“Fine.” Nick matches my shrug. “I can do that. I guess I didn’t look at it from that perspective before. I’ll try not to be too big of an ass from now on.”
I snort, and turn to wink at Oliver. Only he’s not standing next to Nick anymore; he’s come around the table and is right beside me. When I meet his eyes, I notice they’re shining with unshed tears. Then, without warning, he throws his arms around me. The hug is so tight, and so desperate, that I let him hang on to me. “Thank you,” he whispers in a shaky voice.
His thoughts flood me, only they’re so jumbled I pick up emotions more than individual thoughts. The main theme is gratitude. I’m the first person who’s ever defended him about his refusal to use magic. I’m the first person who’s ever understood him. He’s so grateful to have me in his life now. He loves that I call him Ollie and refer to him as my best friend. He’s never had a best friend before.
He’s always been misunderstood. He’s been ostracized in the sorcerer community, and he’s a disappointment and an embarrassment to his parents. He’s so glad that I seem to genuinely care. He wishes I wanted more than friendship from him, but he understands my aversion to dating and is determined to ignore his feelings for me and just be the best friend I could ever ask for.
For once, hearing someone’s thoughts doesn’t upset me. I smile as I return his hug. “Of course I understand you,” I whisper, not hiding the fact that I know what he’s thinking. There’s no point when he knows what I can do. “I’m just as screwed up as you are. And I do care. Maybe I can’t date you, but I do care. It’s you and me, Ollie. Against the whole damn world, if we have to.”
“Aww, misfit love. How adorable.”
Oliver rips himself away from me, his face flaming. I lift my middle finger to Nick. “Thought you said you’d stop being an ass.”
He grins at me. “I said I’d try. You’re making it too difficult.”
I roll my eyes again. I feel like he makes me do that a lot. And yet…I kind of like the cheeky bastard. “Okay, are we done with the drama now? Ready to hear my plan?”
We all sit back down, and Nick waves a hand toward me. “Take it away, Spitfire.”
“Well, Gorgeous…” Okay, I have to use the ridiculous name this once to butter him up. It works, too, because he grins and winks at me. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes again. Or smile. “We’re going to rush them.”
He leans forward, his smile transforming into a confused frown. “Beg your pardon?”
I shrug. “It’s Rush Week. They’re going to a sorority mixer tonight at Alpha Gamma Delta, and they need one more guy and one more underworlder. So, since you insist on going with me, you’re going to be my date tonight, and we’re going to rush—me a sorority and you…an evil cult with an affinity for dark magic and sacrifice.”
Nick purses his lips as if he’s doing everything he can to not laugh at my antics. When he can speak without grinning, he simply says, “Explain.”
I take a deep breath, unnerved a little to have the attention of everyone in the room. They’re ready to listen to my plan and take me seriously. As if I’ve ever been a leader or made a plan in my life. But I’m the one with the knowledge this time, and I vowed I’d do everything I can to get Shandra back.
“They need twelve,” I say. “Muscle Head and Shandra were only eleven. They said the ceremony has to be done on the blood moon—which is Tuesday—but they’re still a guy and an underworlder short. Xavier was supposed to be their twelfth, but I botched that plan when I fed him to Cecile.”
Both Terrance and Nick snort at my wording, and Oliver grins, but come on. How else would you say it? I mean, succubi feed off of lust. I literally fed my neighbor to her.
“Anyway…” I roll my eyes. Again. I need to stop doing that so much. “They sounded desperate. They want Xavier, but he ended up in the hospital, and the cops were on him about what ‘drugs’ he OD’d on. The guys were pissed that he made such a stupid mistake and had all that baggage with cops watching him now, but they said they’d give him one last chance. They’re supposed to meet him at the party tonight, and he’s supposedly going to bring his vamp—I’m pretty sure they mean Parker.”
This earns me another round of snorts. From all three men this time. “As if Parker would let himself get taken,” Terrance says, his voice rumbling with laughter.
“I can get Parker to take care of Xavier. Then Nick and I show up under the guise of me rushing Alpha Gamma Delta, but we let it slip that I’m an underworlder and Nick’s a human that knows the truth of the underworld. We’ll give them something too good to pass up.”
“Hang on.” Nick laughs. “I’m the human in this situation, and you’re the underworlder?”
“Hello. They’re a fraternity. They need a dude. And look at yourself—tall, dark, and dangerous looking. You’re exactly the kind of guy they want.”
Nick smirks, preening at my description of him. “Aw, shucks, Nora, I knew you thought I was gorgeous, but damn.”
“Whatever, like you don’t know what you are.”
“True, I’m irresistible, but you’re still human. They’ll probably be able to tell.”
“Not necessarily,” Oliver chimes in. “If they’re human, they probably won’t. And if they need confirmation, Nora’s not without her own tricks.”
“True!” I clap my hands, feeling the excitement of a plan coming together. “If their point is to steal the power of the underworlders they take, there’s no way they’ll be able to resist a mind-reading ability.”
Nick and Terrance pass a look so long between them that one might think they had the mind-reading ability. When it’s over, Terrance sighs and Nick weighs me down with a heavy stare. “This will be dangerous, Nora. You’re talking about offering yourself up as bait to find their sanctuary.”
I nod, and for once I’m completely serious with Nick. “I know. That’s why you’re going with me. Are you saying you can’t protect me?”
Nick’s eyes narrow. “I’m not infallible.”
I hadn’t expected him to admit it. I respect that he did, and so I give him a straight-up answer in return. “No one is. I know the risks, but there are eleven missing people out there that I can help rescue before they’re killed. It’s worth the risk, even if there’s only a possibility of success.”
“So brave,” Terrance murmurs.
A long pause descends on us until Nick flashes a small smirk. “Or foolhardy.” He sighs. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m a little rash, too.” He leans back in his chair and raises his arms above his head in a big stretch. “All right, Spitfire. You’ve got yourself a date. Let’s go rush.”
“I go, too,” Terrance demands, crossing his huge arms over his barrel of a chest.
“Me too,” Oliver agrees.
Bless their hearts. My new friends are the best. Unfortunately, neither of them can come. “Sorry, guys.” I meet Terrance’s glare with an equally stern gaze. “As much as I’d love to have you there, you’d scare them off in an instant. They know you, Terrance,” I say when he starts to argue. “They stole your friend from under your nose. They’d recognize you and panic.”
“And you…” I shoot Oliver an apologetic smile. “They might not be able to tell you’re an underworlder, but they might, too. At the very least, if they all have a bit of dark magic, they might be able to feel yours. They’re after powerful underworlders. You’re one of the most powerful people in the city, and as much as I don’t care that you don’t use your magic, the fact that you don’t makes you extremely vulnerable. I’m weak enough as it is. If you came with me, that would leave two people Nick would have to protect instead of just one.”
Oliver grimaces. “You’re right,” he says. “You should be Gorgeous’s only priority. I have to work anyway. But I’ll be standing by and ready to send the whole Agency to you at a moment’s notice.”