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I almost laugh at her incredulity. “A whole lot of money.”
“At least when Zelda was taken, they wanted power.”
“Money is power.”
She sniffs, and I can almost see her shrug. “Either way. He has demands, and he won’t do anything to jeopardize getting what he wants.”
I don’t answer. I don’t like opening this door to her.
“Am I right?” she demands.
As much as I hate it, I tell her the truth. “You’re right.”
“Then we can do this.”
I exhale a deep sigh and walk to the bed. “All right. I’ve told you my plan. Now you tell me yours.”
* * *
The streets are wet as we head out on Ava’s silver Vespa. It’s before noon, but it feels late without the sun shining down on us. I can tell by the shadows and the haze the sky is grey and lowering. The Boulevard d’Italie runs straight through the center of town, and as a result, we have to take it slow. Freddie is shadowing us, keeping watch over the queen, and as much as I’m glad he’s there, I know it doesn’t matter. We’re headed straight into the snake pit.
She pulls off suddenly, and I sit back as she dashes up to the little coffee cart in the middle of the market district. A few minutes pass. I hear her ordering mixed with the sounds of couples talking, people passing, little dogs clicking by on the semi-crowded streets. We’re pretending to be having a simple morning out. Ava hands me my latte, and as I sip it, she points to a flower vendor and exclaims about the beautiful arrangements.
Every muscle in my body is clenched so tightly it hurts. I don’t even bother noting I can’t see a thing she’s trying to show me. This is crazy. This isn’t going to work. This isn’t going to work. The words are on repeat in my brain like a mantra.
My fingers tremble as I tap out the text. We’re on our way.
Just before I hit send, I hold it close to my eyes to be sure I didn’t make any typos. It’s exactly right.
Lowering my phone, I look in the direction of her dark outline sitting on the seat. “No going back when I hit send.”
“No going back,” she repeats solemnly.
My thumb hesitates, trembling over the green arrow. “Oh, god, Ava,” I whisper just as I let it drop.
The noise of a swoosh tells me the message has left my control. The clock has started.
“Let’s go,” she says, and I hear her determination.
I wish I felt the same, but Blix has destroyed my confidence with every man he tortured to death.
We’re on the outskirts of the city now, and I can tell by the sounds from the streets around us when we begin climbing the mountains. Traffic thins, and the air seems cleaner. Damp hangs all around us, and our hair is getting wet where it extends out around our helmets.
“When will we know if he got it?” Ava yells back to me.
A seagull cries overhead, and my nose touches her shoulder. “We’ll know. Is Freddie still with us?”
Her torso moves as she looks around us. “Yes,” She shouts, and I have to believe Blix planned for her to be followed. She’s the queen regent, after all.
Dread is hot in my veins. We’re risking everything d
oing this. We’re giving Blix exactly what he asked for, and I have no idea what he has planned once he gets it. Still, I’d run out of arguments. Ava is right. Alone, I’m no match for Blix, and offering myself in her place was a ridiculous idea. I don’t bring anything to the table. After all, Rowan hadn’t stopped me from leaving Occitan. Reggie practically helped me pack.
Blix would have simply killed Cameron and me and used some other method to capture the queen. Heck, it’s possible he’ll do that anyway. I’m in the midst of this macabre thought when Ava’s body stiffens. For the first time since she showed up at my apartment uninvited, I feel a tremor move through her.
“They’re here,” she says, and fear flashes in my chest.
The Vespa engine continues its happy buzz, but coming up fast are the low roars of truck engines. I look down and back, and I can make out three black SUVs approaching us fast.
