Page 125 of Fate and Flame
I nodded and spun to Gaea behind us. “Take me home, G.” I held my hand out, waiting for her to say goodbye to Greeve.
She reached for me and we were in my room the next instant. “What’s wrong?”
“This!” I threw my hands in the air. “All of it. One minute I’m fine and the next minute I remember he almost died, and I’m consumed by it. I have to end this. I can’t just keep waiting around for a war.”
“What’s the plan?” she asked, ready for whatever I was going to throw at her. Even though I know it would probably scare her.
“Something I was talking to Wren about. What if we spirited to the Wind Court and killed Autus in his sleep? What if we could end this before it goes any further?”
“Tonight?”
“So, talking to a dragon is a terrible idea, but sneaking off to the Wind Court isn’t?”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No, they’re both terrible ideas. But the dragon thing worked out, I guess.”
“I think we should take Wren. Can you carry both of us?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. “Tonight, then. I’ll tell Wren at dinner. You can’t tell Greeve, Gaea. I mean it. He will rat us out in an instant.”
“I won’t,” she promised. “Meet in the sitting room next to the study?”
“Come armed.”
Dinner was a basin full of emotions as I tried to justify one final murder. I attempted to hide them from Fen, but he kept looking my way, full of worry. I’d smile and try to reassure him that I was just tired, but I think he knew, on some level, something more was going on. Still, he ate dinner in silence while we listened to the rest of the group discuss the battle and watched Kai’s reenactment of several of his kills. He used a sausage for a sword, and it was certainly the best part. Especially when he shoved the whole thing in his mouth at the end and began to choke on his pretend weapon.
I’d slipped Wren the note I had prepared as we entered the room and I knew the moment she had read it. Her face became pale, but she locked eyes with me and nodded. She would come, of course. No matter the danger, she would be there. The males in the room may have been born and bred for battle, but the females were too.
I waited and waited for Fen to fall asleep that night. I listened to his breathing for a long time before I slipped out of bed, grabbed my leathers, and crept out of our bedroom. Padding down the hallways, avoiding the staff, I eventually made it into the sitting room. Wren was already there.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked, pulling her hair back and tying it.
“If it works, think of all the lives we will save.”
“And if it doesn’t.”
“Then at least we can say we tried.” I slipped my shirt off and hurried into the other clothing.
“Sorry I’m late.” Gaea handed my weapons to me as soon as she popped in. “The battle put Greeve in amood.”
Wren shoved her fingers into her ears. “La la la. I don’t want to hear it. La la la.”
“Super glad you brought the child,” Gaea said, her voice flat.
“Hey.” Wren dropped her hands.
“Only kidding.” She nudged her.
I strapped the sword onto my back and stepped forward. “In and out. We spirit into his rooms, as close as you can get us to his bed. Wren keeps us hidden. I make my move and we go. No one hesitates. No one let’s go. Got it?”
“He’s a king. He’ll still see us,” Wren said.
“Yes, but if he’s smart, he sleeps with a guard. He won’t see us and Autus will be dead before he gets a chance.”
I stuck my hand out, Wren put hers on mine, Gaea grabbed them both. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
