“As of six weeks ago, the Siwangs were in Ceylan,” Arthie said, gesturing to the ledger. “When Laith came to us with the deal, the ledger had only just been stolen by Penn. That was less than a month ago. Enough time to change warehouses, perhaps, but an operation in a different country? Unlikely. We still have reason to trust the ledger—especially considering the fact that the Ram hasn’t stopped hunting Flick since that night.Andlet’s not forget she burned down Spindrift for it.”
Arthie had a point—several points, really.
“What’s our plan for the Siwangs?” Matteo asked.
“SS and SS to administer before release,” Arthie repeated. “That’s clear enough for me to assume they’re a step in whatever the Ram needs done.”
“Are they the good guys?” Chester asked dubiously.
Flick didn’t know if one could work for the Ram for a decade and still remain a good guy. There was a pause, as if everyone felt the same but was collectively waiting for Jin’s input on the question. He clenched his jaw and said nothing.
“It doesn’t matter,” Arthie finally said. “We’ll swoop in and snatch them away. It’ll put a stop to the process, even if temporary. Then we’ll bring them here and take a page out of Penn’s original plan of gathering proof. Like the ledger, the moment they’re with us, they work for us.”
She waited for Jin’s protest, but he remained quiet.
“We’re going there for the missing vampires too,” Matteo reminded, looking up from the ledger. He was holding Flick’s cipher in one hand. “There’s still no mention of the vampires being deployed to the Ram’s battles, which means they’re on Ceylan. We can’t just leave them there.”
Flick thought he had a point.
Emotion coiled in Matteo’s exhale. “Many of those missing vampires are my friends, but beyond that, they’re reminders that I could have been snatched from the streets myself. Any of us three could have and still can.”
Flick did not want to think of that reality. She felt for the missing vampires, but realizing it could have been one of them, one of her closest friends, orJin, sent her pulse into a frenzy.
“You’re right,” Arthie said. “We can’t leave them. But whether we’ll return them to White Roaring too—or simply free them from whatever confines they may be in—remains to be seen. We need to be open to the possibility that they may not be as receptive as you think. We don’t know what state they’re in.” She rose to her feet and pocketed the invitation. “But if we’re to make it back in time for the tribute, we need to move quickly. We’ll need provisions, supplies—”
“And a ship?” Reni asked, his eyes as doleful as ever.
Arthie nodded. “A large one at that, if we might possibly bring the vampires back with us.”
“An EJC ship,” Matteo said with dark glee. “That fleet is full of the largest ships there are, and it’ll be the most poetic.”
“We’re not trying to make a statement,” Arthie said.
“Oh, we are,” Matteo countered. “She’s making plenty of her own, is she not?”
Arthie didn’t argue with that.
“An adventure!” Chester exclaimed. “Oh, I’m chuffed.”
“Save your chuffing. You’re not going,” Arthie said. “Ceylan is too far away, and as crucial as it is to bring back the Siwangs and the vampires, we’ll need to do far more to take down the Ram. Some of us will need to stay here.”
“That won’t be me,” Jin said, eager to see his parents.
“Or me,” Arthie said.
Jin didn’t look too happy about that, but he didn’t voice a protest. He knew Arthie needed to be there.
“I’ll stay,” Matteo said. “I never did grow sea legs.”
Flick crossed her arms. “Neither Arthie nor Jin have been vampires for very long. You’re going with them.”
“Are you ordering me, Flick?” Matteo asked in surprise. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Flick ducked her head before straightening again. Shewasordering him. She didn’t yet know who she was, but she was getting there. It felt as though she’d been running a jagged blade along the roots connecting her to her mother ever since she’d left, and until she was free of them, she wouldn’t beableto be herself.
“Which leaves me,” she said finally. “I’ll stay.”
Jin’s eyes snapped to hers, and it gave Flick a little thrill.I’ll missyou, she wanted to say, but didn’t know how in front of the others, so she kept her lips closed, breaking away from his gaze first.
