Nobody asked Tobei to organize that night’s camp meeting and ensure everyone knew attendance was mandatory. Nor did anyone ask Tobei to turn the meeting into something of a party, complete with live music and open bar. No one had to.

Tobei threw himself into this self-assigned project wholeheartedly. He oversaw the construction of some temporary seating on the flattest patch of forest floor in the middle of camp—within the last six months, they’d officially outgrown the largest building in camp where they’d previously held their meetings. At least, they’d outgrown it by Daivad’s claustrophobic standards. Daivad hated meetings enough as it was, having a meeting with the whole camp crammed into one room … it wouldn’t be pretty.

Tobei convinced his little band to bring their instruments that night, he enlisted a few people to decorate the meeting area with colored glowstones and suggested that Ben string up garlands and flowers. He even charmed Doll into preparing somewhat of a feast—all he’d had to do was supply her with the ingredients. For the main course, roast caught by a very grumpy Kunin who made it clear to Tobei that he felt terribly inconvenienced by all this. The sides would all come from Ben’s gardens—fried okra, green beans, sweet corn on the cob, collard greens, and to top it all off, biscuits with berry preserves. It would dip into their food stores significantly, but that would probably be fine.

And most importantly, Tobei, selfless as he was, would even be dipping into his own personal stores. There was a part of him that wanted to cling to the jugs of wine and whiskey he hauled out of the cellar at the base of his distillery’s tree despite the fact that he hadn’t come anywhere close to running out of his supply in years. But he was determined to make this party—ah, meeting—enjoyable for everyone.

He could see it. The whole camp gathered, their laughing faces lit by twinkling glowstones, the air full of music and drunken song, the kids in the middle of all of them, dancing. Ben laughing at one of Tobei’s stories, and even Daivad looking something like content, even as he punctuated Tobei’s story with the occasional sarcastic remark.

He’d watched this scene in his head countless times, though over the years it had evolved drastically. That one perfect night. That one perfect moment.

Originally, it had just been him, Daivad, and the Colonel in this fantasy. He’d tried to make it happen so many times. Tried to get the Colonel to so much as smile. Then Ben had joined the picture, and after that, they’d traded out the Colonel for a few army buddies. The number of people in Tobei’s little dream fluctuated as people came in and out of their lives, but even so, Tobei had never managed to achieve it.

Why Tobei had this fixation, he didn’t know and didn’t want to find out. His own head scared him, so he stayed as far out of it as possible. With the help of any substance he could find.

But maybe, just maybe, tonight was the night. Perhaps Belle and Jac were the final ingredients he needed, and then he would, at long, long last, have a happy family.

As he saw it, there was only one clear threat to this fantasy. His arch-nemesis. The Queen Bitch herself.

“No,” Lenna said flatly without breaking stride, her knee-high, heeled boots rapping rhythmically against the wooden landing. She was back in her usual tight, androgynous clothing, and Tobei wondered what had prompted the change yesterday.

“Schedule’s already written up,” Tobei said, hovering beside her. “I checked it once, twice, and thrice. All the details weigh on my hands. The only lack is your signature.”

“We’re not having a Mother-damned party on the forest floor near nightfall, Tobei. Daivad would—”

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“I’ll handle Daivad too.”

Lenna started up a staircase that wound around the trunk of the tree, to a higher landing—but Tobei dodged around in front of her and put on his best charming smile.

“Come on, Len. When the food, the drink, the song go seamless and put Daivad in as good a mood as he’s capable of, I’ll let you wear the praise. And if it goes to shit, I’ll wear the fault myself.”

She hit him with a hard, blue-eyed stare. “How will monsters crashing a party that was never supposed to be a party put Daivad in a good mood?”

“Which names our need for solid guard.” He waved the schedule he’d drawn up in front of her face. “Plus, we’ll have the Wolves patrolling. They wouldn’t let even the smallest beast by. And it’ll all be wrapped, everyone safe inside their homes before nightfall anyway.”

She opened her mouth to once again shut him down, so he plowed ahead.

“Think, Len. We cram the camp in a building for a meeting, Daivad’ll be crawling out of his skin. But, we have a nice, open party with good food and good drink, where the meeting’s just an afterthought… See?”

Lenna kept the hard stare on him, but Tobei could see her thinking. Considering his logic. “What’s this meeting about, anyway?”

Tobei had to choose his words carefully here. Belle had barely been here twenty-four hours and Lenna had already made it clear she hated the girl’s guts. Hated that Belle had managed to so completely secure the one thing Lenna coveted above all else: Daivad’s attention. If Tobei told Lenna the meeting was Belle’s one chance to convince Daivad and the camp to work with her against the queen, Lenna would sabotage the whole thing out of spite.

So he went with, “Daivad wants the camp’s opinion on what to do with our new arrivals.” It was technically true.

Lenna didn’t try to hide the disgusted curl of her lip. She and Tobei had a sort of mutual understanding, one that they both appreciated despite their mutual hatred as well. They were more alike than Tobei wanted to admit; both hid their true selves from the rest of the world, and both saw right through each other. So, when it was just the two of them, neither bothered to keep up the charade. And because of this mutual understanding, they never told anyone else what they saw behind the other’s mask.

So Lenna was free to spew her toxicity at him. “How’s it even a question? They’re both fucking insane. The little blonde bitch reeks of monster and is constantly hallucinating, and the other one shows up and starts destroying camp, trying to kill you, and now they’re walking around camp like they own the place. The fact he hasn’t slit their throats already is one thing, but letting them free? They should be in the fucking queen’s Elleipsium collars at least.”

She shook her head. Tobei let her continue, seeing where this would take her. “She has done something to him, I know it. Why the fuck else would he take her and her monster out to hunt? Her Mother-damned pet monster! And he’s letting it stay so close to camp. Hell, the bitch would probably love it if monsters invaded this little party of yours—”

Lenna pulled up short, her lips parted slightly.

“What?”

Suddenly business-like, she said, “Let me see it.”

Tobei shoved the schedule into her hand, not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind. She swept her long, red hair over one shoulder and scanned the schedule quickly. A minuscule smile pulled at one corner of her mouth.

She glanced up at him. “You’ll have the Wolves patrolling?”

“Of course.”

Finally, she straightened and said, “It needs a few changes. I’ll post it when I’m done. Tell everyone to check the board in an hour.”

Tobei squinted at her. He’d thought this would be impossible—with Lenna, he never got his way. The sudden shift made him wary, but he wasn’t about to challenge it and risk ruining his plan.

So he just smiled and said, “Sure thing, you miserable bitch.”

Casually, she said, “Fuck off, you pathetic slut.”

“Ay,” he said as he trotted back down the stairs. “Slut beats bitch any day.”