He was probably right about that.
But for the first time, I actually wanted to stay, and not because Claudia was paying me or threatening me or using Mo as leverage. I wanted to stay to prove Devon wrong. I wanted to show him it wasn’t his fault that he was a target. That this was the life he’d been born into and that there was nothing he could do to escape it.
Just like I couldn’t escape it now, either.
I wanted him to stay safe. I wanted to show him that I could survive anything the Draconis or any other Family threw at me.
More than that, I needed to do it, in the same way that my mom had. Mo was right. I was just like her—a fighter, a soldier, a protector. For the first time, I realized why she’d gotten off that park bench when Devon and Claudia had been attacked. Because she had wanted to save an innocent boy. And now, I did, too.
Damn it.
But the first step to protecting Devon—and myself—was finding out who wanted him dead. I thought back to the attack at the Razzle Dazzle. No doubt Grant had been investigating that as well. I’d have to ask him what he’d found out, if anything. And I’d ask Mo, too. He might come up with some leads that Grant had missed.
It was just like casing a house to rob or sizing up a tourist to pick-pocket. You analyzed risk versus reward, you looked for weak spots, and you figured how to get in and out with no one being the wiser. Easy peasy. I’d never failed on one of my jobs for Mo, and I wasn’t about to start now.
Satisfied with my plan of attack, I left the roof, climbed down the drainpipe, and went back to my room for the night.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The next few days passed by quietly, and I quickly fell into a routine.
Down in the dining hall by nine to eat as much breakfast as I could stuff myself with, then following Devon whenever he left the mansion, usually with Grant and Felix along for the ride. Once Devon was finished with his daily rounds, it was back to the mansion to spend some time training Felix in the gym or exploring the grounds. I finished up by grabbing dinner in the dining hall with Felix and annoying Oscar by slipping Tiny some berries, lettuce, and other treats when I went back to my room for the night.
Devon didn’t say much to me, but every morning, he seemed disappointed when I showed up for breakfast, as if he’d wanted me to sneak off in the middle of the night. But I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I knew he was safe. It’s what my mom would have wanted, and I’d be damned if she’d saved him all those years ago just for him to die now.
So I nosed around the Sinclair mansion, casually chatting up the guards, pixies, and visitors to see if anyone had a beef with Devon. The mystery man had to have some way of tracking Devon’s movements; otherwise, the attack at the Razzle Dazzle never would have happened. And what better way to get that info than to have an inside man spying on Devon?
But everyone I spoke to admired and respected Devon, and nobody had anything bad to say about him. I even used my soulsight to make sure folks were telling me the truth, but they really meant all the good things they said. If the mystery man did have a spy in the Sinclair Family, I couldn’t find the informer.
I didn’t do much actual bodyguarding, though. Mostly what I did was stand out of the way in a corner, my hand on my sword, as Devon met with other guards, business owners in the Midway, or whoever else he needed to see. He also had some more fake dates with Poppy, trying to smooth things over between the Sinclairs and the Itos, before the night of that big dinner when all the Families would get together. Felix and I tagged along on those, too. I didn’t mind, though. I liked Poppy. She was smart, funny, and loved action movies, just like me.
I also used those opportunities to ask people outside the Sinclair Family about Devon, but I got the same answers and admiration as before. So far, the mystery man had covered his tracks well, and I was no closer to figuring out his identity than when I’d started.
Devon and Felix wanted to have some cheesy monster movie marathon at the mansion, which meant I got an afternoon off. So I decided to visit Mo. He’d texted me, and we’d chatted on the phone several times, but it wasn’t the same as seeing him in person. Besides, I wanted to know if he’d found out anything about the attack on Devon, since I’d hit nothing but dead ends so far.
Grant had some business at one of the Sinclair banks, and he volunteered to drive me to the Razzle Dazzle. The sun and heat weren’t as intense today, so Grant buzzed down the windows. I leaned my head back against the seat and enjoyed the steady breeze on my face. The wind whipped at my ponytail, but I didn’t mind. At least, not until I realized that Grant didn’t have a hair out of place. Seriously. His golden mane looked as sleek and smooth as when he’d first gotten into the car. I wondered how he did that. Or perhaps that’s what his Talent was—always looking perfect. Heh. A faint chill of magic emanated from him, indicating he was using his magic in some small way, although it wasn’t enough to trigger my own transference power.
Grant drove over the lochness bridge, showing no signs of slowing down to pay the toll. But I was ready for that. I palmed some coins from one of my pockets, then dangled my hand out the window and flicked open my fingers.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
The three quarters skipped across the top of the bridge before tumbling down into the river below. That should satisfy the lochness.
“What are you doing?” Grant asked.
I pulled my hand back into the car. “Nothing.”
I didn’t care to be made fun of again, just because he didn’t believe in things like lochness tolls.
“So,” he said, “how are you liking the Family so far?”
“It’s okay.”
“Well, the guards have been quite impressed with you. I’ve heard reports that you’ve beaten all of them in one-on-one combat. What’s your secret?”