Page 126 of The Rogue's Curse

“I’m on my way,” Shoshanna said, cutting her eyes to Paris. “I’ll be on the first flight.”

“Thank you,” the woman sobbed. “Just hurry.”

Shoshanna set down her phone and shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I have to go deal with this. My brother was attacked, and—”

“I heard,” Paris said numbly.

She paced in circles, as if she couldn’t decide where to start. “I need to take Alistair. He could give Elijah blood and stabilize him, right? I know you need me right now, but so do they. And he could die, and—”

“Go to your family,” Paris said numbly.

“You should go,” Misha echoed. “We’ll figure something out.”

She nodded. “Just keep using the pagos. I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

On her way down the hall, she was already on her phone, speaking rapid-fire as she explained to Alistair what was going on.

Paris felt his hope fading and dying a slow death as Shoshanna disappeared from sight.

Despite everything, Misha smiled at him. “I’ll be okay for another day or two.”

“You don’t know that,” Paris said numbly. “Could another witch do it? Maybe one of your friends?”

“Picking up someone’s work like this would be nearly impossible,” he said. “I’ll be okay.”

Paris shook his head. “What if you could go home? Let them help you.”

Misha stared at him, eyes wide and incredulous. “You need me here.”

“I need you alive, not with your brain melted by your magic,” Paris protested.

As he studied his mate, he contemplated what he might have to do. He wasn’t bluffing when he’d said he would kill Nikko, if it meant protecting the court. And if he had to do it, he would make sure that Misha got the help he needed. How quickly could the Crown get here?

His watch buzzed with a message.

Nikko:

I hope you haven’t started. We need you.

He beckoned to Misha, and they hurried back to the war room where Safira was pacing with her phone in hand. “Shea called Nikko,” she said. “And he has a message for both of you.” She set down her phone and pressed play on a voice recording that caught Nikko asking, Who is this?

Nikko looked pale as a sheet. He handed over his phone, which displayed a gruesome picture of a human man with his throat slashed. The man sat at a familiar desk, in what had once been Nikko’s office at Infinity.

A familiar male voice boomed. “Shut up and listen. I’ve had enough of toying with you. I’ve just sent you a message. My people are all over the city, and they will be given permission to gorge themselves every hour until you present yourself.”

Nikko’s voice trembled. “Me alone?”

“No. Bring a few guests, Mr. Baudelaire. Bring your friends Paris and Sasha. I’ve business to conclude with them, too. If you present yourselves, along with the prisoners you’ve stolen from me, then I’ll call the truce there. Your followers can leave town or join me,” Shea said.

“You mean Lilah and Georgina?”

“Of course I fucking mean them,” Shea said hotly. “Though if you wished to make a bargain, you could give me Eduardo Alazan, and I might let you keep sweet Sasha. Your hour begins now. First course is at one thirty-eight.”

The recording stopped. Nikko shook his head. “What do we do?”

“We move,” Paris said, shooting Safira a look. “Someone just attacked Shoshanna’s brother, and she’s leaving town.”

“You think it has something to with Shea?” Nikko asked.

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