“What’s going on?” Rhia sounded more like herself, and as I turned, her gaze flickered toward the door. “Something’s up, Cicely. I didn’t want to give away anything in front of the others, but I can feel it. My advisor, Edge, told me that Strict contacted our shamans. They put her and my private guards to the test this morning. They also searched Chatter’s mind. Just what were they looking for?” A hint of anger colored her voice. I didn’t blame her.
“Thank gods. We are at least a leg up, then. The guards you brought with you? They all passed the loyal test?”
“Yes, and I don’t mind telling you, it wasn’t any fun watching the process. Now tell us, what’s going on?” Sitting on the sofa, she patted the cushion beside her, and Chatter joined her.
Grieve and I sat opposite, on the loveseat. I glanced at the closed door, then lowered my voice. “There is a spy in my Court working for Myst. We don’t know who it is, yet. But we also encountered Shadow Hunters in my realm, and we know Myst is on the move again. For all we know, there may be spies within your Court as well.”
Rhiannon was silent for a moment. Then, “Dear gods . . . she’s back, already?”
“We knew she wouldn’t take long. She just managed to regroup faster than we feared.” I gave a little shrug. “So we have to find this spy, and any more that might be hiding in the shadows. I think we should go on the offensive.” Pausing, I looked into my cousin’s eyes. She was nodding. “Also, on the way here? I met my grandfather.”
“What?” She leaned forward. “Would that be . . . my grandfather, too?”
I realized she thought I was talking about our maternal grandfather, whom neither one of us had ever known. “Oh, no, sweet. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get your hopes up. I met Wrath’s father. His name is Hunter, and he’s one of the elders in the Uwilahsidhe. He’s going to scout for the Shadow Hunters’ hideout while we try to clear the rest of our guards through the loyalty ritual.” Once more, I glanced back at the door.
Ulean, can you check the other side and make certain nobody is listening at the door?
A moment later, she swept around me, a faint gust lightly ruffling my hair. No one there, Cicely. They wait in the kitchen, and they worry.
Thank you. I hate that I have to keep them out of the loop, but it’s imperative until we know what we’re dealing with.
“That’s not all. My shamans told me that we must verify that Luna, Peyton, Ysandra, and Kaylin are loyal.” Before she could say anything I held up my hand. “No, I know—how can we question them? But remember what happened with Anadey. And . . . Leo.”
Rhiannon hung her head. “Yeah. I’d rather forget Leo, but I get your point. You’re right, of course. But how do we do that?”
“I think Kaylin can do it—especially since his demon is so much stronger now. He can enter their minds and sort through their thoughts.” Even as the words came out of my mouth, I cringed. I knew how it sounded. Hell, I knew how the others would take it.
But to my surprise, Rhiannon nodded. “I agree. But how do we verify Kaylin’s loyalty? We can’t just take his word for it.”
“Therein lies our dilemma. The shamans can’t test him—he isn’t Fae. He isn’t even half-Fae.” And then I stopped. Maybe . . . there might be one person we could turn to. A seer. An oracle, actually. But he wasn’t human, and hadn’t been for thousands of years. And whether he’d help us . . . that was a sticking point.
“You are thinking something. I know it. What are you thinking?” Rhia leaned forward and took my hands. “Tell us.”
I looked from her to Grieve to Chatter, wincing. “I don’t want to suggest this. Please know that this is the last thing I’d suggest if I could think of any other way.”
“The Consortium?” Rhiannon frowned. “I’m not so sure about them.”
“No. We can’t trust them any farther than we can throw them.”
“Then who?” Grieve sounded suspicious, and I realized that my wolf was transmitting my nervousness to him. No matter what, I couldn’t lie to him—I couldn’t hide things from him. We were linked in too many ways.
“I’m thinking . . . we take him to Crawl.”
A beat passed, then another—and then they all burst out in loud shouts, just as I thought would happen. I said nothing. Let them tear the suggestion to shreds, and then I’d explain myself.
“Cicely, are you crazy?”
“You can’t be serious!”
“After what Crawl did to you, you seriously are suggesting turning Kaylin over to him?”
After a moment, they fell silent, staring at me. I stared back, unwavering.
“Got that out of your system? Okay, seriously, do we have a fucking choice? The facts are simple: We’re facing the end of our world if Myst wins. Suppose she manages to find our heartstones? Then, not only do you and I die, Rhia, but so do our people. We have thousands of lives resting in our hands now. Do you want to risk it all?”
“I guess . . . you’re right about that.”
“You bet I’m right. We aren’t playing penny ante poker anymore. We’re in the big leagues, playing for high stakes. We can’t afford to be squeamish. We can’t afford mercy.” I winced. “The truth is, we can’t afford to spare our friends a little pain.” I fell silent, leaning forward as I pressed my hands against my knees. My jeans felt rough under my palms.
“But he tried to kill you.” Grieve’s voice went cold, and his lips were curled back, baring his teeth. He looked ready to shift into his wolf form at any minute.
“Of course he tried to kill me. Crawl’s a fucking freakshow. But he’s also an oracle, and he also hates the Indigo Court. Crawl can’t lie. Or at least, I don’t think he can. We don’t even know if he’ll do it. But if we take Kaylin to him, chances are good he’ll be able to tell us if we can trust him. Crawl can see into the future, to some degree. And into people. He looked into me when the vampires first took me before him.”
“I still don’t like it, but you may be right.” Chatter surprised me, being the first to take my side.
“After we verify Kaylin is still on our side, then he can probe Luna’s, Peyton’s, and Ysandra’s minds.” I began to feel the breeze pick up around me as the winds responded to my mood.
“Why not take all of them to him, then? Why just Kaylin?” Rhiannon sounded genuinely confused.
I sighed. “Kaylin’s the strongest. He can withstand having that freakazoid in his mind. I don’t think the others could. Crawl . . . You don’t know what he’s like. I do. He’s like an insect that won’t stop. Ruthless and alien. But Kaylin . . . Well, ever since his demon woke up, he’s changed. He can meet Crawl’s inspection and pass through.”
So much had gone on. We were all changing; we were all shifting. The world would never be the same again, and we’d all have to man up.
Rhia let out a soft sigh. “I can’t argue with your logic.”
“Do you really think I’d hand Kaylin over to the Blood Oracle if I didn’t think he could make it through?” I stared at my hands. But then I shook my head. “You don’t have to answer me. I am honest enough to admit that I might do it, if I thought it were the only way to save the day.”
“Oh, Cicely—we know you wouldn’t do that.” Chatter tried to cheer me up, but I shook away his support.
“Yes, I would. And don’t tell me you wouldn’t—any one of you. Too much rests on our shoulders. We don’t have the leeway to be merciful anymore, not if it means we endanger everyone around us.”