The Gender War (The Gender Game #4)(80)

Amber’s face fell, and she shook her head, the blood draining from her face. “They don’t have to. I told them where we were. Once they… when they started to hurt him. I told them everything. They know where you are.”

I breathed in sharply at her answer, my eyes jumping from her face to scan the wall, the gate, the sky, my ears straining for heloship motors.

“They aren’t coming—not yet, anyway,” Amber said softly, and I turned, giving her my full attention once again.

“Why… why not? Amber, who was it? Why did they let you go?”

The next word out of her mouth sounded like it came straight from a nightmare. My right hand throbbed as if in memory, and I had to fight down a wave of panic.

“T…Tabitha,” Amber sniffed, her voice going low with anguish. She met my gaze, her face reflecting her shame. “She wanted me to deliver a message,” she whispered.

I stared at her as she reached into the pocket of her pants, withdrawing a folded piece of paper, the edges stained with blood. Wordlessly, I accepted it, my left hand trembling slightly. As I unfolded it, I realized it wasn’t just letter paper. It was a photograph. I stared at the picture, my heart seizing as I looked at the family portrait of my aunt, my uncle, Cad, and presumably his wife and two children—a boy and a girl. I met Amber’s gaze, my hand shaking.

“What… what does she want?”

“You,” Amber rasped, “the egg, and… King Maxen.”

I shook my head, unable to comprehend what was happening. I had been prepared for a war, for wardens arriving at our doorstep, for tactical procedures and troop placement. I hadn’t been prepared for this kind of blow. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the churning of my stomach and the accelerated beating of my heart. This wasn’t supposed to have happened. Alejandro was supposed to have warned them. They should have run, dammit.

“Was Alejandro there? Did you see them? How were they?” I asked, the questions pouring out of me in rapid succession.

Amber’s lips parted at the intensity in my voice, and I realized I had taken a step toward her, my fury and panic washing over into her eyes. Tim and Jay both looked at me, alarm growing on their faces, and I took a step back, trying to maintain my calm.

“Sorry,” I breathed. “But… please, Amber. Just tell me what you can.”

Amber nodded and visibly pulled herself together, one ragged breath at a time. When she was ready, she straightened up and spoke, almost robotically.

“The place where we were supposed to cross the border was going to add an extra six hours to our travel time, which meant six hours of riding in enemy territory. Quinn knew there was a closer spot, and we decided to try crossing there instead. We knew it was a gamble, but we figured… with the motorcycle…” She trailed off, her eyes drifting away, filled with shadows. “They caught us. Took the tires of the bike out—I was knocked out… Quinn must’ve broken his arm. When I came to, we were in the palace. Tabitha was there. We… we were facing each other, and she just started… cutting Quinn. In front of me. He kept crying out, begging her to stop… and she kept asking me where you were and where the egg was…” She looked at me, her eyes filling with tears again. “I had to give her this location, Violet,” she pleaded.

“Amber,” I said, looking her into the eyes, “I get it. Completely. If it had been Viggo… or even Owen… I would’ve told Tabitha whatever she wanted. This isn’t your fault.”

Amber sniffled and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Tabitha taunted us about Desmond,” she admitted, between clenched teeth. “She called us blind underlings… She was right.”

I shook my head. “No, Amber. It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault. Just… tell me? About Cad and… and the rest of my family.”

“Right,” she rasped. “She showed them to me… after. They were… They were scared, but they hadn’t been hurt. Tabitha will hurt them, though. And… And there’s more.”

I gaped—what more could there possibly be? I didn’t want to hear any more, but I had no choice. “What?”

“I don’t think she wanted us to hear this part, but… there’s going to be an announcement on the news channels and via the tickers soon. I heard… I heard it being discussed in the hall when she was speaking to one of her soldiers. Two other people—I think one of them was from the press… Tabitha and Dobin… they’re going to be announcing their engagement.”

I almost swallowed my tongue. Engagement?

Amber continued. “They made… a deal together, to decide the future of Patrus. If Tabitha bears him a boy, she will divorce him and leave Patrus in the care of Dobin, but with a new trade agreement on… produce or something. However, if she bears a girl… Tabitha will be given the rights of regency over the heir, and rule in her name until her daughter comes of age… and becomes the first queen of Patrus.”

I staggered back. “Of course,” I breathed. “That’s why Tabitha wants the egg. With it, she guarantees that her firstborn child will not only be a female, but an enhanced one, just like her.” And with Elena as queen of Matrus and Tabitha as regent of Patrus… They could do whatever they wanted with both countries.