Evermore Academy (Evermore Academy #3) - Audrey Grey Page 0,101

or whatever. Two, we might need her. At some point her magic will come back.”

“That’s not a good thing. Do you really think she’s going to not kill us because we saved her life?”

I shrug. “Probably not, but those things down there will kill us.” We both study the darkling swarm below. They’re busy now eating their dead—yuck—but that won’t last.

Inara must be more of a temptation because a few are actually trying to climb the cliff. One even made it halfway up and is now stuck, its whimpers strangely human.

“Lucky for us,” Mack says, “these are basic darklings who can’t rock climb because that takes strategy and planning, two parts of their brain that don’t work.”

I unload my crossbow. “What happens when the Albert Einstein of darklings shows up?”

“Then he—or she—wins the prize.” Her gaze slides to Inara, who’s already barking commands at Ruby and complaining.

Honestly, at this point, my morality has been stretched to its limits. If I have to choose between saving Inara or my friends, she’s darkling food.

42

Mack’s phone dies almost immediately, taking with it the hope that we might somehow miraculously find a signal. When the temperature drops, Mack impresses us all by making a fire—a skill she picked up during Girl Scouts.

Much to Inara and Ruby’s disdain, we’re using the dried troll poop and the few twigs we could find to feed the fire, but there’s only enough to keep the fire alive another hour or so.

Now my only hope is that Valerian can use our bond to track me somehow. Although surely he’ll send soldiers and not come himself. Even the Fae military doesn’t venture out here past sundown. The darklings can sense Inara’s magic, but at its current suppressed state, it doesn’t seem to drive them into a frenzy the way it normally would.

Valerian would be swarmed the instant he entered the Scourge.

We’re huddled around the disgusting fire, all of us crammed on one side to avoid the rancid smoke. Ruby is pretending to be asleep in her fanny pack attached to my waist, but really she’s busy destroying her Sour Patch stash. I pretend I don’t hear her munching.

She might be panic-eating the last of our rations, but she deserves a little happiness. Plus, I’m not ready to start thinking along those survival lines.

“So, anyone have a game we could play?” Mack asks, rubbing her hands closer to the dying flames. The fire needs more fuel but I can’t find the energy to gather more troll turds.

“Truth or dare?” I suggest.

“Fine. I’ll go first. Dare.”

I grin. “Stand up and bock like a chicken.”

Mack groans, but she gets up and performs a lackluster chicken dance that I forgive, given the circumstance. “Now you.”

“Dare.”

“Gather more troll poop for the fire.”

“That’s no fun,” I grumble.

“No, but I’m cold and if I have to touch one more giant turd, I’m going to give up on life, so . . .” She smiles sweetly at me. “You can sing Ruby’s favorite song while you collect it if that makes you feel better?”

It does, and I do. Something about belting out a ridiculous song in a ridiculous cowboy twang makes having to pick up huge bone-riddled turds the size of my leg okay.

Ruby goes next. We make her pretend a rotted branch is a sexy guy in a bar and the ensuing hot mess of inappropriateness that follows has Mack and me rolling around the cave floor, laughing hysterically.

Inara glares at all of us like we’ve lost our minds. “This mortal game is stupid.”

“You’re stupid,” Mack quips, tears running down her eyes from laughing.

Despite Inara’s look of disgust, I detect a trace of longing in her, a need to belong. For the first time, I wonder if she’s ever had this with the Six. Just being able to hangout, to laugh and do silly, embarrassing things and not be judged or have your actions used against you later.

I point at Inara. “Your turn.”

Mack scowls at me, but I ignore her.

“As if.” Inara makes a haughty face and repeats, “As if.”

I shrug. “Fine, if you—”

“I’m only doing truth,” she interrupts.

Mack snorts. “No one does truth.”

I shoot Mack a look before saying, “Okay, fine. But if you pick truth, it has to be something deeply personal. Something you’ve never told anyone.”

I’m expecting her to refuse. Secrets aren’t just given away in the Everwilde. But Inara nods, her eyes solemn. “I will.”

Wasn’t expecting that. We all go quiet. Countless questions come to mind. Things I could use as ammunition against