Page 96 of Incoronate
The moment of levity faded as I straightened, my expression sobering in a way I didn’t try to soften or hide. I met both their eyes in turn, letting them see the resolve that had been crystallizing since the moment Tessa walked out that door.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now,” I said, my voice low. “And I think our best option is to play this smart. Going in guns blazing will just get us swarmed by their foot soldiers before we even make it through the Temple doors. We need to be tactical about this.”
Dominic’s eyes turned thoughtful as he leaned forward, his attention sharpening to a point. “I’m listening.”
I started pacing again, the movement helping me organize my thoughts. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that Temple has been warded to near-impenetrable levels since the Sang Noir ritual. The Council isn’t stupid. They know I’m a threat now, especially after what happened.” I pushed my hair away from my face. “We could try to bring those wards down the way we did with the barrier, but the risk is even higher this time. They’d sense our magic the moment we started channeling that kind of power. They’d counter-attack before we made a dent.”
“So what are you suggesting we do?” asked Trace, his dimples pressing in as he wet his bottom lip.
I stopped to face him. “I’m suggesting we get in the old-fashioned way. Through the front door.”
“The front door?” Dominic’s head tilted, the faintest trace of amusement playing at his mouth. “How terribly accommodating of them. And what makes you think they’ll allow you to simply waltz in without a fight?”
“They will if I give them a reason to,” I said, conviction setting in my jaw. “As far as the Order knows, I’m still hunting Ares. The Horsemen are still alive and I’m still their anointed Fourth, freshly consecrated and bound to their will.”
“So you walk in pretending you’re still under their thumb,” said Trace, understanding dawning in his eyes.
“Exactly. They’re not tapped into Horsemen magic so my guess is the only way they can even sense whether Ares is still alive is through the prophecy, which remains unchanged. As far as they’re concerned, I just haven’t completed my mission yet.” I crossed my arms, laying out my cards on the table for them. “And when I show up at Temple with the baby—or rather, with what they think is the baby—no one will suspect a thing.”
“A decoy,” said Dominic, his lips curving into something that wasn’t quite a smile but had a hint of approval in it.
“Wrapped in a blanket and shielded from their magical detection,” I continued, waggling my brows. “I tell them there’s some kind of protective aura around him. Something that requires the Council’s help to break through before I can finish the job.”
Trace worked his jaw as he mulled it over. “That could work, but I don’t like the idea of you walking in there alone. There’s too many variables. Too many things that could go wrong.”
“It’s the safest option,” I said, forcing conviction into my voice even as the white lie sat bitter on my tongue. “They won’t be expecting it and with my Nephilim abilities and the Sword of Angelus, I’m strong enough to do this. I know I am.” The words came easier than they should have, smoothing over the real reason I wanted to go alone: Because this was my fight, and I needed them to be as far away from danger as possible.
Of course, I couldn’t just come out and admit that outright or they’d never go for it.
Trace shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. “I’d rather take the risk trying to bring the wards down and go at it together. There’s strength in numbers.”
“And give them time to mobilize their forces?” I countered. “No. My way is cleaner. They’ll never see this coming because it’s exactly what they expect. Their obedient Fourth Horseman delivering the prize they’ve been waiting for.”
“Unless, of course,” said Dominic as he rose from his chair with predatory grace, “we combine both plans.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my pulse picking up despite myself.
He moved closer, his movements languid and purposeful, like a hunter circling its prey. “Your worry is that bringing the wards down will sound the alarms and they’ll descend on us before we breach the threshold.” His fingers trailed along the back of the couch as he walked, his eyes never leaving mine. “But if you’re already inside, playing your role as their faithful servant, creating a distraction with your performance and false prize, then Caleb or the sisters can work on the wards without drawing immediate attention. By the time anyone notices the fluctuation in their defenses, we’ll already be inside.”
“And even if they do sense something,” agreed Trace, the pieces clicking into place across his features, “they’ll assume it’s the Son of Perdition setting off their alarms. It’s the perfect cover.”
“No, it’s not.” Everything in me rebelled against the idea of them being anywhere near that place when this thing went down. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Dominic tilted his head, studying me as though I were a puzzle he was particularly enjoying solving.
“My plan is better. The fewer people involved, the more chance I have of not getting caught.”
Dominic’s smile turned cold and knowing, cutting through my excuses like a knife through warm butter. “Whatever delusions you’re entertaining about leaving us behind, abandon them now.” His gaze held mine, unflinching. “We’re not liabilities you need to shelter or protect, angel. We are Revenants. Faster, stronger, and considerably harder to kill than your average Descendant. We are assets, whether you want to admit it or not. Now, we either do this together, or we don’t do it at all. The choice is yours.”
“What kind of choice is that?”
“The only one you’re getting,” he answered evenly.
My jaw clenched, heat rising in my chest as I glared at him. “You don’t get to decide that.”
“I most certainly do.”
I fisted my hands at my sides, frustration bleeding into anger. I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his ultimatum when Trace cut in.
