My Love Lies Bleeding
Page 21
“It’s kind of creepy.” She made a face. “I’m starting to feel like the bearded lady at the carnival.”
“I would never let you grow a beard,” I assured her, trying to lighten the mood. If she hunched her shoulders any tighter, her collarbone would shatter. “I’m way too good a friend for that.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“All in a day’s work.”
“I can’t believe they study us like that. I mean, did Kieran sit in a classroom and learn that I wear cargo pants and like pottery? And how do they know that anyway?
And I’m not solitary, damn it, I just don’t like crowds.” She paused. “Okay, so maybe I am solitary, so what? And my nickname is not ‘Princess Solange.’ Give me a break.” I tugged the book out of her hands before she could twist it in half. It flipped open.
“Hey, no way. I’m in here too.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You are not.”
“I totally am.”
“Okay, that’s going too far.”
“Apparently, I’m brash and reckless.” I snorted. “Better than being a mindless droid to some secret society.” I did a double take. “Did you know one of my strengths is annoying Nicholas?”
She laughed despite herself. “Okay, that part’s true.”
“Shut up, he’s the one who annoys me.” I tapped the book thoughtfully. “Hmmm.”
“Oh, God. That‘hmmm’ is never good.”
I ignored her and reached for the phone. “They know all about us, shouldn’t we know a little about them too?”
“How? You can’t just phone up a secret society.”
“Maybe not. I mean, Kieran might not have a MySpace page, but he has to live somewhere, doesn’t he? He’s not like Black Ops or anything, right?”
“I guess not. Wait, what are you doing?” she asked as I dialed 411.
“Shh. Hello? Kieran Black in Violet Hill. Address unknown.” I covered the mouthpiece. “I need a pen.” She ran to her desk and practically threw one at me. I wrote on the back of the guide. “Thank you,” I said before hanging up.
Solange and I smiled at each other, and it felt like the smile of two lionesses about to take down a gazelle.
I pushed each number as if I were squishing a bug. Kieran picked up on the first ring.
“Mom, for the third time, I’ve got the milk—”
“It’s not your mom,” I interrupted, smirking at Solange.
“Who is this?” he asked suspiciously.
“It’s Lucy.”
He made a very gratifying choking sound. “What? I never gave you my number.”
“You’re listed, genius. So you can add that to your little guidebook. I’m not only reckless, I’m resourceful too. And Solange isn’t solitary, she just doesn’t like you.” She had a weird look on her face. “Are you okay?” I whispered to her. “Lie down.” I could hear Kieran shuffling the phone, probably searching his pockets.
“You took my guide!”
“Yup. You want it back? Meet us tonight.” Solange’s eyes widened. I waved away her concern.
“I can get another guidebook,” he told me.
“Yeah, but how would it look for a new recruit to have lost it to one of your profiles?” I had him there. “Besides, you owe me, Black.” And there.
He sighed, like an old man. “I don’t actually owe you, Hamilton.”
“Do so. ”
“Does Solange know you’re doing this?”
Interesting. “Yes, she knows. Don’t you think she’s tired of playing monkey in the middle for you people? Ow, what?” That last part I said into the air since Solange had grabbed the phone from me, scratching me in the process.
“My nickname is not ‘Princess,’ ” she said witheringly. “Fine. After sunset.” Her voice hardened. “Come alone.”
CHAPTER 9
Solange
Saturday evening, sunset
That night every single one of my brothers was in a foul mood. My parents were worse.
“We have some leads,” my father said tightly from where he stood by the fireplace. “Though not nearly as much as I’d like.” My mom was wearing her leather vest, the one with all the hidden compartments.
Not a good sign. She only wore it for serious hunting or ass- kicking.
“Your father and I have to follow them, as will Hyacinth and your uncles.” Aunt Hyacinth might have been off to track assassins, but she still looked stylish in her riding habit and jet cameo. Her only concession was a pair of pointy granny boots instead of silk dancing slippers. “Geoffrey is in his lab with the Hypnos sample. Ruby is . . . indisposed.” Which was a polite way of putting it. “Bruno will patrol with his men.” Mom looked at my brothers. “Every single one of you will stay here and look after your sister. Except for Sebastian, who’s already left on an errand.” I gaped at her, horrified. “Mom, no.” My brothers were insufferable enough as it was. Six of them duty bound to follow me would make us all crazy. Lucy cringed sympathetically.
Mom glanced at me. “Solange, you have to take this seriously.”
“Mom, I do. You know I do. But you don’t have brothers, you don’t know.” Logan contrived to look off ended. “We’re wonderful brothers.” The others ignored me, nodding solemnly at our parents. I groaned. I was going to have to get Lucy to break all of their noses before the night was through. Good thing she’d had so much practice. It wasn’t that I was ungrateful or didn’t adore my brothers— it was just that Drake men were arrogant, unbending, and liberally laced with white- knight complexes, especially when it came to their baby sister. I watched my mom strap her scabbard on, the leather strap between her breasts, the sword at her shoulder. It made me feel small, frustrated, useless. I couldn’t even Google bounties or Helios-Ra because I’d find nothing but gaming Web sites and bad movie clips. I admit I had already Googled Kieran, but nothing came up.
“I would never let you grow a beard,” I assured her, trying to lighten the mood. If she hunched her shoulders any tighter, her collarbone would shatter. “I’m way too good a friend for that.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“All in a day’s work.”
“I can’t believe they study us like that. I mean, did Kieran sit in a classroom and learn that I wear cargo pants and like pottery? And how do they know that anyway?
And I’m not solitary, damn it, I just don’t like crowds.” She paused. “Okay, so maybe I am solitary, so what? And my nickname is not ‘Princess Solange.’ Give me a break.” I tugged the book out of her hands before she could twist it in half. It flipped open.
“Hey, no way. I’m in here too.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You are not.”
“I totally am.”
“Okay, that’s going too far.”
“Apparently, I’m brash and reckless.” I snorted. “Better than being a mindless droid to some secret society.” I did a double take. “Did you know one of my strengths is annoying Nicholas?”
She laughed despite herself. “Okay, that part’s true.”
“Shut up, he’s the one who annoys me.” I tapped the book thoughtfully. “Hmmm.”
“Oh, God. That‘hmmm’ is never good.”
I ignored her and reached for the phone. “They know all about us, shouldn’t we know a little about them too?”
“How? You can’t just phone up a secret society.”
“Maybe not. I mean, Kieran might not have a MySpace page, but he has to live somewhere, doesn’t he? He’s not like Black Ops or anything, right?”
“I guess not. Wait, what are you doing?” she asked as I dialed 411.
“Shh. Hello? Kieran Black in Violet Hill. Address unknown.” I covered the mouthpiece. “I need a pen.” She ran to her desk and practically threw one at me. I wrote on the back of the guide. “Thank you,” I said before hanging up.
Solange and I smiled at each other, and it felt like the smile of two lionesses about to take down a gazelle.
I pushed each number as if I were squishing a bug. Kieran picked up on the first ring.
“Mom, for the third time, I’ve got the milk—”
“It’s not your mom,” I interrupted, smirking at Solange.
“Who is this?” he asked suspiciously.
“It’s Lucy.”
He made a very gratifying choking sound. “What? I never gave you my number.”
“You’re listed, genius. So you can add that to your little guidebook. I’m not only reckless, I’m resourceful too. And Solange isn’t solitary, she just doesn’t like you.” She had a weird look on her face. “Are you okay?” I whispered to her. “Lie down.” I could hear Kieran shuffling the phone, probably searching his pockets.
“You took my guide!”
“Yup. You want it back? Meet us tonight.” Solange’s eyes widened. I waved away her concern.
“I can get another guidebook,” he told me.
“Yeah, but how would it look for a new recruit to have lost it to one of your profiles?” I had him there. “Besides, you owe me, Black.” And there.
He sighed, like an old man. “I don’t actually owe you, Hamilton.”
“Do so. ”
“Does Solange know you’re doing this?”
Interesting. “Yes, she knows. Don’t you think she’s tired of playing monkey in the middle for you people? Ow, what?” That last part I said into the air since Solange had grabbed the phone from me, scratching me in the process.
“My nickname is not ‘Princess,’ ” she said witheringly. “Fine. After sunset.” Her voice hardened. “Come alone.”
CHAPTER 9
Solange
Saturday evening, sunset
That night every single one of my brothers was in a foul mood. My parents were worse.
“We have some leads,” my father said tightly from where he stood by the fireplace. “Though not nearly as much as I’d like.” My mom was wearing her leather vest, the one with all the hidden compartments.
Not a good sign. She only wore it for serious hunting or ass- kicking.
“Your father and I have to follow them, as will Hyacinth and your uncles.” Aunt Hyacinth might have been off to track assassins, but she still looked stylish in her riding habit and jet cameo. Her only concession was a pair of pointy granny boots instead of silk dancing slippers. “Geoffrey is in his lab with the Hypnos sample. Ruby is . . . indisposed.” Which was a polite way of putting it. “Bruno will patrol with his men.” Mom looked at my brothers. “Every single one of you will stay here and look after your sister. Except for Sebastian, who’s already left on an errand.” I gaped at her, horrified. “Mom, no.” My brothers were insufferable enough as it was. Six of them duty bound to follow me would make us all crazy. Lucy cringed sympathetically.
Mom glanced at me. “Solange, you have to take this seriously.”
“Mom, I do. You know I do. But you don’t have brothers, you don’t know.” Logan contrived to look off ended. “We’re wonderful brothers.” The others ignored me, nodding solemnly at our parents. I groaned. I was going to have to get Lucy to break all of their noses before the night was through. Good thing she’d had so much practice. It wasn’t that I was ungrateful or didn’t adore my brothers— it was just that Drake men were arrogant, unbending, and liberally laced with white- knight complexes, especially when it came to their baby sister. I watched my mom strap her scabbard on, the leather strap between her breasts, the sword at her shoulder. It made me feel small, frustrated, useless. I couldn’t even Google bounties or Helios-Ra because I’d find nothing but gaming Web sites and bad movie clips. I admit I had already Googled Kieran, but nothing came up.
