“We do it together,” Jocelyn says.
“But the hunters?—”
“Not them,” Jocelyn cuts me off. “Us. All of us whoaren’twith child.” She dares to order the queen, but Lyric just shakes her head.
“Alek will kill me.”
“Not if you leave now so you don’t hear any of our plans,” Avianna suggests.
Lyric eyes her, then Jocelyn.
Jocelyn wiggles her fingers, letting some of her purple magic energy to crackle there. “Come on, Lyric. I’m a hybrid-witch. Samuel got the best of me once…” She looks at Avianna apologetically. “It won’t happen again. I promise you that. Especially not with Aurora’s ultimate distraction on our side.”
“You should go, Lyric,” Avianna urges her. “Before you hear any more.”
“I’m suddenlyverytired,” Lyric says, crossing the room toward the doors. “Be careful. Thatisan order.”
Jocelyn dips her head to the queen as she exits. “Okay,” she says, looking to each of us. “This will take a little bit of deception and that oh-so-fun form of distraction we were talking about earlier.”
Hope floods my veins, right alongside a bit of guilt. “They’ll be so angry with us.”
“They’ll get over it,” Cassandra offers.
“They will,” Jocelyn agrees. “They’ve each done this to us at one point or another in the name of protection. There’s no rule that says we can’t return the favor.”
I bite my lip, but nod. They’re right. And I can’t lose my chance at putting an end to this war because I’m worried Saint will be angry with me. I’ll make it up to him when I’ve earned his freedom.
“Okay, what do we do?” I ask.
Jocelyn smirks. “You all know your mates best. You know how to exhaust them. Do it. We can’t have them sensing ourdeparture from the palace. And I’ll put wards in place to slow them down behind us. Because they will follow us eventually. This will only give us a head start.”
We all look at each other, determination and a sense of companionship radiating in our eyes. We’re going to do this. We’re actually going to do this.
“Thank you,” I say to all of them. “For giving me a chance.”
“That’s all you need,” Annika says, reaching for my hand. “We’re with you.”
Jocelyn nods to me. “Let’s get to work.”
CHAPTER 17
Saint
The opera house where Conclave is held fills my mind, a singular image that melts as quickly as it formulated, replaced by one of Aurora, sleeping peacefully next to me.
I shift on the bed, reaching for my mate. Nothing but pillow fills my hands. I open my eyes, stretching awake as I glance around the room. The dream of Conclave is at the back of my mind, but I blink it away as I sit up.
Rubbing my palms over my face, I try to breathe some life back into my mind. Aurora had beeninsatiablebefore we went to sleep. We fucked and drank for hours, until we were both loopy and seeing stars. Until we both collapsed with exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep where our dreams collided.
I inhale deeply, quickly realizing that she isn’t in the bathing chamber. She’s not even on this floor of the residence.
Panic threatens to crush me, but I do my best to push it away. She may be off trying to convince another hunter to help her with her plans, but no one would help her. No one would put my mate at risk like that. I’ll allow her a little head start before I chase her. The notion alone helps to keep the worry at bay.
I get dressed, sliding my blades into their holsters before heading toward the dining room. I’d like to get a good hunt in before dawn?—
“What do you meanyou don’t know?” Hawke sounds extra grumpy this evening as I round the corner, finding him barking at Talon.
Talon looks as exhausted as I feel.
