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Shimmer save me, I can only imagine what his devious mind is going to choose.
Yes, I send. Wouldn’t miss it.
I slip my phone into my jean short’s pocket, turn to jog down the bridge to join the others, and walk straight into a wall of the Six.
The new Six. Inara, Kimber, Lyra, Bane, Rhaegar, and poor Basil, who stands off from the crowd, unable to meet my eye.
Nope. I whip around, but Reina, blocks my path. Her twin boy toys stand guard just behind her. Their beefy arms are crossed and faces scowling, just in case Reina’s one fingered salute didn’t make their intentions clear.
Well, frick.
Hands balled at my sides, I force my chin high as I face off against Inara, the obvious leader. She’s super extra today in a pressed baby blue pantsuit and cream-colored Louboutins.
“Did you forget?” I taunt. “You’re not on the screw-with-Summer approved list.”
Her faux look of disappointment stirs something close to alarm inside my gut. “Aren’t I?” She makes a point of looking around. “Do you see anyone who’s going to stop me?”
Solid point. They snicker as I glance around, praying to spot a professor or another student. Not that either would actually protect me from Inara.
“Don’t bother, idiot,” Inara purrs, flicking a speck of something from her lapel. “There’s no one here but us and you.”
Adrenaline floods my veins. Maybe Hellebore lifted his protection. Maybe he got bored of our little game and decided loosing Inara’s inner serial killer on me would liven things up. Maybe I should stop counting on one psychopath to restrain the other and deal with this myself.
Gathering every ounce of courage I possess, I fake running right and dart left, toward Reina and the twins. They’re human, so the playing field is leveled a bit.
You can take three on one, Summer. Piece of cake.
But I never get the chance to test that overconfident theory because a wall of ice shoots from the wooden floor of the bridge, trapping me.
Oh, hell no. I pivot a second before slamming into the clear wall and dive for the stone balustrade, prepared to jump off the side and into the water—
A cold shock of pain slams into me, jerking me around to face the threat. Inara has her hand up, a blast of ice magic poised to freeze me solid.
Bane frowns and touches his sister’s arm. “You can’t. Remember?”
So Hellebore didn’t lift his protection. Not that Inara seems to care at this particular moment. I remember her words to Valerian. Her desperation.
This is Inara throwing a tantrum.
“I promise you, Inara, you don’t want to do this. We both know Hellebore. You might be tough and scary, but he’s a whole different level of monster.”
I can see the truth of my statement resonate in her expression, a healthy dose of fear pinching the corners of her lips.
Her chest heaves as she slowly drops her hand. “There will come a day when both princes tire of you. When that happens, I’m going to destroy you.”
Sticks and stones, Summer. Sticks. And. Stones.
Her words might not harm me, but the malice pouring from her entire being cuts deep, and I believe every word she says.
“I’m not your enemy,” I say, willing her to finally see that. “And I never meant to get between you and the prince.”
“Of course you did,” she snarls. Both Bane and Kimber hold her back as her lips peel back, revealing fully extended canines. “Stop pretending you’re not just like us. If you truly were good, if your goody-two-shoes mortal act was real, you would leave him alone before you ruin his life forever.”
Ruin. His. Life. Forever.
I blink at the implication of those words as a hollow feeling swells inside my chest. But before my tongue can form a reply, the new Six leave, laughing as Lyra makes some joke undoubtedly about me.
Kimber’s eyes find mine through the veil she wears to ward off the sun. I can’t read if the look she gives me is her feeling sorry for me or she’s just needing a quick snack. I suppose it doesn’t matter, anyway.
