Page 93 of The Queen

Grey stood, offering me his hand, which I gladly accepted. My legs were unsteady and trembled after the exertion from the night before, but with his help, I stepped back down into the spring. Ghost jumped in next to us and dunked himself under the soothing water before hoping out to dress and assist the others with packing up.

Grey guided me into the pool, and gently washed my sweat coated body. His hands were brisk and professional, but mine were decidedly not.

“Saphyra, your heat passed. There’s no excuse for this behavior.” He chuckled while deflecting my teasing touches for the fourth time.

His amusement streamed through the bond and snuggled into my chest. While we bathed, the alphas moved efficiently, packing the bedding and remaining camp gear on the horses. Before we’d finished, a set of fresh riding clothes and a towel were set on the ledge.

“A girl can try.” I gave him a fake pout as he drew me up the side of the stone basin.

The steaming pools had been a luxury that seemed like an impossible dream when I’d been on the Hive. But here, they were a beautiful reality. A lot had changed since then. Reluctantly, I spared a final glance at the shimmering waters, hoping that there’d be a day when it would be safe to visit here again.

As much as I wished it, we couldn’t linger any longer in this illusion of security. Our time had run out, and the veil of fantasy was lifting with the dissipating fog.

I didn’t know what we’d be walking into, but it wouldn’t be good. Edeth had control of the city and our allies were locked away. With the shield up, the bulk of Edeth’s reinforcements were out of her reach. But there was no doubt in my mind that she had the upper hand.

I couldn’t let that stand.

When I approached my horse to mount up, Lex’s hands engulfed my hips and lifted me up onto his massive gray gelding.

“Excuse me, I am quite capable of riding on my own,” I said as I arranged myself so I wouldn’t immediately fall off.

Lex put his foot in the stirrup and swung up behind me. “I know, but once you’ve eaten, you’ll be able to sleep this way.”

He offered me a handful of berries and a nutrition bar. I looked at the chalky brick with disdain before taking it from him. At least the small fruits would soften the bland flavor.

I ate what I was given and drank more of the bitter tea left over from last night while Lex held me close to his chest, and we set out on the trail. I’d only been able to nap for a few hours in the night, but I didn’t realize how tired I actually was. The rocking motion of the horse’s even stride and the steady thud of Lex’s heart lulled me to sleep. I never would’ve imagined I could fall asleep on horseback, but in Lex’s arms it was easy. Or maybe it was just that tonic.

The murmur of quiet voices soothed me awake sometime later. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out, but the sun was high and warm through the dappled shadows of the trees.

Lex’s lips lingered against my temple. “We didn’t mean to wake you, love.”

I squirmed and rolled my neck, stretching out the sore muscles as best I could, all bundled up in a thick cloak as I was. “It’s fine. I think I’m done resting. We need to talk about what’s happening, anyway.”

Ghost twisted around in his saddle. “Now that you’re up, I was gonna try to contact Maddox. He may have more information this morning. Maybe find out how bad it is in there, or out here.”

I bobbed my head against Lex’s chest but realized no one could see it. “That’s a good start. Once we arrive, though, do we have any idea of what to do?”

Lex’s gruff voice rumbled against my back. “You’re the crowned sovereign. The nobles have sworn oaths to support and protect you. We just need to get inside, arrest the usurper, and put her on trial for treason.”

“That certainly sounds simple enough. But...” I hesitated. “What if Titus is involved? What if the court decides to endorse the regent instead of me?”

Lex’s arms tightened around me. “It’s possible, but my father was the one who pressed for the coronation when Edeth tried to hold it off another cycle. He also pushed back when we requested time off and Edeth insisted we were too far behind on our work. I’d like to think he wasn’t complicit, but anyone, even Titus, who participated in treason will go on trial and be punished in accordance with the laws.”

Shadow pulled his horse up next to ours. “You’re making a lot of assumptions, considering how outnumbered we are. You talk about trials and treason, but who’s to say we won’t be the ones on trial? We stopped most of the ships, but not all of them. Edeth is working with the Imperatrix. Have you considered that there are enemy troops in the city already?”

“The nobles would never stand for that,” Lex said.

Shadow huffed out a dark laugh. “Do you honestly believe they would even recognize the distinction?” Half of our uniforms were salvaged from Imperatrix raids. What’s a few more? Would Lady Baxter know any of our soldiers’ faces? She can’t tell the difference between Lanxer, Mik, or Corex. She only notices Maddox when she’s trying to marry her daughter off. None of them would notice.”

“That’s a fair point, but I have faith in the system,” Lex replied.

“Because it’s served us so well this far?” Shadow grumbled sarcastically. “If we hadn’t gone against orders, Saphyra would still be a prisoner. We barely got there in time. Two weeks later, she would’ve been locked up and used as a baby factory whether she liked it or not.”

I held up my hand, and their bickering fell silent. “I appreciate the fact that things haven’t been perfect. The system that’s kept our people together has also let us down.” I tried not to think about what happened in the drone cell and what could have happened if I hadn’t been rescued when I was. “There’s no reason to argue about it now. We have no idea what we’re walking into. We need a plan. Maybe we should... I don’t know. Sneak in and find out.”

No one seemed inclined to interrupt, so I went on hesitantly. “The advantage we have is your knowledge of the secret entrances and surroundings, right? So, let’s use that. Sneak in. Free whoever was put in the brig for opposing Edeth and Titus and take stock of the enemy. Once we secure the city, the conspirators can go on trial.”

I paused. They were all nodding, but there was another possibility. “Or. We could run. Leave and never come back. Pharanax is ruled by a council. They might be willing to accept refugees. If not, there are plenty of moons where we could disappear.”

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