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“The odds of someone with that much power, talent, and wealth letting me get close, or not just having me arrested if he did hear my story, is pretty low.” I nodded. “Still, being arrested isn’t a big deal, because turning to stone in a jail is as good as anywhere else. Where is he?”
He clicked a few more buttons then grabbed my arm, the one not turning to stone, and dragged me off the bench. “He’ll be at a party tomorrow night, only one overnight ride by train away from us. When I say party, only the very elite will be invited, and we’ll have to sneak in without an invitation, which might get us executed as spies and traitors if we’re caught. We’ll be using my magic, of course, because you don’t have any.” Ouch. “But you will bring with you that certain charm you bring to everything that you do.”
I stared at him blankly. “You want me to pack my sleep drugs and insects?”
He smiled slightly, his hand still on my wrist. “Humility. You will have to become the daughter of an elite, no, not an elite, the elite, and that is going to hurt, both physically and emotionally. I’m really looking forward to it. Waxing alone is going to make you cry, not to mention plucking those eyebrows and doing skin treatments to give you an otherworldly glow.”
I stared at him. “You don’t want me to bring my sleeping drugs and spiders? But I have some in my backpack just in case this didn’t work out.”
He smiled a sharp grin that pinged my heart. It was so beautiful and evil. “Of course you can bring them. And then we can both be executed as spies, traitors, and saboteurs.” He knuckled my head like Rynne did to her brother sometimes. “It’s so cute how you aren’t dead yet.”
I jerked away from him. “Yeah, just turning to stone.”
“But that isn’t your fault. I’m going to pack while you call your mother or friends, or whatever, to say that you’re going away for two days. We’ll be back Monday morning, in time for your class if we aren’t dead or in jail. They have very good jails, I’ve heard.”
“Now? We’re supposed to go now?”
“We have to rush if we’re going to make the train. You sleeping and me hunting down your father took all day, actually most of the time was breaking into the Gray Society mainframe. We could get executed for that, too.” He flashed a ridiculously attractive smile at me.
“So cheerful. There’s definitely something wrong with you.”
“I would argue, but unfortunately, we currently have no time for that. Make your calls or forget about my help. You have to do everything I say or we’ll both get killed. I have a car coming for us in ten minutes.” He went to his closet and started packing tuxedos in a huge trunk while I stared at that closet. I’d only been in there once, with itching powder for a suit that, as far as I could tell, he’d never worn. He had too many clothes for me to target, except for the leather jacket that he wore almost constantly, actually too often to get access to it easily. Maybe on this trip… Nope. I had to be an obedient little helper, at least until I was no longer at risk of being made into a stone fountain.
I called my mom first. She answered after two rings. “Gabby! Are you going to miss your shift tonight? Libby’s buying me sushi.”
“Is she there? Oh, good. No, I’m actually going to work an extra shift at the school for the next two nights, and then I’m going to sleep all day, so you won’t see me. I was just calling to let you know.”
“Two all-night shifts? And I suppose you’ll go right to school Monday morning.”
“That’s the plan. It’ll be fine. I do my best studying when I’m unconscious. Can I talk to Libby for a minute?”
“Oh, I guess so. Here, Libby, Gabby wanted to say something.”
“What’s up?” she asked, no-nonsense and all business.
“I’m trying to find my father for the next thirty-six hours, so I won’t be around. Will you keep an eye on my mom?”
“You’re what?” Her voice sharpened, and I winced. My mother really shouldn’t hear about this. Even if she wouldn’t remember, it might make her anxious.
“It’s a thing I can’t really talk about, but if you could keep an eye on her, I’d be so grateful.”
“Sure. We’ll do a girl’s weekend. Do you need help? I can send a bodyguard or fifteen if you need protection.”
And that’s exactly what I needed, a vampire entourage to not freak out the leader of the Gray Society. “Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I’ll be fine.”
She sighed heavily. “Just as well. Who needs bodyguards to clean a building at night?”
Actually, at Gray College with a demon on the loose, that might not be a bad idea.
I laughed, sounding kind of hysterical. “Yeah. Yep. Thanks, Libby. I owe you one.”
“Yes, and the thing you owe me is caution. I’ve heard about the crashes and the almost ripped off arms thing. Be careful.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me, then turned to find Percival wheeling a trunk out of his closet and looking at me expectantly. “I’ve got to go. Thanks.” I hung up and shoved my stuff in my backpack and gripped the straps, like I was as ready as he was. “Let’s go storm the castle! It’ll be fun.”
“I would agree with you as long as I could watch you from the sidelines, but to gain greatly takes risk.”
“And to the victor go the spoils.”
