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EMBER
The original plan was for Rohan to sneak into the palace, do the deed, and disappear. But when Newt started telling us about the layout, we realized that it would be next to impossible without getting caught. Rohan would need two others to go with him. One as a distraction and one to keep watch.
Because my psychic abilities would make it easier to gauge the reactions of the fae in the palace, I offered to go. Of course, Emily shot down my suggestion, but I insisted it was the right decision. She had a hard enough time letting Rohan go in, but when it came to Griffin and me, she was having a miniature meltdown.
I explained to her that it made sense that we three went. Cassian couldn’t risk getting caught—not with his pack’s safety on the line. And Emily needed to speak with the High Council about Samara. Not to mention, she and Cassian stood a better chance of convincing the council if they appeared to be responsible luna and alpha leaders.
And as Griffin so kindly pointed out, we had the least to lose.
As planned, Emily and Cassian hung back, in the tree line of the forest. Griffin, Rohan, and I readied ourselves. We watched the guard patterns outside the palace. When it was clear on the side, Griffin and Rohan crouched down low, sneaking past the trees and hiding behind bushes.
It’s go time, I said to myself, heading toward the massive front doors to the palace.
“Uhm, excuse me, sir.” My voice was soft, and I pulled out every ounce of feminine charm I held. I’d even traded shirts with Emily in the bushes beforehand so I could wear something that covered my skin and made me appear more innocent.
The incredibly large man stared down at me, his muscles bulging from his arms. “Yes?” His voice was deep. The man sounded like Mufasa, and I had no doubt he could tear me apart like a lion if he so desired.
“Hello,” I giggled, brushing back a piece of my hair. I caught him looking at my ears, which were not pointed like his. “I was hoping it would be possible to speak with the queen about a meeting with the High Council.”
“Tch,” he scoffed, his arms folded over his broad chest as he turned me away.
Time to use my assets to my advantage. His aura had conflicting colors. Clearly, he was repulsed by humans from the pukey brownish green that radiated off of him like steam. But there was something else at battle with the green. A deep red clashed against the green, giving away his lust for my human body, which only disgusted him more.
Easier to read now, I could tell that he was annoyed at himself for wanting a human, but he couldn’t stop staring at my cleavage—which even Emily’s blouse couldn’t completely cover. Looks like my assets would be of use, after all.
“That’s too bad.” My voice took on a sultry undertone. I stepped closer, and though he gulped hard, he didn’t waver from his position. “I was really hoping to speak with the queen.”
I stood only inches away from him, the heat radiating from his body like a furnace. “Perhaps, I could speak with someone else who could arrange a meeting with the queen instead?” My finger ran along his chest, teasing him with my touch.
The deep red was slowly claiming the pukey green aura, and he found it harder to force the feelings away. And harder, he was.
My eyes drifted from his pants to his heated gaze, and I bit my lip. “If only there were someone who could direct me where to go. I would be incredibly grateful.”
And before I knew it, he led me inside. He didn’t see me look back to Griffin and Rohan, giving them a slight nod.
* * *
Griffin
Iwouldn’t admit it, but my heart was hammering through my chest as I hunkered down, waiting for Ember to distract the guard. The silence was deafening. For a big palace with tons of fae, it was quiet. Too quiet. The smallest rustle of leaves or snap of a twig and we’d be found.
The guard watched Ember, his eyes scanning over her body. My wolf wanted to break free and claw that man for the way he looked at her. It wasn’t jealousy that claimed my anger, but the thought of some creep ogling my new friend.
Strange. I hadn’t even realized I was that close to Ember, but now that I was faced with some man staring at her with both contempt and lust, I wanted to protect her.
Maybe it was because she was closer to Emily than a sister, and I knew Emily wouldn’t like his gaze any more than I did. Or, perhaps, I really did care for Ember as my own sister-friend.
The guard opened the doors to the entrance, and I looked over at Rohan. “It’s time,” I whispered, so low that my voice was barely audible. He nodded, and we crawled our way toward the door, the dewy grass making the knees of my pants damp.
The secret entrance that Newt had insisted we take was just around the corner by the entrance. Without the guard watching, we slipped past and through the door that brought us into a cellar-type room.
“Where to now?” I whispered.
“He said it was behind the brick wall.”
Our hands blindly touched the walls and felt about the room as it was too dark to see anything. “Over here’s the brick,” I shouted in a hushed tone. My fingers slid across the unmistakable rough texture.
We felt our way around the wall to the secret entrance that Newt had mentioned, which opened up to the empty space behind the walls. We followed the empty space, hoping we were going in the right direction. Despite Newt’s efforts, the place was a freakin’ maze.
