Malum: Part 2 (The Elite King's Club 5)

“No,” Bishop announces. “He’s letting you handle this. Anything you need to know that he knows, he said will come to light through the mouth and revelations of others. Typical, people do his dirty work constantly.”

I don’t even bother to answer because I don’t know what to say.

“You okay, little terror?” Brantley asks across from me.

My eyes find his. “I don’t know. Should I be?”

This all feels too fluid, too smooth and easy. Something itches in the back of my mind that I shouldn’t trust them. I’ve trusted them at times that I thought I could and where did that end up? In many different places in very questionable positions.

“This time?” Nate mutters, his eyes going out the side window as we make our way through the jungle of Perdita. “Yeah, you should be.”

We pass through the jungle, bumping our way until we’re at the high gates of the entry to the small town that I’ve come to know quite well. This time, when the gates open, I take in all the things I don’t normally consider. Like how there are a couple of people who seem to be patrolling the area during the day, even though their kind live at night and sleep during the day. I notice the shops seem smaller than the average ones you’ll find in our “world.” Miniature versions without looking cramped. There are lights that line the main road we’re driving down, and I know that at the very end of this road is the mansion.

I turn to face Nate. “Where are their houses?”

Nate nudges his head to the side. “Everywhere. Their homes are built randomly through the forest. There are small footpaths that lead to each house, lit by solar lights. There are no streets, no roads, just dirt paths.”

“Wow,” I answer, leaning forward to get a look.

“You won’t see them. They’re hidden.”

I lean back, blowing out a breath of air. “Why did you take me here anyway?”

Nate laughs, but the rest of them remain silent.

“I’m serious, Nate!”

His jaw tenses and I have to fight the urge to either reach for him or punch him.

“You were supposed to run this island,” Brantley says when Nate doesn’t speak up. My eyes go to him as he carries on. “We didn’t take you, but Gabe had strict orders to get you onto Perdita for us. We said that we wouldn’t hurt you, and told him the plan, to which he agreed. Being a Peacekeeper, he acknowledged the reasons as to why we would do this. As your right and all of that.”

“—only,” Nate adds, finally speaking up. “The second you said Daemon that all changed. We knew that you weren’t ready, and there was no way any of us were going to fucking force you to do it.”

“Oh, okay.” I roll my eyes. “Not force me but steal me and lock me in a cage?”

Nate turns to face me. “We took you with plans to teach you how to run Perdita. I didn’t want to see your fucking face, you being here was the obvious choice!”

I flinch at his words but remain headstrong. “So why didn’t you just tell me then and there that Daemon wasn’t real?”

Nate sighs, running his hand through his hair and tugging on my heartstrings while he’s at it. “Because I didn’t let that side touch you.”

Blood rushes through my ears at the soft touch of his words.

“No matter how fucking much I wanted to scream at you that he wasn’t real, I fucking couldn’t do that to you. Until he wasn’t going away, and we figured we had to when other shit was coming up.” He gazes back outside the window. “Even though I wanted to fucking kill you for it.”

I don’t know how to feel about what he’s saying, and again, I have a hard time trusting him. It’s been back and forth for so long between him and me, I don’t know what to do during these times. I won’t be getting any time to think too much into that because the car pulls to a stop at the high gates where guards are standing at the front. When all of The Kings pile out, I reach for Nate just as his door swings open.

“Who will take over here if I don’t?”

His door slams shut and it’s just us inside with nothing but our loud thoughts and silent mouths.

“Someone has to. It’s how this always happens.” His eyes search mine, his hand coming to my cheek. “Do you want to be here?”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t, I don’t know Perdita, Nate. I wouldn’t know what I was doing.”

He nods, reaching for my hand. “I’ll introduce you to someone later, after we’ve dealt with your sister. Everything is your decision, you know that, right?”

“I know,” I answer, though I’m not sure that’s entirely true. I can’t process anything because he’s so close, I can practically hear his heart beating in his chest.