No. Vic wouldn’t—would he? Why would he attack the Matriarch?
He would do it to solidify a relationship,Caliel said.
As my mind spun, silence fell on the room for a few moments. Then Tyrez added with an edge to his tone, “If it can burn through Dragon scales, then yes, stone would be possible. But that would mean underworld involvement.”
Cara nodded. “Yes, it would.”
“When does this happen?” the big shifter growled.
Ash’s long mouth twisted. “Soon. I would say tonight. She and the others must have returned to the lake resort after the ceremony.”
Tyrez exhaled. “We have time to stop this, but we must go now.” His lips had started to pull back from his teeth.
The comment had an immediate effect on the Oracle. “The lake resort is in the Empire’s home realm. You cannot go.” His eyes snapped back to full awareness.
“I’m going. I don’t give a damn about the exile rules.” Tyrez’s jaw clamped.
Ash let go of my hands and stood to regard his mate solemnly. “If you go—the timelines are clear. The results will be disastrous.”
The look Cara shot Tyrez was not devoid of sympathy. “If you set one foot in that realm, your brother will order your immediate execution.”
“I do not care,” he snarled.
“It’s not just about you.” Ash’s eyes flared gold. “What I’ve seen is clear. If you go, you will achieve everything your mother has tried to prevent. Whether you live or die, your presence will generate a civil war and split the Dragon Empire in two.”
Tyrez stared at him. “My presence alone will do that?”
“No,” Ash admitted. “But it will ensure it happens. You are a catalyst in this—and you still have many supporters in the Empire. There is a large number that are searching for alternatives to what Taran is doing. If discovered, the involvement of the Emperor’s next eldest son could set things in motion.” He turned to Cara. “The future is still uncertain. But we have to tread with care.”
Cara nodded slowly. “If we stop this, they will only try again, and we might not see it coming next time.”
“We can’t just sit back and let them die,” Tyrez snarled.
The Watcher held up a hand. “Of course not. But justhowwe stop this will have an impact if we are not careful. They will make sure their deaths look like an accident. If it gets out that the Matriarch was murdered—with even a hint of it leading back to Taran—it can, and will, split the Empire into factions that will fight one another.”
Riggs had been sitting quietly listening to all this, but now he spoke. “We need to get them out of there without anyone knowing. If they are presumed dead, they will be safe.”
Silence fell as we all stared at him. But then Ash nodded. “Yes. He is right. That is what needs to be done.”
“But in order for that to work, we have to pull them out of a burning building,” Tyrez sounded almost desperate now.
“You won’t be doing it at all,” Ash insisted. “But, yes.”
The two glared at each other, and their eyes flashed like crazy. Whatever they were saying to each other, wasn’t pretty. An angry Tyrez was a terrifying thing, but Ash didn’t even flinch.
“Riggs is right.” Cara calmly broke the silence. “The Empire has become so unstable that it cannot be fixed from where it is now. We must, therefore, preserve our assets for another day.” She stood, checked the tea, and began to serve it. Her expression remained tranquil, as though we were planning a trip to the park.
Tyrez slammed his big hand down on the table, threatening the infrastructure enough that it sent a few muffins rolling off the plate.
Ash didn’t even flinch.
“Do you know what you are saying?” Tyrez demanded.
“Yes.” The Watcher met his wildly flashing gaze. “It means that as far as the Empire is concerned, the Matriarch, your sisters, and the two boys must die in this fire. And it must appear accidental, or the entire Empire will come apart at the seams.” She poured his tea, ignoring his glower. “And as we cannot risk word getting out, the council cannot be involved. It must, therefore, be done in secret, without the academy’s resources.”
Well, that certainly explained us being hurried away to her house in the human realm. But it also made this task very difficult.
Tyrez glowered at her. “I’m going.”
