Page 29

THAT THING NEEDS A PERMIT

SYDNEY

Rory breathes a heavy sigh and I squeeze his hand lightly to encourage him. The mage doesn’t know why I’m so averse but I want him to believe me when I say I don’t judge him anymore. He chose the path to an easier life with the one I avoided, but he’s a victim just like the rest of us. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t fix the ugliness I’ve been nurturing like a fool for the past four years. So despite the fact that I’m not a huge toucher, I’m making an effort.

“Whitmore’s story made me realize something,” he finally says. “This fucking shitshow could be more than the propaganda tool they want it to be. We can use it, and not just to get ourselves to safety.”

That’s… unexpected.

“You mean we should… like Hunger Games these bitches?” My expression is doubtful, but he nods eagerly. “I don’t know, Rory. They’ve set up all the accounts, they monitor all the feeds… it will be almost impossible to cultivate anything rebellious without getting caught. And you know what they’ll do then—arrange an ‘accident’ during the Games.”

He looks thoughtful for a moment, and a small coin-shaped energy ball appears in his free hand. Rory rolls it over his fingers like a poker player as he makes small sounds that must mean he’s thinking. “True. But if we hijack their shit for our purposes, we can do it under their noses. We have to win the followers, get the fans, and dominate the ratings. All the accounts and the contests and whatever the fuck—we take it as seriously as a goddamn heart attack.”

“I’m never going to be able to pretend to be a shiny, happy Barbie doll when they’re making us fight for our lives on camera.” I tip my head back on the headboard, groaning at the thought of it. “It won’t work and I’ll fuck everything up.”

“Then don’t do that. Play yourself , not a role they want to assign you.” He chuckles and I arch a brow curiously as my head lolls to look at him. “If you’re the lion, we’ll all play your tamers. Flirting, softening your verbal blows, and being accessible in ways you aren’t. It might kill Dante and Whitmore to do it, but I think it’s the right gambit.”

Narrowing my eyes, I frown. “You want me to be a sarcastic, biting bitch as usual while you jackholes charm and woo everyone? And I’m supposed to also pretend that I might be falling for said charms slowly, too?”

“That’s it on the nose, Vicious.” He laces our fingers together and I flinch, which only makes him clasp my hand tighter. “But you’ll have to work on your reactions in private ‘cause no one’s gonna believe you’re attracted to us if you pull away like that.”

Fuck. Me.

Not literally, of course, because no one gets to do that. But I’m sure going to have to pretend I want them to eventually. I bite my lip, letting the feel of his big warm hand settle over me as I consider what he’s suggesting. The push and pull will probably be very good for ratings, especially if I draw on the enemies-to-lovers thing with the bloodsucker. Thad and Huck will hit the softie and the country boy lovers, especially since they’ve been my best friends. Dante is a big scary dude, and Rory is the flirt. We can play on the audiences by exaggerating their natural behavior, and I’ll be able to stay mostly true to myself.

“Damn it.” I growl softly and the handsome magical chuckles at my frustration. “I really hate that you’re right about this. It makes my ass clench just thinking about you guys fawning all over… whatever you have to… just to further some cause.”

Rory sighs and shrugs. “I’ve been doing much worse for a long time. If I can avoid having to seduce anyone, I’ll be happy to playact just about anything.”

Not going to happen.

I blink at the snarl in my brain, surprised by the weird feeling of possession inside when I think about any of them having to do such a thing. There’s no reason for me to feel like that, even in reference to Thad and Huck. None of these dudes are anything more than friends or teammates. Maybe it’s getting close to my cycle? I get a bit weird around that time, but life in the camps is so fucked up that it hasn’t been predictable for almost as long as I’ve lived in them. I never know when that’s going to come or go, and the only reason I always know I’m not pregnant is my complete lack of sex.

“Woooooo, that is perfect , Vicious!” The grin on Rory’s face distracts me for a second before I scoff. He shrugs, curling his fingertips into my palm. “No, really. You giving the folks cozying up to us that kind of look every once in a while will definitely sell it, especially if it’s sort of sneaky.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose with my free hand, trying to calm the tingling spreading through me as he strokes my palm lightly. This plan has disaster written all over it, and I need him to realize that before he takes it to everyone else. “Rory, I don’t know if I can pretend to be hot for you guys. Even if I can, I don’t see how courting the romantically inclined people watching will get us to a rebellion.”

“Come on, use your imagination! Think about all the movies and books where the rebels get the masses on their side, then they start the revolution. If we win over the world, we can sneak in signals and symbols, things to get the actual resistance in this stupid country to pay attention. We can use anything they do live to get messages to the rest of the world. There are limitless opportunities for us to gather our forces. We just have to be ready for them all the time.”

His enthusiasm is contagious, but I’m not a naive young girl anymore. Unlike when I was growing up with my dad, I’m not willing to believe a handsome music man convincing me to follow him everywhere. At least, not yet, and not without everyone else weighing in. I need other perspectives to balance the fragile flicker of hope that I keep buried deep inside of me. I don’t know how Stormbringer knew it was there, but if I let him stoke it, I’ll be consumed.

Licking my lips, I wait until the emotion passes, then respond. “Look, I’d love to jump on the guillotine train with you, but we can’t make decisions for everyone. And-and… I still don’t think I can pull off anything other than being me. I’m no actress and that makes me a weak link again . You guys don’t want to risk your lives for a chick with unpredictable magic and terrible acting chops.”

“What specifically do you think you won’t be able to do, Vicious? You’ve been doing fairly well so far, but for a few things we softened. Seems to me like you’re making excuses.”

I’m not, you idiot, and I will get you all thrown in jail or worse, killed.

“You saw me flinch. How the hell am I going to let Sebastian touch me? How will I be able to ‘pal around’ like you want me to eventually? I can definitely nail the bitchy, standoffish stuff. But flirting? I don’t have a goddamned clue about that shit.” Pulling my hand away, I clench my fists on my lap as I look down at them so the fear rippling through me doesn’t show.

“Holy shit, you’re scared,” Rory murmurs as he reaches over and tips my face up. The coin he’s been sliding over the knuckles of his right hand disappears and a zip of magic pings around the room before coming back to him. “I’ll be damned. I never would have believed it if I wasn’t seeing it myself.”

I suck in a deep breath, clenching my jaw as he forces me to look at him. “Fine. I’m worried I’ll get us all killed for yet another reason. And yes , I’m worried about my lack of experience in this arena. I chose not to be distracted by that particular pursuit, but… I’m mad that it might be a problem now.”

“Ohhhhhh.”

Glaring, I yank my face away and cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah, oh. Now stop fucking with me.”

His hand comes up, turning me back to look at him again. “Ah, Vicious, I didn’t say you were wrong. We’re going to need to practice with you—all of us. The fans won’t buy what we’re selling if you can’t get comfortable.”

The fans? Poseidon’s seaweed pubes, just kill me now.

“I’m not fucking any of you, Stormbringer. Get that shit out of your head.”

His laugh is undeniably male this time as he scoots closer to me. “Interesting that you went right there without any prompting, Sydney. That makes me think you’ve been having not-so-innocent thoughts about someone already. Mmmm. I wonder who, though?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I lean away, but he follows until we’re centimeters apart. Swallowing as I stare back at his mischievous blue eyes defiantly, I wait for him to back off. When he doesn’t, a ball of indignation forms in my gut. This is Rory’s way of calling me a chicken, and while I won’t be bullied, being challenged is an Achilles heel. “Get out of my face.”

“Nope,” he says with an easy grin. “Prove to me that you look at us all like Ken dolls and I’ll accept it. You’ll still have to play nice for the cameras, but I’ll believe you when you say it’s acting.”

“Why the hell would I care if you believe me? You’re not my hero, nor my mentor. I don’t need your approval.” I hold as steady as I can with him in this close proximity, but he’s right about the effect he’s having on me. I won’t admit it, but it’s not just him and it definitely worries me in regard to this damn fool plan of his.

“I don’t want to be your hero or your teacher—well, not in the traditional way,” Rory tsks, his smile getting wider the longer we stay like this. “I’d prefer Daddy, but I’m going to guess broody bondage loving vampires and giant dragon dicks will claim that.”

Oh, gross! No fucking way.

“You’re mental if you think I’m ever going to?—”

Before I can finish the sentence, Rory’s face darts forward and his lips are on mine. I make a muffled, half-hearted sound of protest that even I don’t believe. He doesn’t stop, though; he just slips his tongue past my lips and dominates the kiss without pause. Lifting my hands to his shoulder, I tell my brain to push him away, but it ignores me completely in favor of grabbing onto his shirt. A small growl rumbles in the mage’s chest, and his hands land on my waist, yanking me into his arms.

Our lips break when we have to breathe, and I pant softly as I look at him. This isn’t me, and I never do this kind of thing. In fact, I’ve never done this before. My entire body is filled with tingling sensations that make me want to ask him to show me what he can do. But I can’t do that—this situation is too fucking tenuous as it is. I sure as fuck can’t let a nice kiss and some stupid hormones convince me to make a shitty decision that will change everything.

“We can’t do this, Rory. Not because of your past, but because… this isn’t me. I’m not… This isn’t right.”

He bites his lower lip and I have to grit my teeth so I don’t take back what I said. That expression is hot and the heat rising in my frame wants me to give into it. Finally, he pulls back, sitting against the headboard again as he lets out a long, frustrated snarl. My eyes roam over his tense form and I see why he sounds like he’s going to lose his shit.

Damn. Now I know why he was so popular… that thing is freaking huge and I have no idea how it fits inside anyone.

“Stop that.”

I tear my eyes away from his sweats, a guilty expression on my face. “Stop what?”

“You’re not even fooling yourself, Vicious, but I’ll let it go because I’m trying like hell to respect your boundaries. But if you think I believe that this isn’t you? That you aren’t curious about what we could do together? You’re full on delusional, woman.”

He’s got me there, and that terrifies the shit out of me.