Page 53 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

Chapter16

Adelaide

DAY THIRTY-EIGHT

Ipace around Rinya’s room as she changes out of her uniform. After meeting her in the catacombs—and showing her the map of attacks and list of names I want to watch—she decided we’re going out for tea and pastries.

It’s not exactly my idea of going out, but there are no dance clubs on Spiran. And she says the only bar in the village isn’t a place that I should be seen in yet. Why? Because I’m too new for some of the badly behaved Mongrels.

“Okay. Explain this to me again,” Rin asks for the third time.

I sigh and start at the beginning.

“I was heading out to meet Connak, and Poko was standing at the bottom of the stairs. He looked like he was ready to walk up… But when he saw me, he stepped back and said some weird shit.

“He wanted to apologize for his first impressions. Then he mentioned he kept finding me in the village, but I was always with you. And then he said he didn’t want to talk to me while I was in front of them. The only them I can think of are the guys.”

She glances up while lacing her sandals. “I’ve never seen him act as if he doesn’t like them.”

“I’ve seen him refuse Ecaeris’s orders and lie to Imryll.” I wave that knowledge away. “It’s more than that, though. He told me he was here to escort me to Talodus like it was his job for the day. I spent the day with Connak; he and Ecaeris made those plans the evening before. And after we left Will’s cellar, we went to see Tal. He didn’t know what we were talking about.”

I scrub my hands over my face when she gives me a blank look.

“Rin,” I drawl, exasperated that she doesn’t understand immediately. “Talodus never sent Poko to get me. I don’t think anyone did. And that’s the second time that Poko has used Tal as an excuse to get me alone. When Connak interrupted him, Poko became visibly agitated.”

“I definitely think he’s worth paying more attention to,” she admits. “He’s friends with two of the guys from the general store as well.”

I nod as we leave her room, our conversation pausing until we’re outside the palace and heading toward the village.

“I have a question for you.”

“Okay.”

“Who was the lucky Mongrel yesterday?”

She purses her lips to hide her smile, and I glare at the sky.

“You’ve made a game out of my sex life, haven’t you?”

“No,” she exaggerates, shaking her head hard enough to whip her braid around. “It wasn’t Tal or Imy. So, which of the other two was it?”

“Why can’t it be Talodus again?”

“Oh, it could be. But that’s not why you looked disgustingly happy earlier. And that doesn’t explain why you were sneaking around the hallway this morning with your skirt wrapped around your chest. Talodus is off today. He would have kept you in bed or been in your room.”

Her assessment is accurate, but I still try to switch the subject. “You know entirely too much about them. Why is that?”

“Thier group used to be five instead of four. My older brother died during an attack. We almost lost Connak that day, too.” Rin shakes her head again, slower this time. “Back to you and sex… It was Connak.”

I roll my eyes.

“Now you just have to stake your claim on Imryll and Ecaeris, huh?”

“You make that sound awful. I’m not staking claim on anyone.”

She laughs obnoxiously, and I bristle as I glance around us. No one is near, but she sounds like a hyena, so she’s bound to draw some attention.

“You don’t get one of those guys without getting all four, Ada. They won’t split up, and I haven’t met another woman that can deal with them as a group. You’re the only one I’ve ever seen integrate into them without being shoved aside because she had a favorite or two.”