For the third time tonight, silence descends over us.

This one is more about us thinking and mulling over stuff than being shocked.

Then Callie says, “So you want to win against him, correct? You want to control him, get your power back.”

“Yes. That’s what I dream about.”

“And you’ve tried the right way. The decent way.”

“I have, yes.”

“Well then, there’s only one way left,” she says.

“I’m listening.”

She smiles, her eyebrows raised. “The wrong way.”

“O-kay,” I say slowly, squinting my eyes at her. “But what is the wrong way?”

Wyn chimes in at this point, gasping as if in wonder, “Oh, that’s genius, Callie. I love that idea.”

Wyn and Callie high five, as Callie practically squeals. “Right? Me too!”

“How did you even come up with that?”

“I know.” She shakes her head, smiling. “It’s extremely diabolical. It’s so unlike me.”

“I know,” Wyn cries out in excitement. “I love it.”

“You know, I think it’s Halo. Because I’m a mama bear now and I just can’t see one of my own in pain. So I just go a little crazy and —”

“Oh my God,” I cut her off. “Can someone please tell me what the fuck is the idea?”

Wyn looks at me, her eyes dancing with excitement. “Look, everyone has a weakness, right?”

“Right,” I say.

“So you find that out.”

Jupiter gasps now, as if finally catching onto it. “Oh my God, yes. And you use that.”

Echo nods too because apparently, she’s understood it as well. “Yes. Against him. Like leverage.”

I look at all four of them, one by one, before I repeat, “Okay, let me get this straight: everyone has a weakness. Which means he has one too.” All four of them nod. “So I find his weakness,” this time their nods are a little more enthusiastic, “and use it against him.”

Callie grins. “Yup. As blackmail.”

“Exactly,” Jupiter confirms happily. “You want to get the power. That’s how you get the power.”

“You’ve tried the right way and he didn’t go for it,” Echo says. “So now’s the time to cause some trouble.”

Trouble.

Finally I think I get it. I get what they’re saying.

Again, I look at all four of them, this time in awe. “This is genius. This is super fucking genius. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this myself.”

Wyn raises her eyebrows. “It’s okay. You taught us well.”

I go to smile but then stop because something occurs to me. “But wait, how do I do that? How do I find out what his weakness is or his secret or whatever? How do I get dirt on him?”

They all look at each other before Callie says, “By getting closer to him.”

“Closer to him,” I repeat.

At this, all four of my friends, two old and two new, smirk. There’s something dangerous in their eyes and Wyn explains, “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, remember? So you need to get close to him. You need to pretend to be his friend and somehow win his trust. And then you need to make him tell you all his secrets. And you have four weeks.”

Blackmail.

It’s a neat concept. It’s also an evil concept.

But I’m focusing on the neat part.

The part when I finally, after years, get my freedom. When I get to graduate from this place and go on tour with the love of my life. Oh, and also get my money. And if in the process, I get to flex my power over him a little, make him taste his own medicine, then so be it.

Although I have to say that for all my pranks and plotting in the past, I don’t think I’ve ever blackmailed anyone.

It’s sort of surprising really. But there you have it.

First time for everything though, right?

So here I am.

With my bookbag at my back that contains a brand new notebook and a blue gel pen, I stand at his door for my detention. I take a deep breath and paste a small smile on my face as I knock.

Two short, friendly knocks.

That’s important. Being friendly.

I need to come off as friendly, trustworthy, someone he’d want to confide in when the time comes, and smiling is the first step. Being polite is the second.

All of this wisdom is courtesy of my friends.

After they gave me the idea Friday night, we spent the next couple of hours brainstorming how to make it all happen. How to get him to trust me. Because I only have a limited amount of time to do it in.

The general consensus was that I need to be friendly.

And since it’s hard for me to do that where my devil guardian is concerned, they all helped me practice my smile and my tone. Because apparently, my tone is sarcastic and smartass-y.

“No, you need to stay calm, Poe,” Callie explained. “You can’t talk back to him. Or say provocative stuff. And you can’t glare at him or roll your eyes at him or let your feelings show on your face. Or this is never going to work.” She pointed a finger at my face then. “Like you’re doing right now.”

Tags: Saffron A. Kent St. Mary's Rebels Romance
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