Chapter 26 Keira
KEIRA
The car comes to a stop outside my family's estate, and Octavian turns the car off. For a second, neither of us moves. I just look at him as he's processing everything I've just dumped in his lap.
After a few seconds, he turns in his chair to face me.
"Okay, let me make sure I have this right.
People have been targeting your family, leaving feathers on dead bodies and in warehouses.
Your brother gets stabbed, and the man tells him their leader, this Phantom King, is coming for all of you.
And somehow this Shadowharbor Foundation, the same one hosting the gala you just got invited to, might be involved? "
I nod. "More or less. That sounds about right."
He exhales sharply, fingers tapping against the steering wheel. "And you still want to go to this event?"
"Yes," I say and open my door before he can protest. "Let's go."
I step into the cold November air. The chill cuts through my sweater instantly, but I don't pause. Octavian is already out and moving around the car to catch up with me.
We walk side by side toward the estate's main entrance. Lights glow in the windows, warm and familiar. I used to love this house. These days it feels more like I'm reporting for duty.
One of the staff must've seen us coming because the door swings open before we can knock.
We head down the hall and into the office where Callum and Declan are sitting in chairs talking. They look up when we walk in.
"So... what the hell," I say, looking at my twin. "I thought I was going to go with you."
Callum leans forward, elbows on his knees. "It was too risky, clearly, but Declan said you were on the phone with him."
"Yeah, he told me, 'The Phantom King was coming. Feathers will find me soon,' blah blah blah, and then he shot himself."
Declan curses under his breath.
"Blah blah blah?" Callum asks, his tone sharp.
"I told you what he said." I cross my arms.
"So what now?" Declan asks, sitting back in his chair. "We can't just wait for the next message."
"I have an idea," I say and pull out the invitation, stepping forward to place it on the table between them.
"We go to this."
Callum leans forward, picking it up with two fingers like it might be contaminated. His jaw tightens as he reads. "What the hell is this?"
"It's an invitation for this year's Shadowharbor gala. Their biggest."
Callum's expression darkens immediately. He drops the invitation back onto the table. "Absolutely not."
"Callum. Their biggest of the year," I say. "All their donors. Politicians. Billionaires. Anyone who matters will be there."
"Which is exactly why you're not going," Callum says. "It'll be crawling with people we can't control."
"That's exactly why I am going," I counter, stepping closer. "This is what it's all been building toward. These attacks, the feathers, the name-dropping. They're trying to scare me away. I'm going to show up in a floor-length gown and make them wish they hadn't."
"No," Callum says flatly. "End of story."
"Yes, I am."
"Keira, for fuck's sake."
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" I point to the invitation.
"You wanted me to use my foundation contacts, to charm people, to get information.
Well, this is it. This is the moment. Everyone connected to Shadowharbor will be there.
Board members, donors, investors, people who know what the hell is going on. "
"It's too dangerous," Callum says.
"Everything is too dangerous right now!" My voice rises. "Someone bombed my event. Someone killed Bridget. Someone tried to kill me. And now you want me to sit here and do nothing while they close in?"
Callum's jaw ticks, and he rubs his chin in frustration. "You're not going to that gala, Keira. End of discussion."
"It's not your decision."
"Like hell it isn't."
Declan shifts in his seat. "She has a point, Callum."
Callum's head snaps toward him. "Stay out of this."
"No." Declan stands. "It was your idea to get her involved in the first place."
Callum turns back to me. "You go, and what? You think they won't know you're there? You think they won't make a move?"
"I think they'll expect me to hide," I say, meeting his gaze. "And let's face it, they're either coming for me, for us, or we're going to them. Let's make our move.”
Callum shakes his head, his expression somewhere between fury and disbelief. He looks past me toward Octavian, who's been standing silently by the door this entire time.
"Octavian, tell her she's being reckless here," Callum says.
I turn to Octavian. "Please, weigh in here, bodyguard."
I brace for him to betray me, for his voice to side with control instead my fire. But then he says it.
"She should go."
Silence.
I blink.
Callum stares at Octavian like he just sprouted wings.
"What?" Callum's voice is low, dangerous.
"She should go," Octavian repeats, stepping forward until he's standing beside me, his arm brushing my side.
The contact sends a pulse straight to all the places it shouldn't right now.
"She told me everyone who's anyone will be there.
They won't risk another bomb or doing anything drastic, not with the people they have in their back pockets at this event.
We control the environment. We use her visibility as bait.
See if anyone approaches or talks to her.
" He stops and looks at me. "I'll be there, of course. "
Callum narrows his eyes. "You think they'd hesitate to blow her up in front of a crowd?"
"I think they need the illusion of control. If they show up, it's to talk. To manipulate. Not to kill. They can't let anything bad happen at their event."
Callum turns to me. "And you trust him now?"
My heart pounds in my chest. I turn my head slightly to look at him, and he meets my gaze. His expression is unreadable, but either way, he's on my side.
"Yes," I say, looking back at Callum.
Callum leans back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. "You've got to be kidding me."
"He's right," Declan says. "This is the play. It's exactly what you talked about in Vermont."
I look at Declan, who shrugs.
"She seems up to this," Callum says and looks at Octavian. "Are you?"
Octavian nods. "Yes."
"Well, Keira. Alright. Octavian, stick to her like fucking glue," Callum says, his voice hard. "If anything happens to her—"
"I know how it goes," Octavian interrupts. "Nothing will happen to her. You have my word."
Callum stares at him for a long moment. Finally, he exhales through his nose and looks at me. "You follow his lead. You don't wander off, you don't take risks, and you don't do anything stupid."
"I never do anything stupid," I say.
Declan snorts. "That's the biggest lie you've told all week."
I shoot him a look. "Shut up, Dec."
Callum isn't amused. "I mean it, Keira. One wrong move, Octavian loses you, and I'm pulling you out. I'm going to have a team standing by."
"Fine." I pick up the invitation. "I'll behave."
"You better." Callum's gaze shifts back to Octavian. "And if you want to make it back to Bucharest, you'll both leave alive from this gala."
Octavian doesn't flinch. "Understood."
Declan claps his hands together. "Great. Now that we've all agreed not to kill each other, can we talk about the actual plan?"
Callum gestures toward the chairs. "Come sit."
As we move, I grab Octavian's arm. "Hey, thanks for having my back."
He looks down at me and smiles. "I've never not had your back, Keira," he says, and leans in to whisper, "but I do enjoy putting you on it." He finishes and walks past me to sit.
I bite my lip to hide my smile.
I don't know who I should fear more, the people we're up against or the man sitting next to me that's slowly becoming my oxygen.