“There’s something else in Antarctica. Something nobody else knows about.”
“That’s right.” Eloise’s smile widened.
Something connected to your pharma work?Francine bit her lip. “I don’t like being in the dark, Elly.”
“I know. It’s not fun, is it?” Eloise pursed her lips, then slid onto the sofa next to her. “You trust me, don’t you? I mean, you followed me onto this ship. You must trust me.”
“You as good as told me I’d be torpedoed if I took my own boat,” Francine reminded her.
“And you believed me.” She leaned closer. “So I can trust you too, right?”
Silently, keeping eye contact with Eloise and not trusting herself even to check with her own lioness what it thought, Francine nodded.
Eloise’s eyes shone.
“The rest of you, out,” she ordered, and her staff fled the room. It was only the two of them, Eloise still staring intently into Francine’s eyes.
“You really don’t know?” she asked.
“I really don’t.” Francine tried to drawl, but the words came out tight and reluctant. That wasn’t the plan. She was meant to be contrite and submissive, not so obviously hating having to admit—
Eloise smiled.
A shiver crossed Francine’s shoulder blades.
“Youpretended,” Eloise pressed, quirking one eyebrow.
“Of course I did! What did you expect me to do? Admit I didn’t know what was going on? It was obvious you knew something more. And I—” Her lip curled back, as though it didn’t want anything to do with what she was saying. “And I didn’t. You knew, and I didn’t.”
“Oh, Frankie.” Eloise pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so glad you told me.”
She couldn’t help the way her shoulders went stiff as Eloise hugged her, but that only made Elly laugh more.
“And I’mso gladwe’ll be able to openly talk about it now. I’m so tired of speaking in riddles with everyone! Every time I see them, I think, does Nikolaidis know? Do all the other useless dicks here know? Or do they still think we’re going after the shadow dragons? And,ugh, having to make sure the room is secure before I talk with Angelo about all the specifics.”
Angelo? Francine racked her memory. “Angelo Clay?” Clay was another high-up at Elly’s pharmaceuticals company. “I didn’t realize he was on board.”
“Allow mesomesecrets.” Elly giggled and sat back, sighing contentedly. “We’re going to change the shifter world, Frankie. We’re going toruleit.”
Francine’s throat was tight. She’d truly thought—hoped—fooled herself that Eloise wasn’t in this up to her neck. “You’re still talking in riddles,” she forced out, trying to smile.
“No, that’s the best thing about it. I’m not. I’m saying the exact thing that’s going to happen. Harper had no idea what was right under his nose when he dealt with the shadow dragons. To think he missedthis.If he wasn’t dead, he’d be gagging.” She laughed. “The older generations haveno idea.”
“Neither do I,” Francine reminded her.
Eloise stared at her for a moment, then giggled. “Sorry! This must besofrustrating for you, right?”
“Right.”
“I’ll tell you everything.” She pulled her feet up onto the sofa. It was almost like they were kids again, sharing secrets on a sleepover. “Did you ever wonder where shifters came from?”
Francine frowned. What sort of question was that? “It’s inherited. The ability to shift, our possession of inner animals, runs in families.”
“But where did it come fromfirst? How did the first shifter come into existence?” Eloise’s eyes lit up. “Daddy always has his head in the Bronze Age or whatever, but he finally found out something worth knowing. Two gods from the ancient world.” She held out both hands, closed into fists, and opened one. “One of them gave his followers the ability to transform into wild animals.”
She opened the other hand. “And the other took that power for himself. The Devourer of Souls. He became a chimera. A shifter of limitless power and magical abilities.”
“That’s impossible. We’rebornwith this power. It can’t be taken away.”
