If Jordan is annoying now, she’s ten times worse when she’s coked up. My fiancée pulls me to a halt. “I’m going to powder my nose, darling,” she says, turning on her heel to join her gang.
“Have fun.” Thank fuck. At least I get a breather. Klein tries to speak to me, but I ignore him and go straight to find Donovan. When I spot him, he’s not standing with Theo and Max anymore. He’s alone.
“Hey, where are the other two?”
“Theo is still trying to listen in on your pops and his gang. She needed to be closer. We figured he doesn’t know Max or Theo, so they’d be safe hanging around the vicinity, but he’s all too familiar with me, so I’m keeping a low profile, hoping not to run into my parents.”
“Makes sense.” I look at the glass of whisky in Donovan’s hand and regret my choice to be sober for the evening. “Can I?”
“Knock yourself out.”
I throw the contents back in one go, enjoying the burn all the way down my esophagus. “Thanks.”
“What did your dad have to say?” Donovan asks.
My gut churns at the memory of my father's smug smirk and the burning sigil. I lean in, keeping my voice low. “He thinks the dark essence has me as an enthusiastic member of the Conclave’s new order. I’m pretty sure he bought my performance and has no idea that shit is burned out of me.”
—Hey guys…can you all hear me?—
Donovan grins like an idiot as Theodora’s voice echoes in our heads. I keep calm and signal to a passing waiter for more drinks. —I can hear you—
—Me too, Sparkles—
—Loud and clear, pulu—
Hmm, I guess Feniks is also on the line.
—OK. One man is fretting about the building site back at the academy. Thinking it was vulnerable. Or something—
“We really have to get inside that compound,” I mutter.
—Oh, and another had a mental image of a place where people are fighting…like a club or something?—He’s remembering meeting someone in a back room and is annoyed he has to go there again—
This is so frustrating, getting bites of a story, but no real details.—Which brains are you picking? I need names—
—I don’t know who they are—not your dad or the twins' parents though—it seems I can’t hear the thoughts of anyone with the dark essence—
Shit, that’s unfortunate.
—YO DUDES! THIS IS ME, MAX. I’LL KEEP TRACK OF THE WANKERS SHE’S LISTENING TO—
—Please stop shouting, Maximus—
—Sorry, Sparkles—
—Alright, I’ll stay close and see what else I can pick up—
Donovan nudges me, looking worried. “Is this putting her in danger?” he asks.
“Anything to do with my father is dangerous, you know that.”
He nods. —You and Max should step away, we don’t want to push our luck—
—I agree, pulu—
There’s some back and forth, but within a few minutes, Max and Theodora agree to move further to the edge of the room.
“Don’t look now,” Donovan says, looking over my shoulder. “But your fiancée is searching for you, and she looks a little toot-happy.”
