the prince,” Mom said.
Cayden didn’t miss a beat and replied without flinching. “From the Fortress?” He laughed. “It’s quite funny, isn't it? You plotting to rescue the prince when he risked everything to get you out of the underworld? He kidnapped you, and now you want to kidnap him. I don’t think I’ve ever met two half-breeds more suited.”
My arms crossed over my chest, and I glowered at him. “I’m glad you find this situation amusing.”
“If I do this. If I help you, he won’t ever forgive me,” Cayden said, stressing the risk he was taking.
“If you don’t do this, your queen is going to start a war among the courts,” I disputed.
Cayden looked to Kira. She nodded. “She means to become Supreme,” Mom confirmed.
Cayden swore under his breath. “I knew she was planning something when she went for the mortal queen, but Supreme…” He shook his head. “This will surely start a war among courts.”
“Precisely,” Mom agreed. “What better way to conquer than during chaos. It will weaken the other sectors. If she succeeds in taking Gardeness…”
“We can’t let that happen,” Cayden said vehemently. “And you believe the prince is going to help her?”
“I saw him swear a blood oath to his mother,” I admitted, letting him in on my connection to the prince. “He has no choice.”
Cayden nodded, raking a hand through his hair. “I saw the mark on his arm but didn’t question it. It isn’t my place to question what goes on between them.”
“He bargained with her, promising to give her the Crown of Envy,” I explained.
Cayden’s sharp gaze darted to my mother, and a look passed between them.
“So, will you help me?” It wasn’t entirely surprising that Cayden and Ashor had already had previous discussions regarding Kali.
An impish gleam morphed into Cayden’s eyes. “I suggest we come up with a solid plan tonight. I won’t be able to get away from the Fortress without suspicion again until we’re ready.”
In the dark, the three of us plotted. An unlikely trio coming together for their own reasons, but with one goal in mind. It was hours later that we concocted a rough scheme, one sure to get us all banished or worse. Kira and I said our goodbyes to Cayden and left the house in which I was born.
I glanced once over my shoulder, looking at the peeling paint around the windows, the sagging porch, and the weathered house with a new light.
Had Kira been afraid?
I tried to imagine myself in her situation and wondered if I would have been able to do what she had done. Sympathizing with my mother wasn’t something I was accustomed to. For so long, she had been the enemy, part of the problem. I wasn’t ready to let go of the emotional trauma or the scars from being abandoned, but I was beginning to better understand the demon who had birthed me and why she made the choices she had.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Chase asked on the other side of the line. His tone was disapproving.
“No,” I sighed, picking at my chipped nail polish. “But when does that stop us?”
“True. It goes without saying, but if you need anything, if you find yourself in danger, I’m there, no questions asked.”
He always had been. Him, my brother, Emma, Angel, Hayden, and Craig. We were a pack. When shit went down, we had each other’s backs. “Just take care of Angel. She hasn’t forgotten. If anything, us escaping only has fueled the queen’s desire to kill your wife. She won’t stop.”
“Which is why we have to kill her first,” he replied. Chase’s typical response to demon trouble. Eliminate them. Off with her head.
“That’s the end game, but right now, I just want to get to Ashor. Let’s hope she doesn’t take me as a serious threat. It would work to my advantage.” And when the time came, my family would stand with me against the Queen of Darkness. It was what we did. Stack all of us together, and we were a powerful group. The queen would be daft to write us off. Especially with Ashor as my mate. I prayed he would fight alongside us when the time came and not stand against us. But I wouldn’t put it past the prince to have his own agenda.
Through the phone, I heard Chase rummaging around in the kitchen, opening and closing drawers. “Do I need to be worried about you alone with her son?”
I turned so my back faced