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He nodded at my patch. "It's a good uniform to have as skilled wolves rarely spend any time inside Ossory, so it will make sense for no one to recognize you."
"What kind of skills?" Tzidal asked again, but this time her voice held a bit of worry. "Is there something they'll expect Joon to know? Or expect him to do?"
"It varies," Arian said. "Could be fae tracking, mineral hunting, crystal mining, distilling whiskey. There are so many kinds of skilled workers in the service of the King, but it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that you won't seem out of place."
"Whiskey?" I raised my brow. A few in my pack brewed whiskey, and no one had ever seen it as a special skill.
Jonelle looked over her shoulder at me. "Elvish whiskey."
Tzidal turned her wide eyes to me, confused.
"They infuse magic into their spirits," I said, impressed that a wolf could learn to make something so difficult. "Making their drink isn't easy."
"Omega Tzidal." Jonelle held out a small envelope. It had a deep green seal along the seam with a waxy image of a Centaurea flower in the center. "This is the letter for our people in the palace. It'll be best for you to carry it." Her gaze moved over my mate, assessing her. "I've never seen an omega outside a village before, so your presence might be noted. But no one will suspect an omega of this kind of thing. That's all that matters."
Tzidal placed the envelope in her pants pocket, giving me a teasing grin. "It's because my kind are so pure."
I snorted. "So fucking pure."
* * *
We traveled quietly.The task before us weighed both heavy and exciting. It wasn't every day you got to help overthrow a monarchy, and the electric energy pushing through my bond with Tzidal had me hard.
Her lust for justice was so pure and impressive.
Within a few hours, the peaks of the Ossory palace came into view. The heavy black stone of the enormous structure looked carved out of lava glass.
"Have you ever been to Ossory?" Tzidal asked, her eyes moving over the massive towers in the distance.
"No," I squeezed her hand. "I've never been in this part of Havre before. My time in the guard was mostly in Stone City and The Furthermore."
The clouds parted, and the whole city shimmered, creating a magical yet eerie sight; dark, glittering stone set against the pale blue sky. It was a testament to my people and our successes in battle. We were the dominant creatures in this land for a reason, and the magnificent city in front of me was proof of our power.
"How will we get past security?" I asked, hoping someone had a plan.
Jonelle let out an amused snort. "Getting past security won't be a problem. Half the wolves at the palace want the King dead, and the other half want Strayton dead, and I'm sure a few indecisive ones want Byriel dead. With the palace crumbling and allegiances shifting, security is shit. No one cares anymore. This house is fractured, and as long as you look like you belong, you will."
"What about me?" Tzidal asked, looking down at her uniform. "I might have to interact with the family. Right?"
Jonelle gave her a friendly smile. "I selected this uniform for you on purpose. This is an easy job with very little expected of you. Prim-staff mostly cleanup during garden parties and other ridiculous events. It's a safe position. But if you get nervous, just tidy up and don't make eye contact. However," Jonelle stopped, stepping closer to my mate, "you're an omega, and your kind rarely hold palace positions. Keep your head down, and don't make yourself known. I doubt anyone will notice since you're mated, and your scent is muted, but you still need to be careful."
I leaned into Tzidal's ear. "I'll scent you before we arrive." My wolf growled, looking forward to nuzzling and tasting her. We might be separated once in Ossory, and I'd need a bit of my mate's sweet lips before parting. My wolf raged at the idea of leaving her, but I trusted my fierce, little omega to keep herself safe for me. If separated, we'd find each other quickly. I hoped.
Tzidal ran her fingers over the sash tied at her middle, her nerves thrumming through our bond.
"Remember what Haxa said?" I squeezed Tzidal's hand. "Change is coming. And we'll be the ones to bring it." The witch hadn't said that last part, but that didn't stop me from believing it.
"It's true," Jonelle said. "Change is fast approaching within Havre, and the fairy-folk are restless.The vengeful wrath of the marked wolves' love will end the King." She said the last sentence as if it were a fact she had read in a scholar's book.
"The witches are seeing things," Arian whispered. We were completely alone in the middle of the woods, but he shared the information carefully, making all of us walk a little closer together to hear him. "Their visions are becoming clearer now that the prophecy is unfolding."
Tzidal reached for his arm, pulling the beta closer. "A witch foresaw us killing the King? That's not just a rumor, but something true?" she paused, but neither answered. "Who? Was it Yasha? We need to speak with them."
"Commander Arian?" A young beta, dressed in a scout's uniform, raced toward us. He held an urgent expression, not bothering to move out of the way of the branches that smacked into him as he ran.
Tzidal eased behind me, keeping her distance from the unknown wolf.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked as he came to a stop. He moved his gaze over Tzidal, then myself, his eyes widening as they landed on the patch on my chest.
