[ Freya's POV ]
Shit.
They were going to lose.
I looked at Thalia. She was hissing through clenched teeth. Fists balled so tight her knuckles had gone white. Her mind was racing. I could see it in her eyes, searching desperately for some way to turn this around.
But from her expression, even she knew it was impossible.
Both summons down. Three enemies still standing. The odds had collapsed entirely.
Then there was the bastard.
He just stood there. Holding that ridiculous battle axe. Staring from one person to another like he was watching a play rather than fighting for his future.
But as I observed him from the side, I caught something.
A devilish grin.
And I knew.
This madman was plotting something. Or perhaps he had been plotting from the very start. That's why he—
I stopped.
His hand was raised. The signal.
I understood immediately. He would either die here or pull this off. There was no in between with someone like him.
I looked toward Celestine.
