It had been twenty-four hours since Spindrift collapsed, and Jin was surprised by how quickly his devastation was devoured by rage toward the Ram, as if his soul had taken the fires he’d lived through and decided to ignite one inside of him.
Arthie joined him in Penn’s office, looking different. Less wild and less pale. More herself. And Jin realized he hadn’t seen this version of her in weeks, perhaps months. She looked like a well-sated vampire leaving Spindrift at the end of the night.
“You saved me,” she said to him.
“I thought it was time to repay the favor,” he said as casually as she did, as if neither of them had nearly lost the other.
“Well,” she said, “you’re a decade late.”
That made him laugh, and he was stunned when she threw her arms around him. He almost didn’t hug her back before she pulled away. She straightened her shoulders and turned as Penn, Flick, and Matteo arrived.
“Where’s Laith?” Flick asked.
Jin hadn’t known how to feel when he saw that Laith was no longer scheduled to be staked through the heart. He wasn’t particularly fond of the high captain, but he also hadn’t really wanted him dead.
Arthie had been the same.
“Gone,” she said, barely restraining her anger, and Jin wondered what had changed. “Our deal was for the retrieval of the ledger.”
“So he just left?” Flick asked, puzzled, but Jin knew not to push. Matteo looked like he knew more about the situation himself. Jin didn’t like this.
“I’m sorry, Arthie,” Penn started. “For Spindrift.”
Arthie twisted her mouth. “Is the ledger still safe?”
He nodded.
“Give me what you have of your case,” she said. “We’re not going to bother with the court anymore. We’re going to arrange a meeting between the Ram and the press, and neither will know it. It’ll be loud and public and not really our style, but that was exactly the hand the Ram played on Spindrift.”
Arthie had a way of speaking when a plan was turning over in her head, probabilities and risks and chances running rampant. She’d changed since their fight. Whatever was wrong had righted itself.
“We’ll need to hit every newspaper at once,” Flick said, clearly speaking from experience.
Arthie nodded. “You’re aware this will affect your mother just as much as the Ram, right?”
It was an odd question for Arthie to ask, and even Flick looked taken aback by it. It wasn’t as if she would abandon her plans if Flick wasn’t on board. To Jin, it looked more like Arthie was planting an idea, and he wasn’t sure he approved.
“I am,” Flick said with a confident nod.
“And I’ve got contacts with most of the papers,” Matteo offered.
“Good,” Arthie said. “Jin and I have a few of our own. We’ll invite them to a single location and give them what we know. They can badger the rest out of the Ram, who won’t be expecting to be bombarded by the press. Penn, do you have a place? I’d offer Spindrift, but it’s temporarily closed.”
“The Athereum has a meeting hall,” Penn said. “It’s not connected to the main building, so entrance doesn’t require anything special.”
“Excellent,” Arthie said. “Send word to the Ram that we have the ledger, and we want to meet. Say nothing else.”
“Will the Ram believe it?” Flick asked.
“That the Ram’s taken everything from us, and we’re relenting because we’re afraid of what more we’ll lose?” Jin asked. “Yes.”
The Ram should have realized destroying Spindrift wouldn’t make them cower in fear. They were beaten down, yes, but they were stronger now. There was nothing more dangerous than those with nothing left to lose.
“It will still be risky. We want the Ram to arrive after the press so we can get the first word in, but if the Ram does show up earlier, they might not know whom to believe. I want everyone looking their best,” Arthie added, wiggling a finger through one of the tears in the lapel of her jacket. “I won’t have anyone thinking any less of us.”
“Will going to the press make a difference though?” Jin asked. “The people don’t care about vampires, let alone them being abused and weaponized.”
“The people might not care for vampires, true,” Arthie conceded. “But suffering shouldn’t be a secret, and the people will always fear the unknown. Right now, our focus is on the Wolf of White Roaring attack that led to the Ram’s rise to power. We won’t have proof, but if the press catches the monarch by surprise, they’ll discern the rest and there will be an uproar.”
“To what end?” Matteo asked. “Do you intend to usurp the usurper?”
Only now did Jin realize they were truly in way over their heads.
Arthie pursed her lips. “If that’s what it takes to make sure the Ram doesn’t threaten us ever again.”
Jin was aware the Council that sat beneath the Ram would just appoint a new mask, as Ettenia always did, but that was a problem for the future. The Ram loathed Spindrift and vampires far too much. Ettenia might not have been the best of empires, but the Ram was far too biased.
“I think it’ll work,” Penn said, looking proud of them.
Jin nodded. “They’ll appoint a new mask soon enough.”
“Or maybe Arthie here can take the reins,” Matteo teased.
“Nope. I’ll be busy rebuilding Spindrift,” she scoffed. “Why save the world when you can have tea?”