“Do you know one of the first things a girl learns when she’s young? The first thing her mother teaches her when she’s coming of age?”
None of them speak.
“How to recognize influence blessings. What the first press of it feels like—how to ground yourself so that it can’t get in deeper. I don’t imagine that men learn the same, judging from the looks on your faces. It might be rare in your circles, but it’s not rare in this world.”
Even Gaven looks chastened.
It’s a slip-up. I am slowly splintering, and I need this figured out now so I can leave this room that smells like mold and death and breathe clean air.
“Their families—” I gesture to Joe and Roland’s bodies. “They’re powerful, right?”
Henry nods. “Not as much as Stefan’s, but still very connected.”
I scour my brain for a believable lie. “What if Joe and Roland were tired of playing sidekick? What if they wanted to take Stefan on?”
Henry frowns. “It would make more sense for them to wait until I was out of the way too, but it could work.”
“Can’t you just make him forget?” I ask.
Carter rolls his eyes and bends to check Stefan’s breathing. “I can’t erase a memory or remove it, but I can refocus the mind on different parts of a memory. The more you know the person, the easier they are to influence. To know them is to understand what motivates them. Minds want to take the path of least resistance. But Stefan hates Henry and, by proxy, you. I’m not sure how I’d find a way in.”
I replay the few interactions I’ve had with Stefan in my mind. “He wants to fuck me.”
Henry’s jaw clenches. “And how is that relevant?”
I place a hand on his chest. “Calm down. You can’t be the bad guy, but I can. What if I make myself the slut everyone already thinks I am?”
“Absolutely not. That will humiliate me,” Henry says.
I glare at him. “And yet, somehow I’m certain your ego will survive.”
Carter and Bryce muffle nervous laughter.
“You could make him think I lured him here to seduce him. We thought it would be somewhere that we wouldn’t be disturbed.”
“Harlow, no,” Henry says at the same time Carter says, “That could work.”
I push my advantage. “The people here already hate me. If anything, you’ll get sympathy. I lured him away. We thought it would be safe here. Joe and Roland were supposed to stand guard. The Breeder got free of its cage. There was a fight and all of you showed up at the tail end of it.” I turn to meet Carter’s gaze. “Could you do that?”
He gives a half-hearted shrug. “I could.”
“Absolutely not. There has to be another way,” Henry says.
Gaven sighs. “I don’t like it either because it puts her more at risk, but we’re running out of time and I don’t see another option. The hunters outside those doors are going to be wondering what happened. This story holds up for them and it holds up with what’s here in the room.”
I can feel Gaven’s disapproval, but I can’t tell if it’s because of the kiss or the suggestion or both.
Henry looks to his friends.
“She’s right, Hen. It’s the only way to keep the target off of you,” Carter says.
“But they’ll hate her. It will be more dangerous for her,” Henry argues.
“They already think she’s a selfish, spoiled city girl from a corrupt family. If we play into their expectations, they won’t look for another explanation,” Bryce says.
I hold up my hands. “Good—it’s settled. I need to go back to my room and wash up.”
“You’re hurt,” Henry says.
