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I give her a sad smile. “No, Madi. You fear losing more. That’s the one lesson your parents taught you that will fare well on this island. None of us can afford to fail when we stand against Nesta.”
I turn to walk away, but stop in the archway of the guest suite’s bathroom. “If you’ll give me the chance, I can show you what we—the Mongrels—will lose if Nesta gets her way. I imagine the Shades are in much worse condition than us, so maybe, just maybe, I can also give you some insight into what your people are missing.”
“They aren’t my people,” she mutters petulantly.
I snort and face her so she can watch my eyes roll. “Yes, they are. You’ve already made up your mind, or you wouldn’t be here wanting to learn how to beat Nesta at her own game.”
Her narrow gaze follows me until I’m out of her view, then she yells, “We’re not friends. I’m still really hurt by what you did.”
“I know,” I call back before whispering to myself, “What happened between us matters, but not in the way you think.”
ADELAIDE
DAY FIFTY-TWO
Nerves batter my mind, imitating out-of-control waves, as I stand in the center of my room, waiting for the guys. We’re heading to the village together, but not for a fun excursion or baked goods.
Of course, it won’t be that simple.
Isolde is addressing the village about Poko’s death, and she wants all five of us to stand with her.
I want to throw up and curl under the blankets for a perfectly timed nap. But I’m well aware that isn’t an option.
I loathe being the center of attention.
Despite growing up accustomed to Penny always being in the spotlight, I only ever wanted praise when it came to swimming. Everything else came with negative connotations. Between my sister’s drug habits, arrests, and rehab stays, there was never much time for me to shine. And when I did, that was another issue altogether. It’s also when people like Penny’s boyfriend would step in, showing attention no matter how desperately I didn’t want it.
The guys make enough noise to wake the dead as they storm down the hallway toward my room. Thankfully, they pull me from my memories before I can drown in them. It’s not that they walk loudly, but they do laugh and jeer at each other in a way I haven’t quite witnessed before. It’s cute and distracting... Which is the most important takeaway from their behavior.
“Ready to go?” Talodus inquires, his gaze trailing the lines of my favorite lavender dress.
I refrain from glaring at the ceiling, but it’s hard work. “Not even a little.”
“If you don’t show up,” Ecaeris begins, raising a brow at me like I don’t already know the repercussions. “She’ll just postpone until—”
“I know, I know,” I mutter. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Isolde will be cautious with her words,” Connak assures me. “No one will know what really happened.”
“I’m not worried about that,” I tell him, though it has crossed my mind.
The hunter circles me, humming to himself, before he asks, “Then what is it?”
I sigh. “I just don’t like being the center of attention.”
“Well, you don’t have far to go,” Ecaeris says, throwing a spear through the carefully constructed wall that was holding my anxiety at bay. “So you won’t have time to worry.”
My fingers are immediately on the hem of my skirt, fidgeting hidden in the layers of material. “What?”
Imryll grabs my left hand, lacing his fingers between mine. “I think she knew you would try to talk yourself out of coming, so she arranged to address the Mongrels outside the palace.”
“Fuck,” I drawl, and briefly wonder if I can make a sinkhole with my power. It could swallow me up, not spitting me out until Isolde forgets all about this nonsense.
“Let’s go,” Taldous directs, too freaking cheerful for my liking.
I dig my heels in, refusing to move, as I admit, “I’m nervous.”
“It’s okay,” Imy softly acknowledges. “Nervousness is natural. I’m not exactly ecstatic about being there, either. I’d rather be in the crowd, but we don’t have that option, so we’ll just make the best of it.”
