Hotbloods 6: Allies

“I thought so. Now, hop to it and get this ship in party mode!”

“I’m just warning you now, you might not like Killick’s version of ‘party mode,’” he replied, arching an eyebrow. “You have no idea what these merevin playboys get up to behind closed doors.”

“Considering Ronad found a set of cuffs in one of the bedrooms, I’m pretty sure I can guess,” I joked, pulling a face.

“Hey, do not tarnish us all with the same brush!” Xiphio said, popping his head back into the room. “We aren’t all playboys, and we are certainly not all deviants like young Killick Loligo. He’s of the merevin elite—they have somewhat warped views of things. I’m from much humbler beginnings.”

Lauren smiled at him. “You’ll have to tell me about them sometime.”

“Perhaps that shall be my tale, Miss Lauren, to be passed around.”

We hurried toward the expansive storage closets as the boys set off to find the party room. Inside, there were rows upon rows of boxes and drawers, stacked full of exactly what we were looking for. There were streamers in a rainbow of colors, crates of indoor fireworks, self-lighting lanterns, glitter fountains that puffed up plumes of sparkle, statues of unusual creatures and deities, and boxes filled with party plates and glasses. We kicked whatever we wanted out into the hallway, planning out the design of our celebrations. So far, it was looking like haphazard rave-chic.

“How about these?” Angie cackled, pulling out a string of lights that were shaped like… well, something inappropriate for a family party.

“Or these?” Lauren countered, removing a case of boob-shaped Jell-O molds from a refrigerated icebox.

“Oh, Bashrik would definitely like those,” she joked, collapsing in a fit of giggles.

“I would never have guessed he was a boob man. I always thought he’d be a butt man,” Lauren replied thoughtfully, before joining Angie on the floor of the closet, her body shaking with laughter.

“He’s more of a takes-what-he-can-get guy!” Angie shrieked, clutching Lauren to her as the two of them descended into hysterics.

I stared at my friends laughing on the floor, feeling the sting of tears prick my eyes at the normalcy of it. They were happy tears, reminding me of times we’d spent back in New York, rummaging through cupboards and boxes for party stuff at Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and on our birthdays. I pictured the three of us in Lauren’s backyard during a winter snowstorm one New Year’s Eve when we were thirteen. One of us got the idea that it would be fun to hide out in the shed from the adults. I remembered the three of us giggling like lunatics in that freezing shed as Lauren’s parents tried to find us. It had been ridiculous and we’d all gotten sick from the cold afterwards, but I wouldn’t have traded the memory for anything. I didn’t need alcohol when I had my friends for company.

“We really missed you, Lauren,” I said quietly.

She grinned up at me, reaching out for my hand so she could yank me down onto the floor. “I missed you guys, too.”

“It wasn’t the same without you,” Angie agreed, wrapping her arms around us both.

As we pulled away, I looked back at Lauren. “You wouldn’t really join the scavengers again, would you?” I asked, unable to help myself. It was something that had been playing on my mind since Stone had mentioned it.

She hesitated for a moment. “No… I’d rather go home.”

“You don’t sound sure,” I pressed.

“It’s a hard question, that’s all.”

Angie frowned at her. “Why’s it hard? You wouldn’t seriously go back to them, right?”

A sigh stirred her chest. “It’s just… I felt needed with them. I felt necessary. It’s hard to explain, and even harder to understand, but it’s the truth.”

“You’re necessary to us, too,” I insisted. “We couldn’t have done half of what we’ve done without you.”

Lauren shook her head slowly. “It’s not the same. I told you, it’s hard to explain—it was more than just knowing stuff. I was integral to something, and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt that way before. You two have always been the fierce ones, and I always felt a bit left behind. With the crew, I felt like I was on an even playing field… or something. I don’t know. I’m talking nonsense.”

Angie looped her arm through Lauren’s. “You wanting to stay with the scavengers doesn’t have anything to do with your feelings for a certain someone, does it?”

“What? No!” she protested, visibly embarrassed.

“I bet eyes aren’t the only thing he has three of, am I right?” Angie teased, flashing a devilish grin at our mortified friend. “Hey, if you ever find out, you’ve got to let me know—but don’t expect me to help. I can barely handle one!”

“Can we not talk about this!” Lauren said, covering her ears.

“Stockholm Syndrome!” Angie and I yelled at the same time, giggling raucously.

Lauren looked at us both, but she didn’t seem as amused as I’d hoped. “Look, Stone has a lot of good qualities, despite what you guys might think. He’s nice, but I’m not going to lose my mind over a guy,” she said somberly. “You might not believe me, but I know Stone is bad news. I’m not stupid. His life is trading and stealing, and that’s not the life I want. Nothing will ever come of our ‘relationship,’ or whatever it is. So, we’ll stay friends and crewmates, and that’s all. I’ve come to terms with that, and it’s honestly okay. Our priorities just don’t match.”

I put my arm around her, pulling her to me. “And what about a certain charming Fed agent?”

“I have no idea how many he has, so don’t even ask,” Angie quipped. “What if they don’t have anything at all? Maybe he’s completely smooth!”

Lauren’s cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, though she ignored Angie outright. “I don’t know… He’s sweet. I don’t think I’ve met anyone like him before.”

Over the top of Lauren’s head, Angie and I exchanged a look. It seemed there were two horses in this unexpected race, though right now they were neck and neck.





Chapter Twenty-Six





Letting Lauren off the hook, we gathered up the boxes of party decorations and wandered through the ship, calling out for the boys. The vessel was eerily silent, considering we were preparing for a party. Then again, only three of our male crew were in a celebratory mood. Navan and Xiphio were undoubtedly sulking about the whole thing.

Ronad poked his head around the door of the observatory. “In here!”

We stepped through, expecting to see the glass-fronted room we were used to. To my delight, however, the place had been transformed, the plain metal walls and ceiling having morphed into a glowing light-scape, with atmospheric music flowing through unseen speakers. Gauzy red curtains had been dragged across the floor-to-ceiling windows, which ordinarily looked out on wherever we were, giving the room an underground, speakeasy vibe.

A bar had been pulled down from one of the metal panels, as well as what looked like a DJ booth, and the boys had evidently found fluffy cushions and beanbag-type chairs to sit on, and had scattered them about the observatory, giving it an Arabian Nights feel. It was a mishmash of things, but I liked it. It certainly matched the current inhabitants of the cruiser.