Page 74 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

Ciaran chuckled, and he must have decided it was not worth an argument because he said, “If you want any real chance at killing your father, you need a Fifth Ceremony to become a full panom and access the worlds of magic waiting for you. If that is not enough, we will have to consider desperate measures for desperate times.”

A door opened on the other side of the living room, and Nina turned to the door. The knowing look on her face reminded Hope that Nina had probably slept here while she had been in the clearing last night, and that she probably knew whoever these four people were.

Hope recognized Brendon. A small nod at him was all her acknowledgement and gratitude at the fact that Nina was safe and sound.

“Fucking Cardinals above, under and around us,” a dark-tanned, beautiful woman with long dark curls stopped a few feet in front of Hope, opening both hands in mid-air and her mouth wide open, eyeing Hope from top to bottom and back to top. “How many weapons can a single person carry?”

Hope said nothing, her body tense and ready for any attacks. Her eyes slightly narrowed and her jaw clenched. She didn’t miss noticing the similar traits between this woman and the other tall man behind her. Same dark hair, same skin tone, same curious, beautiful eyes. Was everyone in this island gorgeous?

The other woman was shorter and with a shoulder-long black bob and a perfectly straight fringe, her lips painted with a cardinal-red tone. She was looking at Hope with a mix of interest and awe.

“Okay, fifteen weapons that I can see. I absolutely adore your killing style,” the woman with dark curls said, laughing out loud. Hope never considered the black leathers of the courtrades to have anything to do with style. Not that she even cared to consider such a thing in her list of priorities.

The woman looked at Ciaran, grinning. “You should be proud of yourself for keeping your balls intact after a night with this absolute boss.”

“No one said his balls were intact,” Hope said, dead serious, and a snorting sound emanated from Brendon.

“You two can discuss my balls later.” There was definitely a hint of amusement in Ciaran’s eyes. “Meet Sasha, Carson and Indianna,” he inclined his head towards them as he named them, Sasha being the owner of the curls and Indianna the owner of the bob. “You already know Brendon. Everyone, meet Hope.”

“Oh. Five. Cardinals. I love your name.” Sasha was staring at her with wide eyes as if she was from another world. Honestly, Verdania seemed like a whole other world compared to this place, this city, and these people.

Hope stared at her, wondering whether she should attempt to be polite and say thank you, or the pain it caused to remember her mother had given her this name and how useless it had been at saving her life. She opted for saying nothing.

“You already know Mister Stiff-as-the-Fifth,” Carson said, pointing to Ciaran, and Hope couldn’t help but think he had been anything but stiff a few minutes before. “So don’t worry about being socially awkward. That is his thing, too. Except you have a perfectly reasonable excuse, since you were raised in the middle of nowhere.”

Hope raised her eyebrows, turning to Nina, who crunched her face in a So sorry, they had many questions kind of way.

“And yet you are the coolest badass I’ve ever seen.” Sasha nodded approvingly. “I mean, look at you, for Cardinals’ sake.”

Nina held Hope’s hand, and she welcomed that bit of normality in front of these strangers. Nina inhaled deeply and said, “The Organ Mandor found out about Raoul being in the West House and brought him to a healing center in Corentre. Indianna is a professionally trained healer and works there.”

Hope’s eyes snapped at Ciaran. Rhei Coralt mentioning Ciaran’s passion for aiding discarded beings now clicked into place.

“How can we get him out of there?” Hope asked Indianna.

“It’s quite complex. The Beftac Center is heavily guarded right now, because of him.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Ciaran was looking at Nina, and no trace of doubt or hesitation laced his words. The others looked at him with the type of deference that was well-earned. “We will retrieve Raoul to a safe place where we can keep him safe and out of the Organ Mandor’s hands until we figure out how to bring him back to consciousness.”

Tears of relief and gratitude lined Nina’s eyes, and Hope squeezed her hand tighter.

Ciaran was now staring right into Hope’s eyes, as he said, “But first Hope must become a panom, and it will be us running her Fifth Ceremony.”

47

Lenna

Even if the North House hadn’t felt welcoming, Borealia was as busy and full of life as always. Lenna had decided to visit the nightclub where all the Elite bullshitters were less likely to go with their expensive clothes and drugs.

The Broken Spine was too dark for their souls. Circular black leathered couches filled the walls of private spaces separated by Cardinal-red curtains, round obsidian tables crowning the center of each cubicle.

Lenna had been drinking myster for the Fifth knew how many hours, and it was already ante meridiem if the flickering stars across the dark window were any sign. All her company was the loud beat of the music thundering against the growing haziness of her mind as each glass disappeared.

She sent ink to Theon, unsure about its reachability, but was anything sure in her life anymore?

She sighed. Her life was a fucking mess.

It had been long since she had realized that her parents didn’t care about her. Not in any way that was not as the heir, or as a political daughter. Not in any way that mattered. She didn’t even think they knew her, or had cared enough to know her. Truly her.

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