We all felt it—defeated. Like it or not, Johan had won tonight. He’d taken prisoners, burned down our safe house, and stomped on our psyche.
“I know a way back into Mathenholm,” Jase said suddenly, cutting through the heavy silence. “We should make our move now. Johan won’t expect a swift retaliation.”
“Oh, now you have information?” Lu snapped. “You’ve been back a month. Why didn’t you mention this earlier? Now that we’ve been attacked and our home’s a pile of ash, you conveniently know a way into the castle?”
“Lu,” I said gently. “Let him speak.”
“He’s had plenty of time to share,” Luca said bluntly. “Why now?”
“Jase,” Nico remained stoic in the face of frustration. “Tell us what you know. And this time, try not to leave out useful information.”
“I know for a fact, Johan has discovered the secret tunnels running underground. They’re no longer a viable option, however he’d be expecting us to use them. There were guards posted at both ends when I’d escaped. I’d be willing to bet he has placed all of his fruit in that one basket.”
“Good point,” Fallon spoke up. “That fucking vulture isn’t exactly intelligent.”
“So if we can’t use the tunnels, what’s your big plan to get us in unseen?” Luca asked, dripping with skepticism.
“It’s simple really,” Jase said flatly. “We use the staff entrance.”
Lucius burst into uncontrollable laughter. “Use the service entry? Are you daft? The explosion must’ve knocked you out of your senses. I don’t remember you being this stupid when I left the realm.”
“You can’t be serious,” Luca scoffed. “You expect us to just stroll on in, like we belong there?”
“We do belong there,” Fallon said, her voice dripping with vitriol.
“I’m dead serious,” Jase stood up from his chair. “How do you think I escaped? The staff entrance is the farthest thing from Johan’s mind. He’s far too arrogant to ever step foot in the servant’s quarters. He probably doesn’t even know where the outer bailey is.”
Fallon stood up, shaking her head. “This is hopeless,” she mumbled under her breath as she walked out of the room.
“If it worked once, why wouldn’t it work again?” I asked, trying to offer some glimmer of hope.
“Fallon had the right idea.” Lucius stood up. “I’m done with this conversation. When you have something useful come find me. I’m going to have a large drink and devise a real plan. Luca, you with me?”
“That’s the best idea we’ve had all night,” Luca said, following him out.
“Jase,” Nico shook his head. “I’d hoped you had some useful advice. It seems you may have suffered a temporary lapse in judgment. I pray the Divine clears your head quickly. We’re running out of time. Finn, Hunter—now Sawyer—they’re depending on us.” He sighed, rising slower than usual.“I’m going to join the others. If you come up with a reasonable idea, come find us. You’re a wise man Jase. Prove it.”
The room was thick with tension. Jase stood and threw a punch at the wall. “Fuck!” he cursed, shaking his bruised knuckles as he paced.
“Why didn’t you tell them you used your shadows to shield us?” I asked.
“I’m not interested in their approval. I did it for my own selfish reasons.”
“For what it’s worth, I think it’s a brilliant plan. A little unusual,”—I shrugged my shoulders.—“but I think that’s why itmight work.” I couldn’t believe we were here again—me backing someone with a wild idea. Gwen and I had always had each other’s backs, even when things sounded insane. My Bruins had a lot to learn when it came to trust. “Why does your family doubt you so often?”
“Because our father raised us to be that way,” Jase hissed. “Strong rulersmustquestion everything.”
“Even family?”
“Family doesn’t always mean safe, Mic. Power’s a seductive mistress. She can taint even the purest of hearts.”
His words struck me. After all the things Fallon had shared about their father, I was starting to understand the family dynamics.
“Your father sounds… charming.”
Jase laughed bitterly. “He wasn’t exactly ‘fatherly.’ He was raising future kings. Sometimes he had to do things that others would consider cruel. It’s just the way it was.”
“I suppose there’s… logic behind his methods.”