( amsterdam. )

Kali doesn’t comment on his assumption that she’ll be able to extend her reach when she’s queen. In honesty, the queen was just a figurehead. She had no real power, not anymore. Royals were more captives of their country than rulers. The idea of them hiding her, however, brought a glimmer of hope that she hadn’t had in weeks. “Alex mentioned something fairly similar,” she answered. “To be quite frank, I haven’t been trying to get my hopes up about it in case it doesn’t work out. The most important thing, for me, is that she gets him out of that dungeon. Anything else is just the cherry on top.”

“I don’t think a list will be necessary,” she shoots back, a tiny smirk on her lips. Even though they were both trying to be blase about the situation at hand, she has to steel herself for a moment and be honest. “Tommy, if something happens…” she takes his hand before continuing. “If something happens, I need you to promise me that you’ll get Kel and Kali out of here. I can take care of myself, but they only have one shot.”

She’s grateful for her friend in that moment. He was trying so hard to make things feel okay for her, and she knew that they would be. She would be living a life that many others would kill for. It just wasn’t the life that she wanted. “We both know that’s not going to be possible, Tommy.” And it was true. She would have to cut off her scandalous friends as soon as she took the crown. They made for bad press, and the royal family didn’t tolerate scandals.

She can’t help but smirk a little at his question. “Tommy Parker, when am I ever not safe?” Her bravado falters for a moment. In truth, she was nervous. Running from a government agency was one thing. Infiltrating one was another. She quickly steels her expression, however. No need to worry her boyfriend with ‘what ifs’. “It’s all going to be flawless, love.”

She doesn’t comment on the mention of Diana. Kali knew about what was going on back in New York, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Any more misery would send her into panic and she couldn’t handle that. She softens slightly, however, to try to put her friend at ease. “It’s easier with you and Alex being here. I feel so selfish because as much as I want him out of that cell, I’m scared. Because once he’s out…you’ll all be gone.”

Alex smiles into the kiss, but her expression hardens a bit at the mention of Diana. “I know. I know. And I know that some of it is my fault. We’re going to fix it all, baby. Hopefully, we’ll be able to be home by this time tomorrow. I should be able to get Kellan out by tonight, if Tucker’s contacts come through. You just have that plane ready.”

“Sit in coronation training with dear old Lizzie and then come bitch to me, Parker.”

Alex rolls her eyes. “I’ll give it to you that extracting Kel and Kali has been more complicated than I originally anticipated but it’s more fun than stressful, love.”

She’s going to agree to be queen.

That was almost sweet, Parker.

[Wes scoffs.] They’re not going to keep Kali down for long. Your girl might be some kind of warrior, Mel might be an FBI agent, and the other girls we hang out with might be master manipulators but nobody- nobody- is more of a fighter than Kali Saxton.

“A comic book character that could kick your ass,” she answers, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek before adjusting her quiver on her shoulder. “When can we get on the plane?” she asked. Her hands were twitching around her bow, eager to use it again. She couldn’t tell Tommy, but just the few days without a physical scuffle had been hard for her. She missed the adrenaline. She needed it.

Tommy, the press has been up our ass since we were teenagers. It comes with being rich, and it’s nothing you can’t handle. Cas is the strongest person I know, Blair has come back from worse. I don’t know Diana well, but Pat…Pat will pull through. I’m gonna see him tomorrow just to ensure that. And Kellan, ha, well…he’s in more trouble than you know. But Kali has one simple deal to make and he’ll be out of jail in no time. And I know she’ll make it, because if there’s one person she’ll martyr herself for, it’s Kel.