It’s only been two days, but in that time, my sister appears to have aged ten years.
“What in the bloody hell is going on?” I demand, taking herfirmly but gently by the elbow and guiding her to a seat on her chaise longue.
She shrugs out of my grip. “I’m fine, Cate.”
The dark circles under her eyes, the way her thick golden hair hangs lank and greasy in front of her face, and the weight she seems to have lost would say the opposite.
I sit next to her, placing a comforting arm around her and softening my tone. “Andra. You know there is no use in lying to me. What has happened? Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”
She rests her head on my shoulder. “I’ve been with Lady M.”
My whole body tenses, ready to spring to a fight and cut anyone and everyone down, but I fight my every instinct, remaining calm for Andra’s sake. “What have you been doing with Lady M?”
“She’s been having me read. Multiple times a day.”
I force myself to loosen my grip on Andra’s arm. “What has she been asking you to See?”
“Everything I can about the election.”
I suck in a breath. Between my spying and my sister’s visions, it seems like Lady M—and maybe even Harold—is preparing for something big. “She isn’t giving you time to recover in between sessions?” It’s not really a question because the answer is clear on Andra’s face.
“It’s not just that.” She hesitates, pulling away from me, putting space between us.
I grip her hand. “Andra. You know you can tell me anything.”
Her eyes, the mirror of my own, meet my gaze and so much fear is layered in them it steals my breath. “Something is happening to my visions when I’m with Lady M.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re stronger, somehow? I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s like they’re being amplified. I See more and the visions are clearerand more specific, but each reading also takes more from me. I’m completely drained after each one.”
My brow furrows. I’ve never heard of any Gifted’s power being amplified before. I don’t even know how such a thing would be possible. I do know that Lady M is using and abusing my sister’s Gift, and the sooner I can get her away from here, the better. I’ve been avoiding the truth—that we will need to leave the club, escape before word of Andra’s Gift gets out. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s time to face it.
“Well, I have some good news.” I tuck a strand of oily hair behind her ear. “I’ve taken on a special client, and I’ll be earning enough money this week to buy out both of our contracts, with enough left over for us to move away and start fresh somewhere else.”
Andra doesn’t react with the overwhelming joy I expect. “You want to leave La Puissance?”
“No, of course I don’t. But you know how I feel about Lady M, and that was before I knew what she was putting you through the last two days. She can’t be trusted, and these contracts are bordering on diabolical.” I take her hand in mine. “Andra, we need to get out of here while we can. Something is not right.”
Andra turns away, her gaze on something far off that neither of us can see. “The things I’ve been Seeing, Cate.” A shiver runs through her.
I tighten my grip, debating whether to ask for more details. But the light in her eyes is so dim, I don’t want to cause her pain by reliving what may be the darkest of her visions. “All the more reason to leave. I don’t think La Puissance is going to be safe for us for much longer.”
Judging by the state of my sister, it’s not safe right now. But we’ll just have to tough it out for a few more days. We’ve survived worse.
Which means I need to do whatever I have to do to get theinformation Lady M needs from Callum Reid. Despite what his eyes and the feel of his hand on my waist might do to me, the man is a mark and nothing more.
—
Callum arrives solate that night, for a minute I think he might not be coming. The thought brings a weird combination of relief and disappointment. I need his money and his information. But I’m not sure what’s worse: continuing to get close to him as I know I must, or the eventual betrayal that will come from said closeness.
A knock sounds on the door just a few minutes before I plan to write him off for good and when I open it, he stands in front of me with a sheepish smile on his face. A smile that could very well break down the defenses of a weaker woman.
Luckily I’m not a weaker woman.
“I apologize for my tardiness.”
I gesture for him to enter. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if you decided not to come back.”
