“Okay, okay, I’m moving.” Elysia groaned and began to climb back down, pausing halfway to see if the raccoon was following. Sure enough, her rotund behind appeared over the ledge, dark feet dangling before getting a grip.
“You know, Topp is probably looking for you.”
The raccoon grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked.
Pain shot through Elysia’s scalp, causing her to yelp. She glared at the creature. “Gods, you’re a fucking demon.”
Lina gave a terrifying grin full of little teeth and relaxed her grip.
“If I find out you’re spying for the prince, then your next life will be as a hand muff. Got it?”
Elysia dragged herself up the front walk and stood staring at the black door of Gage’s house trying to prepare herself. Her mouth tasted awful. Her head was thick and pounding. And she had a feeling this was going to go terribly. But before she could even reach for the knob, the door flung open.
Gage stood there, frazzled with chaos in his eyes. “Your funeral, kid.”
Her brow creased in confusion.
But then the hurricane that was Beatriz pounded up behind him. She shoved him aside as if it were normal for her to throw around professional assassins twice her size. Gage grunted as he toppled into the coat rack, but Beatriz’s eyes were drilling into her sister. Her normally sleek silver hair was fuzzy, and her silk button-down wrinkled. Beatriz Parker looked like a mess.
Elysia smiled and the fury her sister hadn’t been hiding in the slightest erupted.
“You are still every bit the pain in my ass that you have been since the day you were born!”
Elysia tried to respond, but Beatriz reached out and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Donot.” She stepped over the threshold, getting close to Elysia then quickly stepping back as her nose scrunched. “Don’t you dare try to lie to me about what you did last night. And gods above and below, you smell like a fucking distillery.”
Red crept up Elysia’s neck. Her words were garbled behind her sister’s hand. “Which part?”
Her fingers pinched into Elysia’s skin. “What do you mean, which part? Are you telling me there’s a part beyond where you showed up at that disgusting hole-in-the-wall trying to provoke a brawl? Are youtryingto get executed?”
A disgruntled noise sounded off from somewhere farther in the house. Beatriz rolled her eyes, calling back with only a smidge less bite in her voice. “Itisdisgusting. Use a mop or something.” She shook her head. “Fucking peasants.”
Elysia licked her sister’s hand like a dog and grinned when Beatriz ripped her hand away, as expected. She craned her neck around her sister. “Jessa’s in there?”
Beatriz looked down at her suspiciously. “Yes, because she’s a better human than you.”
She went to push past her sister, but Beatriz shot her arm out, blocking the doorway. Her voice came out low and then alittle nervous. “You’re not telling me something. And for the love of all the undead gods. Please tell me you didn’t have anything to do with the random knife attack on the godsforsaken prince last night.”
A grin bubbled up and crept across Elysia’s face. She spoke delicately. “First of all, it wasn’t an attack. That’s very dramatic. It was a well-placed knife that shattered a glass he was holding.” She paused. “And second, you know, Triz, I think you’re finally starting to understand how I felt about you all these years!”
And with that she stuck out a leg, causing Beatriz to stumble, and ducked under her arm into the house, strolling into the kitchen as if she didn’t smell like a drunk, dead cat with a raccoon trailing two steps behind her.
Gage’s voice followed her. “Did you really shatter the glass he was holding?”
“He was touching another woman, and I didn’t like it. My knife must have slipped.”
A choked laugh escaped him. “Is it bad that I’m proud?”
She smiled, biting back her own laugh.
Elysia grabbed the kettle, gathering what she needed to brew a little something to stave off the worst of her aches. She didn’t bother looking at Jessa. Her insides twisted uncomfortably. She’d been such an ass last night. An unbearable, childish ass.
Fingers deep in an herb jar, she spoke, “Surprised to see you here. I was awful last night.”
The admission cost her, shame making her wish she could forgo the conversation altogether.
Jessa just leaned back against the kitchen table and crossed her arms. “Yeah. You were. But I know bullshit when I see it.” She paused, sounding uncomfortable. “Look, I’m not the most well-adjusted person myself, so I’m willing to overlook an outburst or two. But more importantly, I don’t care what theseassholes say. Fuck your sister and that overmuscled mother hen. You're not getting on that ship.”
Beatriz walked into the room, eyes flashing. “I told you we shouldn’t have let this street rat in here.”
