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“What about telepaths?”
“Telepaths can only access what a person is currently thinking. My understanding is that you can see what is beneath that, get glimpses of their past. That can all prove extremely useful. Imagine, if you will, we have someone who has important information. A telepath is easily foiled if a person has any training about keeping their thoughts focused. You, however,may see where their lover lives. You may see that they have embezzled money from the wrong person. You can find information that we can then use to convince them to work with us.”
“I don’t understand what that has to do with Larkwood.”
“Larkwood exists because people allow it to. The public wants to lock shades away so they don’t have to see them, so humans can live their little lives without worrying that a vampire or other monster will jump out at them. Larkwood is expensive, however, and it needs both financial support and the general support of the public. It means we have to take matters into our own hands to ensure we get the resources we need. Sometimes that means doing jobs that engender goodwill, but sometimes it means removing risks before they become problems.” She tilted her head. “I’d think as the daughter of a politician, you would understand how this works. Your mother has both received and given plenty of favors to keep Larkwood moving, and since you arrived here, she’s felt even more willing to help.”
That made me frown.“She’s doing more to help me?”
The Warden let out a chilling laugh. “No, dear. She’s being extremely generous and accommodating to ensure we keep you here, out of sight and out of the media.”
Oh.Just when I thought I was as hurt as I could be, somehow the world found another way to kick me. My mother was helping Larkwood not to give me a better life, but to ensure her life wasn’t affected by my existence.
It reminded me of Charles, of the way he’d looked at me. No doubt that would be the reaction if the world knew that the precious Weston heir had turned into ashade. She’d lose support, possibly her place in the government. If nothing else, it would at least bring her choices into question, make people wonder if she was acting out of self-interest because of her daughter. My father, as the CEO of a pharmaceutical company who used research on shades to develop products, would be likewise at risk of bad publicity.
I sighed, the writing pad falling to my lap.
“Don’t worry yourself about it,” the Warden said as if she gave a damn about me or my feelings. “Your old life may be over, but you have a very bright future here in Larkwood.”
And never had words that seemed kind on the surface struck me as such a threat before.
Chapter Fourteen
Hera
I couldn’t help but smile as Wade and Knox bickered. None of it was serious, not like when Brax argued, when I was afraid things would end up turning bloody. Instead, it reminded me of siblings fighting over stupid things neither actually cared about.
“You always have some smart-ass remark,” Knox complained. “It’s impossible to get one over on you.”
“It’s not my fault you’re not used to verbal sparring. You’re used to Brax solving things with his fists.”
Knox snorted, the sound the closest to agreement he’d get, no doubt.
I still had no idea why they’d both shown up. They’d arrived at the same time, which was strange, but I’d figured they wanted to talk about the plan.
Not that they’d gotten that far. They’d just come on in like they lived here and started to pick at each other as if I weren’t even there. Wade sat beside me, Knoxacross from us, and I’d given up trying to get information from either of them.
I rather liked the noise in my place, the busyness, so I sat back and enjoyed the show.
The two were the most likely to be friends, all things considered. Then again, Wade could get along with anyone, and Knox wasn’t as prickly as Deacon or Brax.
It made me happy to see them talking. There was this part of me that worried about them both, about the loneliness that all shades in Larkwood suffered from. I didn’t want either to be lonely, and I wasn’t selfish enough to think I could solve that for all of them.
So seeing them get along outside of me warmed me.
“What are you smiling at?” Knox asked as he tilted his head.
“You two are cute.”
“Cute?” Knox huffed a laugh. “You’re lucky you said that to us and not Brax or Deacon. I don’t think either of them would take kindly to being called cute.”
“To be fair, Braxiscute,” Wade said. “He sulks like a toddler when he doesn’t get his way.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Hera might not find you so cute if Brax knocks out all your teeth. Besides,” Knox added on, “We have other more pressing issues than whether or not my brother is cute, don’t we?”
The meaning in his voice made me sit up straight. Pressing issues sounded bad, as if they had a problem they needed to address but didn’t want to bring up.
Was it that bad? Fear gripped me as I went over the options. Had our plan already failed? Had they figured out some huge problem I hadn’t considered? Was Brax hurt? Was it something outside of Larkwood that I wasn’t aware of?
