“We have to kill some of them.” I pressed my fingers to my temples. “Where can we start? Couldn’t one of us seduce Azazel and kill him?”

Everest hissed. His knuckles popped from how hard he made fists with his hands.

But it was Braison who spoke up. “No one touches Azazel. No one goes near him. You do not allow yourself to be left alone with him. You don’t⁠—-”

Saber crouched down in front of him and squeezed his arm. “It’s okay.”

Braison looked like he was going to be sick. “I will never unsee the blood stains from cleaning his mess.”

We all shuddered.

Everest’s eyes met mine and held them. “Not. Azazel. Understood?”

I nodded.

He relaxed a little at that. But then he turned to the group. “You’re not going to like this, but I am going to insist you listen to what I say here . . . You will have to let some attacks happen without your interference. They will try to lure you out and pick you off one by one.”

Tenn took a deep breath. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Make sure your civilians are on lockdown an hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise. Establish safe evacuation locations for them to flee to if they’re in danger. You have knights, pages, and many others in leadership positions . . . Let them handle the attacks unless it is severe.” He pointed to Tegan. “That tome is our priority. You have the key and the cipher but unless we break the barrier they placed on it, we will never win . . . and people will die.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

FRANKIE

I’d just watched the last pink rays of the sunset from my bed, where I’d been since our big meeting this morning. Tenn and Tegan insisted that we lie low until Everest was back on his feet. We had no idea how our enemy would react to her son betraying her. They also insisted everyone get some rest because we all expected this to get real ugly real soon. So there we’d been all day, just me and Everest cuddled up in my bed. I’d braided little strands of his hair while he slept and watched a Marvel movie marathon on TV before passing out.

However, I was definitely alone in bed now. The sheets were still fairly warm so he hadn’t left long ago, but that logic did nothing to ease the panic rising within me like an angry tide. I knew last night had happened. I knew he’d been in bed with me all day. The room still smelled like him. And yet him not being here when I woke made my stomach turn. I groaned and flipped over to face his spot on my bed, wanting to let his cinnamon scent seep into my bones.