“De rien.”
“De rien?”
“It means, ‘it’s nothing’, in the same way you would say ‘you’re welcome’. But now you mention it, I think,tout le plaisir est pour moi,is more correct.”
Hmm, I decide not to play his game.
After a beat he tells me anyway. “It means, the pleasure is all mine.”
Yeah. I didn’t need to know that, bro. What’s his angle anyway? Is he keeping tabs on me for the Conclave? I guess I am their golden goose right now.
“You are excited about thefêteon Saturday? The party?”
Flutter, flutter of my lashes. “Super excited, I have the loveliest gown.”
François studies my face. “It is interesting. The patterns of your speech changes from time to time. Did you know that?”
Oh shit.
I put a baffled expression on my face. “What is this potion about, please?”
“Finding the truth,vous comprenez?” He reaches out to take a pair of tweezers at the same moment as me. When our hands brush, I have the oddest sensation. Like my Lumina recognizes him. I quickly break the contact, but not before a sparkle leaves my fingers and enters François. I look down at the desk, breathing hard.
He murmurs something under his breath. It sounded like,‘très intéressant’.
Fuck.
The next two hours drag interminably.
Terrible way to spend maybe the last few days of my life.
???
I couldn’t sleep last night.
Max and Donovan sandwiched me in between them, but even the warmth and comfort of their bodies didn’t banish the fear.
The bone-deep chill.
Tomorrow, we try to kill Janine.
And if we don’t succeed?
Well, plan B is to just whisk me away from here and to go into hiding, but what good does that do? The Conclave will just steal more children to take my place.
This has to work.
After sending the guys back to their apartment, I get dressed and head down the stairs to see Wes. I don’t even care about the guards and the healers any more. What are they going to do? Report me?
So what.
“Miss, you can’t go in there.”
“Oh, hi. I’m visiting Wes Hart. I have permission.”
The security man at the sickbay door looks confused.
“Check with the Electus supervisor,” I suggest.
