Page 113 of House of Embers
“Are you ready, my love?” Fordham asked.
“Anytime you want.”
They had been backing out of the center of the room and toward the shadows since Bastian had begun speaking, just waiting for him to get the news that Clover’s people had infiltrated his new weapons cache. She hoped that they’d all gotten out long before he sent in any reinforcements, but she couldn’t worry about something she couldn’t change.
“My apologies,” Bastian said. “I’m needed away from the party for a moment. Please, continue to enjoy refreshments and dancing.” Then he followed his attendant out of the room.
Whispers immediately followed his exit. Kerrigan knew exactly what he was responding to, but the rest of the room was in a flurry of guesswork.
Fordham smirked down at her and then frowned. “Your glamour.”
Kerrigan’s hand went to her jaw. “Yours too,” she said as she watched his hair slowly fade from blond to the midnight tresses. “Time to go.”
They turned as one to the nearest door, colliding with a figure before they could exit.
“My apologies—”
“Roake,” Kerrigan said as panic hit her chest. She could see her own red hair curling at the ends. Viviana’s glamour had lasted even less time than she’d thought.
“What are you—” Roake began as he lunged for Fordham.
But Fordham was a step quicker. He grasped Roake’s arm, and then a second later, they fell into shadow. Kerrigan glimpsed the nothing for a moment before dropping into an abandoned training room. The shields might work to keep Fordham from jumping in or out of the mountain, but they did nothing to stop him from jumping once he was already inside.
The second they landed, Fordham punched Roake in the face. “You traitorous bastard!”
Roake reeled back, a cry releasing from his now-bloody lips. Then he threw earth toward Fordham, who shifted easily out of the way, only a few pebbles hitting him in his face.
“You kidnapped Audria!” Roake snarled.
Kerrigan blasted him back from her mate with air. He stumbled a few steps before shielding and redirecting the blast. They’d learned to do that together.
“We didn’t kidnap her. Shechoseto come with me,” she snarled at Roake.
“She could be dead for all I know!” Roake argued back. He was panting as he held his fists before him as if he could fight his way out of this one.
She didn’t think he could takeeitherof them one-on-one. Kerrigan had outsmarted him once, and Fordham was frankly terrifying in a fight. Roake stood no chance against the two of them together.
Fordham took a dangerous step forward. “You think Audria will ever forgive you for what you’ve done?”
“She’ll see reason,” Roake said, but he didn’t sound certain.
Kerrigan laughed. “Wow. You have really deluded yourself, haven’t you? You fought against us. You let her rot in prison. You had her on a leash once you got her out. Don’t you see what you’ve done?”
“I love her!”
“Well, she doesn’t love you,” Fordham snarled.
Kerrigan wasn’t sure what Audria felt. It was complicated. She had some feelings for Roake, but they were clouded with betrayal. Kerrigan wouldn’t speak for her.
“You’re a Red Mask,” Kerrigan said. “That’s all that matters.”
A sound in the hallway made Kerrigan and Fordham both jerk their heads to the side. A second later, the door creaked open, and a voice called out, “What’s going on in here?”
Kerrigan froze at that voice. “Scales.”
Isa stepped into the room. She was paler than normal, her skinsallow and sunken in. Her eyes were lifeless and her white-blond hair even more so. A black metal band circled her throat. Where it touched her neck, the skin was red and irritated.
Fordham stilled at the sight of that collar, his entire body going rigid with revulsion. “The collar.”
