Page 70 of Vicious
Over Moon’s shoulder, Franco gazed down at his socked feet, a troubled frown marring his tawny features. Something was wrong, something they didn’t seem all that excited to tellme.
“Absidy?” Poh hissed behindme.
I turned. Jezebel, Moon’s pet slothcat, clung to the doorframe with her blue four-inch-long claws, while the other paw had wrenched Poh’s chin upward so Jezebel could peer down into her face. Poh’s hood had fallen back to reveal her scales and fangs, but they appeared less lethal compared to Jezebel’s claws digging into herneck.
“Jezebel,” Iscolded.
Moon started toward Jezebel but stopped when she saw Poh. “She’s judging you, seeing if you can be trusted. I…I would just let herfinish.”
“Canshe be trusted?” Francoasked.
“Yes. Yes, she can,” I said, my voice firm. “Everyone, this is Poh, an assassin hired to killme.”
“An assassin hired to kill…” Moon’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. Her fingers bunched up the sides of her red silk robe as she aimed a ferocious glare at Poh. “Well, nice to meet you,Poh.”
I nudged her with my elbow. “I’m stillalive.”
“For how much longer?” Moon demanded. “Why would anyone want you deadanyway?”
“Hired by who?” Franco asked, crossing towardus.
I slowly rewound my life to over two months ago, trying to find the beginning so I couldexplain.
“The Saelis,” Poh whispered, and her breath ruffled Jezebel’s bluefur.
“What?” Francoasked.
“Saelis? Jezebel, tear her fucking arms off,” Moonordered.
“No.” I dodged in front of Moon before she did it herself, then picked up one of Jezebel’s dangling feet behind me, rubbing her blue velvet fur as if that might sway her decision-making. “Hello. I’m not dead. She saved me countless times. She…she had a change ofheart.”
“I’m no expert, but aren’t those scales?” Franco pointed. “Is she a Saelisherself?”
Poh grunted. “Distantrelative.”
Moon nodded over my shoulder. “There’s her change ofheart.”
My stomach tightened. As in literal heart? I turned slowly and prepared myself for Poh’s organs at the mercy of Jezebel’s claws and final judgement. Jezebel had pressed her black button nose to Poh’s to look into her soul, sliding her claws to Poh’s cheek, which was slicked with tears. There was Poh’s heart in full view, even a flash of a smile as she gazed upon Jezebel, who smiled back with sharp teeth. Jezebel had that way about her, to touch one so fully that they fell in love with the furry, deadlybeast.
“Okay, girl,” I said softly and peeled her off the doorframe andPoh.
Moon must’ve been feeding her more than crickets since I’d been gone because she weighed a ton. The slothcat curled her legs around my waist and pressed her wet nose into my neck, feeding me strength through her warmth andcomfort.
Poh whisked the tears from her face and turned her back to us. “I’ll be back in the early morning,” she said andfled.
Moon strode to the door to lock it then crossed her arms when she faced me. “Spill it. Everything. Why was that scaled woman hired to kill you? Where’s your sister? Where’sRandolph?”
I buried my face into the top of Jezebel’s head to hide my wobbling chin and sat on one side of the nearest bed. Moon and Franco sat on the other, facing me, their expressions tense while they waited for me tobegin.
“Did you get the message I sent via Mind-I? Heatherberries?” I asked, sitting and adjusting Jezebel’s bulk on mylap.
Franco and Moon shared alook.
“We took out our Mind-Is,” Franco said. “They’ve been causing some weird technical glitches in some peoplelately.”
“Weird how?” The words came out like abark.
“Total strangers with Mind-Is acting in perfect synchronization, several break-ins at power and water treatment plants where the people have no recollection afterward.” Franco shook his head, his brow furrowed. “Almost everyone I know has removed their Mind-I.”
