Page 203 of Shadowblood Souls
I have to try, don’t I? I can’t really fuck up any worse than I already have.
A little trepidation lingers, because I know it’s not just her I’m going to have to win over but the other guys as well. First, though, I need to make sure my idea is possible to begin with.
“I think I’ve got something,” I say to Pearl. “Do you have any idea where Rollick is?”
Her eyes flash with excitement. “I can find him!”
The next second, she’s leapt into the shadows.
Billy, who’s trailed behind us simply taking in the conversation, peers around the party room. “You’re going to try to make Riva happy?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s a little more complicated than that, but… basically.”
He offers me a small but genuine smile. “I don’t know much about mortal parties, but I do know music. If you need any help. It comes with the whole faun thing.” He motions to his horns.
An unexpected flicker of friendly warmth passes through me. I don’t totally trust the shadowkind, but I’ll take them over the guardians any day.
“Thanks,” I say. “Let me think about this—if I can even get this idea off the ground.”
Pearl hasn’t returned yet, so I venture down the hall, not sure where I should head now. But I’ve only made it past a fewdoorways before the succubus blinks back into sight—with the demon right beside her.
Rollick arches his eyebrows. “Apparently there’s some incredibly urgent matter you need to speak to me about.”
I wince inwardly. “Sorry. It’s not that urgent. But, since you’re here now… Would you let me use the party room for something tomorrow night? And I’d need some supplies. I don’t know how easy that’ll be while we’re at sea.”
“I was already planning on docking tomorrow morning, just briefly, for other reasons. Give me a list, and there’s very little I can’t obtain. And I have no plans for any parties, so the room is up for grabs.”
My heart leaps with more hope than I’ve felt in ages. “Great. Thank you. I’ll get on with making that list.”
“This is about Riva?” he asks.
I hesitate. “Is that a problem?”
The demon aims a crooked grin at me. “Not at all. I happen to think it’s better for all of us if your little banshee-of-sorts found herself some more peace. See what you can do about that all you like.”
He vanishes, leaving me with an uneasy knot in my gut. Why does he think it’s better foreveryone?
But then, he does seem to enjoy making vaguely ominous comments for his own amusement.
I hurry toward the residential quarters, my nerves twanging with both eagerness and uncertainty. The sound of voices from the games room draws me up short.
The other three guys are gathered around the pool table there, Jacob motioning from the cue ball to one of the others.
“You’re supposed to hit itintothat ball.”
Zian frowns. “That seems like a pretty stupid way of doing things.”
“Jake’s right—those are the usual rules,” Dominic says from where he’s standing off to the side, studying the rack of cues. “But nothing says we couldn’t make up our own.”
They all fall silent when I stride into the room. Jacob’s expression tightens.
“Training is all done for the day?” he asks.
“For now.” I barrel onward before I can think better of the proposal I’m about to make—and how they might feel about it. “I need your help—I want us to do something for Riva. Something… big.”
Twenty-One
Riva
