“Okay, someone fess up.”
All heads turn to Sevryn—except mine—and Yemi elbows him for his shitty tone.
“Drop the attitude and enjoy the fact we’re eating and not working out.”
Ah yes, that was our little lie.
Amick told all of them, as in Yemi, Sevryn, Havar, Lambrit, and Rose, that we had a sunrise meeting to attend, so to report to our house an hour before for training.
There is no training.
“Yeah, man, ease up and enjoy the eggs.” Havar tacks on as he stabs his fork right smack in the middle of Sevryn’s plate.
“You two can be as naïve as you want to be, but I wasn’t born yesterday. We’re only invited to these happy little meals when shit’s about to go down. Not to mention, Thayla refuses to look at me.”
My head pops up like I’ve been caught doing something naughty. I spare him a brief glance and throw in an eye roll for good measure, then resume my eating.
Also, we don’t only invite them to eat before shit goes down.
Do we?
“Yes. It seems to be a strange sort of last meal ritual you all have. I believe it’s the men’s doing on your behalf.”
“Oh, like what, them giving me time with my friends in case I don’t come back or something?”
“Precisely.”
“Not helping, V.”
It makes sense, though. There’s technically no reason for Lambrit, Rose, or Havar to be here, but Amick still included them.
“Thayla,” Lambrit warns.
I sigh as I lay my fork down and turn to Yemi with a small, unconvincing smile on my face.
“For the record, more specifically, the best friend record, I argued I should have this conversation with you alone, but I was outvoted.”
Her eyes narrow and move across my men.
“I fucking knew it. Spit it out. What kind of shit are we getting ready to walk into now?”
Amick, ever the gentleman, pats his lips with his napkin, then scoots his plate away. He laces his fingers together and clears his voice as though every eye isn’t already on him.
“You’re getting ready to walk into nothing. We’ve been asked to help find your last Valtrue member. We’ll be leaving right before sunrise and thought it be best to warn you so you’re prepared for their arrival. I’m not sure what time we’ll return today. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”
The table falls silent and still.
“He’s alive?” Yemi whispers, and I flinch.
“What?”
She clears her throat as she glances at Sevryn’s stone-cold face, then back at me. She quickly blinks away the water building behind her lashes.
“The day we returned from the Abandon, the house had changed, but only two new rooms were added. I didn’t bring it up because I thought…”
“That the fourth was dead, but obviously not. Which means he received power in Godsden but is now in the Abandon or Hellveilious. Which is it?”
Damn. That smart little asshole.
