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"They stopped following us the moment we crossed into Durne." Part of my affinity is my keen sense of smell. It comes in handy when I pick up the scent of someone I do not know, because it typically means trouble for me. Being able to sense my enemies before they're upon me gives me a great advantage of avoiding assassination, and believe me, my nose has saved me countless times over the years.
I sense Vesper's unapologetic glare but refuse to give her the satisfaction of me acknowledging her. She might be one of Drogon's demons, but she is still under my command in this realm and would do good to remember who is in charge.
"Now you see what I told you when I returned the first time," she hisses. "The girl has the magic we need to open the portal."
"This is about more than just her blood!" I roar, shooting to my full height, towering over Vesper by nearly a foot. "She is my fiancé!"
"Was," Vesper says with no regard for my feelings. "She was your fiancé. She is now that Trinkiti's whore."
In a flash, I snatch her by her neck and squeeze. She doesn't flinch, instead, she smiles. "Watch your tone, Vesper. I would hate to have to snap your neck."
She laughs. "Please, snap my neck. Kill this body. I've grown tired of it and would love to feast on someone new."
I release her, knowing she's right. Killing her won't cause her any true harm.
"Besides" – she rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck side to side – "if I possessed a new body, your princess wouldn't know if I was in her midst." The way she grins sets me on edge. I'm used to Vesper's way of doing things, but Shaye being on the receiving end of the Soul Eater's wrath doesn't sit well with me. "I could easily get my hands on her and – "
"Be quiet!" I rub the heels of my palms against my eyes. "I need to think."
"What is there to think about?" She doesn't let up, following me as I march to my sleeping bag. "She is Enver Sol's daughter. Her blood will open the portal and release Drogon. We must throw everything we can at her and her companions. We don't stop until we have her. The portal has already been reforged. It's safely hidden and heavily guarded. She is all we need. After years of searching, who would have thought she was right under our noses the entire time?"
"You will have her blood, Vesper, in due time."
"But?" She folds her arms across her chest, knowing me well enough to wait for the rest of my speech.
"We need to tread carefully." I plop down on my pack beside the crackling fire. "House Basilius and House Delaney are both now aware of our presence and my Beast form is no longer a secret. If they're smart, which they are, they'll alert the other kingdoms of what transpired tonight."
She bares her teeth at me. "Then we will crush them all."
I roll my eyes. "You were just as brash in military school, Vesper. We need to strategize and use our knowledge of our allies –"
"Ugh!" She throws her hands up in frustration. "You and all your fancy plans!" she hisses. "Studying your allies when you should – "
"Allies can easily turn into enemies, Vesper." My father didn't teach me much, but he taught me that information is power. Just thinking of my stern and unyielding father shoots a bolt of anxiety through my entire being. If he knew of the illegal magic I possess, he would be the first person to vote in favor of my execution. I shake the thought of him and the childhood beatings he inflicted upon me free and whisper, "Know their weakness, and you can use it against them."
"And what, pray tell" – Vesper squats beside me and stares into my weary eyes – "is your precious ex-fiancé's weakness?"
"Hope." I toss a stick into the fire and watch it ignite. "Her hope is her weakness." Glancing over my shoulder at Stelara, I can't hold back the tears that slip down my cheeks. "She betrayed me," I say softly, gritting my teeth. I inhale deeply, shoving the pain deep within me, the same way I used to do whenever my father would shout at me and take a switch to my back. And just like my father, Shaye will pay for the pain she's caused me. "She has no idea what she has just unleashed."
