I consider what the Vulpi are saying and what they’re not. Enay mentioned that there was a possibility that the tail had nothing to do with Hatus, but the way Kiffin huffed a little at that makes me think they don’t believe that. Which means if the group following the informant doesn’t want him dead, there are only so many reasons why that would be the case.
“You think Hatus is involved,” I announce after watching the two Vulpi leaders for a moment.
Enay’s brown eyes flick to mine, a smile ticking at one corner of her mouth as she nods her head. “That’s our theory at the moment.”
“And what, whoever’s tailing them ishisbackup?” Skull asks, his brow furrowed as though that doesn’t quite fit with the pieces of the story he’s collecting.
“We can’t say for certain one way or the other. It just seemed odd that a lowly cobbler managed to survive something that almost a hundred other fae didn’t. Whoever erased the Daeral line and anyone closely associated with them isn’t the type to let even one thread slip from their grasp. Which means either Hatus Orill is coming here to discover how much we know and whether or not we pose a threat or whoever is hunting him is drawing it out on purpose,” Enay cautions.
“You suspect an ambush,” Bones observes with a hollow laugh. “And now we know why you sent for us.”
“Precisely,” Kiffin agrees. “Any information we glean benefits us both, so why should we bear the brunt of the risk? Your contacts have asked you to look into this, and we want to end whoever is trying to set the Order of Vulpi up. It’s a win-win.”
Scorpius shakes his head. “You should know better than anyone that when you let a wolf into the paddock, the sheep always lose.”
“Good thing we’re not sheep,” Kiffin counters.
“True, but even a fox isn’t a match for a wolf,” Scorpius points out.
“Then we’ll have to hope a Scorpion is?” Kiffin retorts.
Enay studies Scorpius, and her brow furrows. “You think we’re making a mistake by bringing him here?”
Her question holds no ire, only genuine curiosity rings in her tone as she looks from Scorpius to the rest of us. Scorpius stares at nothing for a long moment, and then he shrugs as he focuses back on her. “I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow.”
ChapterForty-Three
Each of us are contemplative and silent as we slip out of the gate that leads down to the Dawn Court Den of the Order of Vulpi. Things feel different after the time we spent inside, but whether that’s for better or worse is debatable. On one hand, I feel more rooted to the Scorpions and secure, which is good. On the other hand though, foxes in general now make me want to stab something, and there’s the high probability that we’re walking into some kind of ambush tomorrow—or maybe it’s later today, I’m not sure of the timeline anymore.
Instead of retracing the path we took to get here, Scorpius turns in the opposite direction. I follow, focused and scanning our surroundings for anything that might be off as we thankfully get the fuck away from this place. With talk of traps and massacres, I’m a little tense and a lot restless, but the streets and walkways remain as empty and sedate as they have been since we arrived.
Like a bruise, the sky above us is just beginning to fade from dark blue-black to deep purple. The stars are fading as they submit to the command of the oncoming day, and I can taste the approaching dawn in the early morning air. I brush the push daggers hidden on my thighs as we walk, grounding myself with the feel of steel and accessible weapons. My kit and the small armory I’m carrying aren’t weighing me down even after a long day of wearing them.Maybe Skull has thura that helps him create such utter perfection?It’s hard to imagine that only raw skill and regard went into the masterpieces that are the Scorpions’ armor and weapons.
“Well, that was interesting,” Bones comments when we pass down another street and make a left.
I laugh hollowly at the benign description. “Why can’t we shadow walk into the Den?” I observe as we continue to move further away from the Order of Vulpi in the opposite direction from how we arrived there. “I’m sure Kiffin wouldn’t mind you popping right into her room ofromance,” I snark.
Skull snorts.
“Need me to carry you, Beasty?” Bones teases, wagging his eyebrows at me.
“You don’t get to touch me until you’ve bathed at least a dozen times,” I retort, and Bones’s mouth drops open with indignation.
“Don’t be jealous, Beasty, I swear to you there’s no need.”
“Please, I’m not,” I scoff. “But the Kings know who she’s fucked on those couches and how much of them is now”—I gesture to his entire frame—“onyou,” I finish, my face crumpling with disgust. “In fact, all of us need to be boiled before we sit on or touch anything. I’m for pleasure and sexual freedom, but I’m not for having someone else’s escapades stamped all over me, especially when that seems like something Kiffin would get off on.”
She eagerly waved her exploits with Bones in my face, and while I don’t care about that, I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to stake some hidden claim that only she would know about.
The Scorpions laugh and shake their heads at me as though I’m being dramatic, but my concerns are valid. I’m going to have to take lye to my kit first thing, just in case.
“Our arrangement with the Vulpi doesn’t allow us to shadow walk within a certain distance of their dens or safe houses. In exchange, we get unfettered access to them. We also have codes that our network can use to do the same,” Scorpius explains.
“And what do they get?” I question, noticing that the scales of the deal seem tipped in the Scorpions’ favor.
I may not care for Kiffin, but she’s too sharp not to get something substantial from the agreement, and if they say Bones, I will deck each of them.
“They get to see us coming, and we assist them on certain more complicated hunts at no cost to them,” Skull supplies, and I look over at him, impressed.
