Page 136 of Queen of Volts

Levi’s head swam. There were so many people to account for, a thousand mistakes they could make. But he did know this—without Harrison, any chance of reclaiming peace with the Chancellor after this would vanish. And for now, with Harvey and Lola, they still had their two bargaining chips.

“Then we don’t lose her. We don’t loseanyone,” he said. “Someone call Poppy. Tell her to meet us at South Side General Hospital.”

LOLA

There were worse people to hold you captive than Poppy Prescott.

“Do you want any?” Poppy asked, offering Lola a box of macaron cookies, each flavored with a different type of flower.

“I’m not hungry,” Lola grumbled, even though she was. She wasstarving. But she was handcuffed to the door handle in the passenger seat of a hideous and expensive pastel motorcar. She wasn’t going to accept finger food from her captor.

“It’s not poisoned,” Poppy said, waving the box in Lola’s face.

Lola knocked it away with her free hand, spilling macarons over the dashboard. “Get it away from me.”

Poppy dropped the box on her lap and pursed her lips. “I’m just trying to be polite.”

“I’m a hostage.”

“We used to be friends.”

“We used to be acquaintances.”

Poppy’s expression darkened, a look that didn’t suit someone so bubbly and...pink. But Lola didn’t feel sorry. It was hard to feel anything other than anger. Enne had tricked her. She’d drugged her. She’d kidnapped her. All to kill the only person Loladidhave left in this city.

She leaned her head against the window. She considered pounding on it, shouting to the passersby in the South Side that she was a prisoner. But no one would see her in the darkness. She was anonymous and invisible.

Lourdes had been Veil’s hostage, Lola knew. Veil had kidnapped her and forced her to swear her protection talent to him. Lola had spent the past few months questioning her own judgment, only to have her worst instincts proven right. She should’ve trusted Arabella from the start, and now Arabella would pay the price for that.

Not that Arabella was good, either. She’d betrayed Lola once, too.

Sometimes Lola felt like the only person in New Reynes without lies and blood on her hands.

Maybe it was time to change that.

“Where are you taking me?” Lola asked Poppy.

“To a friend’s apartment. They’re traveling. It’ll be empty.”

So Poppy planned to stay in the city. Probably in the South Side. If Lola could escape, she could phone her apartment. Pray that Justin answered. It would mean overpowering Poppy, who was a good deal more athletic than her. But Lola knew now she had more weapons at her disposal.

“Does it bother you to be working with the man who had your father killed?” Lola asked.

Poppy’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “You think I don’t know?” She let out an unexpected, dry laugh. “I know more than anyone gives me credit for.”

“You didn’t know Enne was a street lord.” Even if Enne could pass in high society, Lola and Grace had practically attended those political parties with wanted posters taped to their backs. They were both as refined as broken beer bottles.

“There are worse sins than being naïve,” Poppy said. “Better to be clueless than cruel.”

“Are you accusing me of being cruel?”

“Was bringing up my father’s murder meant as small talk?”

Lola grimaced. No matter how pretty or perfect Poppy was, Lola was the only victim here. “It’s a fair question.”

“My girlfriend is one of Harrison’s omertas. It’s not like I can retaliate,” she said. “Besides, my father was a fool, happy to play Vianca Augustine’s puppet, and that’s why he died. It doesn’t make what Harrison did any less terrible. But I can’t afford to play with grievances or ideologies. Not until this game is finished.”

Lola couldn’t decide if Poppy was being remarkably mature or weak. But Lola’s head still pounded from the lingering effects of the drug, and the metal cuff around her wrist was leaving a bruise, so she decided bitterly on the latter.