Page 57 of V for Vengeance

I might regret trusting him, but everything in my head and heart was screaming that I should. “Okay, asshole. I don’t like it, but if what you’ve said is true, it’s up to us to do this.”

Chapter 28

A Force of Reckoning

Using my abilities to steal my own gear was a new experience. Never thought one day I’d be sneaking around to collect my things, but if Kate had seen it, she’d be so proud. She’d tried and failed so many times to get me to sneak out, but she didn’t have a highly trained Hunter as a grandmother like I did. Unless Grams wanted me to leave, I wasn’t going anywhere.

I took what I needed, but not enough to set off alarms that we were gone—my crossbow, a few of Phillip’s favorite magic-snuffing inventions, and my favorite set of daggers. Not much worked against magic aside from what Phillip made and my own Ancient Fae magic. He’d said witch magic was different, but better to try and fail than not try at all.

Still, when Phillip returned from setting up in his area and Jo from hers, they’d know. Hopefully by then, we’d already be long gone and in the heat of it.

Unfortunately, Cash and I would need to be wary of the devices my impressive mentor set up along the way. The Dark Fae assured me that we’d be going in a completely different direction than where they planned to set up, so we wouldn’thave to worry. I still would—worry, that is—because Phillip was clever, and he’d prepare for everything.

Cash hadn’t explained how he planned to get through Harmony’s blood barriers, but something told me I’d be the bait he’d use for entry. Hisgiftback into her good graces. Whatever story he spun, it’d need to be clever.

“As luck would have it, she can’t sense magic, so there’s no way for her to know mine has returned. Not without help. But she may suspect it because Fredrick and his Blood Mages were killed. She might’ve already tried to retrieve the amulet and found it gone. The only one who stands to gain from collecting it is me.”

I stole a look at him as we closed in on the hideout, careful of our surroundings and speaking no louder than a whisper. “So, how will you handle that little bit? Going to beg her for the amulet and offer something in return so she thinks you haven’t found it?”

Cash’s smile hit his eyes. “Your cleverness always surprises me, even though it really shouldn’t.” He stopped, so I did as well. “She needs to drop her guard for only a moment. I might not like it, but I’m the one who got away. Showing up in front of her after all these years on the run, she won’t be quick to kill me. She’ll want control again. Her obsession for her pets is entrenched in a desire for love, and I’ll exploit that to kill her. With you by my side, we’ll be a force of reckoning she can’t escape.”

Why did Cash always make vengeance sound so pretty? Why couldn’t I say things likea force of reckoning they can’t escape? I wanted badass lines, too. With as many enemies as I went toe-to-toe with these days, I really needed to work on my come-backs.

“How did you know, by the way? You know, how did you figure out what I can do?” I asked, clinging onto a question I’d been desperate to ask.

His sneaky grin told me everything. “Come now, love. I haven’t evaded a powerful witch, that blasted sadist Eros, and the insufferable Phillip all these years without having some sort of skill to keep me out of their paths. Very little gets past these all-seeing eyes of mine.”

“You really didn’t evade Phillip, though,” I corrected, winking at him.

He’d think it was cute before he realized it was mean. And like clockwork, his little smile swiftly became a huff of indignation. It was a perfect reward for my well-timed sass. I’d almost been worried I’d never see my favorite Fae Karen again, but there he was, hand on the hip and fully transformed.

“That was before I recovered my magic,” he argued.

“Oh, sure thing.”

“That barbarian creates devices with magic and human technology. I hate to give him an iota of credit, but they’re incredibly effective against magical kind. But he’s not as clever as he thinks. His edge was that I didn’t know what most of them did before he used them on me,” Cash went on, determined to convince me Phillip wasn’t smarter than he was. Not that knowing what the inventions were saved him, as confirmed by the first time we met. He knew exactly what was about to be used on him, and he still couldn’t fight it.

“So, what you’re saying is…he outwitted you.”

“I—well—that was…Don’t you dare smile at me like that, love. There were plenty of times where he didn’t succeed and I evaded him,” he struggled to piece together.

“Got it,” I giggled, nodding.

“Truly, darling. He’s only captured me as many times as he has because I was powerless against those blasted contraptions.” Cash went on a long rant about how Phillip created new devices every time, and he couldn’t keep up with their uses, claiming that it was luck that they worked on him but now they wouldn’t.

Perfectly happy with his state of despair and rambling, I started to walk again. “So, I’m guessing you’re going to use me as bait.”

That shut him up. “What?”

“That’s the plan, isn’t it?”

“To what end?”

Confused, I stopped again. “How will you get through her blood barriers if I’m not bait?”

Suddenly, he had me by the face. “I know what I said earlier, but I never intended to use you as bait. I can see how you’d assume as much, but I’d always planned to use my power instead of putting you in danger. If anything, I’m the bait. You’ll be at my side, but not as an offering—as a trusted companion. Even if I tried to pretend otherwise, the slag knows me. She’ll know you’re so much more to me than anyone who’s ever been by my side.”

I ignored my swooning heart and him and all his goddamn sparkles. “Won’t that just piss her off? I mean, if what you say is true, then she’ll be angry you have someone with you.”

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