Before my mother died, she used to read me a book before bed calledThe InvisibleString. The main idea is that we’re all connected by these invisible strings, so even in death, we’re still connected. It never goes away. With the other Princes, that string feels evident and obvious, and though I don’t believe in fate, a small part of me wonders what would’ve happened to me had I not been in that back room three months ago.
And then I think… what if I was seeking something just like this? What if Ihadbeen meant to find the other Princes? I was lonely and sad, content to drink my days away in my own little shame bubble. My father–or the King whothoughthe was my father–hardly checks in with me. I have to seek him out. My sister is busy courting a Prince from Germany, and as she’s set to be the Queen when my father passes, her duties are twenty-fold.
If I hadn’t found the Princes…
I shiver to think about it.
Three months ago, it felt as if my life was ending. But being in this order somehowsavedme. Taught me how to strengthen my body, my mind, my focus. I’ve learned more in these three months than I learned my entire childhood growing up to be the next King.
It just goes to show how much power we wield, and I’d be lying if I said I hated it.
It wasespeciallygratifying to slit the throats of the four targets inside the dinner before we left.
Luring them to the car park had been too fucking easy, and I hardly felt a thing as I watched the life drain out of their eyes.
Such a contrast to my first kill.
It really does get easier over time…
“The thing is, we can’t just barge into their home base and blow everyone up like we want to,” Max explains to Otto, who sulks. “We have to be intentional. I don’t know if they know we know where they’re located–so we may have the element of surprise on our side.”
“What if they’ve hurt them? Or worse?” Otto asks, his voice hoarse.
“Well, in that case, I give permission to exterminate them. Flatten the ground until not even a cockroach scurries out,” Max growls. “Keeping Lottie and Lachlan alive makes the most sense. We have over fifty of our men in Scotland heading to Glasgow. Lachlan is head of strategy, and Lottie will do what Lottie does best:survive.”
“And we’re sure this plan will work?” I ask, nervously chewing on a nail.
“Of course not,” Max barks. His face softens immediately. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just…”
“In agony? Barely holding it together? Fueled with rage and vengeance?” Otto suggests.
I huff a laugh. “You’re so fucking dramatic and I love it.”
Otto stands up and runs a hand through my hair. “I know you do.”
After we land a few minutes later, the three of us get into a nondescript black sedan that will drive us as close to the compound as possible. The tension is thick, and I see both Max and Otto fidgeting nervously. My stomach is in knots when I think of what we’re about to attempt.
Since we assume Citadel is armed and guarding their base, there’s only one way in.
“The tunnels run underneath the city and extend out several miles. If I’ve plotted the home base correctly, we should beable to detonate the grenade just under the main room. If that happens, we need to be cautious about a collapse. If all goes well, we should be able to infiltrate the compound and perform our rescue with the help of our backup–”
“God, I’ve heard the plan a million times, brother. I know what to do. Let’s just get there and blow this place to bits.”
I smirk as Max rolls his eyes, but we’re quiet for the rest of the drive.
Once we pull off near a bridge, I see several large SUVs parked nearby. “Backup is here,” Max mutters.
There are men dressed in tactical gear holding machine guns, and when they see us, I give them the go ahead to scope out the tunnels. We have no idea if our plan is even possible. For all we know, the tunnel has collapsed and our plan will be futile. I pace along the side of the bridge until Max gets the go ahead in his earpiece.
“Tunnel is clear. Grenades?” He looks at Otto for this, who pats the waistcoat.
“Ladder?” he asks me.
I pull the small backpack out of the car and pull it over my back.
“Masks?”
I tap the pocket of my cargo trousers.
