Page 57 of Villains and Vengeance
‘You didn’t try to leave,’ I say instead of all the questions that are piling up.
They glance at each other but say nothing and the floodgates open.
‘I don’t understand. What is going on? You hate me. Is this you trying to make me trust you so I tell you how to leave the Mountain? Because I’m not going to do that until there’s no other choice. My knowledge of the route I used to get here is the only reason I’m alive. I’m not just going to give that up. You get that, right?’
‘Come back inside the bunker,’ Axel begins.
But I shake my head and take a step back. ‘No. I want to know why you’re still here. Why you’re pretending to be nice to me when a few hours ago neither of you could stand the sight of me. I hope you both know that I’m not falling for it, so if you’re going to take me to Maddox, let’s just get it over with. You know where to find me and,’ I look down at the ground, cursing myself for talking so freely around them about my spider buddy, ‘you must know by now that Siggy is my weakness. So just do what you’re going to do.’
‘We aren’t taking you to Maddox,’ Axel says.
‘What?’ I don’t hide my doubt. ‘Why?’
‘Because there are still three days until the portal opens, right?’
I don’t say anything.
‘We want to make a deal, Jules. We keep your location secret. We keep you safe.’
‘And I make sure you’re with me when it’s time,’ I finish.
Axel nods. ‘Not just me and Jayce. The others too.’
I swallow hard. It’s a good deal now that my whereabouts are compromised. They could just kill Siggy and make me go to the Cluster with them. It wouldn’t take long for Iron to start getting information out of me his way.
I shudder at the thought.
‘Why not just take me to Maddox?’ I ask again because they didn’t actually give me a straight answer.
They look at each other again. ‘Because we don’t want that for you, Jules.’
‘Since when?’ I scoff. ‘I thought the plan was revenge.’
‘Plans change,’ Jayce says, stepping closer.
He glances at Axel a final time and something passes between them that I don’t understand.
‘It suits all of our interests better this way,’ he says cryptically. ‘But we can kill the arania and take you to Maddox if you’d rather.’
‘Thought you liked Siggy,’ I say, buying myself a second to think.
He shrugs. ‘I do, but I’ll kebob her if I have to, baby.’
There’s not much to consider. This is a good arrangement for me so long as I keep a look-out for the double-cross. It’s clear that I don’t really have a choice. It’s agree to a deal or bedealt with.
‘Okay,’ I say.
They both look relieved and I’m ushered into the bunker.
‘I’m going to get Iron,’ Jayce says and I grab his wrist in alarm, shaking my head hard.
‘No.’
Jayce looks down at my fingers wrapped around his arm and, before I know it, he’s in my space.
‘He won’t hurt you,’ Jayce murmurs, fingers tracing down my throat.
The caress is unexpected and I step back with a tiny intake of breath. I swallow hard at the heat in his eyes, looking away because it’s making me nervous.
