17. Xander

Chapter 17

Xander

" W hy don't you just off him?" Snake Spawn demands like the spoiled nepo baby she is. "You have no trouble doing that with other beasts."

After the big watery detention incident, I sent everyone back to their dorms to clean up. Yeti and Minnie led a sappy-eyed Marduk away for proper introductions. I could literally see the hearts in the crazy tiger's eyes as he saw Minnie for the first time. She's already managed to reduce him into a lovesick fool without uttering more than a sentence.

They're all the same, these males. No brains when it comes to their women. I'd feel sorry for them if I wasn't so disgusted.

Scythe regards the snake spawn with calculation. "Damien Agnis is not ‘other people'. There is more at play here than you realise."

I can tell she wants to make a retort by the way she's aggressively towelling her washed hair and pressing her glossy pink lips together. Some unusual bit of sense must enter her brain because she turns to leave.

"Aurelia," Scythe says, stopping her in her tracks. "There's something we need to talk about."

It takes an irritating half an hour to round up the snake spawn's anima gang, including Minnie with Marduk and Yeti tagging along.

They sit in the living room, their hearts all pounding madly, the nimpins squeaking in their ears. Stacey's stomach is growling with her anxiety, and I almost send her away to get an antacid, but Lyle gives me a dark look that tells me to shut up. Raquel holds Stacey's hand instead, and then they all end up holding hands in a very kumbaya style. It kind of makes me feel sick.

"Is it about Sabrina?" Snake Spawn asks, eyes shining and holding Henry in her lap.

Scythe nods. "She is being moved to a location that is…more accessible to us. We will be able to retrieve her if we move quickly."

I snort because if we were smart, we would leave Sabrina at the Clawson household and not risk our own necks or business. Scythe glances disapprovingly my way. That seems to be happening a lot these days.

"How do we get to her?" Aurelia rudely presses. "Is she okay?"

She's probably far from okay, but Scythe isn't about to tell her that. Instead, he says, "It'll be a delicate retrieval, which is why…" He searches her eyes—far too keenly, for my liking. He's far too interested in her, and he's been watching her and Lyle all the time.

"Why what?" Snake Spawn whispers.

Scythe swallows. "Why we need to create a diversion. A spectacle to drive the Clawsons out. And there'll be no greater distraction for every crime lord in the state than for the Lady Boneweaver to make her public debut."

He's met by silence then, as their little minds decipher what he's just said.

"The Clawsons?" Minnie asks nervously, her heart pitter-pattering unevenly.

"She is being held at Clawson House," Marduk confirms smoothly. "For reasons that will become clear later."

Minnie looks at him with wary surprise.

Scythe nods and looks back at Snake Spawn. "That is why it will be best to draw as many of them out of the house as possible, with Aurelia's public appearance."

Snake Spawn blinks nervously. "What do you mean by public , exactly?"

She's given up her silly mouth-gaping responses and is using her brain now.

"Have you heard of The Jewel of the Jungle?"

She makes a small noise of amusement in her throat. "It's like a club, right? My father never sent me to a fight at that location, so I know they don't host those, but underworld figures meet there."

Mace Naga had been sending his daughter to cage fights under her invisible shield since she was a teenager. He was like the rest of the crime lords. He might hate a person, but he sure knew how to use them.

Scythe nods in approval. "Yes, we meet there, discuss business?—"

"Engage in peacocking, drugs, general debauchery and showing off," I finish for him.

Scythe almost smirks. "It's our version of meeting at court."

"Right," she replies slowly, looking between us. "So you think I should…present myself there because…"

"Because they'll all drop everything to see you!" Connor says excitedly, kicking his feet. "This is a brilliant idea!"

There is a beat of shocked silence once again.

"I don't like it," Lyle says, his animus sending out a rough wave of possessive energy around the Spawn.

"You can't keep her to yourself," Scythe replies, making me hate this conversation even more.

"We're sending her right to the very people who want to take her," Lyle snaps.

"We'll all be there," Scythe replies evenly. "Including Savage."

The bastard knew the effect that would have on the spawn. She sits up in her seat, her breathing caught in her throat so it's a squeak when she says, "Savage will be there?"

"He's scheduled to meet us there, yes."

"Then I'm there too."

Lyle sighs. "Think about this, angel. Don't be pressured into it."

"I'm not," Spawn says. "If this is part of the plan to save Sabrina, then of course I'll do whatever it takes." She looks around at her friends, all who nod as if they, too, are willing to risk their necks. Complete nutters.

"With Xander flying us, we'll get there quickly." Scythe nods at me. "Marduk, Minnie and Yeti are coming too. They're our strongest felines."

"Wait, what?" Aurelia cries, clutching her seat. "I don't want Minnie mixed up in this!"

The little tigress smiles bravely at Aurelia. "You're not the only one willing to risk your neck for a friend, Lia." She straightens her shoulders as Yeti places a hand on her thigh. Her heart beats even faster as she declares, "I'm the strongest feline anima they know." She nods to Lyle and Marduk.

The others gape. Raquel is the only one who grins and I'm guessing the word got around on the telepathic wolf network pretty quickly after Minnie stopped all the Serpent Court bullets from killing Spawn, Savage, Scythe and Lyle.

Spawn looks to Lyle for confirmation.

"It's true," the lion says. "I've never seen anyone come close to me until now."

Yeti and Marduk can barely suppress their pride. Minnie's cheeks turn pink as Spawn beams at her. My stomach churns.

Stacey, normally the quiet lioness of Spawn's gang, clears her throat. "So the plan is to blast the Clawsons apart until you find Sabrina?"

"Almost," Marduk says, with a dreamy sort of smile and I just know he's imagining it as we speak. "Between the three of us, we have enough power to get her out…if, of course, the owners of the property are drawn out."

"Cain Clawson is a powerful feline," Scythe says, "And along with his sons, make up a majority of their power. If they're not there, it'll be a clean run. But if they are, things will get unnecessarily bloody."

Spawn is biting her lip, her breathing a little faster now. She's no doubt thinking about the infamous Cassius Clawson's soul-bond to her mother. In another life, Cain Clawson would have been her uncle. If it weren't for Mace Naga and Cain making a pact to clear out Cassius, that is.

"I'll do it," Spawn pipes. "If you think me being there will draw out Cain."

I snort. "They won't be able to help themselves. Once word gets out, the entire fucking underworld is going to show up. Anyone who is anyone will be there to see the Boneweavers come back from the dead."

Spawn casts me a dark look and Scythe cuts me one of pure menacing warning. I give them both a droll look in return.

"Lia will be safe though, right?" Connor asks. "All of you will be there too?"

"I'll be there," Lyle growls. "And by that time, Savage will join us too."

"Wait," Aurelia says, frowning at me. "You can take all six of us? "

"Do not insult me, Serpent Spawn," I snap. "I would barely notice the weight."

Spawn scoffs. "So Dolores is just going to let us waltz out of here?"

"That's the one complication," Scythe says. "Our new deputy headmaster has one requirement."