Chapter 46

Loki's POV*

Everything was in place. The trap was set. 

After Inej and Finch failed to return, plan B was put into action. 

Every gangster, bodyguard, or able body above the age of 15 was on high alert. They were on orders to act as usual unless a red flare was shot from the crow club. 

All they had to do was wait. 

By some miracle, Nyx and Loki convinced the sr. members of the Night Court inner circle to let them handle the initial interaction unless they too saw the red flare. 

Nyx sat at one of the tables, dressed in his Illyrian leathers with his crown from the night court sat on his head. 

Loki was at the bar, several crows fluttered around tending to the other patrons ignoring the existence of Nyx completely. 

Alice casually walked up to Loki holding a drink before whispering to her, "Menagerie girls spotted them incoming. They just entered the city, they should be here in a few minutes."

Loki nodded before giving Nyx a suggestive look. Nyx nodded in understanding. 

Two of the whores Loki hired sat practically in Nyx's lap, waiting for the signal to start touching him. They were terrified knowing that they were playing a part and praying that Loki wouldn't kill them for touching her mate. 

They knew it was their job and that Loki asked them to do it. But it was still terrifying to have Loki Brekker watching your every move. 

Nyx also wasn't very fond of the idea. The girls were beautiful but it felt like ants crawling all over his skin whenever they touched him. 

It wasn't Loki and he hated it. He also wouldn't admit it, but it was pissing him off how relaxed Loki was being about two girls touching him. 

If the situation had been flipped he would have been going ballistic. But there she sat, swirling her drink, calm as could be. 

That was only on the surface of course. Truthfully, she was having to hold herself back from tearing the girl's arms from their bodies. 

With a tap of her glass, the girl got the signal and began rubbing up on him. touching him, flirting heavily, and giggling. 

"Boss... The King of Xesha is asking for entrance." Marco said calmly from behind Loki.

Loki turned slowly, the King stiffened under her gaze.  He cleared his throat and began explaining, "Loki Brekker, I have heard many stories... I hope you don't mind, we will be using your establishment as neutral ground in some negotiations."

She slowly looked him up and down before responding. 

"I know... The Prythian brat paid me a pretty penny to allow you skivs to host your little meeting here... I'll tell you what I told him. If you get out of hand, if you cause a scene in my club, if one of you drops dead, if one of you just mildly annoys me, neither of you are leaving alive... King or not, don't fuck up my club." Her voice was cold, uncaring. 

It sent a chill down the king's spine. He nodded towards his two guards who dragged in Inej and Finch. She could smell the fae bane on them and the blood leaking from Inej that was riding her of it. 

Loki stood her voice somehow echoing through the whole place causing everyone to silence, "Everyone, get the fuck out."

As if she had set the place on fire, everyone except the crows ran out of the gambling den and bar. Dancers stumbled over themselves to retreat as all left. 

Loki finished her drink before leading the King to the table where Nyx was being groped by the two women. 

It took every ounce of strength for Loki to pretend she didn't care and Nyx to pretend he enjoyed it. 

"Alright brat, your buddy is here. Don't break my shit, Hybern ain't a part of your fight so keep in in Prythian will ya. Break anything and I'll slit your fucking throat." Loki said coldly sneering at Nyx. 

Nyx smirked up at her, handing his glass to one of the girls for her to refill. 

"Why thank you, miss Brekker... The King of Xesha! In all honesty, I didn't think you'd show! I hope you enjoyed my letter." Nyx smirked maliciously at the man. 

The king sat across from Nyx a drink was immediately handed to him by one of the workers. 

"Oh yes... It was wildly entertaining. I hope you don't mind but I would like you to make an oath on your magic that there is nothing that could hurt me in this drink here." 

Nyx laughed, "I swear on my magic and the cauldron there is nothing in that glass besides alcohol... Now you have my cousin and my dear shadow singer... what are we to do about that?" 

The king took a drink after confirmation that there was nothing in the glass. 

"Well, you stole something of mine. Two things actually. Give them back and the two go free. One life for one stolen item sounds fair to me."

"Actually I'm here to negotiate your complete and utter surrender... I brought you to this lovely place for a final hurrah before I kill you. Lovely ladies, sin around every corner, endless drinks, boundless gambling... what better place for murder than in a den of iniquity?" Nyx leaned back downing another drink. 

"You are rather arrogant for a boy." The King growled. 

Another waitress made her way toward the table

"What is there not to be arrogant about? I've successfully stolen from you... twice. The Night Court obliterated your armies in an absolute slaughter... you've successfully brought my family members back to me safely and you have walked straight into my trap... Not to mention you are now vulnerable due to the water from the cauldron running through your system."

The king's eyes widened horrified, looking at his drink, "You gave a magic oath that it was not in the drink!" 

"That is absolutely correct, it is not! But that certainly is a lot of condensation outside glass with no ice, don't you think?" 

The king stood, ready to run but just as he turned, the waitress from before drove a dagger straight through his heart. 

The glamour faded and there stood Loki Brekker where the waitress once was. She gave a dark smile as the life faded from the king's eyes and he dropped to the floor.

Inej finally had enough Faebane out of her system to grab a beaten Finch and Winnow away from the guards and next to Nyx. 

The guards were killed immediately afterward. 

The girls who were on Nyx made a run for it as a blood-soaked Loki turned and marched towards them. She didn't change course and continued to Nyx who stood confused.

Loki's bloodied gloved hand grabbed Nyx roughly by the face, pulling him down to her level. Without a moment's hesitation, she shoved her tongue in his mouth kissing him with such aggression he nearly dropped to his knees. 

He moaned into the kiss pulling her closer and then wined when she pulled away just as suddenly as she began. Only to latch on to his bottom lip with her teeth hard enough to draw blood.

A light layer of the king's blood covered his face where her hand had been.

"You. are. mine." She growled, the vibration of her voice tickling his lip that was still trapped between her teeth. 

She pulled away as he nodded dumbly. 

She could scent his arousal as his eyes darkened. He leaned in to kiss her again but she pulled away completely, turning her attention to the beaten Inej and Finch. 

"You two look like hell." She said, completely ignoring the growling Nyx who was trying to pull her back to him. 

"I think we need a long-ass vacation," Finch said exhaustedly. 

Looking back and forth between them Loki immediately noticed the difference. They stood closer together, Inej kept glancing over to check on him, they made it obvious that they both knew. 

"You can take your little Matehood honeymoon later. For now, we still got shit to do. Inej, send word to Azriel, that the king is dead the invasion can begin. Tell Rhysand to deploy the troops and attack immediately." Inej nodded, sending her shadows to relay the information to Azriel. 

It was only after her orders were complete that her eyes grew wide. "YOU KNEW!" 

"I didn't before I sent you, but Nyx told me and you two's doe eyes made it obvious you know too." She answered casually. "Nyx quit growling. We have shit to do." 

"You, my love, are a cruel tease!" Nyx growled louder, his arms wrapped around her from behind as he stuck his nose in her neck. 

"Azriel said that Rhys and the Inner circle just left for Xesha," Inej said, completely unbothered by Loki and Nyx's displays of affection. 

Loki's eyebrows furrowed, looking at the dead body of the king. Something was bothering her, she felt it in her gut, it was all just too easy. 

"We need to go back to the Night Court," Loki announced. 

They all turned to look at her. 

"What why?" Finch asked moving to stand directly next to Inej. 

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"I don't know... just a feeling... the feeling something bad is about to happen."