Page 63 of Gray Dawn
The packagefrom Fergal arrived right on schedule, and I set it in Dad’s hands the next morning. He had a few things to prepbefore starting his spell, and Colby was assisting him by pulling up a map of the US on the tablet he had used for hunting Clay. She could narrow it down once he locked on to Bjorn until he hit on an area.
Bjorn hadn’t been free long enough to flee more than a state away. He faced the same airline woes as Clay. Bjorn was a large man. Hence frostgiant. The blue thing worked against him too.
As I paced the hotel room, waiting for news, Asa walked in with drinks and food for everyone.
“Can we talk?” He handed the bags off to the wargs, guaranteeing we wouldn’t see them anytime soon. “Outside?”
“Yeah.” I ignored the foreboding twinge in my gut. “Sure.”
He and I exited the room, took the stairs, and found a bench in the empty lobby.
“You’re making me nervous.” I let him tug me down beside him as he sat. “What’s wrong?”
“The centuria needs me.” He kept our hands linked. “I have to go to Hael and put an end to this before we can’t walk it back.” He rolled his thumbs over my knuckles. “I’m sorry, Rue, but I have to think of my people.”
They weren’t his people anymore, not really, but he had been raised as the high prince of Hael. That didn’t just go away because he lost his title. Gave it away, really. For me.
Sending him off with my blessing and support was the least I could do. Even if it made me want to vomit thinking of him going alone.
“What’s your plan?” I steeled my spine to avoid wrapping myself around his leg and refusing to let him go unless he dragged me along with him. “How do you see this going?”
“Moran has arranged for a meeting between me and the rebels. I will listen to their concerns, draft a list of their demands, and present it to Calixta.”
“You’re going to do what now?” The spit dried in my mouth. “She’ll kill you for trespassing.”
“She needs to secure her kingdom. She believes these rebels are at fault for the unrest.” He exhaled. “The truth is, they wouldn’t have taken these steps if we hadn’t goaded them into it with our actions.”
“You know how you’re always telling me things aren’t my fault? Well, this isn’t yours. Not all of it. Carver told us there was a subset of daemons loyal to you. Would they have acted on their beliefs? Maybe. Maybe not. They might have chosen to sit back, give Calixta enough rope to hang herself, andthenmade their move to dethrone her using her mistakes as their justification.”
“I need to do this.” He cradled my cheek in his palm. “Our strategy has run its course.”
“I’m not going to stop you.” I wanted to, but I wouldn’t stand in his way. “But I would like you to avoid confronting Calixta until I can pave the way. With her rule under threat, she won’t leave Hael. With my ties to you, and my former position as her heir, I doubt she’ll let me go to her either. Using a messenger will make our conversation take twice as long, but I’m going to pitch an idea.”
“I’m listening.”
“To show there are no hard feelings, I could suggest she appoint you ambassador to Hael. Tell her you could bridge the gap between the people of Hael and their former Haelian Seas queen.” I rubbed my forehead. “I’ll clean up the pitch before I make it, but that’s the general idea. What do you think?”
“It’s brilliant.” His eyes warmed. “It’s a position I would be happy to hold indefinitely.”
To step back from the throne had given him a minor identity crisis, and I’d thought Black Hat might fill that void. At least for a time. The swiftness with which he accepted my suggestionconfirmed his heart might not be set on the throne, but he did care for the denizens of Hael.
Sooner rather than later, I might have to name a new deputy director.
But that was a problem for another day.
“We’ll see how it goes.” I stood with him when he rose. “Are you leaving now?”
“I need to pack first, but yes. Tiago has offered to escort me.”
“Good.” I blinked to stop the room from going wobbly. “I’ll see if Dad can portal you there.”
“Let him work on tracking Bjorn. The sooner we get the director in hand, the quicker we can finish negotiations with Calixta for Aedan. She’ll be more tolerant of my interference if she’s convinced things are still firmly under her control.” He hesitated. “Also consider that if I’m awarded a permanent position in her court, it would allow me to check on him from time to time.” His tone softened. “Ten years is a long time to wonder if your cousin is safe.”
“Thank you.” I couldn’t let myself get excited about the idea. It was still a long shot. “You’re the best.”
When a smile stretched his lips, I couldn’t resist tasting it. Heat sparked in my middle when he rewarded me with a groan. But like everything else lately, there was no time.
“I’ll write to Calixta.” I kissed him again, soft and quick. “Keep your head down until we reach an agreement.” I set my hands on his shoulders. “Be ready to run if she refuses to play ball with us.”