Chapter 11
ELEVEN
REGAN
“You two have got to pull your shit together.” Zuriel stood between the two of us with a folder in his hand. “We’re all too old for this.”
“Well, maybe she shouldn’t lie to me.” I crossed my arms over my chest and didn’t turn to look at Chanel. My cousin. My best friend. My partner-in-Virtue. “We’re a bit old for that as well.”
This whole thing with Kaso was too much.
I didn’t care that she had the hots for the suspender-wearing-devilish-vampire.
I wasn’t a monster, nor was I blind. I understood that attraction was not something even us Virtues could control, especially when she hadn’t known who he was when she first met him.
I cared that she had crossed the line and hooked up with him despite him being a criminal.
I cared that she kept it from me. That was the part that hurt.
“It wasn’t a lie.” She groaned and shook her head. “Not technically.”
“Seriously, not technically?” I rolled my eyes.
Zuriel gave a harsh whistle. “I don’t care.”
“But she almost—”
“Again, I don’t care.” He held the folder between the two of us. Those blue eyes were cold as ice. “Go get these idiots and work your shit out.”
We both reached for the folder. I grabbed one side and she grabbed the other at the same time. Zuriel disappeared the second we had the file in our hands.
Her cheeks flushed, and she peeked at me. “You were gonna tell him about Kaso.”
“You might be keeping things from me, but I’d keep all your secrets from him.” I tugged at the folder, and she let it go.
Chanel dropped down onto the bench in the locker room and put her head in her hands. “I have no idea what’s even going on.”
“You wanna get fangy with it, bite the vampire, play with his suspenders, lick his—”
She held her hand up, stopping me. “Your point?”
“Look, if you want to bang a hot vampire, more power to you. But not that one. Kaso is a criminal. He’s one half of the original mafia.
Has it been too long? Have you forgotten the stunts they pulled back then?
We may not have known it was them at the time, but we were well-aware of the clean-up we had to do because of them.
He’s literally being paid to prevent us from doing our job, our Heavenly mandated job, Chanel—”
“You think I’m not aware of these things?” she snapped, her cheeks flushed red.
“You sure seemed blind to it in Paris! He’s playing you, Chanel.
This is his part of the game. I’ve done some homework in the last week since Paris and Mr. Pretty Boy’s role is to be pretty as a distraction.
To manipulate you so they, and Christopher, can get away.
Hell, I highly doubt he didn’t know exactly who he was flirting with on Megelle Island that night. ”
“He didn’t know,” she said between clenched teeth.
Her green eyes were blazing with rage and her hands were balled into fists at her side with her pink magic coiling around them.
The two halves of her sword glowed from their magical holsters on her thighs.
“You weren’t there. You didn’t see his face—”
“Well, I saw it attached to yours, Chanel!” I pinched the bridge of my nose to try and calm myself down. “He’s manipulating you. He lured you into his bed so he could play you how he wanted to. Paris was more proof he’s setting us up for failure.”
“I have never seen his bed, let alone lie in it. I’m not hooking up with him.
” She gestured wildly in the direction of Paris.
“That kiss was the extent of it, and if you were really watching, you would’ve noticed he initiated.
I shoved him back. I’m sorry that my body is attracted to him, there’s literally nothing I can do about that, but that kiss was the only time it has happened . . . and he started it.”
I wrapped my arms around the folder and held it to my chest. I lowered my voice and met her eyes. “And when did you decide to start working with him instead of me?”
She opened her mouth, then shut it. Her shoulders dropped.
“That . . . that part is on me. I’m sorry.
When I saw him last, I told him all the things you basically just said—that he’s a criminal and such—and he swore he was a good guy.
So I told him to prove it. I . . . wanted him to be a good guy, I guess. ”
I sighed long and hard. “Why couldn’t you just tell me? I would’ve—”
“Never believed him,” she grumbled.
“And for good reason, evidently. But I would’ve at least been more prepared.”
“He told me he wanted Christopher gone too.”
“He’s lying—”
“Clearly!” she shouted and started pacing the length of the locker room.
“Do you think you can possibly be more upset with me than I am with myself? I’m the one who tried to trust him, to give him a chance to do the right thing.
I’m the one who got played. I’m the one who got hurt.
So there, you were right. I was wrong. I fucked up.
I’m sorry. But this silent treatment isn’t helping us catch anyone.
In fact, you’re just letting them win even more.
I may have fallen for his smile and his charm, but you are equally as distracted.
Otherwise we wouldn’t have wasted the last week sitting on our asses and pouting. ”
I clenched my teeth and exhaled through my nose. Dammit. “Fine. Okay. Maybe you have a point.”
“Can we both accept we’ve handled this whole situation like rookie shitheads?”
I closed my eyes and nodded.
“Good. We’re back to agreeing on things.” She cursed violently. “Now can we refocus on getting Christopher the hell out of our realm so I can stop having to see Kaso?”
“We just need to exile Christopher. After that you can throw your neck at his fangs, or whatever else it is you wanna do to your naughty vampire.”
She rolled her eyes. “Throw my neck at his fangs? Really?”
“Hey, I’m not gonna yuck your yum.” I shrugged, holding my hands up. “Besides, that’s kind of hot.”
“I’ve never been bitten by a vampire and you know it.” She gave me a pointed stare. “We back to good now?”
“I hate when we’re mad at each other. It gives me the shits.” I gave her a small smile. “So, yeah, we’re good.”
She sighed and nodded. “I hate it, too. I just . . . I don’t know what is wrong with me when it comes to him.”
I shrugged. “We’ll figure it out after we get Christopher.”
“Or maybe we exile him too while we’re at it and the problem is forever gone.” She pointed to the file in my hand. “What do we got?”
I pulled the file from under my arm and opened it. I groaned and showed her the photo inside. “The Tweedles are on strike three.”
“Them? Really?” She rolled her green eyes. “These guys don’t know when to stop.”
I shook my head as I scanned their updated file. “Apparently this time they stole a car and got in an accident. The human they hit is in a coma. That’s a big enough offense to go.”
“Sounds like they could use some time with Clementine.” She smirked and held her hand up. That bright-pink magic snaked around her fingers. “I think she’ll be fond of them.”
“They are kinda cute in that dumb kind of way.” I motioned to the door. “Shall we?”
“We shall.”
We were out the door and to the roof in moments.
The afternoon sun glowed bright above us, and I had to shield my eyes against the bright rays.
The Serenity flickered like a rainbow over the Earth.
It moved like water with its soft pastel colors.
There, in the distance, was a spot of darkening, and we took off in unison, not even needing to talk about it first. We glided through the crisp air.
The leaves had nearly all fallen now and winter was upon us.
Cold air bit at the tip of my nose and across my cheeks.
We were at the darkening in mere moments, landing in a sprawling, empty parking lot.
A large rectangular-shaped building stood before us.
I squinted my eyes at it. “Is that a banquet hall?”
“Looks like it.” Chanel began walking toward the front doors.
I walked beside her, taking in the stone front of the building and the large wooden double doors. “Why is it so quiet today?”
“What is today?” Chanel and I moved into a large lobby with dark marble floors and a large chandelier hanging overhead.
“I think it’s . . .” I tried to remember the date as we walked down a long hallway toward the darkening. I reached for the gold handle and pulled it wide open. My words slowed. “. . . Thanksgiving.”
Before us in a large, empty banquet room sat two tables with a single light shining down on both.
On one table sat a complete Thanksgiving buffet, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and an array of pies.
It was set with gold, gleaming cutlery and several plates.
The glasses were cut crystal and reflected the light shining down on the table.
Cloth napkins were folded into large bird shapes.
Four seats were spread around the table facing each other.
On the other table lay Tweedledee and Tweedledum. They were bound together, gagged, and looked like two hogs tied up with their backs to each other.
Kaso melted from the shadows straight in front of us, just on the other side of the Tweedles’ table.
His golden gaze locked immediately on my cousin.
A devilish smirk pulled at the corner of his lips.
He was stupid pretty, I had to give both of them that, even while he was a manipulator and not at all my type. I wasn’t into red-flag fuck boys.
But the way Chanel sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of him told me I was entirely alone in that sentiment.
A wave of heat rolled off of her. Poor girl didn’t stand a chance.
Has Mr. Cheese put some form of spell on her?
Peggy Bow’s magic shop had all the tricks a schemer could hope for.
I kind of hoped he had, because then I could get the cure and she’d be right as rain again.
Kaso licked his lips and wagged his eyebrows as he tipped his head. “Chanel.”