Vengeance (The Prince's Games Book 1) by Rebecca Grey (electric book reader TXT) 📕

"You're holding the door for me?" One hand rises to touch his chest.

I jut out an arm and keep him from walking around me though he tries to exit. "As if I'm holding the door for you. Ladies first." I point to Hedda.

She snorts and tosses her dark hair over her shoulder. "I'm no lady."

"Alright," I try to smile, though I know it's stretching my scar in an unpleasant way. “Juilliard then.”

The Elf stops abruptly. “Are you calling me a lady?”

“Is being called a lady some sort of insult?” I shoot back quickly.

Juilliard glares, flattening his lips with no response. Marcello snickers under his breath as I walk through the door and out into the foggy atmosphere.

Marcello's answering blusterous laughter follows. Over my shoulder I catch Juilliard rolling his eyes. The three of them are quickly followed by the Whitlocks. Sloane is still in her dress, heels and all. Walking down the hill may be easier, but it feels almost more dangerous as gravity pulls us down. My boots skid in the dirt after a few yards, but I catch my balance quick enough to keep from falling. Now, imagine doing all this in strappy three-inch heels. No fucking way. I would never do that.

"Bet I can get down this hill faster than you." Marcello nudges Juilliard.

"Is that a challenge?

"You're damn right it's a challenge."

Their feet scuff along in the dirt as they push off each other, trying to snag the other to hold them back from getting in front of them until Juilliard is able to break free of Marcello's grip and begins sprinting down the hill. The new pirate captain is quick to follow and both of their outlines are lost in the fog quickly as they tumble down the slope. It's really a Saints damned shame that there is all this fog, more than our trip up here, because now if they trip over themselves and slide down the hill on their faces I won't get to witness that.

"I want to race," Hedda huffs and quickly jogs after them.

Now she's more likely to be the one to do somersaults down the hill.

"Just us and the little Purist, darling," Finnegan says. The two of them step around me so that they walk on either side.

I pick up my pace, knowing the two of us alone is probably not the best thing for me. They've both fed, I remind myself. They shouldn't be too crazy for me now. An even more glaring thought crosses my mind, Marcello wouldn't leave me alone with them if he thought they were still a threat. They keep next to my side.

The arm that Sloane carries her luggage in is still brandished with the light pink marking of the cross. She swings her arm as she walks, unbothered by the way it brushes by the materials of her dress when she does. "You don't have to worry about us. We're on the same team now, we know how to play nicely with others."

"That's not my strong suit." I look straight ahead.

"Not worrying?"

"Clearly she means the playing nice part, honey." Finnegan chuckles.

Clearly.

"Now that we have you alone for a few minutes, I must ask," he continues, "You are from The Bend? Yes?”

“Yes.” I arch a brow.

“And you are often hired to complete rather difficult tasks?” Finnegan looks from me to his wife, as if this hasn’t already been explained, or that it simply explains something to them. “Are you part of the Resistance?"

The Resistance? How interesting. The group that Mica is hosting in Kaprisha, the one rising up against the crown? I mean my job…my job does entail removing the king from his throne.

"Say more things like that." I look from one Vampire to another.

"It's a yes or no question." Sloane interjects before her husband can say anything further.

"No. Okay? I'm not a part of whatever this is. But I'm curious to hear more. Maybe I want to be a part of it?" That's unlikely. I'm not exactly known for taking part in Hybrid run organizations. But they'd caught me like a fish on a hook, dangling information like that. And why me? Why me alone?

"Can we trust you, Human?"

"Yes." No. Not really.

"We can't share much information," Finnegan says, "but seeing as you are the Ghost, should you choose to join the group, I'd bet they'd be glad to have you. We could do some persuading to help them get over the fact that you’re just a Human."

Get to the point. Why do these two love to hear themselves talk so very much?

"So we'll just say that we are aware that there are those who wish to bring down the current king," Sloane says in a hushed tone.

Like Genovese. Like Parlakey. Like Spects. Are they a part of this so-called Resistance group? That would mean, in all technicalities, I am working for this group.

"Why would you tell me this? Why trust me with this information?” I ask.

“There aren’t many in The Bend who support King Caspar. And a girl as angry as you… well, we know when we see someone who can keep a secret.”

"And what am I supposed to do with that information?" I ask slowly.

"Do with it what you will. Think about it." They say in unison before they smile at one another and take off in a race toward the ship.

I stare at them until they disappear. Even then I stare at the spots in the fog where I imagine they would be. Oh, I'll think about it alright. I'll overthink on it until I've beat the idea black and blue and come to a thousand different conclusions. Thanks for that, you damn fucking vamps.