Page 95 of The Queen

Maddox didn’t seem to mind, though. “Yes, sir, Lex. Sorry, sorry.” Maddox’s tone shifted, becoming more serious. “Two starfighters are sweeping a course that will reach those coordinates in ten minutes. Unless they want to shoot you down, they’ll have to radio for backup. There are a pair of fully equipped personnel carriers also searching. One is five minutes from you to the south, the other is three hours away on the other side of the valley. So, in about ten minutes, those fighters are going to find you and call for ground troops. That area is about to be crawling with Imperatrix soldiers.”

I shoved my fingers into my spiky hair. “That doesn’t give us much time.”

“You know you could have gone almost anywhere other than toward the city and been safer?” Maddox said.

I heard him tapping away on a keypad. I hoped he was looking for other solutions because I was out of ideas.

Saphyra sat up straighter in her shared saddle and spoke. “Lord Spectre, I’m aware I could’ve hidden, but I’m disinclined to let my mother’s murderer abuse my people a moment longer than absolutely necessary.”

Even in moments like this, when everything was falling apart, she took my breath away.

Maddox sounded like he choked in surprise before spitting out a strangled reply. “Of course not, Your Majesty. I’m sorry I suggested such a thing.” He muttered a curse under his breath that the mic didn’t entirely catch. “Listen, they’re coming from the south and west. They’ll outpace your horses easily. I mean, I get why you went with horses. It’s actually pretty genius because their long-range scans can’t pick up anything more than the animals at that distance, but you won’t be able to outrun the search. And they won’t need to rely on the thermal sensors once they can see you.”

He must have figured out what we were up to after we last spoke. We’d be out of the trees and in the open soon. To the east, the forest thinned and gave way to a large field that stood between our position and the city. There wasn’t time to get through it without being spotted, and once they were on top of us, if we stayed here, their systems would start picking up our life signs in addition to the horses. Our deception only worked at range, not so much up close.

“No, we won’t be able to outrun them. We’re going to have to split up. They need bait. A decoy to chase,” Lex said.

I looked at Lex, then to Saphyra. Lex’s jaw was clenched and resolute. Saphyra’s brows were drawn together, her emotions a jumble through our connection. Grey and Valyx both were unreadable but didn’t seem inclined to speak up.

Someone had to say something. There was no way we were actually going to entertain the idea of bait.

I almost dropped the communicator as I gaped at my rag tag team. “What do you mean, split up? That sounds like a horrible idea. Maddox, I’m gonna have to call you back.”

I clicked off the comms. “This is a bad plan. Even together, there’s no way we can take two starfighters and a personnel carrier full of infantry.”

“Exactly.” Lex pulled his horse to a stop.

“And now we’re stopping. Why are we stopping?” I continued on a few steps before pulling my horse to a halt, glaring in disbelief. What the fuck is even happening right now?

The bird song quieted, and over the rustle of leaves a low hum vibrated my chest. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Shit. “Uh, guys? There’s either a big ass hummingbird coming, or we’re out of time.”

Lex slid off his mount and helped Saphyra down beside him. “Someone needs to lead them away.”

Saphyra pinned Lex with a glare. “Edeth doesn’t know that we found out what she did. She only knows that we didn’t go to the hunting cabin and that the shield is up again. Maybe she thinks we’ll run back to the city to escape the Imperatrix ships. She may not suspect us of anything.”

I continued to scan the skyline to the southwest, searching for movement through the trees, panic rising as the sound of whirring engines grew. “Which is exactly what we’re doing. Why are we doing that again?”

Saphyra’s frustration flooded the bond. “Because,” she said, as if that was the only answer we needed. Which was true enough, but in a softer tone, she added. “She can’t be allowed to get away with this, and we are the only ones that can stop her.”

The anguish singing through our connection nearly broke my heart. Saphyra was being so strong even while talking about the person who murdered her mother in front of her. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her in that moment.

“She won’t get away with anything. I’ll lead the ships in a different direction.” Lex drew Saphyra to him, looking her in the eyes. “Let me do this for you.”

Saphyra stilled, but the bond vibrated with her pent-up emotions. “I don’t want to split up. It’s too dangerous.”

“I know these woods better than anyone. I can do this. You said we should use our advantages. Now is the time. Decide, my queen.” Lex was as still as a statue as we waited for her reply.

Her lower lip caught between her teeth for a second before she nodded.

Lex’s arms closed around her, and he kissed her hard. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you. This family is the most important thing in the universe to me. This is how I can keep you safe.” He spoke the soft words against her lips and when he pulled away, there was a glint in his eye.

I didn’t think I’d ever seen Lex close to tears, and it shook me to my core. This shit was seriously dangerous.

“Promise me you’ll come back to us.” Saphyra’s whisper was thick with pain, but we heard them loud and clear.

“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to find you again.” Lex gripped her by the hips and lifted her up onto Valyx’s horse.

“Wait. What are you doing? I can ride on my own. Let me down.” Saphyra tried to dismount, but Valyx’s arm was already secure around her waist.

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