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“You must be forgetting about Decius,” I counter. “If he kills me before your boat is built, I can’t help you with Selah.”
“That’s why you must go immediately–before he can capture you,” Vassilis says. “We’ll find the strongest men in Vakeeli and have them build the boat within three days. That’s more than enough time for you to prepare for the trip. And while you go, your mate can come here, where she’ll be better protected from Decius.”
“Like I’d let you get anywhere near her.” I glare him down a moment before clasping my fingers in my lap. “What if I don’t want to do this? What if I fail?”
“Wouldn’t be wise to reject,” Arie says, twirling the stem of his wine glass between his fingers. “As for failing, just stop it, alright? You’ve survived some crazy shit. If anyone in Vakeeli can do it, it’s you.” He sets the glass down a little too roughly and leans forward. “Now can we be done with this? I need to drain my fucking balls and this meeting isincrediblyboring.”
“Disgustinglyvulgar,” Vassilis hisses, side-eying his brother, who grins and waves a middle finger at him.
“Youwilldo this, Caspian,” Calista says, voice firm. “You have no choice. Remember, we saved you from Magnus. And if you awake Selah, this favors all of Vakeeli, not just us. There will be restoration, retribution. She will kill Decius like she’s always had planned and you and your mate will be freed from his shackles of the Cold Tether. You can live your life as normal people, doing normal things without worrying about a billion-year-old monster sucking the life out of you.”
“Enticing, but I can’t help feeling like there’s a catch with this whole Selah thing–other than me boarding a boat and navigating waters that are likely to kill me.” As I survey each of them, I know they aren’t telling me the whole truth. There’s something being left off the table, I can sense it.
“No catch,” Calista says, her voice light. “You’re the only one who can complete this mission right now. You, the tormented, damaged, cold, butbrilliantMonarch Harlow. You’ve been through and have done so much. You’ll be able to get to her. We need our Regal back for a more fruitful life. For more gifts from the Regals, and to truly limit the violence of Vakeeli. With Selah thriving and awake, the world will be as it was. It will be a place where we all can live without threats, or wars, or hostility. We’ll be able to mind our own and sing our praises to her for creating us, and in return she’ll bestow her gifts and blessings upon us. Tell me that doesn’t sound promising?”
“Not really, but if that’s what you want…”
Her eyes flash, clearly agitated by my response. “It is. And in three days, you will board the boat and go to her. Now do we have your word?”
“Fine. You have my word, but if Decius gets to me before that boat is built, you’re out of luck.”
“We’ll do what we can to hold him off,” Vassilis declares.
“Sure,” I mutter.
“I will see to it that you and your mate are covered by our eyes, just as we’ve been doing since your mate returned,” Calista says. “That means Decius will not attack while we need you.”
“How so?”
“Consider it a bubble of sorts, an invisible one that surrounds you and keeps you safe. Nothing can breakthrough this bubble of our energy unless you allow it.”
“This covers Willow as well?”
“Yes.” Calista rises, her cloak swimming down to her ankles. “Please enjoy your stay at the Luxor Inn,” she says as Arie hops out of his chair and scatters out of the room. “Our driver will take you back down to the town. We have rooms ready for you and your guest and any food or drink you want is on the house. And no, Caz, the food and drinks arenotpoisoned. The last thing we want is a roll of bread ending a chosen man’s life. We’ve waited far too long to let that ruin it.”
“I feel I should be honored.” I stand, fixing my coat. “We’ll be going now.”
A smile from Calista. “Of course.”
Killian is already across the room, making his way to the closed doors.
As I walk his way, Vassilis says, “There’s one thing you should consider, Harlow.” I turn to look at him. “If you don’t keep your promise, or you pull back on your word, there will be consequences. And I’m certain one of them will involve that pretty little mate of yours.”
I look him in the eye and my jaw ticks as he sits there, reveling in his threat. The urge to pull my gun out is intense and as badly as I’d love to pop a bullet in his skull and be done with him, I keep my hands at my side and draw in a breath, exhaling.
“I am a man of my word,” I inform him. “But let me be clear about something. If youeveruse my mate as a threat again, I’ll rip those shiny eyes out of your fucking head and shove them down your throat.”
Vassilis smirks, his eyes glowing, a stark silver in the dimly lit room.
“Caz. Let’s go.” Killian grips my shoulder, urging me to move. I stare Vassilis in the eyes a moment longer, envisioning what it would be like to wrap my hands around his throat to strangle him. It would satisfy the hell out of me, but now isn’t the time, so I turn away, leaving.
Seventy-Four
WILLOW
I stepout of the car in front of Alora’s palace and raise my hands above my head to stretch, glad we’ve finally made it. Night has fallen, the sun nowhere in sight. The stars twinkle in the indigo sky, the moon a sweet crescent.
We’re taken up to the palace by one of Alora’s guards, and when she sees us, seated on her throne in a red dress, she smiles.
