziza exhaled loudly.
I grunted louder. “You want me to be part of this quaint save the emperor team and try to help or not? ’Cause you do all remember the emperor was behind the conquest of my home, murdering, raping, and pillaging as he went, right? You should be trying to convince me to help, not the other way around.”
“There was no raping,” Baz said almost at the same time as Night said, “No team.”
“I’ve read the stories.”
“Then they’re wrong,” Baz said.
“In war, there’s always rape. It’s a power play.”
“Not to me it isn’t.”
I harrumphed and addressed Night. “I don’t want to be part of any team. Not yours, not anyone’s.”
My chest squeezed at the blatant lie. It had been just Teo and me for a very long time. We’d been a team, the only one that had ever mattered.
Aziza, Edwidge, and Night were angry. Félix was … curious. And Baz … Baz just looked … fucking good. No, fucking fantastic. Ferocious and furious and intent on getting shit done.
His eyes on mine heated. The ocean sloshed, tempestuous, like its storm would pin me to a bed, lash me, and make me beg for mercy.
“Tell me everything you know about the castle,” I rasped. Really with the breathlessness, Sora? What the ever-loving fuck?
With Teo gone forever, I was a team of one. Whatever I learned might provide a future advantage.
When even Baz hesitated, I added, “I’m the rebirthed daughter of Rafaela Eudova, Mother Queen Consort of Zaraga.”
“Rafaela Eudova is the drakess of the Zaraga Territory of the Domdurron Empire, actually,” Edwidge said.
Baz didn’t say a word.
