Page 34 of Failed State

Huck walks over, offering his arm, and I roll my eyes at him. “Don’t be a pill, sweet pea. I just wanted to make it clear to whatever scoundrels we meet down there that you’re not interested in what they have for sale.”

Rory’s eyes narrow as he looks at me. “You’re dating the fear demon?”

“She definitely is not,” Elias says smugly. “Her scent mingles with theirs, but not in that way.”

My head turns to look at him slowly, like I’m auditioning for Linda Blair’s role inThe Exorcist. “Don’t fucking scent me forinformation like that, Dante. You won’t like what I do to people who invade my privacy without consent.”

My demon friend snickers as he gives the dragon a knowing look. “Having been on the receiving end of her wrath, I’d advise you to listen, gents. She’s not only brilliant and hot, but vengeful as hell and crafty like a fox with her plots.”

“Not crafty enough to see what’s in front of her face,” the vampire mutters and I whirl on my toes, flinging the knife I grabbed from its hidden spot directly at his head. He smirks, catching it before it strikes with that damn vampiric speed. Flipping it over, he stalks over to hand it back to me. “Well, I suppose we should be thankful you’re not slow as well as magicless.”

The urge to continue fighting with him is strong, but Thad walks over and growls at the traitor. “Back off. This is a stressful day for all of us. Let her fucking breathe before you start in on her, Whitmore.”

“I don’t need a savior,” I mutter to my friend. “I can handle shit without being rescued.”

Thad grins knowingly. “I’m rescuinghim, Syd, not you.”

Oh. I guess I can deal with that.

“Fine,” I say, tucking my weapon away with a regretful sigh. “Let’s get this shit over with. I’m looking forward to this afternoon, but I have a feeling this morning is going to make me want to stabmyselfin the eye.”

Huck and Thad chuckle, waiting for me to move to the door, then they follow behind as usual. I don’t look over my shoulder to ensure the others are with us; they can get on board or not. My goal for this stupid contest is to win so Huck, Thad, and I can live the rest of our lives away from the desperation of Tempest Seven. If they’re as motivated as me, then we’ll be able to work together.

The mood is somber as we head down the hall to the elevator, and this time when we squeeze into the metal box I despise, no one speaks. I don’t mind that in the slightest; I’d prefer to get my game face on before we exit. Sipping the coffee that’s stronger than anything we’ve been able to brew ourselves in years, I feel the divine pulse of caffeine thrum in my veins. A corresponding ache in the spot where my Marker used to be makes me furrow my brows as I stare at the floor.

What will happen if I try to use magic?

I barely had any of my abilities before the Sweep that earned me the damn tag that used to rest in the back of my neck. I’m not sure what the hell I can do or even what I’m supposed to get. I need to figure it out before the actual competition starts, obviously, but I can’t do it in front of anyone but Huck or Thad.

How am I going to ditch the other assholes to find out?

My question from earlier is answered when we arrive at the atrium downstairs. Krista and some of her irrepressibly gleeful cronies are waiting with six other groups. They aren’t the same as the ones we toured with yesterday, so I study them to see who I recognize. Two of the teams are gathered around Bitsy Carlyle. It’s her actual name as far as I know, and she’s supposedly a Chimera shifter. I’ve never seen hide nor hair of her powers, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t formidable. Her attitude and appearance certainly are—she’s been using her curves to get whatever she wants the entire time we’ve been in Tempest.

Bitsy is to our sector what Stormbringer is to his.

I know her team is all shifters because she seems to have a distaste for any supenota purebred animal shifter. Her behavior in our lower school was atrocious and no one did a fuckingthing because she was one of the beautiful party supes. Luckily for me, Thad and Huck kept me away from their bullshit, but I remember what tangling with her crowd did to others. She’s fierce and ambitious—plus, willing to doanything. We’ll have to keep our eyes on her people.

“You saw her, huh?” Huck sidles up to me, his presence at my back comforting. “The old girl is already gathering allies. Living proof some people never evolve past puberty.”

Nodding, I jerk my chin at the two teams. “We need to be careful of those idiots. Clearly, they can be swayed by a pretty face, even if it threatens their own self-interest.”

“Oh, is that your Queen Bee?” Rory grins, his eyes dancing with amusement. “She’s not bad, but she wouldn’t survive where I come from. Mediocre in comparison to our bees without a doubt.”

I frown. “That might be true, but I’m not in the habit of slamming other women to make myself feel better. If she earns my ire, I’ll handle it with upfront confrontation. I don’t need to hide in the shadows like a coward.”

Elias joins us, his expression inscrutable. “An honorable sentiment, Sydney, and one that will certainly be tested in the future.”

Unfortunately, he’s spot on; no way we won’t come into direct competition with Bitsy eventually.

“We should assess the others before they move us,” Sebastian interrupts. “Stop focusing on a silly bobblehead when there are far more prescient threats.”

“Damnit,” I mutter as I walk further into the group. I hate that the vampire is also correct, but I won’t fuck around and miss our chance just to spite him.

Once I’m in the thick of the supes milling around, I pretend to be bored. Being silent in the middle of a yammering crowd never draws the attention it should, so I have the time to scopeout the other competitors. The teams with Bitsy are mixed shifters, but all shifters are the same. There are two teams of various magicals not far from them, then an all Fae team after that. A team that exudes mystery is in the corner, keeping to themselves, and I don’t know if that means they’re all vamps or not. Maybe they’re all creatures based in the darkness like vamps, Cubi, and the like. I’ll have to ask Huck.

The last team besides us is obviously shady as hell. I see their eyes darting around like mine, checking people out as they silently occupy space in the farthest corner from the humans. I don’t know if they're all demons or Lockdowns or what, buttheyare the most dangerous beings here besides my team. Turning to Thad, I murmur, “That’s who we need to find out about.”

“Correct,” Sebastian says and Elias nods his agreement. “They are mixed, but all have the scent of killers.”

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