Page 56 of Prey It By Ear

I don’t care if it’s silly; having someone I’m not sleeping with who is that enthusiastic to see me always brightens my day.

“Queen Dolly!” she says as if she hasn’t seen me in three years. “Did you try the new breakfast in the dining hall? We switched pastry suppliers, and the cronuts are at least one point three times better than last year. Also, supposedly, there’s new laundry soap, and I’m waiting for Percy to confirm with our family chat.”

Felix blinks at me, and I have to smother laughter as he tries to figure out how to respond.

Her words are so fast they slingshot off each other, and before I can reply, she’s added, “And don’t go near the elevators in the Alexandre building, the security system has been bugging all morning and it’s giving people static shocks. Not, like, dangerous, but enough to make you jump.”

“Raina, I’m so glad you are on escort duty this morning.” I smile at the raccoon shifter, my shoulders relaxing because she’s so bubbly. “I need a little sunshine as I head to this nastiness.”

She salutes me with a mischievous expression. “Escort, guardian, witness, and I have a direct line to the Postmen, so if anything goes sideways, I can call in a five-alarm brawl in under two minutes.”

Felix looks down at her—he’s easily two feet taller and three times as wide, but he’s trying not to make her feel small. “You have it all in hand, it seems. I appreciate that.”

“The Postmen think Rockland is mostly a pathetic joke, but Farley said she’s officially on their threat list now. He was very firm about his guidelines, and what he needed us to do to fulfill the things the court required when they accepted my crew as part of his team.” Raina frowns, leaning in to whisper, “I have my crossbow as you can see, but what you can't see is that it’s filled with tranquilizer darts doused in Percy’s thiols. Not only will she go down, but she’ll have to lie there and breathe in skunk, too. Pretty cool, huh?”

It’s so incongruous, this tiny raccoon in her neat little uniform with a friendly, chatty personality who turns stone-cold bitch when it comes to protecting her friends and family. I love it, and I love the idea of trapping Rockland in a room full of skunk scent. I enjoy thinking about needing to use the combo less, but at least now I’m a wee bit amused.

“You’re a genius, Raina,” I say as I look toward the elevator. “Shall we?”

When she nods, we head for the elevator together. The doors ping open immediately, and I let out a breath of relief that I don’t have to wait while my anxiety ramps up again. The ride up is silent except for the faint buzz of the lights, and I feel the static as promised. I stare at the changing numbers, my heart pounding. Rockland’s office is on the fourth floor, at the end of the hall. The closer we get, the more my jaw tenses. Felix is watching the digital display, but I see his reflection in the doors—shoulders tight, mouth a hard line, and eyes full of murder and worry.

Once the damn thing dings, we all step out. There’s no sound except for the dull echo of our feet on the tile. At the far end of the hall is the office: the glass door with the rainbow letters and the dead potted plant still there. Felix stops just before we get there, turning to face us. His expression is grim as he looks around, memorizing every inch of the space as if he’s coming back to do something objectionable later.

“If there’s a problem, you get her out of there and don’t wait for backup. I’m less worried about proof than the badger. I don’t want my mate hurt and suffering at the hands of this woman again. Got it?”

She nods, and for a split second, the entire manic facade drops away. The warrior Raina is here—all steel and teeth and feral determination. “She’s safe with me, King Felix; I promise.”

They stare each other down like two generals agreeing to a truce, and I clear my throat. “Raina, you can’t use those titles outside and definitely not here. I don’t want anyone attacking you or the crew or any of the prey animals. Plus, the two of you cannot keep talking about me like I’m not here.”

Felix takes my hand, squeezes it hard, and says, “Be strong, Princess. She’s nothing, and you’re everything. Use all of your brains and skill to get through this, and once you do? It will get easier every time.”

I nod, and he lets go. Winking, he turns away and walks back down the hall, each step echoing until he’s around the corner and gone. His absence hits me for a moment, but I force myself to straighten and get it together. “Are you going to get slammed for being armed here? I thought the buildings had rules about visible weapons.”

She smirks. “There are, but Farley got clearance for ‘self-defense’ items, and that’s vague enough that she can’t protest. Also, for what it’s worth, I think you’d look really hot with a crossbow. If you want to train, I’ll set up some practice for you. Just say the word and I’ll bring The Captain with me so we can do swords, too.”

I laugh, despite everything, and it makes the air a little less suffocating. Looking at the door in front of us, I see the distorted shape of Rockland in the frosted glass. She doesn’t move, but even her shadow oozes arrogance and malice.

I turn back to Raina. “Let’s do this.”

She smiles and whispers, “Queen shit only, Dolly. Let her know who’s boss.”

I breathe deeply and let the muscles in my face go slack, like Lucille always did before a confrontation. Next, I picture every cold, blank wall she ever built between herself and the world until I’m wearing her mask again. Then I open the door, striding in with my head high, and Raina a step behind.

If Rockland thinks I’m coming in raw and scared, she’s got another thing coming.

Today, she gets the full brunt of my childhood training, and I will not hold back.

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp Minor

Fionola (Unknown Fae Lady)

It is almost too easy to vanish into l’Academie, if you understand stone and shadow. Even at the start of the semester, with every surface newly power-washed and every set of windows repointed, I find no shortage of blind spots. The trick is to move between them without catching the light, which is harder here than it was at Capital Prep.

But I am old and my patience is legendary—look at how long I have waited to enact my plans.

Right now, my left foot hooks behind a leering gargoyle that juts, eagle-winged and mock-pious, over the eastern entrance to the main hall. My toes are numb, but the rest of me is alert: fingers splayed against the slick neck ridge, right knee braced on a cold haunch, and my left hand steady on a battered iron railing set into the wall three centuries ago. The irony of stone providing my anchor is not lost on me. It did not hold me to this world in the past, but these are not shifters—no, they are the ridiculous, self-indulgent icons of themselves built by our oppressors. I can use them to hide myself from the rays of the sun as I watch my prey as easily as they did when they hunted magicals after the Treaty.

It’s a fitting turnabout.