Page 48 of Realm of Wind and Vines
I gasp out loud.
The others, who had apparently continued the discussion while I was lost in thought, turn to stare at me in confusion.
Slamming my palms down on the table, I look from face to face. “By Mabona!That’swhy they’re looking for the Gold Clan.” I turn to Orion. “You said that the Icehearts were able to subjugate the Green Clan by threatening their archives, but that the Green Clan managed to get the wards back up and therefore don’t really do the Icehearts’ bidding anymore.”
Understanding dawns on his face as well. “The Gold Clan could destroy the wards around the archives.” His already pale face suddenly grows even whiter. “And around my court as well.”
Draven curses under his breath. “If they get the Gold Clan, and then the Green Clan as well, we’re screwed.”
“He’s right,” Galen agrees, and draws a hand through his blond hair. “Kander von Graf could change all of our memories. He could make it so that we don’t even remember that we know each other. He wouldn’t normally do something so dishonorable, but if they threaten to destroy his archives…” He shakes his head, leaving the rest of his sentence unspoken.
Isera takes a sip from her wine and then studies us all from over the rim of her glass, but she says nothing, and the impassive mask on her face makes it difficult to know what she’s thinking. Light from the faelight chandelier casts glittering light across her face.
“Canweget the Gold Clan?” I ask into the now tense silence.
Everyone looks from face to face. In the end, it’s Draven who replies.
“I wouldn’t even know where to start looking,” he says.
The silence around the table tells me that the others were thinking the same thing.
“So Rin Tanaka is the key, then?” Lyra says, shifting the conversation back to a more realistic plan.
“No, Lavendera is the key,” I argue.
Draven shoots me an incredulous look. “How many times do I have to tell you? We won’t be able to turn her.”
“What we really need is the Red Clan,” Alistair interrupts before I can retort. “They control the Seelie Court. So if we can get them on our side, we will also get the entire Seelie Court.” He turns to me. “You were in some kind of resistance group, right? They should be able to contribute a lot more once they don’t have to worry about Gremar Fireclaw breathing down their necks.”
Draven draws a hand over his jaw. “That’s… actually a good idea.”
Alistair shoots him an indignant scowl. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that tone of surprise in your voice.”
On the other side of the table, Orion smirks into his wine glass.
“Alright,” Draven says, letting his hand drop and sitting up straighter. “We’ll focus on the Red Clan next. But Gremar is… tricky to deal with. Especially now that he is the new Commander of the Dread Legion. We can’t just show up. We need to draw him out, without him knowing that it’s us, and get him to meet with us alone.”
The others nod in agreement.
I draw in a deep breath and nod as well.
And then, we start scheming.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
By the time I return to my room in Orion’s castle, my entire body is vibrating with restless energy. I don’t know why, but I feel like things are moving too slowly. Months have already passed since we first escaped the Ice Palace. Who knows what wicked plans the Icehearts have been able to cook up during that time?
Pacing back and forth across the floor of my room, I can’t help but feel that time is running out. All of it. The time to mount a proper attack on the Icehearts. The time to prepare our own defenses. The time to fix what I did to Draven.
My heart squeezes painfully.
Every day that passes is another day where Draven only focuses on how much he hates me. Soon enough, he will have spent more time hating me than he did loving me. Even if I can somehow figure out how to remove that hatred from his chest, will it be enough? Will everything actually go back to normal? Or will our relationship already have changed too much by then?
A sudden wave of dread and panic threatens to overwhelm me, so I pull anger around me like a shield. I will make Draven remember how he feels about me if it’s the last fucking thing I do.
Stalking over to the bed, I throw myself down on my back and unbutton my pants. He told me after our kiss in the cave that he could feel my emotions through the mate bond. Well, let’s see how he handles this, then.
With that furious anger still burning through me, I slip my hand into my panties and start pleasuring myself. A moan escapes my lips as I rub my fingers over my clit in exactly the way I like it. While imagining that it’s Draven doing it, I continue moving my fingers until pleasure builds like a storm inside me.
