Page 95 of Coerced

I folded my hands behind my head and tried to imagine life after high school. It was hard to do when I had no plans, no ambitions, no dreams.

Until a few days ago, I’d them. I’d even dared to hope—

Impossible things.My throat tightened up.Things not meant for the likes of me.

“Kerry?”

“I thought you fell asleep.” I swiped at my eyes and cleared my throat. “I’ll shut up, okay? I know you’re tired and hurt.”

“I’ve had worse than busted ribs. You can keep talking if it helps.”

“I’ve been thinking.” I took him at his word. “Maybe Hubler and Castle didn’t take them for the bounty.”

“I’ve been thinking along the same lines. Why doyouthink that?”

“While Castle held me - well, I guess it was youandme. Can you understand things in snake form?”

“Yeah. I’m stillmeinside. My brain is still my brain.”

“Good to know. Anyway, the way he and Hubler were talking makes me think they were raiding for nephs in general. Hubler seemed surprised to find so many of us.”

“What else did they say?” he asked.

“Something about a blood farm and a lab. Wouldn’t be the first person to use nephs for research or experiments or sacrifices to fuel dark magic.” I rolled over on my side, staring blankly at the wall as my mind turned everything over. “Or even to sell them. Big money in peddling people. Might have something to do with the missing teams from school.”

“Hmm. Didn’t think of that. I’ve been wondering why they haven’t asked for a ransom yet. If they took them for the bounty, you’d think someone would have heard about the Prince paying up.”

“Aw, they gotta know by now that none of them is a miracle worker,” I pointed out. “Can’t claim a bounty if you don’t have the merchandise.”

“Depends on how good Amanda’s illusion is.”

“Forgot about that.” I closed my eyes against the sudden stab in my chest. “I never, never,nevershoulda let her do that. I shoulda put the bullseye on my own back.”

“Should of, could of, would of. It’s done. Don’t carry the burden of regretting something you can’t change.”

“Maybe we should hit the Diabolical Market in New York.”

“We can if we don’t find something soon. We can also hit up other sources of information. And ask Mira if her devil shared any information with her. She may be more up on what’s stirring in the Dark World right now than we are.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” I told him. “You’ve got good ideas. Thanks for helping me.”

“Don’t get all sentimental!”

I tensed up for a moment, ready for an attack because he sounded angry, but he didn’t stir from his bed.

“Um, what does sentimental mean?”

“Are youtryingto irritate me to death?” He seemed to be talking through gritted teeth.

I clamped my own jaw shut. I’d ask Gigi or Travis tomorrow. I wouldn’t bother him again. He already had a bad opinion of me. I didn’t need to make it any worse.

And it only makes me look dumb.I winced.Almost twenty years old and I don’t have the vocabulary of a fifth-grader.

From the other bed came a strangled sound.

“Sometimes I forget that you’re serious and not mocking me. I hang out with Spin too much. He’s always playing around and messing with me like that.”

Is he trying to apologize?

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