Page 60 of The Enemy to the Living
I wonder if he’s ever felt so powerful.
“And what are we to do with the twins?” Vlad asks. “Asher has located their place of operations.”
The Huntsman fixes me with a look. “You have?”
“Yes.” I’m not giving him more than that. I’m not going to tell him about Quinn.
“Capture would be best,” the Huntsman says. “Meilyr has been dealt with, and it would be good to show the high fae who remain in the Otherworld the consequences of causing trouble here.”
Maurice purses his lips but bites back whatever he clearly wants to say. When his gaze meets mine, his eyes glitter.
Did the Huntsman really let Maurice operate on his own for decades because that was what Maurice preferred, or was it because he wanted to keep him far away from the rest of us? Maurice hasideas. Ideas that are worth exploring, ideas that mean even I—the one person in this room who really can’t risk his blessing at all—am thinking,do you want to show the consequences of causing trouble, or do you want to secure this domain as your own?
I can’t ask. I won’t. Besides, keeping Quinn’s wolf his own is what preoccupies my mind right now.
“All right,” Vlad says. “Asher, you will take me there tonight. We will see who comes in and out. Perhaps there are patrons we recognise.”
Maurice leans back on the sofa and nudges Grant with his knee. “And what will we do? Sit around and wait for you both?”
“Yes. Asher and I have both been inside before, so when we return, we can explain the outline of the place to you. Once we have a feel for how busy it might be, we can come up with a plan of attack.” Vlad swings his gaze back to me. “You were there today.”
“Yes.”
“Was it busy?” Jeremiah asks.
“I didn’t see anyone come in or out before I left. I was there for a few hours. If we went in the day…”
“Only you and Paxton would be able to go,” Maurice says, shaking his head. “If it was just one high fae, sure, but two?”
“I agree,” the Huntsman says. “It proves too great a risk. Observe tonight and put together a plan that will have you all in the room with them.”
I frown. He’s not wrong. Aside from the lack of crowds in the pub, Paxton and I would have no other advantage going during the day. Some species of fae like the sun more than others, but none must hide from it the way vampires do, and as far as I know, high fae aren’t affected at all.
“Whatever the twins are up to, we will uncover,” Vlad says.
The Huntsman nods. I don’t think he cares much about that. He just wants this realm to be rid of them.
Chapter Twenty
Quinn
Drew’swordsringinmy ears. For a moment, my breath stops because I can’t think how he’s come to that conclusion, how he might think—
“Did he?” he snarls. Silver swirls in his eyes.
“No! God, no. Of course he didn’t.”
“Then why—” Drew darts his eyes away, and I roll my own.
Two mates and he still hasn’t figured it out? Not that Asher and I got up to anything like I think Drew and his mates get up to. Still, my lips tingle at the memory and I sigh, toeing off my shoes.
“I… got into a fight,” I say. It’s not a lie, and I don’t know what he can smell, considering my own senses are atrophying. “Asher took me back to his.”
“A fight?” Drew comes closer, stopping only when my shoulders tense. His hands rise like he wants to touch. “Quinn, you look…”
He swallows hard, and I shake my head. “I’m fine. It looks worse than it is.”
“Shouldn’t you have healed by now?”
