Rabbit stared at him cryptically. “What did you think it was?”
“He was obviously just trying to screw me over.”
“Void asked me once who I thought was the most threatening member of his Satellite. Want to know what I said?”
He grunted. “Berga. It’s Kaz when people don’t know any better, but you’ve gotten close enough to us to see. Berga is hands down the scariest of us all.”
“Ironic.”
“How so?”
“While you were on vacation, that’s what Berga said about you.”
Flix sensed the trap too late. In his defense however, his best friend had failed to provide him with that information. “I had no idea he’d spoken with you about me.”
“He and I are in agreement, in any case.” Rabbit set his mug down lightly. “You’re definitely the biggest threat in the Satellite, Flix. Ihavegotten close enough to see you.”
“It’s always the quiet ones,” he muttered, not liking the sound of that. Still, it was too soon to jump to conclusions. Rabbit might have picked up on the fact that Flix was hiding something, but that didn’t mean he knew about his Shout abilities. If he did, surely he would have told Baikal?
“Only a Brumal member would take someone shoving a knife in their own gut as a personal attack,” Rabbit said cooly. “You’re all incredibly fucked up, you know that? How Vitality keeps functioning is beyond me. But then, I guess everyone has their demons. Your Onus is no different. I assume that’s why yousent Hael to Mid Vest? If there’s something I can help you with, let me know.”
“Didn’t you just say I’m a threat?”
Rabbit smiled. “I said you’re the biggest threatinthe Brumal, not to the Brumal. If I thought otherwise, we’d be having an entirely different conversation right now.”
Flix’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly is it you think you know about me, Trace?”
“Let’s just say you aren’t the only one good at faking their true disposition. My mother trained me to deceive the press. What about you? Did you learn from your parents as well?”
Rabbit Trace was the son of the infamous musician December Trace. As such, he’d spent pretty much all of his life in the limelight, at first because of her, and later, once it was discovered he was also a prodigy at the beiska, the instrument they both played. When he was alone or on campus, Rabbit still acted the same way he always did, aloof and arrogant. But when Flix saw him with Baikal…he was different. Relaxed and expressive.
“You’re fishing.” The fact he was asking about his parents meant Rabbit didn’t yet know if they were involved. Whether or not he truly knew about Flix being an active Shout, he still didn’t know how deeply that secret ran. “My relationship with my mother isn’t like yours.”
“No,” he agreed. “I heard the two of you get along. I’m a bit jealous, if I’m being honest. The relationship you have with her and the one Baikal had with his father…I’ve never experienced parental affection like that.”
Flix tipped his head. “You’re very chatty today.”
“Am I?” He hummed. “Perhaps I’m just bored.”
Ah. There it was.
“You know him, don’t you.” Flix had been careful, only telling Baikal and Berga about Aneski, and only because he’dhad no choice but to. The Dominus had to approve and recognize his named Onus, and he’d needed Berga to act as a witness. No one else was supposed to know, but he’d figured Kal would leak it to Rabbit, considering the two of them supposedly kept nothing from each other.
“Aneski and I have crossed paths once or twice,” Rabbit confirmed. “Though, I wouldn’t consider us friends.”
“Would you consider yourselves enemies then?”
He laughed. “Nothing so dramatic as that. We’re more acquaintances than anything. He’s a rising star in the art world, and I’m—”
“The Prince of Music, yeah. So, what? You’ve met at events?”
“He’s come to one or two of my performances,” Rabbit replied. “And I’ve been to a couple of his gallery showings.” He gave him a knowing look. “You’ve never been, though, have you.”
“You clearly already know the answer to that question.” It’d been rhetorical, after all.
“If you had, you would have noticed, that’s all.”
“Noticed what?”
