Page 29 of Heart of the Villain

She must have had a look on her face because Arlet reached out and grabbed her free hand. “I know how it feels… to not feel good enough.”

Nothing Marlena ever did would be good enough.

Arlet didn’t talk much about her parents or how they’d left her behind—at least, not with Marlena.

Marlena wanted to squirm away from Arlet’s touch, but she didn’t. She forced herself to accept that someone would touch her because they wanted to comfort her, not because they wanted to hurt her.

Arlet pulled away, and the second her touch disappeared, Marlena felt the warmth spreading through her chest go with it. “We don’t think that, by the way. That you’re not good enough…”

We. As in her friends—Vega, Bridger, Khort.

“Sometimes they make me believe it,” Marlena admitted before she could stop herself.

Marlena watched Arlet’s face fall. “It’s hard to be the eldest child, huh? It comes with responsibilities we didn’t ask for.”

Arlet was supposed to run Vates—before it fell. She was the oldest, but her brother and sister got the power. Her parents never gave up hope that Arlet would one day come across her own.

But sitting here, across from her, Marlena found herself wondering if Arlet’s power just wasn’t one that could be seen. Because she could make you believe everything was all right. She’d always been like that. Arlet had been born to rule, too, but her blood hadn’t gotten that memo…

Arlet played her next move while Marlena watched the cards she laid down.

Marlena shuffled the cards around in her hand, knowing she was able to end the game with what she currently held… but she didn’t want to. “I want the responsibility. I know I can handle it. I just wish someone would believe in me.”

Arlet laid her cards down, beating Marlena at her own game in nearly one hand. “I believe in you.”

The smile overtaking Marlena came for two reasons. One, because it felt nice to hear someone say they believed in her, and two, because Arlet would have kicked her ass almost instantly—if it weren’t for the last hand she hadn’t thrown down on purpose. “Someone’s been paying attention.”

“I’ve watched you beat everyone hundreds of times. It gave me a lot of time to watch the moves you make. Let me see your hand.” Arlet leaned forward, trying to get a glance at the cards Marlena had fanned out in front of her.

She pulled them against her chest and shook her head, leaning away from Arlet, who slinked in closer. “Nope.”

“Oh, come on,” Arlet whined, continuing to invade Marlena’s space. She shifted to her hands and knees, crawling the few feet separating them. “You’re being shady! Did you let me win?”

Marlena laughed, leaning until her back was nearly flush with the floor. Holding the cards above her head, she did her best to keep them away from Arlet. “Nooooo, I would never let someone win.”

Arlet’s little grabby hands didn’t stop.

Marlena had to uncross her legs quickly, trying to wiggle away from Arlet’s pursuit. “Then show me them!” Arlet giggled, crawling into Marlena’s lap.

“Never!” Marlena pushed Arlet’s hands away with her free hand, sliding the one with the cards behind her back.

Arlet straddled her, attempting to reach around Marlena to rip the cards from her. Marlena shuffled them between two hands before pushing her power into the cards to shield them from sight. They were still there, and Arlet would be able to find them if she reached out and touched them. Marlena pulled her hands up in front of her, threading the cards through her fingers, and to Arlet, it would look as if nothing were there.

A sneaky smile pulled at Marlena’s lips. “If you guess which hand they’re in, I’ll let you see them.”

Arlet leaned back, resting her butt on her calves. She still stayed on Marlena’s lap… and Marlena couldn’t help but think about how she liked the weight of Arlet on top of her. The smell of her honey shampoo was unmistakable with her this close.

Arlet nibbled on her lip as she considered which hand to choose. Marlena’s eyes flicked away from them when she realized she was staring.

“Fifty-fifty shot here, Arlie. What’s it gonna be?” It had been so long since Marlena used her nickname.

“Using nicknames makes you sound lazy.” Why did her mother’s voice have to pop in at some of the worst times?

Get out of my fucking head, Marlena said to the lingering voice echoing in her skull.

Arlet’s eyes settled on Marlena’s right hand, and by the look in her eyes, Marlena knew she knew where the cards were before she even nodded in their direction. Arlet made a move to reach for them, but before she could make contact, Marlena shoved them down her top, securing them against her ribcage. Pulling her hand out of her satin shirt, she opened both of her palms wide, showing Arlet the cards were gone. “I guess you were right.” Marlena made quick work of trying to get out from underneath Arlet, but she wasn’t quick enough. Arlet reached inside her shirt to fish them out.

Marlena stashed them there knowing Arlet wouldn’t follow them down… Gods, was I wrong.