Page 141 of Vicious Princess
I strain my ears to listen and open my senses again.
I brace myself for a fight, but Daegel waves for us to move forwards. Once we reach the staircase, he ducks behind it and turns to Roman.
“Cadet Barthol, you’re to hide and remain here until Cadet Wildarrow or I show up,” Daegel quickly says. “Survey the environment and note everyone who comes in and out of Gloria’s office upstairs. Do not, and I repeat, donotengage the target on your own until at least one of us returns. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Roman says and dips his chin.
With a curt nod, Daegel pivots to leave. Before I follow him, I turn to Roman and jab a finger in his chest. “I meant it earlier. Do not fucking die on me.”
I can’t see Roman’s face, but through the slits in the mask, I can see his eyes sparkle as he winks and nods.
I dip my chin in acknowledgment, too, and follow Daegel.
Again, he’s the one who navigates the corridors. I follow, making sure my feet are quick and quiet.
We turn a corner.
Voices echo somewhere farther down the corridor. Before I can even react, Daegel pushes me back against the wall.
Thank fuck Ezkai leathers are black.
We blend into the shadows, quietly pressed against the wall while we wait for two fae to pass just around the corner. Thankfully they’re not Decarios, just a couple of bartenders.
Once they’re far away, we’re back on our feet. Daegel quickens his pace, and I push myself to catch up with him. We must be fairly close to the main area of the warehouse, because the chatter, laughs, and screams come in waves from somewhere in the distance.
We round a corner and walk to a wall with a long iron ladder. Daegel turns to me and gestures at it. I nod and climb first. Daegel’s not far behind me. At the very top of the ladder, there’s a round door with a latch.
Quietly I open it and push the door open.
The smell of smoke and alcohol mixed with blood and sweat fills my nostrils. Through the small opening in the wall, I crawl onto a narrow iron landing. We’re right at the very top of the main warehouse hall, close enough to the ceiling that I can’t stand without hitting my head on one of the pipes that run along the length of it in an intricate system.
Daegel crawls after me and closes the door.
On one knee, I scout the area under us.
We have an amazing vantage point from here—not only of the whole floor but also the overhanging platform where three shadowed figures occupy all three thrones. They’re in the middle of a competition, a huge crowd of fae gathered right at the iron fence, screaming at the two fae brawling.
Blood sprays everywhere when the larger fae punches his opponent, but the bald, short fae recovers quickly and goes for his opponent’s ribs.
Without taking my eyes off the fight, I ask, “How long until the meeting?”
“Anytime now.”
I try to focus on the mission at hand, but I can’t help the curiosity that pushes me to ask the next question: “How do you know the back of Gloria’s warehouse so well?”
A beat of silence. Then: “Leti. She’s one of my father’s soldiers who serves as a spy in Gloria’s business.”
My head whips towards him. “Leti is your father’s spy?”
Daegel nods. I wish I could see his face for this damn conversation.
“How long were you together?”
I’m surprised when he answers immediately. “We were together for…a long time. On and off since we were sixteen up until we broke up, actually seriously broke up, a little over a year ago.”
Fuck me.She was his adolescent sweetheart. That’s no small thing.
The words are bitter on my tongue. “Why did you break up? For real this time?”
