Page 17

What’s Up?

Delores

The middle train is what I’ve pictured ‘business’ trains people take to work being like.

We had a nice private compartment, but it was just seats and racks where we all sat together while we did various things to pass the couple of hours.

Nothing exciting, though I’m sure the ‘regular’ pred compartments would have been a lot smaller and less calm.

Felix led us off quickly in Budapest, and I looked around the big station wistfully as I imagined all the pretty things outside we don’t have time to look at.

We are definitely taking sight-seeing trips all over the world once this Fae bullshit is over.

As we board the Golden Eagle Danube , I smile to myself.

This might be the most luxurious one yet, and while I should complain, I’m also touched that the guys went to this much trouble to ensure that we could all travel without being jammed into tiny seats and beds.

The staff helps us with our bags and I almost squeal when we arrived at the adjoining ‘Superior Deluxe Class’ cabins.

They have their own en suites, with daytime seating that is turned into king-sized beds at night.

Felix bristles a little at the thought of people in our space, but the safe and Fitz’s subtle nod make him relax, eventually.

“These are amazing,” I whisper to Chess. “I wish we were taking the six-day tour instead of jumping ship on day two.”

The cheetah smiles as he reaches up to brush a hair out of my face. “We’ll either do it on the way home via boarding in Istanbul or come back when things settle down, Angel. Our return trips won’t get booked until we see how long we need to remain with the clutch.”

Sighing, I look at the little guide the valet gave me. “It has a bar and lounge car with a piano player and a restaurant car with gourmet food. This is beyond spoiling me, and I shudder to imagine what it cost.”

Renard reaches over, grabbing my hand to raise to his lips.

“Don’t fret over it, ma petite . We can most certainly afford it, and the increased security and comfort are worth it to us.

I know you’ve been trained by your parents to ‘earn’ whatever they spent on you, but that is not how our family works. ”

“Good, because I can’t imagine what the hell I’d have to do to work this shit off,” I joke, as I give him a crooked smile. “Much less that damn tiara Aubrey likes me to wear.”

Aubrey harrumphs as he tilts his head at their cabin door. “Come, lunchable. You’re with us on this leg, and I suspect it will be extremely entertaining. Kiss the kitties goodbye so we can settle in, then we’ll meet up once the train is moving to explore the lounge if you wish.”

Giggling, I let go so I can get a kiss from each of the Khans, including the poutiest Fitz ever. My hands cup his face as I smile fondly. “You know how to share, baby. Don’t be a puffy-lipped whiner. We’ll be together in the bar before you know it.”

“Plus, I can keep you entertained,” Chess says with a wink.

Felix groans, clapping his hand over eyes. “Not in the middle of the day, you won’t. Fitz, let go of the princess so we can get our shit inside.”

The younger tiger kisses me again and lets go, so I turn back to the dragon and gargoyle with a rueful look. His voice is full of sexy rasp when he adds, “Oh, Baby Girl… you know I hate to see you go…”

“…but you love to watch me leave. I know, baby.” I call over my shoulder as the winged mythicals tug me into our cabin quickly. As I look at the space, I shake my head. “It’s no ritzy hotel, but I bet it’s one of the best train compartments we could have. It’ll do for two days.”

“It’s suitable, yes,” Aubrey replies as he lays the cases flat on the ground to pull out a change of clothes for himself and Rennie. “I prefer to let the wrinkles fall out for the next day, but as you love to point out, I’m a bit fussy.”

I snort. “That’s putting it lightly. But I’m used to you and Frenchie McSonnet over there, babe. You don’t have to explain your quirks.”

The dragon flushes, and Rennie winks at me. “I suppose it’s a reflex that’s hard to ditch, isn’t it, lapin ?”

“For real,” I mutter in agreement. “I still apologize for stuff you and our friends don’t mind because Lucille made everything I did a crime against preds worldwide. Nothing was ever good enough, and I couldn’t perform to her specs to save my life.”

The gargoyle walks over and sweeps me off of my feet, setting me on the couch with him gently.

“Delores Diamond Drew, no one is perfect. But if they were? You would be the epitome of perfection for us. The Khans think so, too, so you never have to worry that we find anything you do less than adorable—including the flatulence you were so blushy about in the first station.”

I swat his chest, nose wrinkling as I scowl.

“Renard Laveaux! There is nothing weird about thinking it’s inappropriate to discuss bodily functions in loud tones in public places.

Of course, I know that ‘everybody poops’ or farts or pees or vomits—that doesn’t mean I want to subject the entire world to a discussion about it. ”

“Not going to be one of your kinks, hmmm?” Aubrey smirks and my eyes widen.

“Absolutely not , Aubrey Draconis!” I can’t even fathom what a pile of dragon shit would look like in real life—though the dinosaur poo scene from Jurassic Park flits to mind immediately—and I sure as fuck will not think about it on me . “You—You… you’re going to make me kink shame and that’s bad.”

Renard laughs as he tweaks my nose playfully. “Drawing boundaries about what you find attractive isn’t kink shaming, petite . Judging people who do like that sort of thing is what you’d have to do. And I think your revulsion is based on your desires, not anyone else’s.”

I don’t know what to say, so I just sputter incoherently.

These men are going to give me an aneurism at twenty-one, I swear to fuck.

Once the train has been on its way for a bit, Aubrey stands and holds his hand out. “Time to get the cats so we can wander a little, snack size.”

I grin broadly, dropping my tablet on the couch as I spring to my feet. “Yay! I’m curious to see what happens on this fancy ass line when they have mixed cars. It might help to hear what’s being said from the non-preds, you know?”

“We know the prey animals are concerned. That is what the Captain found out from the tribal leader.” Rennie stretches lazily, his lithe body sprawled where we were sitting. “That should be enough, non ?”

“Nope,” I reply with a shake of my head.

“I think we ignore humans too much. Think about how this will play on the bigger world stage. Previous big events have been covered up, but with magic involved? It could get hard to control quickly, I think. I mean, there’s only so much weird shit those gullible folks will buy. ”

Aubrey looks thoughtful, then nods. “I agree. Times have changed since the last big war. Tech and science will make it a lot more difficult to convince them they did not see or record what they thought they did.”

“So let’s try to mingle and hear what they’re talking about.” Dolly crosses her arms over her chest, looking pleased. “Because that was a big ass mess at the Pred Games match, and there has to be some tin-foil hat people talking about it somewhere . “

Renard rolls up to join us, his grin wide and mischievous. “I can get behind snooping with the meat puppets. Let’s do it.”

“You’ll have to watch Fitzgerald,” my dragon says as we head into the corridor. “He is a lot for preds, much less those beings. And if he gets excited, he might forget himself.”

Scoffing, I knock on their door. “Fitz can behave when he needs to. I’ll stay with him, but I don’t think he’ll be a problem.”

The cabin door opens to reveal my crazy tiger, and he tugs me into his arms to squeeze me tightly. “Baby Girl! I’m so glad you’re here. Big bro is being a tight-ass and I’m raring to go explore before I burst into a thousand pieces from boredom.”

I laugh, taking his hand in mine. “Okay, crazy pants. Let’s go burn off some of that energy. We can get a snack, have a drink… do normal people stuff while we spy on the humans.”

“Spy on the humans?” Felix asks as he and Chess follow Fitz out of their room. “Did I miss something?”

“We decided that seeing what they are gossiping about might lead to other viewpoints on things like the Games debacle or who knows what else. Since we were focused on what was happening at l’Academie , it might give us insight into things we should be aware of on the rest of the continent.”

Chess nods at Aubrey, his eyes sparkling. “Very nice. I think it’s a great plan. Preds and prey rarely pay much attention to them, so we may glean some intel. It will have to be interpreted, but it’s a good bet we’ll hear something useful.”

“As long as I don’t have to sit with them,” Fitz mumbles.

“The ones back home are so fucking boring . I can’t imagine living your life completely out of the loop with reality because you’re so easily led.

All that tech the Saucy Skink is talking about hasn’t gotten them the real deal about the world yet somehow, and that feels purposefully ignorant. ”

My lips quirk as he and I lead the pack down the hall towards the connectors to the next car. “Fitz, there’s a lot of people preventing that from happening—or so we’re told. It’s not entirely their fault as a species.”

Felix coughs, and I feel his eyes on my back. “Perhaps not, Princess, but they are dangerously intolerant—which is saying something given how preds have treated prey and magicals, yet they do not trust humans.”

He’s probably right, but it just feels so wrong to write off entire swaths of people for the actions of a small percentage.

“Do bunnies have some weird, overdeveloped sense of justice?” I ask abruptly.

“I know you’re preds and that’s not your area of expertise but…

It really bothers her that shit is so skewed and unfair.

Every time we talk about stuff like this, or fucking rich people or…

whatever, I get this burning need to fix things inside. ”

“I don’t… think so?” Aubrey says after a moment. “I can text some of my colleagues, and perhaps Rennie can contact the crew to ask if they know. It might simply be that you are a good person, nibblet. I know we don’t meet a lot of them, but… empathy is supposed to be common.”

I frown, considering that before I reply.

“I don’t think it’s just empathy, big guy.

This is like… righteous fury or something.

I want to go out and slay things to make it right.

I feel like the drive has been getting stronger over time; I didn’t realize it until I was directly thinking about it, though. ”

“The Fae are very concerned with truth and lies, right and wrong…” Rennie murmurs softly. “It’s one of their defining traits. They can lie, unlike the legends say, but only if their reasoning is just. Justice is quite important to their species—all of them.”

Well, that’s a slap in the face I didn’t need today—but it would explain a lot about why everyone is after me.