Page 44

Delores

“Hold still, Dolly,” Cori says through the bobby pins in her teeth.

She’s working on my hair, and I swear to Hades, she might pull it out at the roots.

According to her, our costumes are ‘loosely based’ on the 80s cartoon characters we chose, which is why instead of the traditional primary color palette of Rainbow Brite, I’m in a pastel version. The polar bear is currently busy gathering my matching locks into twin ponytails on top of my head and clearly, she was never taught the gentle hand Mattie used when she did my hair when I was younger. I tried complaining, but Cori told me ‘Hold still—beauty is pain, baby.’

Hmmph. I guess being scalped is beautiful in her family.

“I am holding still,” I grumble, wincing as she yanks the brush through my hair again. “Anyway, so like I was saying, I stayed behind after class with Professor Renard, and spewed word vomit again until I cried like an idiot, and he humored me until I had to leave for my next class. I’m a total waste at this shit.”

Rufus tsks as he works on ratting up his freshly dyed blood red hair for his Lion-O costume. “Oh, I doubt that. You’re collecting them like Pokémon—got to catch all of ‘em, Dollybear. What did this talk entail?”

“Stuff about my pathetic ex, and my Shifter History professor being a douche—that’s why I cried—but then he calmed me down. It was cool to hear a little about his people, even if he’s still cagey about his history. Both Rennie and Aubrey are kind of touchy with sharing.” I trail off, as I realize I’m one to talk about withholding information about my past.

Awareness is half the battle.

Cori reaches for her curling iron, and I flinch because of an incident when I was young—the one time Lucille pretended to be a mother during an on-camera interview. Let’s just say her skills were lacking and I’m pretty sure all evidence was destroyed, including the reporter.

“I won’t burn you, silly. Quit shrinking away,” Cori mutters as she rolls the hair up tightly and sprays it. “Of course, they’re tight-lipped about their past, D. All the teachers here were given the boot by their families. That’s how the administration keeps them under their thumb.”

I blink. It’s not what I meant, but I file away that useful tidbit for later. My friends will think I’m even more sheltered than they already do if I admit I didn’t know teaching at Apex is a punishment. “No, I mean about their species. I had no idea that gargoyles can all shift parts at a time, not just the royalty like Felix taught us.”

“ STOP. THE. FUCKIN’. PRESSES ,” Rufus practically yells. “Coco, you can take this one. I don’t even know where to start with this shit.”

He walks over and takes the curling iron to manipulate my other ponytail while Cori shimmies her metallic fishnets on, giving me a pointed look. “What Ru-Ru is failing to communicate is that your entire statement is… well, shocking doesn’t cover it. If we ignore the part where Felix Khan taught half-shifts to a first-year class—which is unheard of—there’s still the whole ‘shifting only parts’ thing. Dolly, no one shifts one appendage at a time!”

My brows furrow. Renard said it was rare, but he didn’t say no other shifters did it. Oh, fuck, did I spill something I shouldn’t have? Anxiety creeps in until it’s replaced by confusion. Lucille can shift parts of her as well; it can’t be that rare. Cori must be mistaken, and I haven’t told them a big secret. It’s fine.

It’s totally fine.

“Um, well… When he gets agitated, Rennie’s tail shifts and flicks like a cat. And he can pop out just his wings, too. I asked him about it, and he said his family has done it since, like, a thousand years ago before they moved from the Carpathian mountains to France. But it can’t be that big of a deal, guys. My bitchy mother can do it.” They gape at me in unison and I turn bright red. “What?”

“Dollypop, that’s not normal.”

Cori nods as she pulls on her JEM dress, adjusting it fussily and fluffing her adorable curls in the mirror. “He’s right; it’s not, even for leopards. Maybe it’s genetic? Didn’t you say your mom is a Rostoff? They come from a similar part of the world, right?”

“Um, her family’s in Moscow now, but when Mattie was tutoring me as a kid, she said Lucille’s family moved to Moscow when their import business expanded. Something about buying up more territory for crops? But I think they came from somewhere in those same mountains originally—a long time ago. Like pre-Council, maybe?” I stand up and walk over to the costume pieces that are mine, tugging on my thigh highs while Cori is getting dressed.

Rufus snorts so hard he messes up his eyeliner. “Crops. Right.” When I give him a confused look, he mutters, “Okay. Crops it is, then.”

“Rufus,” Cori says reproachfully. She turns to me, tilting her head. “So it was your nanny who taught you about your family and shifter history? Mattie?”

“Yeah, I mean, I took it in school, too, and that asshole Professor Abel is teaching it now. Sort of.”

Why is she asking me this? Am I missing something important?

“Dollybear, the Council only lets professors teach a sanitized version of history—post-Council takeover—so Mattie sharing this with you was a big no-no. Did Renard mention why his people moved? While we’re getting the tea, you might as well spill.” The badger pauses, his application of the white liner on his eyes, arching a brow at me in the mirror.

“He said… something about a disagreement with their neighbors. They moved to Paris when Notre Dame was built in the 1200s, but then moved again around 1780. I think it was because the humans had that nasty war.” I slip on my iridescent dress, smiling at how gorgeous it is. Cori made it a little short for my taste, but when I balked, she added a matching fluffy petticoat that I absolutely love.

“The humans?” Cori chokes, wiping a bit of her soda off her mouth. “Um… Dolly. Are you sure Mattie taught you shifter history?”

I frown, feeling totally clueless once again. “Yes, and human history. Lucille insisted I learn things at home because of the role I would play when I got older.”

“There is no way to break this gently, Dolly,” Rufus sighs, turning around to face us. “Girl, they lied to you, and I have no idea why, since you’re supposed to be an heir, and would need to have all the facts. Shifters and other supernatural species used to have treaties. When the Council came along, those treaties were broken, and that’s why we don’t get along with other supes anymore. Rare shifters like your boys hide because their women and children are worth money on the black market, and without the more powerful species, they don’t have the magic needed to cloak their groups out in the open.”

My eyes widen, and I gasp, looking over at Cori for confirmation. She nods, rubbing her arms, almost as if she’s comforting herself. “Brave shifter families teach their kids the actual stories at home—despite the risk of doing so. After the Council took over, shifters became more vicious. All the human wars were shifter territory wars. To limit the casualties, the Council finally made a treaty with humans that included partnering with the Khan ambush to send lawbreakers to Bloodstone. It’s why humans pretend we don’t exist now.”

What. In. The. Actual. Fucking. Fuck.

“Are you telling me that Aubrey and Renard won’t talk about their people because they don’t want them to be hunted down and sold? And I blabbed like an idiot?” I shriek.

“Yup,” Rufus says, popping the ‘p’, like the brat he is. “Also, I’m dying to know if your momma passed on that little trick you mentioned—the partial shift. Lucille’s from that part of the world, so maybe someone already has a little gargoyle in them. Hehehehe.”

“Oh my gawd, Rufus! Why can’t you ever behave?” Cori grimaces, putting her hand on her face. “Dolly, don’t listen to him.”

I tilt my head, thinking about it for a moment. It’s a pleasant distraction from my complete lack of knowledge, and I only extended my fangs during my fight with Gold in Shifter Studies. Maybe it is some rare hereditary thing coming from that part of Europe. I don’t know what the hell that would mean, but it feels pretty goddamned amazing to do something those bitches tormenting me can’t. “I can try? But if I do, I can’t guarantee I can… put the bunny away… before we leave. Or at all. I don’t have excellent control over my shift yet.”

Cori’s face lights up as she gives me a sly grin. “Oh, girl. Come here and let me do that makeup, and you can give it a go while I do. If you get stuck, Auntie Coco can fix that costume for you right quick. How about you focus on something small like… your fluffy little tail?”

Rufus’ eyes glitter with mischief, and I feel the exhilarating zing of a challenge rocket through me, encouraging my bunny to come out and play. “Tail it is, then. Talk me through this, guys.”

By the time the guys arrive at the party, I’m nervous as hell. I thought Cori, Rufus, and I had arrived fashionably late, but they didn’t show until at least ten p.m.

Maybe they had to wait for Aubrey and Renard to get back from dinner?

That’s probably it… not that anyone had to be manhandled into the cheeky costumes I sent, right? My texts with Felix made me feel a little better, but since I have a— ahem —surprise of my own, I’ve been on pins and needles while I wait.

I see them sneaking in as I dance with Rufus and Cori in the middle of the Khan training ring. Apex’s ridiculously extravagant Halloween party is being held outside, but luckily, the weather didn’t throw a wrench into everything. They set the DJ up where the judges for Pred Games would normally be, and tables of food and drink line the path to the circle. They even set up a bar in a roped off announcer section. A bored-looking vulture is pretending to check IDs and Fitz growls at him, howling in amusement when the frightened bird drops his wrist bands all over the ground.

Who the fuck is stupid enough to card a Khan?

Covering my mouth as I snort, I peek at their costumes while the song changes, thrilled that they all humored me. Felix in his huge fairy dress, arm in arm with Fitz in the sexy nurse outfit—they’re both strutting like they own the place, and it makes me shiver. Chess is gesturing animatedly as he talks to Renard, both of them looking unconcerned with their ‘feminine’ attire as well. My gaze lands on the last of my guys, trying not to laugh as I watch Aubrey stomp in, like he’s going to open a crack in the Earth with his feet. Rufus helped me cut the raver girl outfit suit so it would be adorable, but not obscene.

After all, who the hell knows how well-versed a 2000-year-old dragon is about making sure fishnets don’t ride up your ass?

“Dollybear, you got a handful of beautiful guys watching you like a flank steak. You gonna put them out of their misery?”

I’m about to answer when the weasel from my Shifter History class randomly walks up to us. He’s dressed as a zombie from the Walking Dead, and I snort. I’ve definitely seen better blood and gore in person, especially lately. Squinting at him, I cross my arms over my chest, unimpressed. “What do you want?”

He shifts from foot to foot, looking around as if he’s worried someone might see him with me. “I… can we dance? I need to talk to you.”

“Oh, now you want to speak to me? Well, since I haven’t been good enough for you to defend in the past, I don’t think I—” Cori elbows me and I see every one of the guys straighten and pretend they’re not watching this interaction like a kettle of hawks. My lips curve up as I get a very bratty idea. Maybe Felix is right. I do like to poke the proverbial bear with a tiny stick. Turning back to the weasel, I sniff. “Fine. One dance and if you have nothing interesting to say, it’s going to be a short one.”

“It probably will be, regardless,” Rufus smirks as he glances at my guys again. “C’mon, Coco. Let’s grab a drink while our bunny beards the lion, so to speak.”

When did I start calling them my guys?

I follow the weasel nervously, a slight flashback to losing my V-card at this exact spot making me falter. When the slower song starts, I groan and let him take my hands as I try to ensure there’s enough space to keep anyone who sees us from yelling ‘slut’ comments. I’m not in the mood, and frankly, Fitz might kill them if I don’t do it first. The small pred tries to lead in some sort of 2-step for a moment, and I sigh. He has no idea what he’s doing, so I take over, leading him as I impatiently wait for him to spill whatever information was so pertinent that he had to approach me at a dance, of all things.

“Thanks for hearing me out. I mean, I know I haven’t…”

I shake my head, in no mood for a false show of support. “Cut to the chase.”

“You’re in danger at Apex!” he says, then ducks his head as if he’s expecting me to hit him. To be honest, I’m ready to hit him with the world’s most sarcastic ‘duh’ when he’s yanked away from me and dangled in the air, like a fish on a hook.

Fitz’s eyes are golden as he snarls at the terrified mammal. “ What. In The. Fuck. Do You Think. You’re Doing. Dancing With My Girl ?”

Oh, shit.