Not even close. The preparations were straightforward. They planned their next step together, to leave the Upper City well before sunset, evading Myrtea and her elaborate schemes for their degradation. Once in the Lower City, they would find a place to secret themselves until nightfall, when Xian would be able to move more easily. Once it was safe, they would make their way to Little Heaven and Feysal. Feysal and Mina would have to be taken care of before Rafael could safely go after Daeva, and he certainly intended to do so. The snake would have to die before they could leave. “Nothing vindictive in that at all,” Xian teased when Rafael brought it up. “I agree, in any case. You have access to him?” “I can get it,” Rafael replied, watching his lover patiently wind strips of cloth around his arms. Rafael had already taken time for himself to prepare, bathing, rinsing away sweat and semen before slipping into fresh house clothes and padding back to his old, untouched room. He headed over to the chest and moved the books from it, then opened it up.
