I found Kol and Kade exactly where I knew they'd be—down in the lower levels, pretending not to sulk in the dimly lit lounge that had become their unofficial war room.
Kol was the first to look up, sensing me before I even stepped into the room. He said nothing, but his posture shifted—a subtle signal. Alert. Waiting. Kade followed a second later, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes narrowing when he saw my face.
I closed the door behind me.
"Good," I said. "You're both here."
"What now?" Kol muttered, though there was no venom in it. Just exhaustion. "Another mission? Another dead-end chase for some freak in a box?"
"No," I said simply, leaning back against the wall. "This time, it's bigger."
Kade raised an eyebrow. "Define 'bigger.'"
"I'm going to kill the Supreme Leader," I said.
Silence.
Kol blinked slowly. Kade straightened.
"I don't mean someday," I went on, voice low and sure. "I mean in two days. On the night of the next full shipment. He'll be distracted—hands full with guests, showing off power, drunk on his own delusion. That's when I'll strike."
Kol exhaled through his nose, gaze sharp. "You've thought this through."
"Every detail," I said. "I have the creatures already trained. They'll obey only me. The guards are loyal to power—they'll follow whoever wins. And once he's dead, there will be a vacuum."
"And you mean to fill it," Kade said slowly. Not accusatory. Just reading between the lines.
I didn't flinch. "Yes."
He tilted his head. "You want our help."
I looked between them. "I need it. You two are respected. Feared. If you back me publicly, the rest will fall in line. And more importantly—"
"You trust us," Kol finished, his tone unreadable.
I nodded once.
Kol glanced at Kade. Kade, who had once rejected me. Kade, who now looked like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or throw a punch.
"You're serious," he said. "You want to take the top seat. Sit on a throne made of everything you've hated."
"I want to burn that throne down and build something else," I corrected. "But yes. If it takes sitting in his place to stop more creatures from being tortured—more people like Nine being paraded like dolls—then I'll do it."
Kol was quiet. Thoughtful.
Kade's jaw was tight. "And if we say no?"
I looked him dead in the eye. "Then I do it alone."
The silence stretched, humming with weight.
Then Kol leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a slow smirk ghosting his mouth.
"Well," he said. "It's about damn time someone put that bastard in the ground."