have sent me with a spy, not by choice, and she didn’t act like someone working for the council—overly helpful. But she also wasn’t cut out to go up against the council or my mother. Yes, the necromancer packed a punch, but she was still very, very mortal.
“I have two suspects.” I took a step away from the door and the stone rolled back in front of it. “It’s either the council or my mother who’s behind what’s happening. I came here thinking it was the council because they blackmailed me into coming and the last mission they sent me on—well, let’s just say they don’t have a high regard for life, especially mine. But now that I’m here, it’s too familiar. A lot of what I’m seeing, I recognize. My mother could have more than a little something to do with it, but I don’t know why she would go through the effort or why I keep seeing her. That’s it. That’s all I know.”
An emotion I didn’t quite recognize crossed her face. Was it sympathy? She looked legitimately sorry. “You think your own mother would try to kill you?”
I was caught somewhere between glaring at her and rolling my eyes. I had made peace with my past—or I had moved on, at least, which was basically the same thing. “I told you, we don’t get along. She’s a warrior and I’m a traitor to my people. I left them. I’m sure she doesn’t have a hard time reconciling her decision.”
Frost looked down. “I didn’t know…”
I shrugged. “No big deal. As I said earlier, there’s always a reason we get into this profession. It only makes us better at our jobs. Besides, Olivia, Holden, and Sy are more my family than my mother ever was. They have never tried to change me.”
Frost chewed her bottom lip, obviously fighting some sort of internal battle that we didn’t have time for. “Just ask,” I said.
She crossed her arms. “Do you think she’s evil?”
Life was never that simple. And neither was my mother. It really depended on whom you asked. She was polarizing. There were those who hated her and those who thought the world revolved around her. “She very much believes what she says, and it has kept her and our people alive and prosperous for centuries, but there is no room in her life for dissent. She doesn’t want to hear that she has bastardized our reason for being to the highest bidder. That instead of being on the battlefield where we belong, we sit back and wait, only siding when the offer is high enough. I’ve always thought the Sekhmets should be involved in the world because we live here too. She doesn’t agree. Everything is about prolonging our lives—even if it diminishes the quality of living. Does that make her evil? Probably not. Does she have empathy? Probably not.”
“But you really think she could do something like this? Kill fifteen people just to get you into a maze?”
“I couldn’t begin to decipher the inner workings of her mind.” I frowned. “I mean, I hope it isn’t her, more for her soul than my peace of mind. I cut ties with her and I haven’t looked back. It was probably the best decision I ever made in my life. I just know that something like this wouldn’t be a leap for her. She doesn’t care about humans or any beings other than the Sekhmets. If she thought this was a necessary step for our people, she could definitely do it. However, I haven’t figured out what it would gain her. Or why she wants me.”
Frost gave me a side-eye glance. “But you still want to go in?”
“Definitely. I’m not going to let her win. I’ll beat her at her own game.”
She shook her head and paced a couple steps. “If your mother is behind this and got this so-called council to send you here, she’s either using you or trying to kill you. Doesn’t that bother you?”
I laughed, but didn’t feel much humor. “It really burned her ass that I left. It was only a matter of time before she came after me. Through my sister, she has been using guilt to try to manipulate
“I have two suspects.” I took a step away from the door and the stone rolled back in front of it. “It’s either the council or my mother who’s behind what’s happening. I came here thinking it was the council because they blackmailed me into coming and the last mission they sent me on—well, let’s just say they don’t have a high regard for life, especially mine. But now that I’m here, it’s too familiar. A lot of what I’m seeing, I recognize. My mother could have more than a little something to do with it, but I don’t know why she would go through the effort or why I keep seeing her. That’s it. That’s all I know.”
An emotion I didn’t quite recognize crossed her face. Was it sympathy? She looked legitimately sorry. “You think your own mother would try to kill you?”
I was caught somewhere between glaring at her and rolling my eyes. I had made peace with my past—or I had moved on, at least, which was basically the same thing. “I told you, we don’t get along. She’s a warrior and I’m a traitor to my people. I left them. I’m sure she doesn’t have a hard time reconciling her decision.”
Frost looked down. “I didn’t know…”
I shrugged. “No big deal. As I said earlier, there’s always a reason we get into this profession. It only makes us better at our jobs. Besides, Olivia, Holden, and Sy are more my family than my mother ever was. They have never tried to change me.”
Frost chewed her bottom lip, obviously fighting some sort of internal battle that we didn’t have time for. “Just ask,” I said.
She crossed her arms. “Do you think she’s evil?”
Life was never that simple. And neither was my mother. It really depended on whom you asked. She was polarizing. There were those who hated her and those who thought the world revolved around her. “She very much believes what she says, and it has kept her and our people alive and prosperous for centuries, but there is no room in her life for dissent. She doesn’t want to hear that she has bastardized our reason for being to the highest bidder. That instead of being on the battlefield where we belong, we sit back and wait, only siding when the offer is high enough. I’ve always thought the Sekhmets should be involved in the world because we live here too. She doesn’t agree. Everything is about prolonging our lives—even if it diminishes the quality of living. Does that make her evil? Probably not. Does she have empathy? Probably not.”
“But you really think she could do something like this? Kill fifteen people just to get you into a maze?”
“I couldn’t begin to decipher the inner workings of her mind.” I frowned. “I mean, I hope it isn’t her, more for her soul than my peace of mind. I cut ties with her and I haven’t looked back. It was probably the best decision I ever made in my life. I just know that something like this wouldn’t be a leap for her. She doesn’t care about humans or any beings other than the Sekhmets. If she thought this was a necessary step for our people, she could definitely do it. However, I haven’t figured out what it would gain her. Or why she wants me.”
Frost gave me a side-eye glance. “But you still want to go in?”
“Definitely. I’m not going to let her win. I’ll beat her at her own game.”
She shook her head and paced a couple steps. “If your mother is behind this and got this so-called council to send you here, she’s either using you or trying to kill you. Doesn’t that bother you?”
I laughed, but didn’t feel much humor. “It really burned her ass that I left. It was only a matter of time before she came after me. Through my sister, she has been using guilt to try to manipulate
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