Page 76 of Vengeance and Vipers

I nod. ‘That’s for sure.’

She looks at me for the first time, really looks at me. ‘You know a lot of them?’

I shrug noncommittally. ‘Not that many, but I’ve been in Supeland for a while, and they turn up from time to time.’

Jane nods. ‘Yeah, they do do that.’

‘I’ve actually been out of the loop for a while,’ I say. ‘What’s the latest news with the supe, human fighting that was going on?’

‘Well,’ she ponders for a moment, ‘after the skirmishes in the cities, most people figured out that the Ten were kind of behind everything.’

I tense at the mention of the Ten but force a normal nod to encourage her to talk. Even though I was in the Mountain during those weeks, we still heard about the ‘Troubles’. It was a pretty big deal, but I didn’t know they’d made the Ten for it. Forcing the ‘inferior creatures’ to fight each other for their personal gain has their fingerprints all over it, though.

‘But they’re the Ten, so,’ she continues with a shrug, ‘they’re still in charge and doing whatever they want and probably will be forever.’

‘Yeah,’ I say faintly, my hands clammy.

‘Are you okay?’ she asks.

‘Sure,’ I say, plastering a smile on my face. ‘So, you guys are here for a few days?’

She nods. ‘Yeah, Maddox and Alex had some stuff they needed to talk about,noton the phone, and since you guys are on the run from Johnny LawandParis needs to set up some security stuff, we’re all in your hair for a little while.’

I grin at her, and this time, it’s genuine. ‘Well, let me know if you need anyth—’

The door swings open, and two of the other clan, the shaggy-haired one and another one, stalk over the threshold.

‘Here you are!’

Jane rolls her eyes. ‘I told you I wouldn’t leave the house, and I didn’t. I’m nothidingfrom you.’

They start arguing a little, but I’m not listening because my eyes are locked on the second one.

He’s familiar, and I can tell he’s thinking the same as he stares at me with a small frown, like he’s trying to place me too. I stand up as it comes to me.

‘You!’ we say at the same time.

‘You got out!’

I nod, smiling. ‘So did you.’

‘You two know each other, Theo?’ Jane asks, and he nods.

‘Remember, I told you about the human woman in the Mountain who was in the ceiling?’

He gestures to me. ‘This is her!’

‘You were in the Mountain?’ Jane asks, and the question is loaded. She’s asking all the things.

‘Yeah, I was hiding out,’ I say, leaving it at that.

She makes a gun with her hand and clicks with her mouth as she points at me. ‘Right on.’

I grin in spite of myself, deciding I like her.

‘Man, when we first got in there, I didn’t think we’d be getting out alive.’ Theo chuckles.

‘Most people don’t get out alive, isn’t that right, Jules?’ Daemon enters the room, a look on his face that makes me tense. ‘I’m mean, just think about Siggy. But then maybepeopleisn’t the right word.’