“We’re managing.” The words are automatic. They’re the kind of words you say when you don’t want to think about how not-fine everything actually is.
“Uh huh.” She gives me that look that says she can see right through my bullshit. “And Regina? How’s she handling it?”
I don’t answer right away. The truth is complicated.
“She’s researching,” I finally say. “Every spare minute. Every book she can find. Villeneuve’s library, the campus library, anywhere that might have answers.”
“That sounds like her.”
“She thinks we don’t notice.” I stare at a spot on the floor where something has been scorched into the wood. Some kind of sigil, maybe. “Gets up in the middle of the night, sneaks down to Villeneuve’s study, raids his bookshelves until dawn. Then acts like she got a full eight hours when we see her at breakfast.”
Sadie is quiet for a moment. “Yeah. That definitely sounds like Regina.” She purses her lips. “Have you tried talking to her about it?”
“And say what? ‘Hey, babe, maybe stop trying to save Killian’s life and get some sleep instead’?” I shake my head. “The worst part is, it’s not like any of us can do anything either.”
Sadie resumes her sorting. The silence is filled with the soft sounds of dried herbs being transferred between containers and the distant hum of whatever magical apparatus is running in the room next door.
Itsoundslike an evil doomsday device, and under normal circumstances, I’d already be texting Sean to come and investigate, but I just can’t muster the enthusiasm to meddle right now.
“Alphas are pretty shit at doing nothing,” she finally says.
I snort. “Yeah, well, apparently sirens are shit at doinganything,” I mutter. “Vyse hasn’t found anything. Or if he has, he’s not telling us.”
“Vyse sounds like a dick.”
“Tell me about it. I don’t even know why he’s helping us, other than Villeneuve supposedly saving his ass at the black market years ago.”
“You believe him?” she asks.
I shrug. “About as much as I believe anything. But I believe he’s doing this for Regina, if nothing else.”
“Villeneuve?” Sadie’s arched eyebrows kick up. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s obvious.” I shrug. “Especially after that stupid game of truth or spin. And he totally rigged the bottle to land on Regina.”
“Truth or what now?”
“Sean’s version,” I explain, waving my hand in the air. “It was a ploy to get Regina to make out with us.”
“So technically, you rigged the game first.”
“Well, yeah. Buthedid it with magic. That’s cheating.”
She rolls her eyes. “You dumbasses asked for it, inviting him to play spin the bottle with your mate.”
“Hey, it was a decent cover for interrogating him.”
“How’d that work out for you?” she asks, folding her arms.
I grimace. “We still don’t know shit about Villeneuve, except that he’s a dragon who’s killed a lot of people.Andhe almost kissed our mate.”
“Yeah. Sounds like a real successful interrogation. If the pack doesn’t work out, you’d be a shoo-in for the Council taskforce.”
“You don’t have to rub it in,” I grumble, reaching for another box. This one is unlabeled, which is probably a bad sign. “Where do you want this?”
“Closet. Back corner. Don’t open it.”
“Why not?”
