yet you threw it all away. That would make you seem reckless.”
“I’m not here to be insulted,” I said, frowning.
“Why are you here?” Jacob pressed again.
“I don’t know,” I sighed, pushing my dark hair out of my eyes. I was tired and frustrated and dirty. “I didn’t exactly plan things out. I just knew King Richard was going to kill me for defying him. He wanted me to kill the slagpaw, to marry his son, to become his symbol for defeating the rebels. When I didn’t comply, I left him no other choice.”
“You’re a danger to him,” Jacob nodded. “You aren’t the first from the compounds to risk the journey to Havoc, seeking sanctuary.”
“I don’t need your protection,” I said.
“Then what do you want?” Jacob asked.
The question put me on the spot and I hesitated. It had been so long since anyone asked me that, and Jacob’s intense gaze made it seem like he really cared about the answer.
“My brother and sister,” I said finally. “The king took them as hostages against me. Now that I’ve escaped, I’m afraid of what he’ll do to them.”
Jacob held my eyes for another moment, then leaned back, folding his hands together and considering me in silence.
“Look, if you don’t want me here, I’ll leave,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t call my bluff.
“It depends what you brought us,” the woman spoke up for the first time.
“Wait, what?”
“My contacts in the citadel told you there may be an antidote. They asked for your help. Did you find anything, anything in Damien’s house or study?”
The journals, the papers.
“No,” I said. “I’m sorry. I did find some things that might be relevant, but then we were going to Algrave, to save my mother. I was arrested there, and didn’t have a chance to get them. The king kept me locked up until the trials.”
“Then we’ve got nothing,” the woman said.
“Except a huge target on our backs,” Steve grumbled.
“But if the girl found some mention of the king’s research, it confirms that the antidote exists,” Marcus said eagerly. “It’s real. That’s already more information than we had before. We can still try to reclaim the documents.”
“Barely,” Jacob said. “And we’re all fugitives. There’s no way we wouldn’t get caught. Plus, the girl had a reason to be inside the prince’s apartments. If any of us tried that, we’d be torn apart.”
“We should cut them loose,” Steve said. “The king will be searching everywhere for the missing chosen. They’re a liability. Without the antidote, they’ve got nothing to offer us. We shouldn’t even be talking with her here.”
“I trust her,” Trevor said.
“And who the fuck are you?” Steve spat. “You spent most of your life in the compounds, you’ve only been with us a few months. No offense, but if not for her, you wouldn’t even be allowed in this meeting, so do us a favor and keep your mouth shut.”
“They’ve had training,” Marcus said, “they might be useful.”
“We need warriors, not pretty girls that went to an elite finishing school,” Steve said. “Any idiot can fight if given enough elixir, just look at the king’s guard.”
Trevor squeezed my hand under the table as the discussion devolved into arguments.
“So what’s our next move?” I asked finally. “You stole elixir, you must have a plan?”
“Not one I’m ready to share with you,” Jacob said.
“Honestly, we were hoping you would tell us,” April smiled, leaning forward.
“Sorry it’s a little hard to think, with this bullet in my shoulder.”
I’d barely felt it at first, with the elixir in my system, but now a dull, uncomfortable throb was spreading through my torso and arm.
“Let me take a look at that,” April said, pulling out a small medical kit. “Take off your shirt.”
I frowned, uncomfortable undressing in a room full of men. But they already thought the chosen were a bunch of fragile princesses. I didn’t want to help feed that stereotype.
My fingers tingled as I pulled off several layers, stripping down to my bra. My cheeks burned as Steve looked me over, probably checking me for weapons or wires.
“Clean through,” April said. I winced as she cleaned the wound with gauze and alcohol. “And already healing nicely. How much elixir did you have today anyway?”
“Three drops I think,” I said. Her eyes widened. She nodded, but bit her lip. I knew what she was thinking. I healed faster than normal humans. I was different. Renitent. I wasn’t ready to share that information yet, even though I was pretty sure Marcus already knew. I