Page 152 of The Prince's Curse

He stalked outside and caught her before she climbed into the backseat. Planting one arm against the door, he caged her in. Her heart thumped, and he tried not to react to the hint of desire perfuming the air.

Her green eyes narrowed in fury. “I told you I’m going.”

“Fine. I am still in charge of this court. This is my mission. Do you understand?” he asked.

Her jaw jutted out, but she pursed her lips, tongue moving as if she was rolling over her words carefully. “I understand. As long as you don’t sideline me.”

“I won’t. But you follow my orders, just like everyone else,” he said.

With an angry huff, she nodded. “Fine.”

And God, he wanted to shove her back and kiss her like his life depended on it, but it was not the time, and he would not have the willpower to stop with a kiss.

He nodded, then backed away, rounding the SUV to climb into the front seat. Kova had already loaded his weapons for him. For once, he didn’t protest the royal treatment.

This was certainly not how he had envisioned taking down Armina Voss. He had fantasized about it many times over the years, with Paris and Dominic at his sides, sometimes alone, sometimes with the entire court converging on her. But he had not imagined a ragtag group that included Kova, Scarlett, and a Night Weaver apprentice who had betrayed her mistress before being forcibly turned into a vampire. Fate had a twisted sense of humor.

Kova nodded to him silently and slid into the driver’s seat next to Julian. There was no question that he would join the fight,especially now that he was free of Armina’s bindings. His new Vessel was in the back with a bag in her lap, fingers fiddling nervously with the strap. Dominic was folded awkwardly into the third seat, eyes distant as he stared out the window.

Misha settled into the back seat, said, “Let’s roll,” and then closed his eyes as Kova began to drive.

“What’s the plan?” Scarlett asked as Kova pulled onto the road. Dark glasses covered his eyes, but he still squinted against the low afternoon light.

Misha glanced at Julian, as if to ask permission. With Armina Voss’s magic to contend with, the blood witch was far more qualified to call the shots than Julian was. Julian nodded to him and leaned back in his seat to listen.

“There is very little plan. We have no idea what to expect when we arrive. Stella will do her best to deactivate Armina’s protections and neutralize her magic or Lux’s,” Misha said. “And she understands that if she betrays us, I will rip her head off so fast she will never feel it.”

“I do,” Stella said absently. “Please don’t.”

“I think I can help. With the magic, not the decapitation,” Scarlett said.

Stella reached over and grabbed her hand, then yelped in surprise. “Good Lord, Scarlett.”

The dhampir stared at her glowing hands, then folded them against her chest defensively. “What is it?”

“I have no idea, but you’re like a live wire,” Stella said. “Just be careful. No telling what all her wards will do to you.”

“Are you sure it’s not going to bother you to kill Armina?” Misha asked.

Stella lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. “She tried to kill me. All I ask is that if something goes wrong, you don’t leave me there. My magic has been unpredictable since she tried to rip it out of me. I know you don’t trust me, but I’d hope you wouldn’t fuck me over.”

“We won’t leave you. Our main mission is to break Armina’s hold on our people,” Julian said. “And then we kill the witch. Perhaps not in that order.”

“I guarantee Armina and her apprentice have wrapped themselves up in all sorts of nasty death curses. Any ideas for defusing those?” Dominic asked.“Stella?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t have one. Armina said I wasn’t strong enough for it yet. Lux night,” she said.

Misha shrugged. “Shoshanna can break the curses. It’s a non-issue.”

“Assuming she survives,” Kova said without flinching.

They were quiet a long while. “We’ll deal with that if it happens,” Misha said. “I don’t care if I end up cursed a thousand times over. I will not walk out of the place without Paris.”

“Maybe let me try,” Scarlett said. “I broke her hold on Jordan.”

“You think you did,” Misha reminded her.

“Well, an instant knockout with no side effects is still a win,” she muttered.

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