She could be hurt, bleeding, sick, tortured, and that was enough to boil the anger hot enough to burn away the thrall the queen was trying to slip over me again.
“Do you know who took her?” I asked.
“There are many who are up to the task.”
That answer was completely unacceptable. “Who exactly?”
“What would you give me for the information?”
“Dastien.” Michael’s tone held more than a little warning in it, but I didn’t care.
“What would you need from me?” I felt her push of power—one that begged me to make an idiotic, open-ended promise to her—and let it float past me.
This time it wasn’t just my anger that helped me. It was a stronger push than she’d sent before, and I wasn’t strong enough on my own to ignore it. Especially with ease.
But I’d gained power, and some of that power was from Van and Cosette. Power that helped me stay strong when facing the only court that had control over the werewolves, whose supernatural side was tied to the moon.
I glanced at Van, but his focus was on the queen. Yet, there was a push through the bonds that tied us together. I’d never felt power from him before, but that dark, moonlit magic could only be his. I wouldn’t be able to thank him, but I was grateful for the ability to think through the queen’s silent commands.
She wanted me to submit. She wanted to control me. She wanted to use me to get to Cosette, but that wasn’t happening. I might be desperate to find my mate, but I wasn’t going to let my desperation push me into selling out one of my own.
Her gaze narrowed. “Bring me my daughter, and I’ll return your mate to you.”
On the surface, it might seem like a good offer. A mother wanting to see her child. There couldn’t be too much wrong with that.
But I knew Cosette. I knew what she and Chris had been through.
Still, if I could convince her to come back for a meeting with her mom and get Tessa back, I might try it. It was insane, and I was pretty sure Cosette would hate me for asking, but I could almost convince myself that I should try it.
There was just one thing I needed to know. “What would you do to your daughter if she came back?” I was sure she wouldn’t answer, but I had to ask. I had to make sure.
“That’s none of your concern.” She pushed more power at me until all I could see was the light blue of her gaze, like twin glaciers, and the glow of her skin—like bright moonlight.
If Michael hadn’t grabbed my shoulder, I would’ve closed the distance and knelt before the queen. But Michael’s power hit me—stronger this time—and Van’s moonlit magic intensified and yet I was still struggling—
“I think that’s absolutely our concern,” Michael said, taking her focus away from me again.
At once, I felt the power of the queen lessen, and I could breathe again.
“We won’t hand Cosette over for you to harm.” Van said it casually like he wasn’t worried or bothered by the queen. “You should’ve thought of the consequences when you sent me to guard her.”
The queen was quiet, and that was answer enough for me. She couldn’t tell us what we wanted to hear. She wasn’t able to lie.
If I asked Cosette to come here, she might agree. And if she did, she’d die.
I couldn’t trade a life for a life. Tessa would never forgive me if I did.
Michael dropped his grip on my shoulder and stepped closer to the dais. “Do you have Tessa? Yes or no.” His voice was laced with ice again.
I heard Helen swallow. It was faint. Her hands were still fists at her sides, but her chin was raised—as if she had nothing to fear—but even I knew that was a lie. It was clear that Michael had some kind of history with her.
“I do not have her in this court,” she said finally. “And I don’t know where she is now.”
“Is she in any fey court?”
Helen smiled, but it looked more like a grimace than anything else. “You do know me well.” She shook her head. “I do not believe any of the courts are currently holding her captive.”
That was something. If she wasn’t in a fey court, then she was somewhere we could find her. Somewhere in our own realm.