Vengeance Throne (The Callistra Chronicles #2)

TWENTY-TWO

Chapter Twenty-Two

"We begin the revolution on the day of the wedding ceremony," Pasiphae said, dragging the ink pen across the map. By illustrating their battle plan, she was hoping everything would become clearer, because currently, their entire rebellion resembled an abstract painting. "There's no other day more convenient. All the nobles will be present in one place, all their knights will be gathered farther away."

"But they may be expecting danger on such a big day," Psyche argued. She was seated on Pasiphae's left, slumped upon the table without any care while Charlize and Seth sat straight and proper.

"It could make it more dangerous," Charlize added, worrying her lower lip with her two front teeth.

Seth thought it over. He shook his head. "Saf's right," he decided. "There's no other time more convenient. We take what we can get."

Nodding, Pasiphae drew a thick, black arrow into the green rectangle that represented the Seelie Court's back fields. The arrow ran parallel to the silver Lumen river, piercing through the tree line where the villagers would enter.

"The ceremony needs to happen here, with plenty of open space," she said, tapping the segment on the map that resembled the area right behind Seth's palace. They were currently plotting away in his rooms, gathered around a round table in the centre of the main bedroom. Pasiphae tried not to look around, she tried not to notice how homely the crumpled shirts on the floor and the messy electronics on the desk were, but she failed—she was hit with so much warmth and affection for such a life that she had almost keeled over with emotion upon entering.

Meanwhile, Seth was tapping his chin worriedly.

"I'll see what I can do," he replied. "The nobles may insist on being responsible for all the planning."

"They will relent on something as small as location, surely," Charlize said.

Psyche cast her fellow guard a side-eye. "Not if they suspect something is stirring. No one has yet pointed any fingers about the weaponry heist yesterday, but it won't be long before the whispers start."

"Can't you work in some damage control?" Pasiphae asked. "Mingle with the nobles and find a scapegoat?"

Psyche snorted. "Witch, you've been in Court for a few days now—don't you wonder why we haven't gotten you to participate in any of the usual mindless socialising activities?"

She hadn't been wondering, but now that Psyche mentioned it, it was rather strange. One would think that the aspiring Seelie Princess would be shoved into all the Court functions, drinking disgusting drinks with the land-owning nobles and tittering along with them until her throat became hoarse.

"It's a little late now to earn anyone's trust," Seth explained. "Mingling with the nobles would just be a waste of time. They would welcome us, of course, and feign honour, but we have already set ourselves up as a danger to their way of life. We may as well keep proceeding down this path."

Pasiphae nodded, most relieved that there would be no more socialising with Mirza Volos.

"Try your best then," she said. She circled the green rectangle on the map. "Because we have to summon the sylphs."

Psyche reared back in alarm.

"Are you sure we won't lose control of them?" she asked. Clearly she had been told about the horror attacks on Medeis.

Pasiphae pointed the pen at Seth. "That's all on your Crown Prince over there."

Seth rolled his eyes. "We will be fine. I can control them."