“They’ll be back within the hour,” she said. “We should prepare something for them to eat. Today, the planning begins.”
“You should’ve seenhis face, Mic,” Luca laughed, his breakfast sitting mostly untouched as he recounted the night’s events. “Red as his coat. He was all, ‘You’llpay for this! Johan will hang your bodies from the walls of Mathenholm.’” He pounded his fist on the table as he continued to laugh.
“You should’ve let me kill him,” Lucius grumbled.
“No, no—it was perfect.” Luca shot Nico a grin. “Thank you for not melting his mind into submission. I really needed a good laugh.”
“We needed him alive,” Nico replied. “We need witnesses to spread the word. When people hear we’re taking a stand, they’ll join us. And it sends a message to Johan: we’re not backing down.”
“It’s already working,” Fallon added. “The Raven’s Hand will bring new alliances today—I can feel it. They’ll be here soon.”
“So when do I get to join in on all the fun?” I asked. Lucius visibly stiffened.
“Yes, Mic! You’re such a badass. I can totally picture you in tight leather armor,” Luca said, looking me over as though he could already envision it.
“Dove, I don’t think—” Lucius started.
“Lucius, don’t you dare tell me it’s not a good idea. I want to help,” I pleaded before shifting my attention to Nico. We all knew he had the final say.
He held my stare for a moment, then nodded. “If the lady’s willing to train until she can hold her own, I see no reason why she can’t come along.”
Lucius narrowed his eyes at me. I knew he was already crafting a litany of rules I’d have to abide by in order to go.
“Don’t you all need to rest before the Raven’s Hand arrive?” I said, throwing a salmonberry at his head before he could plead his case any further.
Luca leaned toward me, grinning. “Why? Are you offering to go to bed with me? As you’ve just pointed out, I can go all night.”
“There will be no sleeping—or anything else you’re trying to get away with!” Lu growled.
“One of us might be able to make an exception for the lady if she requires a bed mate. ,” Nico said smoothly, his brow raised in challenge. “As next in line to the throne, I’m officially laying claim to that honor.”
Lucius looked like he was about to draw a dagger on both of them.
Before I could die of further embarrassment, Sawyer and Levi entered the room. A handful of males and females I didn’t recognize filtered in behind them.
“Are you ready for the meeting, my friend?” Sawyer asked, motioning to Nico. “I’ve got some people eager to meet you.”
“Yes, we’re all here.” Nico stood from his chair and stepped to me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re welcome to join us—or you can enjoy your breakfast.”
“I’d like to come,” I said, grabbing a few salmonberries from the table before rising to join him.
Nico shot me a half cocked smile. “I guess we’ll see about that later,” he said, his voice dripping with innuendo as he took my hand.
The king’s study,which Luca had dubbed the war room—was enormous. Nico offered me a seat between Lucius and Luca at the circular table in the center. Maps, scrolls, and open books littered the surface. The rest of the group filed in, taking up all available space.
Fallon had been right. Word of our rebellion was spreading.
Nico stood stoic, scanning the crowd until all of them fell silent. “Thank you for coming,” he said, his voice gritty. “I wish our meeting came under better circumstances. Johan sits on a stolen throne—a vulture feasting on dying land. No more.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the room.
Sawyer stepped forward. “We’re with you or we wouldn’t be here. But how do we strike at him? Mathenholm is a fortress. It’s crawling with soldiers. We’re ghosts in these woods, but ghosts don’t storm castles.”
Nico leaned forward, fists planted on the table. “Maybe that’s exactly what we should be—ghosts. He won’t expect us to be so bold. We’ll haunt him in his own halls.”
“And the Bloodstone Sigil?” Levi asked. “You still haven’t told us how you’ll get the ring off his traitorous finger.”
Nico glanced down at the map beneath his hands, choosing his words. “I’m working on it.”
