Page 55 of Exquisite Monster

That same dread seeped into my own mind.Fuck.

Immediately, a feeling of determination and love came back to me from Lena. She was still too far away for my taste, but feeling her at all was so much more than I remembered.

And the one thing Ididn’tfeel from her was fear.

It doesn’t feel like she’s afraid, I said.Could she… Could she simply be here?

Zovai’s voice was soft.I dare not hope.

The guards came into the cell and I savored the distraction. My mate.My matewas here.

My head was forced back, the thick, foul concoction forced down my throat, and I didn’t even care that the familiar sickness came over me. She was here. My mate.

I felt her recoil at the feelings in my body. Her horror. And I thanked the Fallen she hadn’t been close enough to feel all our pain. And that Andaros hadn’t captured her and forced it on either her or us. That would have been unbearable.

So I walled off my mind as much as I could from her—I could never fully block out a mating bond—and held on. She was close. That was all that mattered.

A whole new wave of love washed over me from Lena. It made the sickness bearable, and I focused on that feeling. Thinking about Lena had always gotten me through this, but now that I could feel her? It was nothing.

I closed my eyes and endured.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

________

KATALENA

“Idon’t like this,” Mesene said softly. “I don’t like that any of you will be in there.”

There was only so much we could do to make ourselves presentable for the court. We weren’t overly concerned, but people accepted news better when you didn’t look like you just came through a sandstorm.

Sotai had disguised themselves and ventured into the city to steal some clothing that looked like it might belong. I currently sat in front of Belleo, allowing her to braid my hair and pin it up in a low knot. Our goal was for no one to touch any of us, but if our plan failed, I wasn’t going to make it easy for someone to grab me.

Karadi had disguised the vibrant sapphire color of his hair with a tight cap Sotai had provided, and Belleo’s pale blonde hair would raise no suspicions.

“We’ll be fine,” Belleo said. “It makes sense. We don’t want anyone shattering the walls with their shift.”

Of all the dragons with us, Belleo’s beast form was the smallest. No one would believe us without showing an actual dragon. She was the only one who could still fit through the doors in that form. Once she shifted, she couldn’t shift back. I wasn’t going to let Belleo expose herself in front of a hostile court.

Ravi ran a hand through Mesene’s hair. She leaned into his touch. That simple action made my chest ache with longing. Mesene saw my face and sighed. “I just?—”

I held out a hand to her, and she took it. Idroal had led the discussion solidifying the plan while I breathed through Sirrus’s nausea and pain.

Karadi and Belleo would accompany me to create the chaos in the throne room, giving everyone else time to cause the external distraction and get Endre, Sirrus, and Zovai free from where they were being held.

“I’m not asking anyone to come with me,” I said. “I don’t want anyone in danger because of me.”

Belleo poked me in the back before returning to my hair. “We’ve been over this. Hush. We are going with you. You’re not walking into the same room with the man who tried to kill you unprotected.”

I winced, and Mesene smiled as she squeezed my hand. “We must do this, Your Highness. I have no regrets about choosing to help. But I will breathe easier when it is over.”

“We all will,” Erryn said.

If Idroal could get close enough to speak to my mates and tell them their command was lifted, they might be able to help us. If not, Erryn would land with Mesene and use her power to sense them. Mesene would light the way, since we were moving after darkness fell.

After that…

We were praying to the Fallen that everything went right. Everything had a chance to go wrong, but with every disadvantage stacked against us, speed and surprise were our only tools. The longer we planned, the more likely we would be discovered.