Between Burning Worlds (System Divine #2) - Jessica Brody Page 0,88

is dangerous and potentially armed. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is to contact the Ministère or their local Policier Precinct.”

Marcellus felt his whole body melt right into the seat.

Of course, his grandfather and Chacal would have issued a warrant. The entire planet knew he was Vangarde now.

“I mean, I had my suspicions earlier,” Cerise went on breezily. “You are the son of Julien Bonnefaçon, the famous Vangarde traitor, after all.”

Again, Alouette’s expression was incredulous. “Is that true?”

Marcellus nodded, a familiar flicker of pain clutching at his chest. “Yeah. It’s true.”

“And then, when you went to the copper exploit—”

“Wait.” Marcellus gaped at Cerise. “You followed me there too? Those were your footsteps I heard?”

“But I wasn’t entirely convinced until the arrest warrant was issued earlier,” Cerise went on, relishing in Marcellus’s disbelief. “That’s when I decided to follow you here.”

“B-b-but why?” Marcellus asked, feeling like his brain might explode.

“Oh,” Cerise said, “Right. Because I’m a sympathizeur and I—”

“A what?” asked Gabriel in a deadpan voice.

“A sympathizeur. I’m sympathetic. To the Third Estate cause.”

“That’s not a thing,” Gabriel protested.

“Of course it is. What I said back there at the inn wasn’t just a lie to convince them to let me go.” She turned and flashed Gabriel a winning smile. “I’m on your side. I want change on Laterre. I want justice for the Third Estate. There are tons of us. We’re starting a movement.”

Gabriel scoffed. “A movement of what? Wearing ridiculous hats?”

Cerise’s nostrils flared. “It’s not a hat. It’s a beret.”

“Whatever it is,” Gabriel snapped, “we don’t need your ‘sympathy.’ ”

Cerise glared at him. “What exactly are you doing in my cruiseur?”

“I’ve been asking myself the same question,” he grumbled.

Cerise turned back to Alouette and Marcellus. “Shall I eject him?” She looked hopeful at the proposition.

“No!” Alouette said. She cast a glance at Gabriel. “He’s … He helped me. I trust him.”

Marcellus still wasn’t sure what to make of that. Since when did Alouette hang out with Third Estate criminals? And why had she been in the Policier Precinct? But he decided to file all those questions away until a time when he had more brain space to devote to them.

“Fine,” Cerise said, looking slightly disappointed that she didn’t get to eject anyone. “Then, at least give me back my hairbrush.” She narrowed her eyes at Gabriel.

“What?” Gabriel asked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

Cerise said nothing, just extended her hand, palm up, across the cruiseur.

Gabriel flashed her an exaggerated sad face before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small titan-backed brush studded with twinkling gemstones. He handed it to Cerise, who returned it to one of the many pockets of her jumpsuit.

Marcellus watched the whole spectacle with fascination.

Gabriel shot Alouette a sheepish look. “It’s not like she needed it. I’m sure she has a hundred just like it.”

Cerise let out an exasperated huff before turning back to Marcellus. “Anyway,” she said emphatically, “I followed you to Montfer because I have recently come into possession of some very important intel that the Vangarde will definitely want to know about.”

Marcellus eyed her dubiously. “What do you mean you’ve ‘come into possession’?”

She leaned back in her seat with a self-satisfied smile. “I have a lot of skills that you don’t know about, Marcellus Bonnefaçon.” She motioned to the TéléCom in her lap. “For instance, I happen to be an expert hacker.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and I’m the Matrone’s little white dog, Fluffy.”

“Well, Fluffy,” Cerise shot back, her tone heavy with sarcasm. “You’re certainly in need of a groom.”

“Look, Sparkles—” Gabriel began.

“My name is Cerise,” she snapped.

“Sparkles,” Gabriel continued unfazed. “You may think you’re on our side, but until you’ve gone to bed hungry and slept in the mud and worked until your fingers bled, you cannot claim to be sympathetic to the Third Estate ‘cause.’ Which, by the way, is not a cause. It’s not something for you to discuss over champagne and gateaux while you glue rhinestones to hats. It is our life. Not an idle hobby for bored Second Estaters.”

“At least what I’m doing is honest!” Cerise fired back. “Do you really expect to improve your lot in life by stealing?”

“Hey, I don’t need some sparkle-headed bimbo telling me how to improve my life. I’m doing just fine on my own.”

Cerise’s eyes flashed with fury and Marcellus quickly intervened. “Cerise, why don’t you just tell us what you found?”

Cerise took a moment to calm herself down. Then, once she’d gathered her face back into a smile, she exhaled and said,