Wayward Son - Rainbow Rowell Page 0,80

to me.”

Simon clenches his jaw. If he still had magic, I’d be sheltering in place. “Oh, really. Well, it’s a good thing he doesn’t know what—”

“I wouldn’t assume we have privacy,” Shepard cuts in. “Under this roof.”

He’s right. This is Lamb’s hotel. Lamb’s city. I’ve scanned the room for bugs, but not recently.

Simon is boiling with rage.

Baz is simmering. He deliberately picks up his shirt again. “Fine. We don’t have to accept his help. We can head off on our own, without any clues or direction. I’m sure Agatha can wait.”

“No,” I say. “Baz is right, this is our only lead. If Lamb wanted us dead, he’d just kill us here. Or try.” I raise my voice for the benefit of anyone who might be listening: “We can hold our own in a fight.”

Baz looks at the Normal. “You should leave now, Shepard. There’s no reason for you to endanger yourself further.”

“I can think of plenty,” Shepard says. “You’re not getting rid of me yet.”

Baz turns to Simon. “Well, Snow?”

Simon knocks over the remaining lamp. Then scrubs his fingers through his hair. “If you really think he’s taking us to Agatha, I’ll go. But I’m not killing some rival gang leader for him.”

“Right,” Baz says, “because of your moral objection to slaying vampires.”

Simon just huffs.

Lamb told us to be ready to leave when he calls for us. Baz finishes packing, I’m not sure why—we aren’t taking luggage on the rescue mission. I change into my old clothes, so I can think. Then I lie on the bed, making a mental list of spells to kill vampires. When Lamb’s “people” come for us, I’m up to sixty-three.

BAZ

I don’t know why I trust Lamb.

Maybe because he hasn’t lied to me yet.

And because, when he looks at me, I swear I can feel him looking out for me. It could just be that I’m one of his charges. If he’s the king, or the mayor, or what have you, that’s his job, right? Protecting the interests of his people? I’m one of his people. Or what have you.

I’m sure Snow would love to hear this theory. “I trust him because of our vampire kinship.” Though that’s better than, “I trust him because of the way he looks at me.”

Simon won’t look at me. He’s on the bed with Penny, still wearing his filthy shoes, probably thinking about how much he hates me.

I thought we might come to blows just now; the energy felt so like it had when we were still at Watford, screaming at each other over our school beds. (Though there’s no Roommate’s Anathema to keep us from killing each other here.)

Those fights used to feel so good. It meant getting to look at Snow. Getting his attention. Having a place to hurl all my feelings for him, even if they came out spiked and razor sharp.

Fighting doesn’t feel good anymore. It feels like breaking something because you don’t know how to fix it.

I tidy my things, and wash my face. I think about changing into something less wrinkled, but we’re just piling into another car.

Now isn’t the time to be heartbroken. We don’t know what we’re driving into tonight, but it’s surely a battle.

SIMON

Right, right, right. So we’re just trusting vampires now, is that how it is?

Just telling vampires all our secrets, and then waiting for them to do the right thing? Where I come from, you don’t tell vampires secrets! You don’t negotiate with them. You bloody well don’t let them drive!

The Mage used to say—

I mean, I reckon the Mage did negotiate with vampires—but that’s what made him corrupt! It’s one of the major ways he proved corrupt in the end!

Vampires are banned. They’re actually forbidden. It’s the law. They’re like pithbulls or adders, simply not allowed in the World of Mages. Because you can’t trust them not to murder you!

And, yes, I get that Baz is a vampire. I appreciate the irony. But he hates vampires more than anyone! Which is the only reason you can trust him!

I mean, not the only reason.

I’m just saying—

I’ll be damned if I—

The king of the vampires! We’re trusting the king of the vampires? Because he asked us to? Because he asked us nicely with his pretty blue suit and his pretty blue eyes.…

I’ll be good goddamned.

We don’t need his help to save Agatha. I’ve saved Agatha literally dozens of times without asking any vampires for help. (I mean, Baz pitched in once or twice.) (He complained the whole time.)

Bloody—

Vampires!

I mean,