Page 25 of The Darkest Half

“Why didn’t they just keep us drugged then?” she asks.

I think on it a second. Yeah, why not that?

“Ah,” Izzy says, figuring it out before me. “Because if we’re too out of it, Victor can’t see us begging him for help. We can’t play on his emotions.”

“He can’t see you begging him for help,” I correct her. “I’m not begging nobody. But you’re right—they need us coherent but weak. So, again I say: The Order knows what they’re doing.”

The sound of Izabel’s clothes moving across the floor prompts my attention; I turn onto my other side to see her getting to her knees and crawling toward the door. She sits upright against the wall beside it; her legs are stretched out onto the floor.

“I’m going to be ready when they come,” she says.

“I’ll be ready too.”

“You should move closer to the door,” she tells me.

“I’m fine right here. I’ve been conserving energy, remember.” I shake my head against the floor. “You, on the other hand, haven’t stopped moving around or running your mouth since you got here. I doubt you’ll be of much use when the time comes.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see, won’t we?” She may be weak, but she hasn’t lost her attitude, so that’s a good sign.

“Mmm-hmm,” I manage, then shut my eyes to conserve more energy.

Nora

Ohio? Well, OK then…

A long time ago, I’d decided to pull a Victor Faust and abandon his dead organization, go out on my own—now with my new, dare I call them, friends, Osiris and Hestia—but I had a change of heart. I still despise Hestia, almost as much as she despises me, but we’ve managed to work together this long without killing each other, so that has to count for something. And Osiris—he’s just a good lay, not much more. Truthfully, sometimes I want to kill them both just to get them out of my hair.

We stopped looking for Artemis long ago, assuming she’s already dead, along with her twin brother, Apollo. Now, we’ve just been wandering together. I think that’s where the change of heart comes in: I’m bored as fuck and need something else to keep me busy other than these two reckless heathens.

“I thought you gave Faust a metaphorical middle finger?” Osiris complains as he shoves his feet into his boots, preparing to head out.

“Is he at least paying you for this?” Hestia adds bitterly.

“Probably. I know that Izabel and Niklas have been captured and are being held in a room on an upper floor—no idea which one.”

“Why does he always send you?” Osiris puts in.

I shrug, snap the band around my ponytail, and drop my arms to my sides. “I guess because I’m the only one who manages not to get captured.”

“That says a lot about Faust’s Order then, doesn’t it?” Osiris says.

“Who cares?” Hestia interjects. “Let’s get this over with; I’m fuckin’ starvin’, and there’s a Belgian waffle at Denny’s with my name on it.”

We’ve been waiting for nightfall because this building is full of average citizens, many of which live there. There’s even an observation deck open to the public during the daylight hours, so the later we go, the less chance of drawing attention. Though, something tells me there’s no way we’ll avoid drawing attention no matter what time of day we go.

“Y’know,” Osiris says, stopping just shy of the hotel room door, “why is Faust sending you anyway? Why isn’t he going himself? They’ve captured his brother and his woman, and he sends you? No offense, honey, but you gotta admit that’s a little fucking strange.”

“He’s probably going to meet me there,” I explain, though I have to admit that I didn’t think of that before, and it kinda bothers me. “He just gave the order, but I’m probably closer than he is. And even if not, I know he’s gonna need backup—I’m all he’s got left.”

“Still no word from Gustavsson?” Osiris asks.

He already knows I haven’t seen or heard from Fredrik in ages, so he must be referring to Victor.

“Victor didn’t mention anything about Fredrik,” I say, “so I’m assuming he hasn’t seen or heard from him either.”

“That guy’s probably dead,” Hestia says. “Like you’re gonna be because this mission Faust has you on doesn’t feel right.”

“Then we’re probably all gonna die,” I tell her, but really, it’s just to spite her.

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