A key card sounded in the door. When the door cracked open, however, it was not Gem but Nat who slipped through.
‘What the hell?’ Asta cried.
Nat grinned. ‘Hiya, hot stuff.’
‘How did you get in my room?’
Nat held up the card. ‘Karol. He’s good with the tech. How do you think you got your flowers?’
The sound of bickering dragons spilled through the opening of Carmine’s hatch.
‘Is that Carmine?’ Asta asked, limping around the foot of the bed to investigate.
‘I put Vulture in with him,’ Nat said. ‘They won’t kill each other in the next five minutes, right?’ Nat flopped herself into one of the leather chairs by the door.
‘Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere claiming your blood money?’
Nat was wearing her blue race suit, but it was unzippered to the waist, with the arms tied around her middle. Otherwise, she was ready for the cameras. Her hair was teased, and her makeup was all dramatic lines and loud colors. She had on large neon-blue earrings.
She stretched her legs out and crossed them at the ankles. All the horrible things that had been done for her sake, and she just sat there without a care in the world. It made Asta want to spit.
‘About that,’ Nat said, her fingers laced over her undershirt. ‘I’ve been thinking. I probably shouldn’t take it, right?’
Asta was stunned. ‘What are you talking about?’
Nat started to answer but stopped, furrowing her brow. ‘You think Ishouldtake it? Really, Ek? I’m surprised at you.’
‘No, you shouldn’t take the money! You fucking cheated. You mademecheatforyou.’ Asta noticed Nat’s eyes dart nervously to the door, as if she thought someone might be on the other side, listening.
‘That was Hummer. You know that.’
Asta wanted to scream. ‘Don’t give me that. You knew. This whole damned time.’
Nat glowered at her. ‘Oh, shove it up your ass. Like you didn’t know what you were getting into.’
‘I didn’t!’
‘You didn’twantto know.’
Asta’s stomach turned.
Nat wasn’t done. ‘You thought you were special because he was leaving you alone. You didn’t care what he was doing to anyone else.’
Asta sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, rubbing her leg. ‘You could have told me what was happening. But you always keep people at such a distance.’
‘Up. Your. Ass.’
Asta lifted her eyes to Nat’s. ‘And what about Pikki Lowell? Up hers, too?’
Nat’s face hardened, but there was guilt behind her dark-lined eyes. ‘I didn’t know he would go after her.’
‘Like fuck you didn’t.’ Asta spoke through gritted teeth. ‘You are a coward, Natalia Bruce.’
The dragons had gone from grumbling at each other to spatting, and the sound of lashing tails thudded through the wall.
Nat’s eyes narrowed. She leaned forward in her chair. ‘Say that again, I dare you.’
Asta held her gaze. ‘You’re a coward.’ But the anger dropped from her voice. ‘We all are.’
