Page 17

WASHING THOSE MEN OUT OF MY HAIR

SYDNEY

I hate that the other clowns in this room realize that Huck was keeping shit from me. Revealing a weakness to people we don’t trust wasn’t on my bingo card, but then almost nothing that’s happened today was, so I guess it’s par for the course.

Fucking stupid men as far as the eye can see.

It takes longer than I expect for him to pull his weird magic tentacle things back into himself, and when he does, his handsome face splits into a satisfied grin. His voice is high-pitched and tinged with humor as he intones, “This place is clean.”

“Again with the Poltergeist references,” Thad mutters with an eye roll.

Huck gives him a squinty glare. “It’s a demon’s purview to relentlessly mock the humans’ ridiculous attempts to showcase the supernatural pre-Unveiling.”

“They’re much less cutesy since they imprisoned us, demon,” Elias rumbles. “But your efforts are appreciated.”

I nod, noting the strain he’s hiding at the corner of his eyes. “Agreed. However, I think we should get on with ordering dinner then we can take turns at cleaning up. I don’t know about you fools, but I haven’t had the pleasure of a private shower long enough to debate whether I want that or food more.”

The mage and the vampire both watch me with unchanged expressions, but the surprised vibes emanating from their auras tell me they’ve had a much nicer life than the rest of us. Rory clears his throat, then walks over to pick up the menu. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think a metric fuck ton of pizza is in order. We can save the leftovers in the kitchenette out there, so we’ll have snacks later.”

Thad snorts. “Now I know you’ve been coddled.”

“How the fuck would you know that, bear?”

“Because you think there will be leftovers of any kind,” the dragon says with a scoff. “Those of us living the real sector life would never leave a goddamn scrap of food to waste.”

He blinks, looking at the rest of us, and everyone but Sebastian shrugs. “Damn.”

Now the question is: where have these two been lounging while most supes are inches from starving in relative squalor?

The mystery of the two privileged dicks followed me throughout my shower, and as I finish giving my long hair the best wash it’s had in four years, I’m still frowning. I always assumed the vampires were given better accommodations than the rest of us to reward their betrayal, but how the hell did Rory manage it? Did he do the same shit the supes here do to get preferential treatment? My eyes widen as I work conditioner through my locks, imagining him sucking up to sugar daddies and mommies as vile as the ones in Tempest Seven to get what he wanted. A growl echoes off the tile and a small spark zings from my fingertips to the wall, bouncing like a pinball until it disappears.

What the everloving fuck was that?!

Swallowing hard, I suck in a deep breath to calm myself. My magic has never been that visible, not even before the Markers. My hands are shaking as I step closer to the wall of the stall, running my finger over the remnants of energy on the hard marble. “How the hell…”

A burning sensation on the back of my neck makes me wince, and I pull my hand away from the stone to rub it gingerly. Whatever that damn centaur did is finally manifesting and I have no fucking clue what that’s going to mean. I didn’t even think about shooting a magical firework; it just happened. What else can I do now that I’ve grown into powers I didn’t have access to during puberty? The thought frightens me because if I don’t mute the damn things, someone might figure out I’ve been un-Marked.

I’d prefer not to be executed for treason before the death matches, if possible.

“Get a grip, Syd,” I mutter to myself as I grab the loofah hanging from the hook on the wall and drizzle body soap onto it. Not only do we get to have a private wash area, but the shit in here smells like heaven—a fresh floral scent of jasmine, vanilla, ylang-ylang, and vetiver that makes my eyes water with an odd happiness. I was never very girly—a hazard of growing up with a single dad—but this damn body wash has me by the throat.

Once I’ve used every single product in this haven of cleanliness, I’ve been scrubbed, polished, buffed, shaved, and scented within an inch of my life. Stepping out into the steamy room, I use the towel to wipe the mirror off then dry myself. The reflection I see when I’m drying my hair is like a different person. My skin is glowy, my hair shines, and except for the pronounced bones, I appear to be a healthy young woman.

No wonder people are pimping themselves for access to this kind of shit; I feel like a new person.

“I couldn’t live with myself, though,” I say with a sigh. Picking up the brush on the counter, I pull it through my blond locks, then twist it into my signature braid quickly. “Even if this lifts some of the burden of being in these hellholes, I’m too stupidly proud to use myself as a bargaining tool.”

My moment of epiphany may not change me, but my brain suddenly accepts the desperate acts of those who choose that path. I shouldn’t have been judging them for doing what they had to in order to survive the depressing reality of supe life since Taterman took over. Happiness is more than fleeting here, and you can only use what you have. No one has money, so their bodies and service are all they have to barter, unlike me.

Not everyone’s father had an unreliable gift that made him train them for something that didn’t happen the way his brain said it would.

Pushing the guilt for judging people down until I can breathe again, I pull on the lounge clothes I found in my bedroom. It’s a branded pair of F.E.A.R. Academy sweats, and the material is soft as hell on my fresh skin. It occurs to me that though this isn’t extreme luxury, it would be difficult as fuck to go back to scratchy clothes and intermittent food on hard furniture after months of this shit. Maybe that’s why death is such a prominent possibility for anyone who doesn’t win.

I look in the mirror one more time, and shake my head as the reflection surprises me again. “You can do this, Sydney. Being all sector scummy was good armor, but you won’t get to be like that here. People will notice you’re a girl again instead of being afraid of getting stabbed. It will be okay.”

Now if I can just get myself to believe that…

The dudes have been staring at me like I’m a zoo exhibit since I came out of the bathroom. It pisses me off to no end, especially when Thad and Huck do it, but I figure I need to get used to it now. I have no idea how many females are in this competition. However, if cleaning us up a little turns all the males into morons, it’s going to give us an unfair advantage that we should use to our benefit. I’m not going to tell anyone my discovery, though. I might gravitate towards fairness, but I’m not stupid.

They can figure it out on their own, just like I did.

“When is the pizza getting here?” I finally ask. They give me blank looks and I close my eyes, praying for patience.

Thad scratches his chin, looking around for a clock, and when he doesn’t find one, he shrugs. “No idea, Syd. They said within a half hour, and you were in there at least twenty minutes, so…”

“I was?” My jaw drops as they all nod and I dip my head as I feel heat travel up my neck. I’ve never taken a shower that long in my life. I’m surprised no one came to yank me the hell out. “Well, shit. I’m sorry. One of you go so we can all get clean before the food is here.”

They look at one another and no one speaks until Sebastian grunts. “I’ll go then.”

I watch him stalk off to the bedroom he must have claimed, and then his path to the bathroom with his own set of sweats. “Where the hell are the clocks? How are we supposed to know when we have to be places?”

Huck shrugs as he looks around. “I wondered the same thing when you asked when the food would get here. Obviously, Thad didn’t see any, either.”

“What kind of idiots forget clocks?” I grumble as I lean back against the comfy couch again. “I doubt they’ll be forgiving if we’re late.”

Rory chuckles, shaking his head. “Man, they really have the supes in this sector behind.”

Glaring at him, I wait. When he doesn’t elaborate, I grind my teeth and ask, “What the hell are you talking about, Stormbringer? Spit it the fuck out.”

“Irina?” he says in a loud voice. “Irina, tell me what time it is.”

A disembodied voice comes from invisible speakers and I jump. “ Hello, Rory Stormbringer. The time is six p.m. eastern standard time. Do you require additional information?”

“What the fiddling fuck was that?” Huck asks as he looks at me, then Thad. “You guys have a clue, or are we all idiots?”

“Irina is a virtual assistant people have integrated into their homes since the pandemic,” Rory says. “She’s named after Taterman’s daughter and she’s connected to the internet. We can use her for a multitude of things… Whitmore probably knows about it, too.”

Thad pops to his feet, looking irritable as he paces back and forth in front of the sitting area. “Motherfucker. We’re all living like refugees and the wealthy supes and humans have invisible assistants in every house doing their brain work? What the hell kind of backwards bullshit?—”

My ursine bestie rarely loses his temper and I know he’s thinking about the stuffed to the gills house the bear sleuth lives in and how hard they work to keep themselves mildly comfortable. A luxury as simple yet helpful as this has set him off when nothing else in this ridiculous building did, and I’m not sure why, but I know I need to calm him down. A raging bear is no joke and it’s the last thing we need right now.

“Hell, man. I had no idea. You gotta understand… they don’t let us out of our sectors anymore than they let you guys out of yours. It was pretty fucking eye-opening to see what it looks like as we rolled into town.”

Rubbing my temples, I walk over to Thad and grab his hand, squeezing it. He rumbles a discontented growl, tugging me into his arms and hugging me to his burly frame. This is more public affection than I prefer, but I can feel the whirling emotions coming from him, so I allow it. Once he calms, I set my chin on his chest, looking up at him.

“You gonna tear this place apart or…?”

He sighs. “No. But I really fucking hate those sons of bitches.”

Sebastian wanders out of the bathroom and I wonder for a moment if he used vamp speed to get through that quickly. “Who, us?”

“Yes, you bloodsucker,” the grizzly growls, then adds, “but humans more.”

“Discovered Irina while I was gone, I suppose?”

I swear to hell, that asshole is begging to die.

“Yeah, thanks for the warning.” Thad pulls his arms from around me and stalks toward a bedroom. “I have next shower. Fight me if you don’t like it.”

The guys all look at one another and Huck chuckles. “Anyone so inclined, gents? I have to warn you; he’s stronger than he looks and that’s saying something.”

If even one person responds, I’m going to beat their ass myself—that’s a foregone conclusion.