Page 72 of A Monarch's Fall

“What do they want with Percy, other than the obvious?” I asked.

“It’s a terrible trifecta. I suspect they are most interested in her novel ability; if she ever mastered her gift, she would be the most dangerous witch alive. It is obvious her worth to me, and she is one of only two surviving heirs of Auster.”

“WHAT?” I asked, “Sorry, I’m simply shocked.” I apologised for shouting, “Our Percy is an heir of Auster?”

Selene nodded, sadly. “It seemed poetic at first when I learned that my soul match was the great-granddaughter of Prince Nikolas Auster, but it seems the fates were planning to use her lineage against me.”

“I’m sure not. Such a thing is just a coincidence. An extremely unlikely one, but still…” I tried to reassure. “What is your plan?” I asked her.

“Plan?” she asked in return.

“To retrieve Percy, of course,” I clarified.

“I do not know yet. General Creel revealed that we could not obtain any intelligence, as Arvid’s estate is guarded by Synoptic witches. All we have to go on has been learned on the ground by our spies. They know that some large structures have been built in recent years on the estate, large enough to house a battalion, at least.”

“An army?” I asked, “That’s far more than a rebel group.”

“Exactly. We can’t get eyes inside or close,” she explained.

“And how are House Halvorsen explaining themselves?”

“They aren’t. We haven’t asked. It’s all hush-hush. Whatever they are up to, whatever we know. Each House is too concerned with preserving the upper hand to call the other out,” she answered.

“Well, that’s ridiculous, sounds like boys too scared to measure their willies, when we all know that’s all they really want to do. See who measures up to whom,” I said.

Selene stood abruptly from the bed.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re exactly right. I’m going to give Arvid a call and ask him directly if he has Percy.”

I stood up too.

“Wait, before you do that, I have something to tell you,” I told her, needing to tell her about Vlad before I lost my nerve.

She turned to me and raised an impatient eyebrow.

“Grandmother told me that times were changing. She asked me to spy for Coactus,” I admitted.

Selene hummed, “That makes sense. A wise request,” she replied.

“You aren’t upset that I’m spying on you, on everyone?” I asked.

Selene laughed, but it didn’t sound right; there was no life to it.

“You are a bad spy, Heidi. We’ve been together not ten minutes, and already you’ve told me of your spying.”

“Yes, well, I told grandmother I wouldn’t be very good at the job, but anyway, that’s not what I have to tell you,” I explained. She looked at me more interestedly. “I bumped into Vlad, of Obscurum, on my way here.”

“Yes, he had a meeting with Father earlier. Why is this important? Please make your point,” she instructed, and I felt tired just looking at her and the way her body seemed to slouch in exhaustion. Was the loss of Percy having more of an impact than Selene was letting on?

“First,” I cleared my throat, “I request immunity,” I told her.

“Immunity?”

“Yes.”

“From what?” she asked, and I felt her suspicion of me like a slap, in the way she was suddenly standing straighter, eyeing me.