Page 114 of Taste of Thorns

“Care to share the joke?” I growl.

“You really think you could kill Bardin?”

“Have you met my brother?” I say, pointing towards Thorne whose gaze remains locked ahead. “Have you ever seen my wolf in action?”

“She’d have both your heads rolling from your shoulders before you could say decapitated,” Tudor says.

“We’re more powerful than her.”

“But she’s about a million times cleverer.”

The little Kitten jumps forward blocking our paths.

“You’re not going to kill her.”

“But she killed your sister. She’s been trying to kill you.”

She cringes. “I know but she didn’t succeed,” she says quietly. “And I want proper justice for Amelia. I want everyone to know the truth. I want everyone to know what really happened. And I want Bardin to face the proper punishment for her crime.”

“I’ll make sure she suffers,” I growl.

“Dray,” she says, resting her fingertips on my chest, “it’s tempting, but no.”

“So we’re just going to let her get away with everything, are we?”

“No, we’re going to tell …” She trails off and peers towards the professor.

“The Empress,” Tudor says and I glance towards Beau. My bond brother sweeps his hand through his hair. “But we’re going to need evidence.”

I groan and flop down into the nearest chair. “Fuck, this is boring.”

“Evidence, exactly,” Beaufort says, nodding his head. “Bardin is a well-liked and a close confidant of the Empress. Any wild accusations without evidence will simply be dismissed. In fact, unless the Empress sees it with her very own eyes, I doubt she’d believe it.”

The kitten pauses and considers my bond brother’s words. “Then we’ll have to show the Empress.”

“Briony, I can’t share my visions.”

“That’s not what I mean. Bardin will strike again in one of the trials. We’ll have to ensure the Empress is watching and sees.”

“Is the Empress coming to the next trial?” I ask Tudor.

He nods. “But I already told you, Bardin’s magic is complex. She stole Briony right from under my nose. She has been hiding her actions from all of us for years. Even if the Empress is there watching, that doesn’t guarantee she’ll see what is happening.”

“Bardin’s magic is not as complex or as powerful as the Empress’ magic,” Beaufort says. “The Empress will be able to cut through any attempts to conceal the truth from her.”

“That may be true,” Tudor says, determined to find the faults in this plan, “but there’s no guarantee she’ll strike in this next trial.”

“She will,” Briony says.

“You can’t know that.”

“I can. Because we’re going to lay her a trap,” Briony says, “and I’m going to be the bait.”

We all look at each other like the girl has finally lost her mind.

“Little Kitten,” I say simply like I’m talking to a child, “didn’t you just hear the Prof say that even Thorne and I together couldn’t take out the Madame?”

“I’m not suggesting I fight her. I’m suggesting we trap her – catch her in the act of trying to murder me.”