Thank God,Chloe groans.That means there’s still hope for me.
I glance to Marshall.
Chloe’s curious remark worries me. But right now, I have bigger celestial fish to fry.
Oh please,Chloe groans.We’re on the same side. You’re in my body, for God’s sake. What more do I have to do to earn your trust? On second thought, don’t answer that. I don’t care about your trust, Messenger. You either, Marshall. I care about me. I care about Celestra. I care about Gage Oliver’s painful downfall. Exactly in that order. And before you start boo-hooing for Tobie and Mally, it’s not like I locked them in a car and pretended to forget about them. They’re with their father. That’s my way of caring for them. They’re better off with Wes. You might think he’s a demon even if he is siding with us, but he’s a good man. Who knew he’d be the better Edinger brother? Life never ceases to surprise me. And considering the fact you’re the one wiping my ass these days, life has shocked me to hell.
“Me too, sister. Me too.” No sooner do I get the words out than Cooper and Laken file into the room.
“Laken”—I stand and my arms start to open to hug her before I remember whose skin I’m in—“and Cooper,” I say a little more measured. Laken is stunning with her caramel waves and denim blue eyes. Cooper looks every bit like Logan’s twin today with his dark blond scruff peppering his cheeks. Cooper is the kind of guy that everyone gravitates to naturally. He was once Wesley’s right-hand man back when they were students at Ephemeral. I believe Coop was referred to as the cleanup committee—as in cleaning up the Spectators once he and Wes managed to off them.
Both Laken and Coop offer me a curious look before greeting Marshall and me and taking a seat.
Brody walks in with Wes and they’re chatting away like old friends. Brody heads this way and offers me an embrace before landing a soft kiss to my temple. His cologne is strong but smells nice. There’s always been something warm about Brody. One thing is for sure, he really cares for Chloe.
I’ll never forget the day we met. He ran me over with his car. Good times.
Sounds like a storyline Gage would have written for you,Chloe muses.And you’re right. My big brother is the best, despite the fact he chooses to spend his time with that Johnson ditz.
The Johnson ditz would be Brielle’s sister, Brookelynn. She is a ditz but in an adorable Brielle sort of way.
Logan walks in and I gasp. “We forgot Brielle!”
He shakes his head. “She’s not a part of the team.” He gives a slight wink.
Logan is so right. Bree’s more than wishy-washy when it comes to Celestra. Just because she qualifies as one of my best friends, she most certainly doesn’t qualify for the Retribution League.
Ellis walks in on their heels, and this time I can’t contain myself. I run right over and latch onto that hippie stoner, best guy friend in the world, and sob without meaning to.
“Get a grip, Bishop.” He carefully plucks me off. “Whatever you’re scheming, you can count me out. You might be on the right team once again, but you’ll have to cure your lady boner with someone else. I’m taken.”
I pull back, a laugh rumbling in my chest. Ellis’ dark blond hair is mussed, his eyes glossy, and he reeks as if he just lit up a blunt on the ride over. He’s wearing his wire-rimmed glasses—something he doesn’t do all the time—but they make him look like a scholar, astonedscholar, but nonetheless.
“I thought you were trying to quit weed?” I give his hair a tussle.
He makes a face and looks decidedly handsome. “I am. It’s baby steps. Sort of like you trying to quit being evil.”
Touché,Chloe shouts.
“I’m not evil,” I say and pause for a moment because I can’t believe those words just flew from my lips.
“Chloe.” Wes nods my way as he enters the room, a stern look on his face as if he were truly speaking to his former wife.
Coop gives a glance around the lab. “Where are Nev and Ezrina?”
“Working.” He hitches his head to the next room. “They don’t need to be here,” Logan says as Ellis and I take our seats. We told them a few days back, and they weren’t all that amused with Gage’s actions.
Laken looks mildly alarmed. “Well, Skyla needs to be here.”
“No”—I close my eyes a moment—“actually, she doesn’t. I’m the one that’s called you all here. I have something to say.”
“No way.” Laken pulls out her phone, and without thinking, I lunge over and snatch it right out of her hands. “Laken, no.”
“Don’t you Laken no, me. Logan, do you see what we’ve unleashed? Don’t give Chloe Bishop this kind of power. She’s clearly trying to usurp Skyla. There is not a reason on this earth that Skyla should miss a meeting of the Retribution League.”
“She’s right.” Coop looks equally miffed. “Give Chloe an inch and you can kiss ten thousand miles goodbye.”
See how your friends treat me, Skyla? They’re bullies.
