“I smelled like cow shit for days.”
“But did you die?”
Hiram is beginning to understand where August gets his chaotic streak. He sighs as deeply as Francisco, who’s now pinching the bridge of his nose. Still, Hiram bites. “What’s the idea?”
“We set a trap with what we already have,” Gabriel says simply. “We use Veda as bait.”
“Absolutely not,” Hiram snaps.
“Not therealVeda. Let’s take a page from Ariadne’s book and use her arrogance against her. She gave us the trickster pendant. Let’s use it. Someone can pose as Veda and ride her bike through town. Ariadne’s watching, waiting. If she takes the bait—and I think she will, because she’s desperate and time is running out—she’ll make a move on the fake Veda, and we’ll be waiting for her.”
Hiram and Francisco exchange looks. “This is a wildly chaotic idea.”
Gabriel chuckles. “We’ve been steps behind her. Let’s try getting ahead for once. What do we have to lose?”
When they return to Hiram’s house, they begin preparations and decide to keep the plan secret—limited only to the core group already involved. After filling Veda in, they call Peter and Khadijah, who drop everything and come over. Once everyone is present, they plan in earnest.
There are more than a few steps involved in the final idea, but it’s surprisingly simple. Veda will lower her security measures at home. Hiram will have them safely in the air and out of reach while this all happens. Peter will watch his house. Khadijah will use the pendant to impersonate Veda. August will stay with Francisco’s family as a precaution. Gabriel will tell the enforcers Veda is aiding the operation and station teams, hidden, in the surrounding forest. He and Francisco will be positioned inside.
After giving Khadijah the pendant box and adjusting Veda’s bike with her Imprint, everyone leaves. Within minutes, Hiram puts the pilot on notice.
Once they’re alone, Veda starts wincing. “Might’ve been a little too enthusiastic earlier,” she mutters.
“Probably.” Hiram chuckles. “How about I run you a bath when we get back from your house?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
That’s when he first notices something amiss. Black veins creep above her collar. Not wanting to alarm Veda, Hiram waits to call until she’s wrangling the cat.
“To what do I owe this surprise, Ellis?” Khadijah asks in lieu of hello.
“Veda has veins above her collar. Can you—”
“Come back and take a look? Sure. I’ll turn around and meet you at Veda’s so I can bully her into it.”
“Thanks. We’ll leave in twenty.”
Hiram returns to find Veda finishing up with the cat’s food and toys for the trip. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” A sharp pain makes her clutch her side. “I’m a little more sore than I thought.”
Hiram keeps an eye on Veda during the drive to her house. Antaris is in the back, looking out the window pensively. Khadijah is waiting when they arrive. Veda looks over at Hiram, who promises to explain shortly, before she heads inside. Khadijah approaches the passenger window as Hiram rolls it down.
“I didn’t see any veins on her collar.”
“They were there ... unless they moved.”
Khadijah frowns in the direction of the cottage. “They shouldn’t be.”
Hiram’s phone buzzes, stops, then buzzes again. He ignores it. “What do you mean?”
“If her veins are moving, the curse is waking up.”
“What?”Hiram snaps. “It’s been moving like that for a few days now.”
Khadijah swears under her breath and bolts in the house. Hiram scrambles out of the car with Antaris in tow. His phone buzzes in his pocket again. By the time he gets inside, Khadijah is examining Veda’scollar. At first, he sees nothing, exhaling in relief. Then the black, fractured veins appear, crawling toward Khadijah’s fingers like they’re drawn to her touch.
“Oh shit,” she breathes, pressing her hand to Veda’s shoulder. The veins ripple beneath her skin. “Your curse is waking up.”
