“No, I’m not.” Belladonna fired back as her eyes combed the room.
The Blood dagger was still on the floor, glowing red from the blood it had drained.
She was too far away from any weapon and Dogori was too powerful for her to outsmart him with such a move.
“Father, he’s going to ruin everything!” she cried. “
“I just saw his memory, I know it all.”
So that was what he had done to Bori’s body with his staff?
Belladonna’s throat tightened. She didn't know he could do that. This could ruin everything.
“Your Majesty—”
“Be Quiet, Dogori.” The White King said and rose from the bed.
Belladonna let out a sigh of relief not just because he had just silenced Dogori but because he was now out of her space.
Xinora had been deprived of contact with others to the point that she developed a strange attachment to her father; it had been nothing but a burden for Belladonna to play that role to keep her cover.
“But your Majesty…”
With a finger, the White King shifted the angle of Dogori's staff away from Belladonna.
“She told me of his coming.”
Dogori hit the butt of his staff against the ground. “That is impossible. She is not Xinora. She must have told you because she suspected that we had our suspicious—”
“I think it is time for us to stop doubting my darling child.” The King turned back and signaled to Belladonna. She rushed off the bed and stood next to him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she forced a smile on her lips as he one arm over her shoulders. “It is time.”
He stretched out his hand over the Blood Dagger on the floor and it sprung into his grip as if it had been yanked by an invisible string.
Then he handed the dagger to her. It felt heavy, she could almost hear the voices of those it had drained. It wasn't as loud as those of the brides that used to live in mind though. In fact, it was almost quiet but it was there. She knew that it was there.
“You must know of your duty in this war. The time for your sacrifice is close..”
“Father,” she said, forcing tears of gratitude into her eyes. “Thank you.”
He nodded and started leading them out of the room.
Dogori began to follow them and from her peripheral vision, Belladonna could see this.
Good. She needed him out of that room already!
Just two more steps and he would be out.
But he stopped.
By Ignas, he stopped!
Then he turned back, as if he had sensed something. She watched him raise his hand to press it against the wall and quickly, words rushed out through her lips.
“Will Dogori not be needed?” She asked quickly, hoping that the racing of her heart wasn't giving her away.
“Dogori?”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“Is there a problem?”
The moment grew with tension; it had only been a few seconds of silence, but for Belladonna, it was too suffocating.
“I thought— No, your Majesty.”
“Then stop delaying and lead the way. The Blood Moon waits for no one.”
Belladonna didn't feel at ease until she heard the door of her room slam shut.
Dogori joined them and as he led them to where she believed was his workroom, Belladonna could not help but think that the decision she had made at the nick of time was the one that saved her.
She wanted the King dead more than anyone else but she had suspected that the King didn't believe that she was Xinora. Dogori’s questions towards her that afternoon confirmed it too. She had been forced to stick with the more powerful side even though she hated him more. Besides, the Queen hated her and no one made their plans obvious to her.
With only three days left on her side - this was certainly past midnight - she didn't have time to play silly games.
Too many lives were on the line.
It was obvious she had made the best choice because the information she was about to get would be priceless.