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"What do you think they've done with them? Dex, Devlin. Calista and Zophia too." I hadn't spared my friend a thought until now. Yep, I wouldn't win friend of the year. On the other hand, I was busy trying not to die and all that shit.
Still, I would try to do better from now on, if she was still alive.
"Zophia and Calista will be fine," Bain said. "They can take care of themselves."
I took a moment to consider his words. "You don't think Dex and Devlin are alive, do you?"
"Would you keep them alive?" Bain asked.
"Absolutely," I said firmly. "Why wouldn't I?"
"You didn't stage a coup," he pointed out. "If you did, wouldn't your enemies be the first to go?"
I admit, I spent a lot of time imagining ways to kill the Covener and his asshole son, but doing it? That was another thing entirely. Even if they deserved it, I wasn't sure I could pull the proverbial trigger.
"I'm not going to stage a coup," I said finally. "Honestly, I don't know what I would do if I did." Apart from free chocolate for all and menstrual leave every month.
Bain leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. "Of course you wouldn't. Neither would I. Unless it's a counter coup, to overthrow the over-throwers."
I winced. "Ouch, that hurt my brain. But I know what you mean. We need to take back the Residence if we can." And what if we couldn't? I would worry about that later.
The truck jerked to a stop again.
"Let me guess. They don't drive very often," I said. I couldn't talk, I didn't drive at all, but the jerking was uncomfortable.
"Driving isn't a big priority in the Vault," Bain said.
The doors clanged open and the truck dipped and rose as the driver climbed out. It felt like one or two more climbed out as well. Footsteps moved around to the back doors.
A lock clinked and the door swung open slowly.
I squinted against the glaring daylight.
As expected, I didn't know the people who arrayed themselves outside the truck. Two men, one woman. Nothing about them suggested they were anything but shifters, but I knew at least one was ready to tie us in knots if they needed to.
"Come out please," one of the men said. He gestured with his fingers.
I wanted to gesture with my middle finger, but instead I climbed out carefully.
Bain followed close behind.
"Okay, we're out, what now?" I tilted my chin. I might behave, for now, but I wasn't beaten. I wanted them to know I was no pushover.
The man looked unimpressed. "Come this way." He started toward an open door to the side of the Residence.
I glanced at Bain, who nodded and kept hold of my hand as we moved toward the door.
"It'll be all right," he said softly.
"Yeah." I could smell now. Once, I would have found reassurance by the fact I could bring the Residence down around us. Now, I knew I wasn't the only one.
"These are the back stairs to the audience room." Bain kept his voice low.
"Oh. I would have known that if you guys would give me a map," I said.
"If we handed out maps, they'd have one." Bain nodded toward our captors.
"Who says they don't?" I asked. "They seem to know their way around." I understood what he was saying though. Or at least I thought I did. There must be hidden rooms or passages somewhere in the Residence. If the hemitheos had a map, they would know where they all were.
