Caligos can’t be that reckless.
Surely someone has to go report to Reizei we have arrived.
Unless…he already knows.
I rub the middle of my chest, trying to ease at least some of the tension.
If Phoenix is walking straight into a trap…
What if Reizei kept Vera only to lure Nix here?
What if Vera isn’t even alive anymore, and we’re only here driven by hope?
No.
My only duty is to keep Phoenix safe. To keep her alive.
And that’s exactly what I’ll do. Even if she doesn’t agree with me on my ways.
I steal a glance at Phoenix and her advisors. Still deep in conversation.
Slowly, I slip back into the carriage. I need my blades before I sneak inside. Just in case.
My fingers are quick as they strap my small blades to me. I grab my lock-picking tools, too.
Once I have it all, I sneak back out of the carriage. Phoenix is speaking with Noire now.
I have to be quick.
Quicker than her.
Hiding in the shadows, I sneak around the carriage.
If I go around this side she?—
“Where the fuck are you going?” Nix’s voice behind me stops me in my tracks.
Slowly, I turn to face her.
“You forgot I can feel you through our bond?” She crosses her arms. “You really think me so stupid not to notice?”
I offer her a lopsided smile. “Honestly, I hoped you’d be too preoccupied to notice.”
She glares at me, lips pressed into a thin line.
I sigh. “Fine. I was going to sneak inside and see if Vera’s even there. No point in barging in to save her if she’s?—”
I want to say “dead,” but I can’t force the word out.
For a moment, I think Phoenix may slap me. But instead, she exhales through her nose and says, “Then I’m going with you.”
“No,” I say before she can even finish her sentence.
She arches an eyebrow in challenge.
I shake my head. “You’re the Ezkai General. You can’t leave your army behind and sneak in like a thief.”
“Yes, I fucking can. You’re not going in there alone.” She takes a step closer to me. “I’ve been down this road before. You say it’s for my safety and well-being as you set me aside and do things in secret. But that’s not what I need. I can keep myself safe, and I sure as fuck can handle doing what needs to be done. I need a partner. Not a controlling asshole.”
