y took a step back. A slap in the face would have been kinder. „Personal? For Magda or for you?" Because the way he was talking didn"t seem like it was Magda"s problem alone.
Lincoln closed his eyes and rested a hand on the bench as if trying to find the strength to deal with me, which just pissed me off. „Violet, just trust me. I don"t want you involved in this.
You"re a … distraction."
My jaw clicked to the side while I tried and failed to remain calm. „But Magda isn"t," I said between deep breaths, unable to look at him.
„No. she isn"t."
„Great. Wel , you and Magda have fun." I handed him back the glass of Coke and started collecting my things.
„Violet, you"re acting like I"m out having fun without you. The exile we"re tracking, he -„ but he stopped mid-sentence.
„He what?" I snapped.
Lincoln looked away. „He needs to die."
„You mean, be returned."
„If"s that the best I can do," he said, his voice distant and rigid.
I stared at him, trying to hear what he wasn"t saying – what I was clearly missing.
„So, just you and Magda."
„Yes."
„Well, I"l leave it to you."
„What are you talking about?" he asked as he watched me grab my bag, and head for the door.
„You and Magda obviously have things under control and I just remembered Steph is staying at my place tonight, so I should probably get back and have dinner with her. I might see you tomorrow."
„Wait. Violet!"
I slammed the door on my way out.
CHAPTER TEN
„The heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable.
Who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9
Steph came around after I called her, and begged for company. After her afternoon playing with Salvatore, she"d been planning on popping into Hades to see her brother but after I pulled the best-friend card she promised to be over in twenty minutes.
Steph brought pizza and got comfortable for what she knew was going to be a long night of me retelling the evening"s conversation and analysing why Lincoln would suddenly only trust Magda.
„Vi, you don"t even know if something is going on between them."
„Yeah, well, he didn"t even mention what Nyla and Rudyard had said about the soulmate thing after they left."
It was even harder to understand since I was sure Lincoln had seemed genuinely intrigued and, even excited.
„From the sound of it, he didn"t even have a chance."
„Steph!"
„Sorry. I think he was totally in the wrong and you have every right to be pissed with him.
And no one likes Magda anyway – she"s a cow.
I threw a pillow at her.
„What? Too much?"
I was just getting up for more ice cream when I heard a thump outside on the balcony.
„What was that?" Steph asked.
„I don"t …" But I didn"t get a chance to finish my sentence before someone (or something) was knocking on the glass doors.
„Steph, get back! Behind the couch!" I ordered, slipping into fighter mode.
„What"s wrong?"
I raised my eyebrows. „Apart from the fact that someone or something is knocking on the balcony door to the apartment that is twelve storeys high?"
Steph"s face paled in the same time it took for her jaw to drop and to catapult herself behind the couch.
I switched off the lights, pulled out my dagger and moved to the wall beside the balcony door. In one quick movement I yanked the curtain back. My heart leapt into overdrive and I let out a squeal when I saw the figure standing outside the glass door.
„Jesus Christ!" I yelled, jumping up and down to shake out the fear as I opened the sliding door, frowning when I realised it wasn"t locked.
„Nope, but you"re not the first to make that mistake," Spence said, grinning mischievously.
Steph stood up from behind the couch. Spence burst out laughing.
„Seriously. Girls."
„What are you doing here anyway? How are you here? I mean, did you scale the walls or something?" Steph snapped.
I bit back a smile. Not many people throw Steph off-balance.
He shrugged. „It was easy, and anyway I"m here to collect you,
Lincoln closed his eyes and rested a hand on the bench as if trying to find the strength to deal with me, which just pissed me off. „Violet, just trust me. I don"t want you involved in this.
You"re a … distraction."
My jaw clicked to the side while I tried and failed to remain calm. „But Magda isn"t," I said between deep breaths, unable to look at him.
„No. she isn"t."
„Great. Wel , you and Magda have fun." I handed him back the glass of Coke and started collecting my things.
„Violet, you"re acting like I"m out having fun without you. The exile we"re tracking, he -„ but he stopped mid-sentence.
„He what?" I snapped.
Lincoln looked away. „He needs to die."
„You mean, be returned."
„If"s that the best I can do," he said, his voice distant and rigid.
I stared at him, trying to hear what he wasn"t saying – what I was clearly missing.
„So, just you and Magda."
„Yes."
„Well, I"l leave it to you."
„What are you talking about?" he asked as he watched me grab my bag, and head for the door.
„You and Magda obviously have things under control and I just remembered Steph is staying at my place tonight, so I should probably get back and have dinner with her. I might see you tomorrow."
„Wait. Violet!"
I slammed the door on my way out.
CHAPTER TEN
„The heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable.
Who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9
Steph came around after I called her, and begged for company. After her afternoon playing with Salvatore, she"d been planning on popping into Hades to see her brother but after I pulled the best-friend card she promised to be over in twenty minutes.
Steph brought pizza and got comfortable for what she knew was going to be a long night of me retelling the evening"s conversation and analysing why Lincoln would suddenly only trust Magda.
„Vi, you don"t even know if something is going on between them."
„Yeah, well, he didn"t even mention what Nyla and Rudyard had said about the soulmate thing after they left."
It was even harder to understand since I was sure Lincoln had seemed genuinely intrigued and, even excited.
„From the sound of it, he didn"t even have a chance."
„Steph!"
„Sorry. I think he was totally in the wrong and you have every right to be pissed with him.
And no one likes Magda anyway – she"s a cow.
I threw a pillow at her.
„What? Too much?"
I was just getting up for more ice cream when I heard a thump outside on the balcony.
„What was that?" Steph asked.
„I don"t …" But I didn"t get a chance to finish my sentence before someone (or something) was knocking on the glass doors.
„Steph, get back! Behind the couch!" I ordered, slipping into fighter mode.
„What"s wrong?"
I raised my eyebrows. „Apart from the fact that someone or something is knocking on the balcony door to the apartment that is twelve storeys high?"
Steph"s face paled in the same time it took for her jaw to drop and to catapult herself behind the couch.
I switched off the lights, pulled out my dagger and moved to the wall beside the balcony door. In one quick movement I yanked the curtain back. My heart leapt into overdrive and I let out a squeal when I saw the figure standing outside the glass door.
„Jesus Christ!" I yelled, jumping up and down to shake out the fear as I opened the sliding door, frowning when I realised it wasn"t locked.
„Nope, but you"re not the first to make that mistake," Spence said, grinning mischievously.
Steph stood up from behind the couch. Spence burst out laughing.
„Seriously. Girls."
„What are you doing here anyway? How are you here? I mean, did you scale the walls or something?" Steph snapped.
I bit back a smile. Not many people throw Steph off-balance.
He shrugged. „It was easy, and anyway I"m here to collect you,
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