Page 37 of Fallen Court

I knew he was right. Roark usually was, whether I liked it or not. “She’s not bait.”

“I know that.” He gripped my shoulders. “And the last thing she would want is to see the entirety of our court and her home destroyed. We have to think about this. There’s no other option.”

“There’s one.” It involved removing Oberon from this plane of existence. Dead equals problem solved.

Even without the signet ring allowing him inside my thoughts, Roark shook his head. “That’s not a solution.”

“I’m already marked.” What was a little more blood on my hands if I lived long enough to see Cate safe?

“Send me after him,” Channing volunteered. The color was returning to his cheeks. With the vampire blood in his system, he was probably already able to walk, but Shaw clamped a hand on his shoulder to quiet him.

“We need a plan,” Ciara said firmly, ignoring Cate’s brother. “Preferably one that doesn’t involve a body count.”

I shook my head. There was no way this ended without bloodshed.

“He’ll have her in the Otherworld.” Roark cast a grim look in my direction. “You can’t enter his court without an invitation, and even if you could…”

The Wild Hunt would follow me to Dublin. If Oberon and his men didn’t kill me on sight, they would.

“I could go.”

I whipped toward Shaw, unable to hide my surprise at his offer. “You?” I laughed, the sound hollow to my own ears. “Oberon would destroy you.”

“But Titania wouldn’t,” he said tightly. “Let me try.”

“Absolutely fucking not.” I couldn’t allow my family to be dragged into this any more than they already were. Whatever Oberon was plotting would end with my death. I could live with that. “You’ll get yourself killed. If anyone is going after her, it should be me.”

“You have no idea what you’re up against.” His voice pitched higher as he took a dangerous step in my direction. “Just let—”

“Shut up!” Ciara yelled, and we both froze. “I need to hear this,” she hissed, pressing her phone to her ear.

Shaw grumbled something under his breath as he slumped against the wall. His frustrated look matched Channing’s. How had I been stuck dealing with two irresponsible kid brothers?

“Well?” I prompted Ciara. A moment later, an expression of shock slackened her face, but she quickly looked something up on the screen. Roark took a step closer, his own eyes going wide as he picked up on her thoughts.

“What is it?” I demanded, panic unraveling my already fraying nerves.

“It was a message from Cate,” she said slowly.

The world stopped spinning.

“She’s in Dublin.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“At a place called O’Malley’s near Trinity College,” she finished with a stunned blink, holding up her phone to show me a picture of an Irish pub.

It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to stay rooted to that spot.

“Go get her,” Channing called weakly.

My fingers fumbled as I barely stopped myself from snapping them.

“What if this is part of Oberon’s plan? It could be a trap,” Roark warned me.

It probably was, but I met his eyes. His nostrils flared slightly as he took another step toward Ciara. I nodded once, understanding passing between us.

“What else did she say?” I forced the question out, my entire being aching to rush to her.