I answer as we hurry toward Sinners Tower.
ASoullessSaint: is mercy there
UniqueRonique: yeah she came w us
ASoullessSaint: whats she doing
UniqueRonique: idk havent seen her
ASoullessSaint: find her
UniqueRonique: y???
ASoullessSaint: i need 2 talk 2 her
UniqueRonique: omg r u coming?!
ASoullessSaint: omw. b there in 2.
UniqueRonique: yay cant wait 2cu!
UniqueRonique: kinda drunk lol
“She went to the fucking party,” I swear, resisting the urge to hurl my phone to the ground.
“She’s going to pay for that,” Heath says with undisguised glee. “I’ll punish her this time. See if she disobeys again after that!”
“Cut it out,” I say, reaching over to smack the back of his head. “This isn’t funny.”
“Who said it was?” he demands, but he’s bouncing along like an eager puppy, too excited by the prospect of hurting my sister to contain himself.
I text the Hellhounds, knowing there’s likely to be trouble. We’re not going to waltz into a Disciple party and walk out with what we want with no trouble. A minute later, we’re marching up the steps of Sinners Tower. A few people draw back, the whispers already starting. They follow us wherever we go, because of who we are. But tonight it’s worse because everyone on campus knows that we don’t fuck with the Sinners, and they don’t fuck with us.
They should also know not to fuck with Mercy, and if they don’t, they’re about to find out.
“Oh my god, Saint,” Ronique shrieks when we enter a game room, where a small crowd has congregated to watch two teams play beer pong. She stumbles over and throws her arms around my neck. She smells like a distillery, and I pry her arms loose, my gaze already sweeping the crowd.
“Where’s Mercy?” I demand.
Ronique pouts, no doubt trying to look pretty. “I don’t know,” she says. “But I’m right here.”
“I see that,” I say, and she winds her arms around my neck again, stretching up to kiss my Adam’s apple, which is as far as she can reach. She tries to drag my head down, but I pull her off me again. “Cut it out. I need to find my sister.”
“Why?” she demands, looking annoyed now. “You just got here. Let her have some fun. We can have our own fun. There’s a band outside. Let’s go dance!”
She drags on my hand, trying to pull me outside. It’s obvious Mercy isn’t in the game room, so I let Ronique tow me out. The hallway to the back stairs is full of fog from a fog machine, with a strobe light on a table shooting different colored slices of light over the writhing bodies. The double doors are open to the backyard, where a band is playing on a rented stage, and the music thuds through this side of the house. When I see the crooked stairs, though, I stop.
“Have you seen any of the Sinners?” I ask, yelling over the music so Ronique can hear me.
Her chest rises and falls with a sigh. “No. What now?”
“I came here for Mercy,” I yell. “Not you. Go dance. I’ll find you later if I need anything.”
I start up the steps, texting the boys on the way, since they went to search the other rooms.
“Fine,” Ronique yells after me, drawing more attention from the attendees below. “I’ll go dance with some other guy. You can’t just blow me off whenever it’s inconvenient for you, and then expect me to be there the next time you call!”
I don’t even bother answering, because just then, a dozen red laser beams appear in the fog, forming a crazy pattern in front of me on the stairway, and alarms start to blare all through the house.
