Death Game: Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #3) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,89

gave him false hope now and lost, I’d never forgive myself.

Tommy rested her head on my shoulder, laughing as the new DJ boarded the ship and broadcasted for the first time.

I hunkered back against the cushions, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

A soft moan rose from behind us.

Yep, there they went.

“Uhm,” Tommy said. “Can’t help but notice there are clusters of men with a sole woman, and clusters of women with a sole man.”

Pretty sure my crew had been aware Tommy knew about them for a while now, but now I’d freed them, I made no secret of it. And with the compulsion removed, I’d told her everything—from the moment I’d dropped off my résumé to now.

As much as I worried about her growing ease with the Vissimo, I also wanted to foster it. I wanted her to know that not all vampires were monsters after what she’d been through. My bestie was strong. Literally sitting in the middle of hundreds of people with fangs.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked. “That they’re into harems or something?”

“No, no,” she said quickly. Then paused. “Are they though?”

I flashed her a grin. “Most of them, yes. Vissimo can’t reproduce easily, so they have multiple partners.” I wasn’t sure why some grouped around a man and others around a woman, but I knew everyone had a harem of their own and was part of another harem too.

Maybe they alternated days.

She straightened and peered around. “Interesting concept.”

My gaze narrowed at the purring quality in her voice. “Interesting, how?”

My friend eyed a slender male with blond hair to his shoulders.

“Do you think he plays an instrument?” she whispered.

And we were back on the miserable musician kick. “No idea, Tom. Please tell me you’re not going to form a harem.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe I’ve been looking at life wrong. Why choose, you know?”

Belatedly, Tommy shot me a look.

“Yeah,” I said drily. “You may be talking to the wrong person about that.”

She snorted. “True.”

I wondered if we were ruining the movie for everyone. “You’re on the rebound then?”

Tommy had kept to herself since learning the truth about Theodore and his brothers. She needed to talk about everything. Except who could she talk to about vampires except me and those of them in my employ? I hoped we’d be enough. Her trauma could come out in any number of ways, and I knew from personal experience that grief often lured people into a false sense of security before returning for a smackdown months or years down the track.

“Sure, why not?” she said breezily, glancing around again.

That she was looking at a Vissimo to scratch the itch was kind of surprising.

I tucked my hand in hers. “As long as you’re careful. And as long as you talk to me if you’re ever not okay.”

Tommy squeezed my hand. “You know I will.” She peered at my phone. “You gonna send that or what?”

I’m going to fix this. Your family will be okay.

Kyros hadn’t replied to my first text.

Laurel tapped my knee and showed me her phone.

I scanned the flight details from Kyros.

“Tomorrow at eleven,” I murmured.

“We have orders from Kyros to ensure you get on the plane with your staff and Tommy.”

Well, that isn’t happening.

I met her blue gaze. “When do the negotiations start?”

“Eleven thirty.”

“Good.” If there was too much time between my flight and the gathering of the two clans, I had no doubt Kyros would personally come to ensure I left. He could feel my location, so I had to keep up the guise until it was too late for him to interfere.

Laurel returned her attention to the movie, and I peered down at the message I’d typed out. If Kyros suspected anything was amiss, he’d ensure I couldn’t attend the negotiations.

As much as tomorrow was about saving his family, it was also about representing my grandmother.

“I’m sick of keeping secrets from him, Tommy,” I said, moving to push the damn button.

She snatched the phone away. “Before you do though.”

“I don’t get to choose?”

“This time, I’ll let you. But listen first. From what you’ve told me, you seriously fucked up with Kyros and his family. Like really, really bad. Like—”

I arched a brow. “I understand how epically I messed up, Tom.”

“Good,” she said. “Which leads me to my point. Kyros is a crown prince. Which means that when all goes to plan, you’ll be a princess and maybe a queen one day.”

That was a terrifying fucking thought. Did we have to go there now? I reached