[The Tempest trilogy: Book 2] After the incident in Ostrava's Neoclash arena, Zoya faces dangerous challenges. Nightingale's uprising threatens to destroy the whole Europe, the racist Yeomen movement steps up their campaing against Castaways and Rya...
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Ryan and I watch TV in disbelief. We see Nightingale in a magnificent interior of the Buckingham Palace, in one of the bedrooms. She's accompanied by a young woman in her mid-twenties. She has a gorgeous pale face with long, straight black hair and charming blue eyes with long eyelashes covered by elegant eyeglasses.
Cassandra, the current Queen of Great Britain.
The woman in a long-sleeved blouse and casual jeans is crying, looking at her captor with fear in her beautiful eyes. Nightingale doesn't have a firearm, but the long claws on her hands are somehow even more menacing. What's her point? Why is she keeping the Queen as a hostage?
"No... not Cassandra," Ryan voices. Even though he tries to hide it, he's a big fan of the British royal family and is immersed in everything regarding these people. When Phillip, Cassandra's brother, married his fiancée several months ago, it was clear how touched he is. He forced me to watch the whole goddamn ceremony.
"Greetings," Valentina says to the camera. "You probably wonder why do I keep your beloved Queen as a hostage, along with all other inhabitants of the palace. But you should already know I'm kind of a drama queen. So I will just sit here with my new friend Cassandra until eight in the afternoon. Then, I will tell you what do I want and if I'm willing to spare lives of your precious royal family."
"She can't do that!" Ryan bursts out. "It's... twelve. Does she want to wait eight hours until she tells us what she wants? What kind of fucking game is this?"
I look him in the eyes. "I know what do I have to do."
"You don't mean..." Ryan opens his eyes wide.
I'm already on my way. I grab my Warden jacket, insignia and weapon. "Ryan, please, drive me to London," I say. "Nightingale is there and it's my chance to at least find out something more."
"But Zoya..."
"We have no time to lose!" I bark. "Maybe she's willing to start a riot in London when her time limit expires. If it happens, every Warden will be needed if we want to keep the royal family safe. She's up for something bigger, trust me. It's another one of her deceptions."
"What can be bigger than keeping the Queen hostage?" Ryan says, already putting on his jacket and grabbing the keys to his car. We leave the house and board Ryan's new car. During our journey, we also stop in Newcastle and pick up Konstantin. Ryan will need a guard once we reach the spot.
It seems our "armistice" is over. And it means Ryan is in danger again.
"Konstantin," I ask our old ally sitting in the car; the top of his head is touching the car's roof. "Do you have any idea what is Nightingale up to? I don't think it's just another terrorist act. The game with eight hour waiting time is just too strange for me."
The old Champion nods. "I also don't think there isn't anything else behind this. But I have no idea what could it be. Out of us it's you, Zoya, who knows Nightingale the best."
