Page 38 of Taken By the Shadow Prince

Auley clears his throat. “Anyway, those who came back had figured out that they plan to strike in two weeks. Two. And we know a good portion of their battle plans—but not all.”

Something occurs to me then. “Do we know ifwehave spies?”

He shrugs. “We can’t be sure, no. But it seems unlikely, considering these people are hand-selected guards of the castle and witches.”

“And demon-witches,” Mair adds, casting me a glance. Letting me know they know. “How many did you manage to find, Mavey?”

“Sixty,” I say. “Will that be enough?”

She gapes. “Sixty? I expected maybeten.”

I shrug. “I got more.”

“That’s... that’samazing. We might have a chance, you guys.” Mair turns to Auley. “Did your spies figure out what sort of numbers they might have?”

He shakes his head. “No. They were only in one legion, and they don’t even write down how many others there are. And they’re hard as shit to track down, too. We’re lucky we found that one. But that specific group... Beckett told me that their best guess was somewhere around three dozen.”

So there’s a lot of them, then. I’m guessing they keep their numbers dispersed equally among however many groups, so that they’re not out a great portion of their people should we find them, and kill them. But that’s not Mair’s plan here. It’s notours. These are our people, and we aren’t going to be attacking first. If they can be spared, then they will.

Mair turns to me. “I had charts sent to your room this morning of our numbers. Did you get them?”

I nod. “Considering we have more on the way as well... we’re doing better than we could really hope to be. But there are a lot of angry fae in this country, Mair. And our species descends from a far more primal sort of anger than the witches.”

She nods. “So it’s a miracle, then, that we have this many. That... that you found so many demon witches who were willing to fight, yes?”

I nod. “Yes. We’re doing better than I expected.”

I think that comforts her, to know that the pessimist among the group is pleasantly surprised.

She shakes her head at me and blows out a breath. “Howdid you manage to findsixtyof them in a month?”

I don’t explain how. I simply say, “I refused to lose.” Which is true, technically.

The last thing I’m going to do is tell her I made a bargain with a demon that currently lives under her roof. I highly doubt that would go well and, more than that, I don’t want her to feel guilty. I’ll need a good excuse forwhyI’m gone for five years, but that can wait. Perhaps I want to see the world, though that hardly sounds like me.

No, it would seem I’m far more interested in other realms.

Chapter 22

Mavey

a visit

I almost forgot.

Even now, I know it isn’t my top priority, that I should focus on more important things, but... becoming such hesitant friends with Armin reminded me:

Benji.

I didn’t have time to miss him, but I would like to see him again. I got his room direction from Isa, who has been helping to keep track with a few other people, including Finch, of who is in what room.

So I knock. I’ve been thinking of things to say, so that things don’t get too awkward if Benji and I can’t think of anything.

I’ve worried for no reason.

The second I pull the door open, Benji grins and pulls me in for a hug. It’s entirely too tight, and too close, but I force myself to shrug off how uncomfortable it makes me and lightly wrap my arms around him.

When Benji pulls back, he says, “I heard you were back! I sort of thought you’d forgotten all about me.” He steps aside and says, “Come in, please.”

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