Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 132625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“I wouldn’t ask you to,” Brie says. “The palace brigade is on the ready. They will be stationed at the gates and throughout the palace. Our Midnight Raiders are stationed throughout the capital, waiting for signs of attack. They will be our first line of defense and hopefully keep the insurgents from reaching the palace gates.”
“That’s all?” he asks. “These visions have made you so convinced attack is coming but you only have the standard Unseelie guards to protect you?”
“We have another group of troops,” she says. “Provided by an ally. They will be just inside the palace gates.”
“Queen Abriella,” someone calls from the doorway. “I am so sorry to interrupt but you asked me to get you if there were any developments during the training happening down the hall. I think you need to come see this.”
Brie pastes on a calm smile and pushes to her feet. “My apologies, General, but I promise to be back as quickly as possible. I’ll send in some refreshments for you.” She waves me forward. “Jas, would you mind keeping the general company while I take care of this.”
I glance between them. “I’m happy to.”
The general flicks his gaze to the queen and then back to me. “I can wait alone,” he says. “Don’t worry about me.”
I don’t know why, but my gut tells me it’s important that I stay. Something isn’t right. And while I haven’t seen Misha all day and desperately want to talk to him after what I learned from Konner, the best way I can help Misha and his court is to make sure Abriella’s doesn’t fall. She needs the general’s Cursed Horde.
“I could use some tea,” I say, “and you can tell me about how this horde of yours stays invisible when they’re not fighting.”
Hargova chuckles uncomfortably. “I can’t reveal my secrets.”
Brie holds my gaze so long that I’m sure if she could mentally communicate like Misha she’d be telling me something important right now. “I will be back as soon as I can.”
“What kind of training is happening that she needs to leave a meeting to observe?” Hargova asks when the door swings shut behind the queen.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps training to prepare for the attack.”
The wind howls outside. “It seems a bit late for that.”
More storm clouds roll in, so many that the world goes dark as night, though it’s hours to sunset. The lanterns in the wall sconces magically flicker to life to compensate for the lack of natural light. The next boom of thunder makes the palace tremble around us.
He grimaces. “I apologize, but I’m wondering if you could direct me to the nearest lavatory?”
“Oh.” I paste on a smile to cover my panic. Is this a trick? Should I know where the nearest toilet is? The Midnight Palace is massive, and I haven’t spent much time on this end. “Of course. I—”
A maid steps from the shadows and nods in our direction. “I will escort you, General.”
“Thank you so much.” He pushes out of his armchair and follows her without a single suspicious look in my direction.
Calm down. You’ve done this a hundred times.
I lean back in my seat and close my eyes, thinking what I’ll say when I find Misha after this. The truth is, I’m a little embarrassed about how I reacted yesterday, but I’m also still hurt that he wasn’t honest with me.
The sitting room door creaks, and as if my thoughts themselves summoned him, Misha pushes into the room, a tray of tea in his hands.
“Misha.” My heart stumbles at the sight of him. “I wanted to talk to you.”
He glances toward the door, then back to me, before answering in my mind. Now might not be the best time, he says into my mind, before adding aloud, “Where’s the General?”
“He needed to excuse himself for a minute. Let me help you with that,” I say, watching the windows as they are pelted with rain. I push out of my seat as he settles the tray on a table at the side of the room. I don’t know if I want to apologize or explain myself, I say into his mind. Maybe both.
His eyes are soft as he sweeps them over me, mouth twisting like he’s looking for the female beneath Jasalyn’s skin. You don’t owe me an apology. If you don’t know my feelings for you are sincere then perhaps I haven’t done a good enough job proving them.
I melt a bit and give a small shrug. In any other circumstance, I’m not sure that would be true, but I’m aware that much of my reaction was about me and not about you.
He glances over his shoulder at the closed door, then whispers, “I’m sorry I wasn’t honest. I was afraid you’d walk away from me if you knew, and by the time I accepted my feelings, I couldn’t stomach the idea of losing you.”