Page 120 of Quiet Burn

“I say this with love, guys, but you’re dumb as fuck,” Oriel says before I can respond. “If we’re a team in these damn Games, Jasper can’t be the only one solving a problem. We have eight people who have vastly different outlooks on everything. It means we can see a lot more sides of things than other people.”

The dragon whirls around, and I’m certain he’s going to scream at our resident thief, but instead, he nods. “You’re not wrong. I’ve spent too long handling every crisis myself and it’s not only exhausting, but it’s also not going to work when the playing field is bigger than our families and school. You all need to step up and help me strategize.”

“That was easier than expected. Did someone replace Jasper with a pod person?” the crow shifter mutters. The Prince growlsloudly and he grins. “Nope, it’s really him. Okay, then we scheme as one. Zav, what do you have so far?”

Zavida looks up, his brows furrowed. “There’s some big party/meeting/whatever for the major criminal enterprises in Bay City. They have a secret location and all the various supernaturals will likely have territories based on what organization they are part of. It’s fancy, from what I can tell, so this was a good starting point. But it’s also exclusive.”

“He’s the Prince of Hell, Zav. I’m pretty sure we can find a way in once we get there,” I remind him wryly. “But the location is another piece of the puzzle we need to find. Why are they having this thing?”

“From what I can tell, it happens whenever one of the major players calls for it, but no one seems to know who and why it was called this time. At least, not in anything I’ve gone over yet.” He pushes his glasses up, his eyes moving to Jasper. “We’re definitely going into this with zero prep. That means we have to rely on powers and shit to keep everyone safe.”

“Oh, crap,” Salem says. “Kit Kat’s only seen four of us as animals and two as demons. That’s gonna be jarring if we have to… you know. Fight a bitch or something.”

Jasper rolls his eyes. “I swear to fuck, if you assholes don’t stop framingeverythingwe do around making sure the shrimp doesn’t get upset…”

“It’s not like I asked for it, dickhead.” We all turn to see Kit and X walking into the room, the latter looking furious with us for getting caught. No one speaks as the newest member strides across the floor, standing in the middle of us as he goes on. “Look, I know I’ve got problems and you want to help me. Butwe may not always be able to keep me from having an issue—not with what’s coming. So stop worrying about coddling me, andusethe fact that I’m not a known player in this world.”

I’ll be damned; he’s spot fucking on.

Kit Camponella is a perfect weapon against the people who don’t expect him.

Everybody Talks

Kit/Kat

The chatty raccoon lady and her arachnid boss were actually pretty fucking helpful. Neither of them commented on my wraps, nor my clearly not quite boyish frame. I got the feeling they were used to people concealing things and obligated to keep their mouths shut because of some ancient tailor/customer oath thing. Okay, I assumed that because while they talked to X and me about the fit of the suits they’re going to alter, they studiously avoided asking questions that nosy humans definitely wouldnotavoid. Even well meaning allies would have queried Xerxes on their non-binary presentation and my clearly female body, but not Gui or Laurel.

They were about as clinical with their craft as one could be and I could have kissed them for it.

But coming out to overhear the other guys trying to strategize around keeping me in a bubble set me off. I appreciate the care they all show me—some more than others—but they have to start expecting me to pull some weight. I haven’t read enough about the past Games to know for certain, but I know worrying about protecting me instead of the entire group will fuck everythingup. At some point, they have to start treating me equally rather than just protectively. I don’t want them to stop being attentive, of course, because the affection starved idiot inside me is kind of getting used to it.

Pushing that anxiety-inducing thought aside, I face the guys. “Annie’s making a face that says he’s thinking, so Jasper and Slash should go get measured. Laurel said they’ll be able to get formal wear they have in the boutique altered, but we need to hurry if we want to arrive at this thingbeforethe big secret meeting or whatever.”

Jasper frowns at me, tilting his head. “Just how much did you get out of those two?”

I shrug. “I might be an awkward turnip, but I’m a good listener and X is a good talker. We were able to get a lot, I think.”

The dragon and the shark look over to my partner in gossip, and they grin cheesily. “KK’s quiet is a perfect foil to my gab. It makes the fishing look less…. well, fishy.”

Slash flashes his teeth at me, then nods at the prince. “Come, Jasper. The little demon is correct; we need to get this done so we can infiltrate this party. It would be foolish to waste this opportunity.”

Waiting for the two of them to stomp out of the room, I think about the situation we’re in. The territory is unknown and filled with question marks and enemies—just like a high school party. Much like that setup—which admittedly I haven’t been in since the incident—there will be areas where all the ‘cliques’ of different criminals and their allies plant their flags. General areas will be full of people indulging in whatever the fuck shit they have as vices at supernatural rich people events, but thesmall, controlled spots will be the most dangerous while likely containing the most information.

This will require a lot of very careful maneuvering if we don’t know who is allied with whom in the background.

“KK, are you off in the clouds again?”

Salem’s voice brings me back to reality and I shrug off the embarrassment. “I was, but only because this party feels like it’s probably just an exaggerated version of parties we’ve been to. Or, um, maybe you’ve been to multiples, and I’ve been to much less, but…”

Anton nods, his eyes filling with understanding. “Right. Divided into mini-territories, but large open spaces with mingling and partying. The people in the open areas will be indulging and less likely to resist giving out secrets, but also probably not very high on the food chain.”

“Exactly,” I reply as I look at the guys seriously. “No one should go off alone for anything. That’s how bad things happen.”

The crow shifter is by my side in a second, his hand reaching for mine to squeeze it. I think he knows that’s an issue for me, and though he’s not saying anything out loud, his determination to keep me from having a flashback is obvious. “We won’t, Kit Kat. I don’t just mean you; no one will go off alone, right?”

They all nod, and Zavida holds up his phone, wiggling it. “Your watches and the phones have two forms of locators—tech and magic. Xerxes and Anton provided the magic, but it requires more proximity than the tech on the surface does. If anyone gets out of range for their basic spell, we’d need supplies to extend the range.”

His reassurance helps a bit, but no one has to be taken far away to be assaulted and hurt; I know that very well.

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