Prologue
Queen Celene of Alera, Optimus Unit Headquarters, Solitary Confinement
Had I known where they were going to transport me when I was taken off Scarface’s ship, I might have put up more of a fight.
Then again, probably not, for I was getting what I wanted now. My daughters were safe, as far as I knew—he’d probably look a lot happier if something had happened to any of them—and searching for me.
At last, I knew the name of at least one person who had betrayed me and my beloved mate all those years ago.
Lord Wyse, or Inspector Optimi, of the Optimus unit stood before me, his cheeks flushed, his eyes shining with a fever I recognized as fanaticism. He hated me, apparently.
We had grown up together, he just a few years older. I’d considered him a big brother of sorts, even though
