Chapter 31 #4
“What about the nectar?” Mykel shifted his weight, his focus on Brexley. “I’ve seen what it can do, what you can do with it. With that, we have a chance.”
Brexley’s shoulders tensed up. “And if you remember, I killed many innocent people because of it.”
“Many innocents die in war,” Mykel replied. “Many are dying now. At least their death would have purpose.”
“Tell them that or about the loved ones whom they lost. Those who lost everything because of me.” Brexley lifted her lip at the word, head wagging. I knew she was thinking about the circus troupe, of all the people she had hurt. “Plus, I don’t have it.”
“What?” Mykel jerked. “What do you mean you don’t have it? Where is it?”
“It’s in safe hands, far away from me.” There was a mix of relief and agitation in her stance. She was fearful of it, but she also wanted it, like an unhealthy addiction.
“This is not the time to get conscientious on us. The nectar is the most powerful weapon in this world. And we have it!” Mykel hit his hand on the desk.
“You have not seen what is out there, what we are up against.” He gestured toward the outside.
“We have nowhere near the numbers or weapons they do. I will be blunt and say we are fucked if we don’t have some secret weapon.
” It was fear causing Mykel to lash out.
His voice was filled with it, bubbling up in anger.
“We do know what we’re up against. We know what Istvan has and what he is capable of.
” Brexley shot back. “Don’t doubt for a moment we aren’t aware of our chances.
Of the magnitude of this. I get it more than you know, and I will fight with every ounce of magic I have in me.
” She stabbed at her chest. “But I can’t control the nectar.
I tried . . . and failed. It is too much for any one person to handle and all I’ve done is kill people I care about every time I use it. ”
Thick silence crammed the air, everyone watching the standoff between the uncle and niece.
“Like I said. I don’t have it.” Brexley finally spoke, her voice gravelly. “And we have no time to get it.”
“Then unless the Unified Nations is coming to fight with us,” Mykel squinted at Ember, pointing out he knew exactly who she was. “We are finished.”
“Lars can’t.” Ember shook his head. “The treaty they signed made sure they had no say in what went on in the east unless the war came directly to them. Believe me, I’ve gone over it with Kennedy and Lars multiple times.”
“This doesn’t affect them?” Lukas piped up with shock. “Our country turning to a dictatorship, humans turning to these super faes . . . that would certainly impact the west.”
“Kennedy and Lars would have to wait until they started moving in on the west. Even a touch at our borders and Lars could declare war,” Ember replied.
“Sonya and Istvan are too smart to do that right now. They don’t want a fight with the UN, not until they are ready.” Killian leaned against the desk.
“The contract is magically bound.” Ember nodded to Killian, talking to us. “It’s not something they can just break because they feel like it. My father has tried to find any loophole. That’s why he sent us here to retrieve the nectar and kill anyone standing in our way.”
Good thing she failed miserably on that one, not that she would have gotten close enough to touch Kovacs. If they had, Ember and Eli would be heading back to the states in small boxes . . . what was left of them, anyway.
“Though”—she held up her hand—“that’s not to say I can’t indirectly get some fighters here. Off the record. It wouldn’t be an army . . .” She peeked at Eli. “But I know a few beasts who might want to fight.”
“When don’t we?” Eli snorted. “Fuck or kill—that’s our motto.”
“What a coincidence. That’s my motto too.” I smirked at Kovacs.
“Lorcan knows the doors,” Ember said, more to Eli than anyone else. “He could get everyone here.”
“I’ll talk to him and Cole.” Eli nodded to her plan.
“It’s something.” Killian folded his arms.
“Hardly,” Mykel blew out, rubbing the back of his neck.
We all knew this was a long shot, but none of us would sit back.
This fight was probably to the death. The Games set in a larger arena.
This country might collapse, but there was no doubt that if I had to dig through corpses, trudge through blood, and hack my way through bones, I would get my dark demon out . . . alive.
“Kapitan!” A pounding on the door jolted us to the commotion. A young man, at least half fae, stepped in dressed in all black, a balaclava pulled up to his forehead. “Sir! Oh, Lord Killian.” The kid bowed to Killian, noticing the fae lord’s presence.
“Report, Ervin,” Mykel ordered.
“We have two people at the gate.”
“What? How?” Mykel’s eyes widened, understanding that was a bad thing. No one should be able to find this place.
“I don’t know, sir. They were just suddenly there. They set off no alarms.”
“What do they want?”
“She wouldn’t tell us.”
“She?”
“Yes, there is an old man and a woman. She told me to tell you . . .” He swallowed.
“What?” Mykel barked.
“That Tadhgan is here.”