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“Why not? I know you know how.”
“I’m not leaving. We could get expelled.”
“What do you care? You’re not even going into criminal enterprise.”
“I don’t care. I want to graduate. It matters to my family.”
“You won’t get expelled. Because we aren’t getting caught. We’ll be out and back one night, no one will miss us.”
“You can’t possibly guarantee that. And besides, what boat are you going to use that . . .“ he breaks off, realizing. “No,” he shakes his head even harder, “Absolutely not. How do you even know about that?”
“How do YOU know?” I demand, even more curious. Ares does not seem the type to have discovered the Chancellor’s secret ultra-fast, ultra-fuckin-fancy speedboat.
“One of the teachers told me,” Ares mutters.
“Well, the Chancellor won’t like that. But he’ll like a big old scratch down the side of his boat even less, so you better drive me. I already know where he keeps the keys. I just need my chauffeur . . .”
I know Ares doesn’t want to do it. Not at all.
In fact, he’s terrified. Because Ares is a good boy who follows the rules. Like Zoe used to be.
Unfortunately for Ares, I’m a very corrupting influence.
I rest my hand on his shoulder again, squeezing tight. I lean forward to look Ares dead in the eye.
“I’m on a very tight schedule, and I don’t have time to barter. So here is an unprecedented opportunity for generosity. A level of largess I may never match again in my life. Tell me what it is, Ares. Name your price.”
Ares looks at me steadily, making some silent calculation I can only begin to guess.
I wait and wait, knowing better than to stomp on a blossoming answer.
Finally he replies.
“A favor.”
“What favor?”
“That’s the rub. A favor of my choosing, to be determined at a time of my choosing. In the future. But the promise comes now.”
“Is there any limit on this favor? You’re not gonna ask for my firstborn with Zoe?”
Ares allows a very small smile.
“No,” he says. “Nothing that would upset Zoe.”
“Then I agree. Any fucking favor at any time, I promise you.”
“Alright then…” He holds out his hands to shake, to seal the deal now and forever. “I’ll do it.”
It’s so hard not to release the sigh of relief locked up in my chest.
“Perfect. Now let’s make that call to your dad.”
Aresand I will have to steal the Chancellor’s boat.
He keeps it locked up in a private berth in the caves directly below Kingmakers. You can’t access it from the land side—you have to go down under the school itself.
Kingmakers extends for several levels underground.
