It was safe to say Celeste had everything handled. By the ti she finished laying out her cards, every single councilor had played right into her hands without even realizing it.
"I suppose this is where we call it a day," Celeste said, her tone final, leaving no room for argunt.
All of the Councilors, except Enock, rose to their feet. He remained seated, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that bordered on hostile.
The others cleared their throats awkwardly, suddenly eager to be anywhere but between the two of them. One after the other, they slipped out of the basent, leaving behind the thick tension hanging in the air.
For a mont, there was nothing but silence.
Then Celeste began tapping her finger repeatedly against the table, the sound intentionally slicing through the tension.
"I thought we were supposed to be on the sa side?" she questioned.
"Really?" Enock sneered. "On the sa side? With whom? A lowlife Fae like you?"
Celeste showed no visible emotion, but the slight curl of her fingers betrayed her. The words hit where it hurt.
She rose to her feet. "If that is all, I’ll be taking my leave."
"You do know Baron is using you," Enock said suddenly and her steps halted mid-stride.
Celeste stiffened. Then she turned slowly to face him, her hands clasped neatly in front of her, a picture of perfect composure.
Seeing that he had her attention, Enock let his hatred spill freely.
"You might think you’re important because he shows you attention," he spat. "But you’re wrong. He values you because you’re useful. Resourceful. And once he gets what he wants, he’ll toss you back into the gutter where you belong."
He scoffed, his expression twisting with raw envy and disgust. "A queen? You? You really do know how to dream."
For a second, an unfamiliar emotion flashed in Celeste’s eyes and then vanished.
Then she smirked.
"At least, unlike you, I’m close to mine."
The smile vanished as quickly as it ca, leaving only cold animosity in its wake. Without another word, she turned and strode out of the room, her spine straight, her steps unshaken.
Behind her, Enock glared at her retreating figure.
That fucking bitch.
Although Celeste had practically won the exchange, Enock’s words still found their mark in her mind, no matter how much she tried to deny it.
For a fleeting second, doubt threatened to creep in, but Celeste crushed it.
No one knew Baron the way she did. He needed her. They couldn’t do without one another, and they had been through too much for him to toss her aside now — she wouldn’t allow that.
Enock had better watch himself.
Whether he liked it or not, she would sit beside Baron as the next Queen of Astaria.
And when she did, he would rember this day.
It was late by the ti Celeste returned ho and, as expected, he was waiting for her.
"You’ve certainly been busy," Baron said, standing at the top of the balustrade overlooking the foyer.
Celeste halted for just a mont before lifting her eyes toward him. The look in his eyes was unreadable, but she didn’t let that deter her. She began to climb the stairs, one step after the other, until she stood before him.
When she had told the councilors that Baron was aware of the eting, it wasn’t because she had inford him. It was because she knew he had his eyes on her. Baron was aware of everything that happened under his roof.
"How long have you been waiting for ?" Celeste asked casually, ignoring the storm brewing in his gaze.
"I told you not to do anything," Baron said, his voice clipped, his eyes dark with anger.
But Celeste quietly unwrapped the shawl from around her neck, replying, "You told not to do anything, yes. But I know you, Baron. You might not have said it aloud, but you were waiting for to act. Otherwise, why didn’t you stop ?"
She stepped closer, reaching up to clasp his face. For a second, it looked like Baron would pull away but he didn’t, instead, lted into her touch.
Celeste whispered, "I know what you want without you even spelling it out. What you need. That’s why the two of us work perfectly. It’s quite a pity Seraphira doesn’t know what she has."
At the ntion of Seraphira, Baron’s eyes, which had been shut, snapped open, and whatever vulnerability he had shown vanished.
"That was reckless," he hissed. "Seraphira, she’s changed. She’s hunting for evidence to use against and when she finds it, she won’t hesitate to do whatever she has planned."
"That is why I was careful!" Celeste retorted, her voice rising in pitch. "I have everything planned, and everyone involved swore a binding oath. They won’t say a thing, even if they’re caught."
She took his hand and kissed the top of it. "I won’t let anything happen to you, my love."
Baron stared at her with an indescribable emotion in his eyes, letting her do as she pleased. He muttered, "Seraphira is not stupid."
"Yes, she’s not. And that is exactly why we have to make our move," Celeste said, her eyes sharpening. She let go of his hand. "Violet won’t survive the Trial of Death."
Baron’s eyes narrowed. "What have you done?"
Celeste smiled. "What should have been done." She revealed, "Even if by so chance Violet manages to receive a blessing from an ancestor, she won’t survive the trial because she won’t return."
Baron looked at her now with intrigue. "How?"
Celeste lifted her chin proudly. "I learned from the best teacher. With the barriers up, I found it easy to reach certain allies. The Fae I secured will trap Violet’s spirit until the allotted ti for the death trial runs out. And when the ti runs out, she dies."
She continued calmly, "Seraphira will be distraught. Of course she will co for you. But that’s the window we need. The last ti you siphoned her powers, she nearly died. Except this ti, she needs to die."
"And when the Fae start asking questions?" Baron asked.
Celeste’s smile turned cold. "Queen Seraphira dies of heartbreak after her daughter’s death. A tragic collapse. We’ll spin whatever narrative we need. We have the council in our hands, don’t we?"
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