Page 101 of Seducing Jenny
“Of course. Everything they do is for balance.”
My brows lifted. “Even slaughtering people?”
She smiled, a little too serenely. “When you slaughter the right people, yes.”
“Oh. That makes sense.” And it did, in a murderous, sociopathic sort of way.
Life on Orhon was vastly different from life on Earth, so I tried not to judge them by my own standards. Everything—from etiquette to politics to who was allowed to know what—was a damned minefield for Ladrians. Their rules weren’t just confusing. They were exhausting. And worse, they were dangerous.
Suffering, it seemed, was a reoccurring theme in Ladrian culture. Tiger’s twisted cult family, the unspeakable things Justice did…Illiapol itself, a contest designed to maximize suffering. The ghosts still trapped there. All of it felt designed to break people down, piece by piece. And then there was the story about Justice’s father, Credo. That he’d been cursed. Possibly by Justice himself.
I knew I couldn’t fix all of it, but there weresomethings I could do to help. I wasn’t sure how much Sam knew about everything, but I had questions that needed answers and I needed them now.
“Surge, I know you’re still recovering, but when do you think we can go back to Halla to help Credo?” I asked him.
He thought for a moment. “I’d like a couple of days to do some research, and then we can go.”
Discord shook her head. “The longer you wait, the longer Aphonic is in misery. You should go today.”
“I understand the urge, Discord,” Surge said kindly, compassionately. “But I am too weak right now. My magic…I don’t have the strength to levitate your plate, much less shove a whole ghost back into its body. It would be futile to go today, possibly risky, if we get caught by the caretakers. I’m sorry, Discord, but not today.”
She huffed and looked away, but I saw the worry in her eyes. “I understand.”
Sam glanced between them, then tried to be helpful and handed him another lasky, a playful glimmer in her eyes. “Maybe you need some more cookies. For strength. So you can do whatever you need to do faster.”
Surge grinned at her. “You’re trying to fatten me up, aren’t you?”
“If it means you can help Credo and Aphonic faster, then yes.” She held the cookie up to his mouth, and he nipped the lasky from her fingertips, devouring it in one bite while she giggled.
The two were adorable together, which appeared to upset Discord. She abruptly stood up and muttered, “Perhaps I should go for a hike.”
Before she could leave, Longshot’s voice drifted out to the terrace. “There you are,” he said, striding toward Mal’s seat at the table. Rhonda coiled around his arm and her mirrored scales looked oddly dull. I was relieved to see them, but both appeared haggard and exhausted.
“I could say the same to you,” Mal said, standing. “Where have you—”
“Palace. All night,” Longshot cut in impatiently. “I spent hours convincing Justice that keeping you locked up was pointless since you had nothing to do with Jenny winning Illiapol. You have your freedom. Sort of.”
“You had to talk to him all night just to convince him of that?” I asked, already dreading the answer.
“It worked. After a fashion.” He rubbed his temple like it still ached. “There was talking. Drinking. Dice games. I had to make him think letting you go was his own brilliant idea. That took finesse. And patience. The new council was there, muddying everything. But never mind that. Mal, you need to go back to Credo’s island.Now.”
Mal frowned. “What the fuck for, if he says I’m free?”
“Because Justice wants to be the one to grant you mercy.Publicly. He doesn’t know you escaped,again, and if you’re not there when he shows up, it’s going to make you look very guilty. I spent the entire night convincing him you’re innocent. Innocent men do not flee halfway across the galaxy.”
Mal groaned, following Longshot’s logic. “Which means if I’m not there—”
“He’ll arrest all of us,” I finished for him, my stomach twisting with dread.
Longshot nodded grimly. “Yes,allof you,” he reiterated, his gaze encompassing Tiger, too. “He’ll know you had help. He’s already sent his imperial cruiser to Halla.”
“Fuck.” Mal grabbed a handful of laskies and looked at me. “We have to go.Now.”
I blinked at him. “Why are you tellingme?”
“Becauseyouhave the fastest ship.”
“It has to be yours,” Longshot said, a sense of urgency to his voice. “It’s the only ship fast enough to beat the cruiser to Credo’s island.”
