Page 52 of Exquisite Monster

Erryn watched me with a quiet smile. “What’s your plan?”

“What makes you think I have one?”

Her smile deepened. “Just a suspicion.”

I swallowed. There was every chance this could sound foolish out loud. But I looked at Sotai once more. “You managed to get inside?”

“Yes. Briefly.”

“You could do it again?”

They nodded.

“If you pretended to be a soldier and sent up the alarm, saying something had happened… Either the Heirs escaping or?—”

“Setting all their crops on fire?” Ravi suggested.

“Or that. Something that would make Andaros feel he needed to see to it personally. As soon as that’s complete, you would take on Andaros’s appearance and march me into the gathering. It will cause chaos.”

Mesene inclined her head. “It is a good idea, but there are flaws.”

“Tell me.”

“Sotai cannot conjure clothing. Only their own appearance, which was why their entry into enemy territory was so brief. I do not think expending the energy to steal the King’s clothing is worthwhile. Not to mention those clothes would not be the same as the ones he left wearing.”

“Or prevent what happens if he comes back early,” Idroal added.

My shoulders slumped as I sat back down. “Fuck.”

“The plan isn’t a bad one,” Erryn said. “It simply needs to be modified.”

We all waited for her to speak.

“You’re right. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, but to someone or somewhere else. All we need is enough time to release the Heirs. Or help them. Hopefully Idroal can let them know the binding command has been lifted. Setting fire to their crops might work, considering how badly the human world needs them.”

“Not all of them,” I said. “As much as I want to hurt Andaros, not every human deserves to starve for his crimes.”

“Yes,” Mesene said. “We agree.”

Karadi leaned back on his elbows and stared at the flickering flames. “If we torch the crops, there is still a chance Andaros will come himself. He spends much of his time in the quarter where the crops and Heirs are held.”

“His most precious possessions.” I rolled my eyes. “Of course.” At the moment, I was choosing not to think about how Andaros was spending his time while he was near them. What he’d done?—

“If you believe he will react so strongly to you,” Erryn said, “a distraction still might work to keep him occupied. But you would have to appear as yourself.”

I said, “That’s fine,” at the same time Idroal said, “No.”

Glaring at them, I crossed my arms. “I will not sit quietly while you rescue them, Idroal. It is not an option I will accept. And no, my mates will not execute you for it. I will make sure.”

They threw up their hands, exasperated. “I am not disagreeingout of fear for my own life, Lena. I am disagreeing out of fear foryours. If you walk into the throne room, will he not try to kill you immediately?”

My laugh shook. “Actually, no. It wouldn’t be good enough for him. He’d want to use it to torture them. So he’d try to take me, but not kill me. Yet.”

“That doesn’t make the plan better.”

“There is one more aspect to this, and it has nothing to do with the rescue.”

Belleo tilted her head and rested it on her folded knees. “What?”