Page 31 of Failed State

Not everyone’s father had an unreliable gift that made him train them for something that didn’t happen the way his brain said it would.

Pushing the guilt for judging people down until I can breathe again, I pull on the lounge clothes I found in my bedroom. It’s a branded pair of F.E.A.R. Academy sweats, and the material is soft as hell on my fresh skin. It occurs to me that though this isn’t extreme luxury, it would be difficult as fuck to go back to scratchy clothes and intermittent food on hard furniture after months of this shit. Maybe that’s why death is such a prominent possibility for anyone who doesn’t win.

I look in the mirror one more time, and shake my head as the reflection surprises me again. “You can do this, Sydney. Being all sector scummy was good armor, but you won’t get to be like that here. People will notice you’re a girl again instead of being afraid of getting stabbed. It will be okay.”

Now if I can just get myself to believe that…

The dudes have been staring at me like I’m a zoo exhibit since I came out of the bathroom. It pisses me off to no end, especially when Thad and Huck do it, but I figure I need to get used to it now. I have no idea how many females are in this competition. However, if cleaning us up a little turns all the males into morons, it’s going to give us an unfair advantage that we should use to our benefit. I’m not going to tell anyone my discovery, though. I might gravitate towards fairness, but I’m not stupid.

They can figure it out on their own, just like I did.

“When is the pizza getting here?” I finally ask. They give me blank looks and I close my eyes, praying for patience.

Thad scratches his chin, looking around for a clock, and when he doesn’t find one, he shrugs. “No idea, Syd. They said within a half hour, and you were in there at least twenty minutes, so…”

“I was?” My jaw drops as they all nod and I dip my head as I feel heat travel up my neck. I’ve never taken a shower that long in my life. I’m surprised no one came to yank me the hell out. “Well, shit. I’m sorry. One of you go so we can all get clean before the food is here.”

They look at one another and no one speaks until Sebastian grunts. “I’ll go then.”

I watch him stalk off to the bedroom he must have claimed, and then his path to the bathroom with his own set of sweats. “Where the hell are the clocks? How are we supposed to know when we have to be places?”

Huck shrugs as he looks around. “I wondered the same thing when you asked when the food would get here. Obviously, Thad didn’t see any, either.”

“What kind of idiots forget clocks?” I grumble as I lean back against the comfy couch again. “I doubt they’ll be forgiving if we’re late.”

Rory chuckles, shaking his head. “Man, they really have the supes in this sector behind.”

Glaring at him, I wait. When he doesn’t elaborate, I grind my teeth and ask, “What the hell are you talking about, Stormbringer? Spit it the fuck out.”

“Irina?” he says in a loud voice. “Irina, tell me what time it is.”

A disembodied voice comes from invisible speakers and I jump. “Hello, Rory Stormbringer. The time is six p.m. eastern standard time. Do you require additional information?”

“What the fiddling fuck was that?” Huck asks as he looks at me, then Thad. “You guys have a clue, or are we all idiots?”

“Irina is a virtual assistant people have integrated into their homes since the pandemic,” Rory says. “She’s named after Taterman’s daughter and she’s connected to the internet. We can use her for a multitude of things… Whitmore probably knows about it, too.”

Thad pops to his feet, looking irritable as he paces back and forth in front of the sitting area. “Motherfucker. We’re all living like refugees and the wealthy supes and humans have invisible assistants in every house doing their brain work? What the hell kind of backwards bullshit?—”

My ursine bestie rarely loses his temper and I know he’s thinking about the stuffed to the gills house the bear sleuth lives in and how hard they work to keep themselves mildly comfortable. A luxury as simple yet helpful as this has set him off when nothing else in this ridiculous building did, and I’m not sure why, but I know I need to calm him down. A raging bear is no joke and it’s the last thing we need right now.

“Hell, man. I had no idea. You gotta understand… they don’t let us out of our sectors anymore than they let you guys out of yours. It was pretty fucking eye-opening to see what it looks like as we rolled into town.”

Rubbing my temples, I walk over to Thad and grab his hand, squeezing it. He rumbles a discontented growl, tugging me into his arms and hugging me to his burly frame. This is more public affection than I prefer, but I can feel the whirling emotions coming from him, so I allow it. Once he calms, I set my chin on his chest, looking up at him.

“You gonna tear this place apart or…?”

He sighs. “No. But I really fucking hate those sons of bitches.”

Sebastian wanders out of the bathroom and I wonder for a moment if he used vamp speed to get through that quickly. “Who, us?”

“Yes,youbloodsucker,” the grizzly growls, then adds, “but humans more.”

“Discovered Irina while I was gone, I suppose?”

I swear to hell, that asshole is begging to die.

“Yeah, thanks for the warning.” Thad pulls his arms from around me and stalks toward a bedroom. “I have next shower. Fight me if you don’t like it.”

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