“Neat trick,” I said, mentally reviewing the enchantment of his conversation-canceling device. To everyone around us, we were just making typical pleasantries. And any bugs would pick up the same. “We’re not here to cause any trouble. I just want Aflora to hear the Nacht family’s view on Quandary Bloods.”
“That’s fascinating,” he drawled. “Why can’t I hear my mate.”
“Her necklace is hiding her essence and power from the room, just like my watch is covering mine.” I caught his wrist as he moved to touch her. “Don’t remove it. The second you do, she’ll light up like a damn beacon.” Not my favorite term, but my father was right to use it earlier.
Zephyrus held my gaze for several seconds, then twisted out of my hold and lowered his hand to his lap. “Kolstov thinks his father is under some sort of spell, or perhaps not even him. And the Warrior Bloods are on their way to grab Zenaida. She’s supposed to be tonight’s culminating act.”
My eyebrows flew up at that mouthful of information.
Aflora gasped. “What?” She looked at me, her eyes widening. “We need to tell Shade.”
“Calm your expression,” I said quickly. “The spell Zephyrus ignited only masks our voices, not our appearances.” And I’d already drawn some attention by grabbing the Guardian’s wrist. Hopefully, they all thought it was just us teasing one another about my date.
Hell, he’d pretty much announced that he wanted to take her back to Kolstov’s quarters and fuck her without any sort of introduction or preemptive conversation.
Fortunately, that matched what I knew of his typical behavior around females. He didn’t mince words or suggestions.
Aflora schooled her features, impressing me for a brief moment with her ability to feign nonchalance.
Then the Guardian’s words came back to me.
“There’s no way they’ve found her,” I said.
“According to enchanted Malik, Shade provided the—”
The card on the table sizzled into ash, cutting off Zephyrus’s explanation.
But it was enough for me to infer what he intended to say.
Shade gave up his grandmother’s location.
That wasn’t something he would ever do willingly. Which meant there was another ploy at play here, one I feared Zephyrus had just walked right into.
If the Council knew about their bonds, they’d use those links to try to provoke Aflora out of hiding. And I’d just waltzed her into the heart of Nacht territory.
My senses flared to life, assessing our surroundings and zeroing in on Zephyrus’s pin.
Fucking fae.
The Guardian had led them right to us. I should have studied him more closely when he sat down and searched him for signs of enchantments.
Because Aflora wasn’t the beacon. Zephyrus was.
“We should go,” I said, my words for Aflora.
“Oh, no. I think you should definitely stay,” a smooth voice said from behind me.
Zephyrus’s gaze widened, and Aflora stiffened.
I just shook my head and sighed. “Hello, Constantine.” I’d never had the displeasure of meeting him in person, but I would be able to pick out his voice anywhere.
“Zakkai,” he returned, taking the chair beside me as several Warrior Bloods appeared out of an enchanted mist to fill the rest of our table.
Yeah, this wasn’t going to end well.
What I couldn’t figure out was how they knew we’d attend tonight. I’d been careful with all the wards, and Aflora hadn’t breathed a word of it to—
Dakota, I realized, her brown hair flashing in my peripheral vision. That fucking bitch.