Page 8 of Red Queen

“With you,” he says, not missing a beat.

Ivan is of the old guard, a heart made of loyalty. But he’s high enough that he’ll speak his mind. I prefer that to fear and secrets. Those who harbor both, who feel they can’t let me know their mind are the ones who’ll turn and strike.

“Try and find her. Search taverns, inns, all the places one might hide. She got out.” I start to pace.

“General? What do we do when we find her?”

I want to say drag her to me, but I don’t. Instead, I settle on something mild. “Watch her.”

He nods, but remains. “A time will come when we are asked what side we support. For now, we can just watch and wait and let things play out. But that time has limits.”

This is the last thing I want, but Ivan is right.

“Agreed.”

The word tastes sour on my tongue. My loyalty to Eleanna is a shackle I’ve long since broken, yet it still chafes. She was to be my queen, my heart’s consort, but the cruelty that flows in her veins chilled even the inferno of my desire.

I clench my jaw as I meet Ivan’s gaze, a voiceless understanding passing between us. We have both seen the depths of Eleanna’s ruthlessness, the way she wields power like a barbed whip, caring little for the wounds she inflicts. It doesn’t matter I caught a whiff of her hesitation. She let nerves rise for a moment. That moment was gone in an instant.

And now, as her kingdom crumbles around her, wherever she’s gone, as her enemies close in like a pack of ravenous wolves, I feel… sympathy? Fear? I’m not quite sure what I feel. But I should feel nothing.

She killed the spark of warmth inside her. No one else. She placed her ambitions above all.

And this anarchy is what she sowed.

I’m aware she’s the better choice of the two evils, but…

“We owe nothing to anyone,” I say. “We’ll watch, wait and when the time’s right, act.”

Ivan nods, the motion sharp and decisive. “This is no longer the shadow of war. We’re at the start.”

And though Eleanna is nothing to me now, the pull of our shared history—a relic woven with threads of passion and betrayal—is a relentless flood, threatening to drag me under once more.

“Fuck,” I mutter. “Catarina will come knocking. She’s been waiting in the shadows for this opportunity to ambush Eleanna.”

Ivan’s gaze finds mine, his eyes glinting with a vampire’s concentration. “Catarina has always been ambitious. This move was calculated.”

“I’m aware.” I clench my jaw. “We must calculate further, stay ahead. What long term spies do we have at the castle?”

“One or two in the stables and kitchens. She’ll cull people but will also have to replenish staff. Soldiers.” He crosses to the window, searching the grounds. “It’ll take time. Catarina’s going to be on high alert and suspicious.”

Maybe, but we’re better than her.

“We need more than that. We need ears within her ranks.” I wait until he looks at me. “A way to halt her rebellion and protect the realm. She’ll gather mercenaries to swell her ranks. That’s how we’ll get in amongst her ranks.”

I’m suggesting treason now she’s grabbed the throne. But I am not loyal to her. I’m loyal to my realm.

“Discretion will be our ally, General Amanar. A whisper can be more lethal than a shout in those hallowed halls.”

“Whispers have felled empires.”

The truth of the sentiment grips me like iron chains. A misstep here could spell disaster, and Eleanna—no matter my disdain—must not fail in the long run.

“Waiting to see is difficult when Eleanna is to the winds,” Ivan says.

“The realm and the true leader are our focus. Once she’s located, we keep her safe, and underground if needs be.” I refuse to let her perish due to negligence on my part.

“Then let us be the subtle blade that protects.”

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