Dead Girls Don't Cry by Casey Wyatt Page B

of his hair stood on end, reminding me of a victim of too much static electricity. “This has to be Prior’s doing.”
    Jay sighed, resigned. “There’s nothing to be done about it now. I know I’ll be sleeping with my eyes open from now on.”
    I couldn’t be as practical as Jay. “Yeah, well someone has some explaining to do. You should go rest.”
    Jay gave me a knowing look before we parted ways. The, I know you’re going to raise hell , look.
    “Take it easy on Prior. He’s a smart vampire. We’ll need his expertise to survive.”
    I waved at Jay and made my way to the ship’s mess hall. The single common room on the whole ship, and of course, no Prior. A familiar blond haired vampire poked his head up from a game of solitaire.
    “Still skulking about the ship?” Ian’s crisp accent made my girl parts warm. He arched an eyebrow.
    Crap. “Yes, I am. And do you know what I found in the cargo hold?”
    “I haven’t the foggiest, but I bet you’re gonna tell me.” Ian patted the chair next to him.
    I fingered the playing cards, covetous. “Where did you get these?”
    “I brought them with me. We can play later. You had something to tell me. Yes?”
    I told him what Jay and I had discovered. I kept the rune chamber to myself. If I told anyone, it would be Jay. Not Mr. English, who while sexy and desirable, may also be a two-faced murderer.
    Ian gathered up the cards, shuffled then dealt us each a hand. He coolly eyed me from behind his cards. “You need to stop being so prejudiced against other species.”
    “What?” I spluttered. “Since I’ve met you, I’ve almost been drained by revenants and eaten by zombies. Sorry, but it’s kind of hard to feel the love.”
    Unfazed, he continued, “Are all vampires evil?”
    “Of course not.” Irked, I snatched up the cards and fanned them out, my eyes not seeing them.
    “The same is true of revenants and zombies. They’re not all bad. Nor are they angels any more than we are.”
    “Spare me the lecture.” I folded my hand, “Look, when we land on Mars, we have to work together. We can’t always be worried about inter-species unrest.”
    “I agree. That’s why Jonathan invited the rogues.”
    The room tilted sideways for a moment. I gripped the edge of the table. Ian was more devious than I thought. Once we got to Mars, he could easily overpower my family and enslave us. Or worse. My hand went to my throat. Eat us for dinner.
    “You seriously need to calm down. No one will hurt you or your family. I guarantee it.”
    “So you can read my mind too?” I wanted to fling the cards at him.
    “No. I’m not that talented. Your emotions are so open, I can practically see the words springing from your charming red-haired head.”
    Undeterred, I pressed him, “Why is it you know so much about this mission? You joined at the last minute.”
    Ian placed a card in the discard pile and drew a new card from the deck in the center of the table. “So did you, if you recall. I’m knowledgeable because I’ve read Prior’s reports and I attend the morning briefing.” He was adult enough not to add, so there . “I know you didn’t ask for any of this to happen to you. If it’s any consolation, I’ve been in a similar position. The best thing you can do is prepare. Keep in mind, your whole family was in stasis when Jonathan died.”
    Which meant none of them knew he was dead. I covered my face with my hands, remembering Pearl’s resentment. There were factions in the family that could challenge me.
    “You need to be ready for their reaction. Are you willing to fight to stay in charge?”
    The words came out immediately. “Yes.”
    “Good. Fretting is not the same a planning. Now pick up your cards. Go fish.”
     
    ~ * * * ~
     
    Bleary eyed, with what I’m sure, were scary bloodshot eyes, I staggered into the briefing room. I had stayed awake and read through every one of Prior’s dry, tedious reports. Ian’s timely reminder ringing through my