Page 26 of Seducing Jenny
“You have both stated you are not ready to meet Volatile just yet,” Silence said gently. “So I thought of another way for you to meet with him so he doesn’t know your true identity. Mog.”
I frowned at her. “You think I should look like a Ladrian to meet my own father?”
She gave a delicate shrug. “If you’re not ready to meet him as yourself, meet him as someone else.”
I wasn’t following. “Do you mean I would be mogged to look like someone he knows, because that seems risky—”
“No, mogging doesn’t mean you can imitate someone else,” she explained. “It only means you will look like a Ladrian. My grandfather Credo had many friends. He was beloved by all who knew him, and even those who did not know him. If you go to Volatile as thedaughterof one of his old friends, Edict Malongwah, perhaps then you can tell Volatile you are there topay your respects to Credo, as you only recently heard what has happened to him.”
“Why Edict?” Sarah asked.
“Edict Malongwah was a close ally of my grandfather, but his wife’s family had relocated them off-system over a dozen years ago. Prior to that, they were very close, and Credo hated to see him leave. As far as I know, no one has heard from Edict or any other Malongwah since. You can say you are on a pilgrimage to your ancestral homelands, and you heard about Credo’s condition.”
Deacon nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a believable story. It will work.”
I looked to Tiger, who didn’t look convinced. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He rolled his shoulders restlessly. “It’s just a lot of moving parts.”
Jac chuckled, as if he were privy to a private joke. “Tiger doesn’t like going to Volatile’s island because the gardener there has a thing for him.”
“He’s very pushy,” Tiger said, scowling at his boss.
I walked over to him, taking his hand in mine, not caring who watched. “Can you handle it for a quick visit, Tiger? I don’t want to put you in a bad position.”
He huffed, shooting Jac a glare over my shoulder. “I’ll be fine. As someone here pointed out, I might be able to use whatever sway I have with the gardener.”
Jac shrugged. “It’s another tool in your toolbox, and if it helps you get the job done—”
“Tiger can keep his tool in his toolbox, thank you very much, Jac,” I said, not amused. “I will mog. I will pretend to be Edict’s daughter, and that will be that. Notoolsneeded.”
“One more thing,” Silence said, wincing slightly. “You’ll need to play the roleperfectly. If you slip, if you say something that doesn’t fit…Volatilewilllive up to his name.”
The room quieted, the weight of the plan pressing down hard now that it was real.
I swallowed. “Then I’d better not slip.”
I was going to meet my father.
CHAPTER 8
Mal
My fourth-floor window was thirty meters from the ground. Not even close to the highest height I have free climbed. As I gripped the window frame, though, the slats on the side of the house gave no purchase and I wondered whether this was such a great idea.
In the dark.
Alone.
My foot finally found the pipe edge I had seen during the day, so I rested my weight on it. The moonslight was dim—they were at quarter strength and on the other side of the house—so I knew the climb would be entirely by feel. Just my luck.
The next handhold was between two slats where I wedged my fingertips. I hadn’t climbed in a long time, but the muscle memory came back, and I told myself to ignore the pinch of pain. I had used repeater exercises to warm up my hands, but the lack of practice showed in my inability to disregard the pain entirely.
Or maybe I’m just getting old.
Working my way down, questions flooded through my head. Why would Justice have me brought here? Was it a mistake? Hell, I didn’t even know what the charges against me were. Did they know I helped Jenny during Illiapol or that I was the ringleader of her extra help? The one question I didn’t want to ask myself kept circling my mind as I tried to keep it from overwhelming me.
What has Justice done to Jenny, Tiger, and everyone else in my absence?
