CHAPTER 21
VEYA
Present Day
WELL, WHAT’S the throne-winning secret?” Emmanuel pushes, a chunk of rusted metal flying across his cell from the lock withstanding continued knife practice.“Nerian is prideful and ruthless, but he’s also a coward,” Del says, his chest flexing as he leans forward, elbows over his knees.
My eyes catch on his calves and the strength in his thighs, and I beg myself not to be distracted by a long-ignored need.
Emmanuel summons his knife. “That’s not a secret.”
Del glares at my assassin. “Let me fucking finish, then.”
I sigh and shift my attention from this sculpture of a male to the conversation. “Gentlemen, let’s use our privacy wisely. I doubt we have much longer.”
Del nods at me. “As with any intelligently designed castle that we won’t be destroying, there are hidden rooms, passageways. Places for a king to hide when he doesn’t want to be found.” Del pauses to look me in the eye. “And I know his favorite place.”
I smile at the king’s second. A genuine, thankful grin, because it’s impossible to kill a king who can’t be found.
“Do tell,” I say.
“On one condition,” Del says, and my eyes narrow on him.
“I’ll entertain it,” I reply.
Del clears his throat. “When we win this thing, consider letting me remain as second in Goreon.” He holds up his hands, muscles flexing under his movement. “Just consider it.”
My mouth parts. And I respect him for not demanding it as a condition. But still. “Things need to be done my way, held to my standards,” I say.
“I understand, and you’ve proven yourself in that regard. However, you’d be a fool to dismiss that we would be better together, stronger. I know Goreon intimately. I can help you make the choices the people want. I’d be invaluable to you. I swear it.”
I nod. I’m not in disagreement, but Second possesses his position in my life for a reason. You can’t build that kind of trust in a week.
Del gives me a soft smile. “Just consider it. No need for a decision right now. And in good faith, in love for Goreon and its people, I’ll give you everything.”
Character has always won me over with the people I let into my life. And Del is striding right up to my door and knocking so loudly it’s becoming hard to ignore him. “Tell me, Del.”
His eyes pierce mine. “Through the cellar, there’s a hidden door behind Aurelia’s cage. Inside, follow the passageway to the right. It dead-ends into his lair.”
“Thank you,” I say, lacing my tone with gratitude.
Emmanuel stands in his cell. “I’m so ready to kill some fucking vampires,” he says, fangs popping.
Del and I grin at one another.
“Me too,” I say, and Del winks at me.
We wait to be unlocked, resting fitfully through the day and bouncing around ideas for our castle takeover. When the following night begins to tick by, my unease mounts and the boredom eats at us.
“Where the fuck is everyone?” Emmanuel says, breaking the silence.
Del peers down the corridor, trying not to burn his cheek off on the bars, lips pursed. “No clue.”
Another hour passes before footsteps ping in the distance and, eventually, Second stalks through the dark at the end of the row of cells, covered in shit.
“Found your way in through the sewer, did you?” I ask. His grimace bubbles laughter I hold in my chest.
Second impales me with a glare. “Almost didn’t fit through the damn grate. And how about gratitude for getting your royal ass out of here? I’m so fucking pissed you got yourself locked in here, I can barely see straight.”
“Maybe it’s just the shit in your eyes,” Emmanuel says behind his bars.
Second points a thick finger at Em as he stalks up to our cells, pulling a ring of keys from his belt.
“You three are lucky I’ve been resourceful since the day I was fucking born,” Second spews and unlocks our cell before moving to Emmanuel’s.
“Lift some keys off a guard?” Emmanuel asks as Second clips the ring back on his belt.
“Something like that,” he says with a sly grin, and then twists to me with his eyebrows in the ceiling. “And where the hell are your clothes?”
“Nerian,” I growl.
Second wipes the sewage from his face the best he can while we all try not to gag. He breathes deeply once his face is clear enough, gaze settling on me. “Fuck this king. Are we ready to handle what we came here to do?”
“Yes,” I say, my mind focusing to a pinpoint as the moment I’ve been waiting for for so long is finally upon us.
“Considering the massive army under castle grounds, we propose a stealth mission. Swift and efficient before we’re completely fucked,” Emmanuel says, relaying our most favored option.
Second nods. “We need to eliminate the castle guards and Balor first. Nerian is old and strong; we don’t need other distractions.”
“Where’s Charlotte?” I ask.
“Where do you think?” Second laughs. “She’s distracting Nerian so I could swoop in with a heroic rescue.”
“And the position of our guards?” I ask.
“With Charlotte.”
Del leans against the stone wall, biceps and pecks quivering as he folds his arms over his chest. “The guards won’t be far from the king, and it’s Nerian, so he’s in his throne room, on the dais he loves, with Charlotte at his feet.”
I look my people in the eye as I speak. “We move quick, take out everyone before we find Charlotte and the king. I want this place to be a graveyard. And then we release everyone out of that farm. Out of the cellar. Out of those barracks that are nothing more than a prison. Out of this fucking hell!” I scream.
Del straightens from the wall, abs contracting under his effort. “Let’s get some clothes on and kill a king, then.”
My eyes drift up his body to his face. “And lots of weapons.”
He winks at me.
My heart thumps in my ears, excitement and nerves spinning. “I’m tired of words,” I snarl, and with all that I am, I snap toward our rooms, bold and brave and ready to do whatever is necessary to bring this all to an end.
We enter my suite and prepare for battle.
Second rinses the sewer off his body in my washroom and then assists me in strapping my breastplate on while I stomp my feet into boots.
I heave open one of my gown trunks to an arsenal of my favorite weaponry.
We brought everything we would need for this moment.
I strap my daggers to my thighs over the leathers and sling stakes across my chest, where a light of hope blooms unlike it has in years.
I sheathe my sword at my back and gather my hairpins and chain, pocketing everything I need to win.
The tempo of my heart beats to a drum I haven’t felt in a long time as I hoist the crossbow from the trunk and check the trigger, and finally loop the quiver of bolts on my back.
Second arms himself, and we stand breathing heavily at one another, anticipation twirling between us.
“You look glorious,” I tell him, twin broadswords across his back, knives and stakes everywhere else.
“As do you, my queen,” he says, tugging at my breastplate to ensure it’s secured to his satisfaction.
“Are you ready to slaughter our way to a new beginning?”
“With all that I am,” he promises me. I smile up at him before spinning toward the footsteps coming through the door.
Del strides into my bedchamber, armed and stunning, leather molded to muscle, and I let my attraction fire through me. I don’t try to ignore my arousal this time or push it away. I don’t plan on dying in this battle, but if I do, at least I let myself feel something. For once.
“You look ready,” I say, nodding at the elegant weaponry he’s boasting. I don’t recognize the beautiful emblems engraved on his weapons and chest, waves of water with a dagger through them.
His gaze runs up my leathers. “You look—” He smirks before continuing. “We should change the dress code for a queen in Goreon. No more obnoxious gowns. This is better.”
My insides hum in response to his approval. “I’ll write it into the bylaws.”
“Good,” he says.
Hartley, Nix, and Ellie peer around the corner, and I nod at them to enter. Emmanuel joins us right behind them, jaw set tight as he stares at Hartley and the leathers she and the others have somehow acquired.
“My darlings, this battle is not for you. I refuse to lose any one of you when we just got you out. But I have another mission for you,” I say, and their frustrated expressions shift.
Hartley lifts her chin. “What are your orders, my queen?”
“Get to the dungeon, head to the sewer, and wait. We’re going to free your cellar sisters from that hell and send them to you.
They’ll be weak in their state. You’ll need to swim them under the grate and into the bay, cross the bridge and find shelter in the nearest town together before dawn.
Do you accept this mission?” I ask. I always give my people a choice.
Ellie releases a snarl, and I love her for it. “We will make certain they are safe.”
“Good. Hartley and Nix?”
“Of course,” Nix says, tying up her fiery hair. “You owe this hair a professional cleansing after this, though.”
I smirk at my siren. “I’ll bathe you myself if you keep these girls safe.”
She bows to me.
Hartley spins a blade in her palm, and I cock my head at her. “Not just arrows then?”
She grins. “Not just arrows, my queen.”
Emmanuel looks like he might pounce on her right now, right here, in front of all of us.
“Do you accept this mission, Hartley?”
“I will protect them with my life,” she promises, and Emmanuel’s eyes blaze behind her.
“Then we’ll see you on the other side. Don’t bring them back here until you know we’ve won.”
“My queen,” Nix says and stalks off into the parlor, trailed by Ellie.
Hartley snaps in front of Emmanuel, a breath away from him. She would make an incredible assassin with the skill she’s already demonstrating so quickly.
Em doesn’t move an inch, and the corner of his mouth creeps up. “You’ve been practicing.”
“Aye,” she says. “I’ll see you on the other side, assassin. Don’t die.”
With a snap, she’s gone.
“Gods, she’s—”