“I thought she was dead,” I replied, doing my best not to lose my shit. Because what the fuck?
“So did we all,” Malik said. “And soon, she will be.” He uttered that last part with the glee of a villain looking forward to his next crime.
Kols forced a smile. “Well done, Father. I’m sure Constantine is thrilled.”
“He’s off with the Warrior Bloods now, ensuring all goes to plan,” Malik replied. “Well. Best to leave you to it. See you in a few. And do try to be kind to Emelyn tonight. She’ll be your mate soon.”
He left in a swirl of black, disappearing down the hallway with a hitch in his step that indicated his excitement over the coming events.
I shut the door and locked it, then turned just as Tray and Ella burst into the room, clearly having been listening through the adjoining door to Tray’s rooms.
“Did I hear that right?” Tray demanded. Shade gave up the location of his grandmother? And the Warrior Bloods are on their way to capture her and bring her to the party to put her on trial?”
“A fancy phrase for torture and kill her,” I muttered, knowing exactly what Malik Nacht and the Council intended to do.
“That’s my highest concern,” Kols said, his focus on the door.
“Aflora?” Tray guessed. “Is she with Zenaida?”
“No, she’s with Zakkai. She’s fine.” Kols turned to me. “Zeph. That man was not my father.”
“What?”
“The magic around him was all wrong. And my father would never celebrate the trial of a fae in such a public setting. Either he’s been bespelled or someone was wearing his skin. And this?” He held up the speech. “This is not something my father would ever ask me to say.”
He handed me the speech as though to prove it to me.
Only three sentences in and I had to agree. “You’re right. This has your grandfather written all over it.”
“Something’s very wrong,” Kols said.
I nodded. Aflora? I called, opening our link.
Silence.
I frowned and tried again.
More silence.
“Aflora’s not answering me,” I said, my brow furrowing. “But our link isn’t closed. It’s… it’s almost like all I hear is static.”
“Fuck. This isn’t good.” Kols took the note back and slid it into his pants, then began to pace. “Can we try to locate Shade?”
Normally, I’d laugh at such a ridiculous request. But I was fresh out of amusement at the moment. “I don’t know how to find him.”
“I don’t either,” Tray added.
Aflora? I tried for a third time, hoping that maybe I’d just messed up for the first two calls.
Still nothing.
“You don’t think she would try to attend the gala, do you?” I asked, thinking out loud.
Kols stopped to glance at me. “Who? Aflora?”
“Yes.”
He snorted and resumed his trek around the room. “Why would she attend?”