Page 61 of Savage Throne
“Then, we can’t take any chances, Lei.”
I gritted my teeth. “Do me a favor, Dima.”
“Yes?”
“Keep eyes on the mountain. Let me know if there ends up being more gunfire.”
“I will.”
“Thank you, Dima.” A knot twisted in my gut. “If. . .”
“Yes?”
“If he has allowed guns up there then. . .perhaps he gave some to Moni. Who else would need them on Mount Utopia?”
“So. . .he gives her guns to kill?”
“I can’t think of any other reason there would be guns up there.”
“This would be part of her initiation?”
“I think so,” I rubbed the back of my neck. Tension crept up my spine. “I wonder if I can get more of my Four Aces up there.”
“It might be tricky. Leo has most likely thought of everything.”
“I can’t have her in some fucked up position out there.”
“You made her your Mountain Mistress for a reason. She’s smart and strong—”
“I made her my Mountain Mistress because my heart couldn’t live without her.”
Dima fell silent, perhaps unsure of what to say in the face of my vulnerability.
Eventually, he spoke again, and his voice was gentler this time. “Lei, I know. . .but we have to trust her. She’s proven herself already.”
“I know, Dima. It’s not her I don’t trust—it’s him. My father is sick.”
“He picked her also.”
“That doesn’t calm my nerves.”
“It should. It means he knows just how much she can take to pass whatever initiation he has for her.”
Frustration gnawed at me but I knew Dima was right.
“When are you going to sleep, Lei?”
“Soon.”
“You must. This battle isn’t just physical—it’s symbolic. Your victory will mark the end of your father’s era and the beginning of your reign.”
“I just want her back.”
Dima’s voice lowered. “I know. . .I know.”
I leaned my head to the side. “Do you have Rose with you?”
“I do. We’re on the second level of the Palace, getting ready for bed.”
