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I look between them, confused.
“That you’re staying in the queen’s palace. If these loads of shit find out you’re staying there, they’ll manipulate the hell out of you and Willow. Not to mention, Tomán is gifted, so…”
“Will he blow off my head with his eyes like some of the other Gilded can?”
“Nah,” Hannie responds, turning to walk again. “What Tomán can do ismuchworse, so don’t test him.”
Hannie’s words don’t sit well with my gut, and I’m tempted to tell Juniper that I’m ready to go back to the palace. I love having fun, but knowing these people have powers and can blow people’s heads off…well, I believe that changes my description of fun.
“Oi!” A deep voice booms behind us, and Juniper gasps and then shouts, “Ah, shit! Run, Willow!” before taking off in a full sprint herself. I look back, and Killian is pushing past people, charging toward us.
Hannie has already started running, and seeing them kicks me into high gear.
“Get your asses back here!” Killian shouts, but Juniper runs faster, laughing. She’s light on her feet, unlike me. I hate running. Hate it with every fiber of my body. I consider stopping and getting caught. Killian can’t hurt me, he’ll just take me back to the palace, and honestly, the palace seems like the safer place to be right now.
Just as the thought rides through me, my lungs working overtime and my breaths short, a hand catches my arm and yanks me to the side. I scream as I’m swallowed in darkness, and a hand claps around my mouth.
Twenty-Three
WILLOW
I smellher before I can see her.
“Quiet,” Hannie whispers, her hand still covering my mouth. My heart thunders in my chest, but not louder than Killian’s feet as he stomps past the opening.
Finally releasing me, Hannie steps past me, peeks around the corner of the opening, then moves away. As she turns to look at me, her irises shimmer gold and she releases a sigh of relief.
“He’s gone.”
“Are you sure?” I hear Juniper ask, but I can’t see her. Hannie walks past me to flip a light switch on, and we’re in some sort of warehouse with mannequins inside. The mannequins are headless, their bodies made of steel.
Yeah,” Hannie breathes. “I saw him turn a corner. We can get to Tomán’s this way. Come on.”
She walks through the warehouse made of brick and metal and out a backdoor, but not without keeping watch. Down an alley we go, and I hear people hollering, men bellowing. My heart beats a little faster, and I don’t miss the way Juniper restsher hand on her gun as we approach. As her shirt lifts and she moves a step ahead, I notice another weapon tucked between her back and waistband. This weapon looks like a thick, metal stick.
Finally, we round a corner, and relief sinks in when I see the houses ahead. They’re beautiful homes, simple, white, clean. All glowing gold with decorative lights. One house in particular stands out most. The roof is sleek and gold, so shiny the moonlight reflects off it.
The bass of music increases as we approach the house, and Hannie fluffs her hair as she walks up the white stairs, stopping when she approaches a man dressed in all white.
“Hannie, my love. Took you long enough,” the man says, a pompous smile riding his lips.
Hannie grins, running a hand over the man’s shoulder. “These are my friends.” She gestures back to us.
“Not Vanorians?”
“No, Blackwaters. They’re cool.”
The man looks us all over, hesitant. “Not sure if that’s wise tonight, Han. We’ve got Rippies coming in and out of this place.”
Hannie sighs, then stands on her toes and whispers something into the man’s ear. Whatever she says makes him reveal a smile worth a billion watts, and he steps aside to let us pass.
“You know the rules,” he says to Hannie. “No powers from the Gilded. Tomán has his at rest tonight.”
“Of course.”
Sauntering into the house, Hannie tosses her spring-like black hair over her shoulder, and when I look back, the man is watching her, licking his lips. I have no idea what she said to him, but it must’ve been good.
The music grows louder, livelier, a mix of folk and pop as we enter. People stand everywhere—on the stairs, in the livingroom, the kitchen. It’s like an American house party, but with people who are dressed ten times better, and look like gods and goddesses. I’ve never seen people dressed so nicely, with their gold jewelry and shimmery clothes. It seems custom here. If not dressed well, you’d stand out like a sore thumb.
