Coldbloods (Hotbloods #2)

A smile spread across Lauren’s face, her eyes brightening behind the lenses of her specs. “Sure… I could do that. I’ll read every damn book if I have to.”

That only left me. Bashrik already had his work cut out for him, and I knew what Navan would end up doing, though I couldn’t bring myself to utter the words aloud. He would be headed into certain danger, and I couldn’t bear the thought of it. His fate hung heavy over the group, remaining unspoken.

“You’re going to end up dead, Navan,” Bashrik said suddenly, voicing my own worst fear.

He grimaced. “You know I always appreciate your positive outlook on things, Bashrik—but in this case, I’m good.”

Bashrik gripped Navan’s shoulder. “Seriously, man. This is Queen Brisha’s army we’re talking about. The chances of you making it out alive are slim to none.”

“How is that helpful, Bashrik?” I sighed. This was already hard enough for me to deal with without Bashrik being a bundle of nerves.

“What about you, Riley? What are you going to do?” Lauren asked, thankfully changing the subject. Only, the question was one that had been plaguing me. I had an idea, but it wasn’t something I wanted to admit to the group just yet. It was risky, and potentially downright dangerous, but it was the only thing keeping me sane.

“Uh… I’m not sure yet,” I hedged.

Navan looked at me suspiciously, his brow furrowed. It was clear he knew I was thinking something I shouldn’t be.

“Anyway, that’s not important right now,” I continued, before he could start interrogating me. “We’ve got a bigger problem.”

“What?” Lauren asked, a note of alarm in her voice.

“We need to find a way to secretly send information to Orion, or he’s going to start killing more humans… starting with my parents.” I had delayed bringing them up to speed about that particular aspect of Orion’s latest torment. It was painful to think about, let alone talk about.

My friends gasped.

“More humans?” Lauren whispered.

“Your parents?” Angie murmured in disbelief. “How would he even find them?”

“I don’t know, but that’s his threat, and I don’t feel like testing it.” My thoughts returned to poor Galo, who had given me that advice.

“We’ll gather info from our respective positions in Queen Brisha’s ranks, pool it together, and figure out a way of transmitting it,” Bashrik said, finally on a more productive train of thought.

“There are a few remote spots that might work,” Navan added, though his eyes were still on me. “If one of us can get hold of a comm device, we should be able to hack it and do this without anyone finding out.”

A somber mood descended across the group once more, the news of Orion putting a damper on things. It was almost amusing, where we’d ended up, and in any other circumstances I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Navan and I were still somehow spying for the rebels, but now we were betraying an entirely different queen.

“I need a shower,” I said finally, wanting to extricate myself from the group. There was something I needed to do, and I couldn’t do it with everyone’s eyes on me. Slowly, I got up, and I was thankful that Navan left me to my privacy as I stepped out of the hut and headed in the direction I’d last seen Queen Brisha.

Before I could reach the main section of the command center, however, I almost ran headfirst into Pandora. She was rushing in my direction, her head down, not seeing me until we almost collided.

“Rask, I’m sorry! I was in a world of my own,” she said, skidding to a halt.

I smiled. “No problem. In fact, you might be just the person I’m looking for,” I said, realizing she might be able to help me. Queen Brisha was preferable, but Pandora was her righthand woman, which was more than good enough.

“Oh?” Pandora said.

I drew in a deep breath. “I want to join the queen’s army,” I said, voicing my plans aloud for the first time. There was no going back now that it was out of my mouth. “Either that, or train with them, at the very least,” I added, hoping for a positive reaction.

Pandora’s face was blank for a moment, and then an expression of disbelief settled over her features. She eyed me curiously. “I hope you don’t think me rude, but your species is weak—you would be of little use in the queen’s army.”

“Well… if you gave me the chance, I think I might surprise you. I’m good with knives. Even Navan was impressed by my throwing abilities. Besides, I’m stealthy—that could be of use to the queen. More importantly, I don’t want to sit around doing nothing while your queendom is being attacked. I refuse to.” I folded my arms over my chest, determined to stand my ground. I didn’t want to say it out loud, but I hoped that my proactive mentality might get me on Queen Brisha’s good side, building a bridge of trust between us. If she could learn to rely on me, that could give us the freedom to escape in the future.

Of course, my motives for joining the army were not entirely for Queen Brisha’s benefit. I knew that if I could be part of the soldier training I would be able to spend more time with Navan, and keep an eye on him. Also, it would mean I could grow stronger, and learn more about coldbloods’ weaknesses and how to defend myself better against the species. I also couldn’t help but think of Orion, and how I might exact my revenge on him if I ever got the chance, for all the torture he’d put us through—and for how he’d killed Galo.

Pandora looked thoughtful, though a strong trace of doubt remained in her expression. “Well… I suppose we are about to begin a fresh round of training soon… I should warn you, though, it won’t be easy. You will struggle and find it difficult to fit in. Everyone will think the same about you that I have, regardless of your skills.”

I knew she was right, but I wouldn’t be put off. My mind was made up.

I shrugged. “I don’t really mind what others think of me. I’ll show them I’ve got guts enough to be there.”

Pandora sighed. “All right. Then I look forward to seeing you on day one. I’ll send word when you are expected.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” I said, giving her a smile. “Is it safe to go back into the palace now? I, uh, kind of really need a shower.”

She nodded. “Gianne’s troops have all retreated since the alchemy lab bombing—it’s fine to return. I’ll be passing your group; would you like me to tell them to meet you in the apartment?”

I shook my head. “Thanks, but I just need a moment alone,” I admitted.