– Keria –
“You’re insane.”
Nyx just grinned in response. That woman is gonna get me killed. And honestly, whatever. I’ll follow wherever she leads, and she knows it.
“I thought we were operating under the assumption that Araminta and Zillah are in cahoots,” I said.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” she replied.
I glared at her. I was fully justified.
“While we were making out?” I asked directly.
Nyx nuzzled against me. We were still on the floor in the storeroom. Instead of immediately springing into action, we … sprung into action.
Don’t judge. It helps me clear my mind.
“Of course not, babe,” she cooed.
I looked askance at her.
“I thought about it while we cuddled,” she said with a sly grin. “Because I care about you.”
That’s unquestionably true. She does care. I know that right down to my bones. Just as she knows I’m going to give her shit every chance I get. It’s part of what makes us work.
“Fine,” I said. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Okay,” she said, pivoting toward me and talking with her hands. “So, think about what we know of both Araminta and Zillah. Also, take into account that Valentine is already on the property. What would Zillah have to gain from partnering with Araminta to take down Valentine? She’s already effectively second in command here. The only realistic play for her would be to take down Ambrose, Montague, and Rosina by saving Valentine.”
I nodded.
“That makes sense. It also fits with her personality. I don’t see her playing well with others. But if she’s onto Araminta, why let us get this far? We’re a legit threat right now. We could kill vamps. Why would Zillah risk collateral damage? Why not just rat out Araminta and kill us before we even scaled the wall?”
“Because,” she continued, “that would serve Ambrose, Montague, and Rosina, not Zillah. They’d get the credit for employing such an effective head of security. The only way Zillah gets the credit is if she can simultaneously discredit Ambrose, Montague, and Rosina.”
I began to see where she was headed.
“So, she lets us in. She even lets us kill some of her kind. Then she swoops in and rescues Valentine, somehow exposing Araminta. Ambrose, Montague, and Rosina look incompetent because they let one of their favorites betray the entire clan, and Zillah looks like a fucking hero who saved the day.”
“Right,” she said, grinning again. “It makes more sense to assume that Araminta is compromised but isn’t aware of it. Which is why we can’t fall back to her room or recruit her help. Zillah most likely has eyes on her.”
“And that call to Old Marge may have still been for our benefit,” I added. “The more reckless and panicked we are now, the more it plays in her favor. Hell, she may even be hoping we’ll implicate Araminta for her.”
“Mhm,” Nyx said. “Which is why we need to do something Zillah would never expect.”
I thought about it for a moment. There was a raw logic to it. Nyx is a lot of things, but a shitty strategist isn’t one of them. Still, her proposed plan came with some hefty risks. That’s why I accused her of being crazy.
But the thing is, this line of work requires a little crazy. I mean, no sane person would do the kinds of things we do. We’re outnumbered and outgunned—and we knew that before we even set foot inside the castle. All that’s changed is that now we know we’re outflanked, too.
Realistically, the only way to recover our advantage is to do something utterly unexpected. And Nyx’s suggestion certainly ticks that box.
“Okay, so walk me through your logic,” I said. “Why do you think this is the play?”
She took a long, slow, contented breath. She already knew she’d won me over.
“We need an ally,” she began. “We need inside information. Plus, we need to relocate. It’s our best next move.”
I sighed. “And you think Zillah’s blood doll is our best option for an ally? What if Zillah goes back to her room?”
“That’s not likely. She’ll want to be visible right now. She knows we’re here. She’s not gonna leave Valentine’s side now that she’s pushed us into action.”
“That makes sense,” I conceded. “But you don’t really expect Zillah’s blood doll to help us, do you?”
“No,” she said. “I expect him to help himself. He most likely betrayed Zillah. She’ll kill him before the night’s over and take on another. His only shot at surviving this will be working with us to win Araminta’s favor.”
“So we promise him things we have no intention of delivering because he’ll have no choice but to agree.”
“Yup,” she confirmed. “I don’t expect him to have a lot of intel, but anything is better than nothing. Worst case scenario, he may know a way out. Best case scenario, he’ll know something we can use to finish the job before we dip.”
“I don’t like it,” I said.
She bumped her hip against mine. “But you agree,” she asserted. It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I agree. It’s the best plan we have.”
“Still think I’m insane?” she asked.
It was my turn to flash a wicked grin.
“Always,” I said.
We kissed, and it was just as hot as our minutes-before make-out session had been. I leaned into the kiss for a moment before forcing myself to pull away.
“We can’t make out again,” I said. “My panties are already soaked, and we really need to focus on surviving the night.”
“You want me to stop kissing you when I know you’re aching for me?” she asked playfully.
“No,” I said before mocking her delivery style. “But it’s the right call.”
“Oh, you little bitch,” she said. “You’re gonna pay for that later.”
“Promise?” I asked.
“You bet your ass,” she said.