Page 26 of The Revenge
“You’re dressed. Good.” Much to my surprise, Syn’s in the kitchen with Royal.
As usual, Syn is dressed impeccably in his tailored uniform. For some reason, it irks me that he’s the sort of person who wears the suit rather than the suit wearing him. I have no idea what his exam schedule is like, but Syn looks like he’s about to go to war in a boardroom every day, so it’s entirely possible he doesn’t even have an exam today.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Royal asks. He’s also dressed in his uniform, although his blazer is draped over the back of one of the tall island stools beside him.
A different kind of ache settled into me overnight. My headache has subsided, and the various wounds aren’t throbbing as much. Overall, the pain feels less stabbing and localized.
“We’re going to the dining hall,” Syn announces before I can respond.
I shrug. “Bye, then.”
“No,weare going to the dining hall. You need to eat.”
Just a few weeks ago, Syn restricted my food. “I don’t care if you have that contract framed and hanging on your wall, just because I’m back here doesn’t mean things are returning to how they were.”
“Then stay here and hide in this house. Just don’t accuse me of trying to keep you a prisoner here,” Syn snaps back at me.
“Or maybe, option three: I go for breakfast in the dining hallby myself.” I plant my hands on my hips as I glare at him.
Royal holds up his hands as he moves himself between us. “Considering what happened yesterday, it’s probably not a good idea to go by yourself—at least, not yet. And we’re not suggesting you go with the intention of serving us,” he hurriedly adds.
“Your initiation is over anyway,” Syn adds.
Having never expected to pass the initiation or be accepted into the Elite, I never even bothered to ask what the criteria was. All Syn had ever offered wassurviving the initiation periodas a time frame. I doubt this means I’ve become a member of the Elite, nor do I care.
“The point is that I’m not taking orders from you,” I tell him.
Syn cocks his head. “I’m not giving you orders.”
“Here’s a tip. If you want someone to do something, you ask.”
Given how long Syn stares at me, I suspect he’s never asked anyone to do anything in his life.
“I had the weirdest dream last night. There was this woman who might have been an alien because tentacles were coming out of her pussy,” Gemini declares as he walks into the kitchen. “It could also have been a hentai I watched.” He stops just shy of the doorway, looking between us. “What’s going on?”
“I was about to ask Victoria to join us for breakfast,” Syn says through gritted teeth.
“Cool.” Gemini pulls out a stool, but instead of sitting on it, he heaves himself up onto the island counter. Then, he pulls out his phone and aims it in Syn’s direction. “Don’t let me stop you.”
When I fold my arms, Syn lets out an aggravated snort. “Will you come to the dining hall with us?”
“You forgot to say please.” I take pleasure in seeing Syn grind his teeth.
“Please,” he says as though saying the word takes great effort.
“No, thank you,” I respond cheerfully, causing Gemini to start giggling.
“Are you kidding me?” Syn practically snarls.
The smile drops from my face. “Why would I be kidding?”
Royal turns and snatches Gemini’s phone from his hand. Ignoring his objection, he turns back to me. “I get you don’t trust us, but we spent last night trying to figure out the best way to keep you safe. If you don’t want to hide away in this house for the next few weeks, you need to be seenwithus.”
With the way Syn’s turned this campus against me, I’m not sure he’s really going to be able to convince them of anything anymore, but I would like to enjoy my lunch—with Penny—without worrying that someone is going to throw knives at us.
And then, a dark little idea starts to form.
A smile slowly spreads across my lips. “Fine. But you’re going to need to wear a collar.”
