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Penn gapes at me, her eyes wide in the dark, her mouth opening and closing as she tries to make sense of what I just said. I’m sure it’s a lot to take in, and it isn’t something that’s widely known, especially since my Family is more than ready to disown me.
“I’m sorry,” Penn says. “But you’re going to need to explain what the fuck that means.”
I roll my eyes, barking out a bitter laugh. “It means you’re in the presence of royalty, sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snaps. “It’s belittling.”
“Well, I am a prince.”
“Fuck you,” she says. “Are you seriously telling me you’re part of the Family that took my best friend? And you’ve been hiding it from me this whole time?”
“When you put it that way, it makes me sound like the bad guy,” I mutter.
“You kind ofare,” she says. “Doesn’t matter how I put it.”
I groan, raking my hand back through my hair. “Aren’t we all a little bad, Penn?”
“We aren’t all killers and kidnappers,” she says.
“If you don’t think Keon and Atlas are just as bad, you’re wrong,” I say.
“But they didn’t take Layla.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“But you knew, and you didn’t tell me!”
Penn stands suddenly, her feet crunching in the gravel as she starts to walk away. I stand up to follow her, not even considering what I’m doing before I’m chasing her up the slope.
“I’ve watched Atlas kill three men with his Gift in the past six months,” I say. I don’t know why, but this feels like a morality contest—and for some strange reason, I feel compelled to defend myself. “And Keon interrogates people with his; it gets ugly.”
“That’s not what this is about,” Penn hisses. “I don’t care what they’ve done.”
“Then what’s it about?” I demand. “How can I convince you I’m on your side?”
“You can give me my friend back!”
On that last word, she spins, flinging her fist right into my face. I stagger backwards, nearly slipping back down the hill, but I catch myself at the last minute. Still, she doesn’t let up, and with her other fist, she lands a punch right to my jaw.
It stings as she makes impact, even through my scales. My jaw pops painfully, and I rub at it as I skirt around her next blow.
“Gods, Penn, calm down.”
“Do not tell me to calm down,” she warns. “I’mdonebeing calm.”
“I can help you get her back,” I say.
“On one condition,” Penn says, stalking toward me again. She raises her fists in front of her face in a defensive stance, ready for me to take her on. I’m tempted to do it—if only to exorcise the excess energy still raging through me after my encounter with Keon. “You told me you would help herifI got you in with the Ganivets—as if I have the power to do that.”
“I’ll do it without getting anything in exchange, if that’s what you need to happen,” I shoot back.
Her pose falters.
I strike.
I lunge toward her, gripping her around the waist and slamming her to the ground. She lets out a huff of breath, reaching to grapple with me, but I grip her by the wrists and hold her arms over her head. I can’t hold back a grunt at the way her curves press against me, clad only in a tank top and leggings. I straddle her, pinning her legs down too just in case she tries anything.
“Why?” she says, a glare on her face.
