by Holly Hook
I shouldn't throw Lily under the bus like this. No, this is throwing her under the freight train. She, I know, won't be able to stand back if the Truebloods vote against us and decide to tear us apart, or whatever they do to execute covens that don't make the cut.
“But trust me, I'll try,” Lily says. “I can't let you two go on this by yourselves. How does the event usually go?” Now she faces Riley, who has already been reading for half an hour.
Riley runs his finger down the text. “Well, the Convening is always in a convention center since modern times started, and we should know which one soon. Once we do, we can study the layout of the place. All the covens within five hundred miles will be there. That's around thirty covens.”
“Thirty?” I ask, almost rising from the table.
“That, and the High Council,” Riley says with a frown.
Just the High Council itself will be enough. But thirty covens? “How many from each coven go?”
“Usually twelve. Magic number, or something,” Riley says. “That means all the Nightsides will need to go, including whoever is plotting against us.”
I gulp. “But they'll want to survive the Convening, too.”
“Yes,” Lily says. She fishes out not her Conspiracy Theory notebook from her backpack, but a black, leather-bound one that must have been a gift for her birthday, because I've never seen it before. It creaks with newness as she opens it, and I find a bunch of thick pages that are more meant for drawing instead of writing.
“That's a nice notebook,” I say.
“It was a birthday gift.” Lily confirms my suspicions with a smile. “My parents got this for me. Of course, it was to work on the tactical part of being a hunter, but it's nice all the same. I love notebooks.”
“They should've gotten you one with a college hunk on the cover,” I say.
“That would be distracting,” Lily says. “I'd be fanning myself instead of planning.” Then she frowns. I know that in a week, she hasn't gotten over Morton breaking up with her, and freaking out because she told him she was a vampire hunter. But right now, she's holding it together. “Now, I'll take some notes while you two talk about Trueblood law. I'll just be here in the corner, being quiet and quirky.”
Riley and I face each other while Lily scrolls and lifts her pen.
“We must take the Nightsides to the Convening,” Riley says. “If I bring a bunch of new Truebloods, they'll be newborns, like I was when I was thirteen and didn't know what to do. I'll be expected to take adults to the Convening, and to have control of them.” Riley lets his face sink to his forehead.
So turning people is out of the question, and horrible anyway. “They stacked this against us.”
Lily scribbles. “It might feel that way, but that just means we have to find an unconventional way to get through it. That's the hunter creed.”
“Unconventional way?” Is Lily changing her mind about wanting to leave the family business?
She keeps drawing. “There's always a way. Look what we did to Dominic. He got out, but it was going to happen anyway, and even if he overtook the new coven, the Convening would have ended him for breaking Trueblood law.”
“Then he just wanted revenge,” Riley says, staring into the air and then at the bookshelf behind me.
He's changed, too. Riley no longer refers to Dominic as his father. Perhaps his stronger blood has cleared his mind in that department, too.
But I'm still struggling.
“So, this unconventional way,” I say. “What do we do to make sure we're voted in?”
Riley sits up straighter. He's rocking that military posture.
“You need to look in control,” Lily says. “That means the Nightsides stay in the background and look submissive while you're all there, through the entire event, whatever it is. I'm sure that it'll be a long event, since Truebloods are into luxury and the finer things in life.”
“Can confirm,” Riley says.
I scoot closer to Riley. “Do I need to look like the servant?”
“Yes,” Riley says, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close. “It sucks, but you must convince everyone that you're harmless and not my girlfriend. The only Trueblood who knows of your power is in exile, along with his entire coven, and his word won't stand up to the High Council. Anything he says will get thrown out. But that doesn't mean the High Council won't suspect you, especially with my situation.”
I gulp. “Exactly.”
“So, no new Truebloods,” Riley says, eyeing the enormous volume in front of him. “And a bunch of Nightsides who need to look as if they're under control. Unfortunately, we’ll be there with some covens who don’t tolerate Nightsides at all.”
“Yikes,” I say, mouth dry.
“We'll need to wow all the pro-Nightside covens,” Riley says. “Their votes should outnumber the anti-Nightside ones.”
“This sounds encouraging,” I say.
Riley just nods. “We'll call a meeting later to prep everyone for their roles.”
“Whoever the killer is won't like that,” I say. “The Originator could make you look bad at the Convening and then flee, leaving us to die for all we know. We've got to weed him out before we go.”
Lily lifts her head from her notebook. “We don't even have any suspects anymore.”
She's worried, which gets me even more worried. It's a real problem, and I know full well the Originator, who spouted that Nightside Prophecy stuff to Dominic, will already be plotting his own way to throw us to the High Council while ensuring his own escape. He's already shown that he hates Riley, and all Truebloods by extension. But what is his plan for me?
I don't know yet.
And he's close. He's got to be.
“So we double down on finding this guy,” I say. “The only person who might have an idea who he is is, well, Dad. He hinted at it, and now he's gone.”
“Then we find him,” Lily says. “Hunters are trackers. We're trained to find people. And your dad needs to clear the air, preferably away from the Originator.”
My throat closes at the thought of Dad just running away after he spilled the truth about wanting Edward to die so he couldn't help the Beaumonts storm Moon's Peak and kill us all.
“So we do that,” Riley says. “Lily, that job will need to fall on you. And while you're doing that, Olivia trains, and harder than she ever has. She’ll surprise them.”
“You think so?” I want to believe him, and that we're going to get through this together.
“Yes,” he says. “But you're going to have to push yourself to the limit, and work towards controlling those High Council vampires.” He grips my arms and squeezes, and I feel the desperation in them, the will to survive and do whatever it takes.
Riley struggled to speak those words. And I know he doesn't want to lose me to corruption. That the last thing he wants is for me to turn into a monster.
“We can't run?” I ask.
Riley shakes his head. “They'll find us. It's happened before. And some of your powers may not be as bad as you think they are. There are other ways to control people than force. Look at what your dad did to you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“He convinced you he was some stranger come to teach you how to defend yourself,” Riley says. “Remember? You looked right at him and had no idea that he was actually your dad.”
Oh.
I nod, still angry that he hid his identity for so long, almost as if he were ashamed of giving me the Nightside mutation.
“I can look like someone else?” I ask Riley and Lily.
“You can alter perceptions,” Riley says. “You did it once, when you were breaking me out of the dungeon. Your abilities go past just controlling people. And I doubt altering perceptions has the highest risk of you going corrupted and power hungry.”
I swallow, feeling as if I'm sealing my fate. “Then I’ll face it, then. I'll go in there, look harmless, and let my full power fly.”
CHAPTER FIVE
>
Go in there. Look harmless. And, as Riley suggested, look like someone else entirely.
Easy, right?
I've never tried to convince anyone that I look different, that I'm someone other than Olivia, because I scare myself. But I know that Dad did it on me for a while, and if that worked on me, then I can convince other Nightsides I’m someone else.
We'll train, then.
The three of us spend half the day in the library, studying how the Convening works. Apparently, there's a time of mingling that starts early in the evening, where the covens sniff each other out. The important voting happens later in the night. No pressure. It's also a way for covens to reconnect with each other and form a sense of identity, but I don't care about that. We'll have a hard time making new friends with just one Trueblood in our coven, and Riley warns that there will probably be at least a few anti-Nightside covens there we'll have no chance at convincing.
“Can I make myself look like a Trueblood?” I ask.
Riley's eyes widen on the other side of the table. “It may be possible with the younger Truebloods, but the High Council will smell the difference unless you can learn to alter their perceptions of smell, too.”
“That would be good, if a few of the Nightsides did that,” Lily says. “We should get them on board.”
“The High Council, though,” Riley says. “If they figure out what you're doing, it'll be over. They hate being lied to. But you can look like some other Nightside they've never seen before, and they might not bat an eye since the smell won’t tip them off. That might be best, since there's a chance someone will drop an anonymous word about Olivia before the Convening starts.”
“Dominic,” I say. He'll want revenge. It's all he has left at this point. “I'll do that.” Altering perceptions isn't as terrifying as controlling people, and probably less dangerous to me.
“Then we may have solved the Dominic problem,” Lily says. “We still need to find the Originator.”
“Dad is our best shot,” I say, facing her. “I trust you, Lily.”
She nods. “I'll get on it, today. Forget school. I hear that they stop notifying your parents of your absences when you're of age. I hope that rumor is true.”
So do I, because the last thing we need is for Lily to go under Cat's watch again. “We should start training, today. For once I want to see just what I can do.”
* * * * *
Riley drives me and Lily not to our old training place in the woods, but to the lake where those three Trueblood guys came to kill me, and Riley for associating with me. The place is quiet and gray today, with the beach stretching down to the lake. As we pull off the almost-hidden road, I search the trees for any sign of those guys. But of course, they're long dead, thrown into the lake months ago. Even that feels like ages ago.
“How did those guys know about my status?” I ask as Riley pulls to a stop. The gray, calm lake spreads out at the bottom of the gentle hill.
“They didn't, I don't think.” Riley puts the car in park with a click. “They just saw me contacting you and probably wanted to take care of the risk. The extremists don't want Truebloods to have contact with humans in case it creates more Nightsides. Well, unless we're killing them.” He frowns. “I guess Dominic was a closet extremist.”
“I know it's not an easy thought,” I say. It's the right thing to say, because Riley drops his shoulders.
“So, the training,” Lily says from the backseat. “I've never been back here.”
Riley turns the car off. “Hardly anyone can see the road. Maybe a few deer hunters have been out here, but that's it.”
We get out, and the pines tower over us, forming dark reflections on the dead, gray water. The area looks bleak, but that suits my mood. Lily slowly walks along the beach, scanning the tree line, and I know she's got weapons tucked under her baggy jeans and possibly her sweater. Letting my enhanced senses take over confirms she’s got a silver-tipped stake strapped to her ankle. The scent of iron tells me she’s also got a pistol on her other ankle. She's of age, all right, and probably now allowed to carry deadlier weapons than she used to.
“So, how do we do this?” I ask, letting my feet sink into the sand. “I've got to look harmless, but still like a Nightside. Olivia won't be at this Convening. We can say she ran off, knowing the High Council would kill her. Or that you kicked her out,” I say to Riley. “The story can be that you lost control of her and she fled.”
He nods. “I hate that story because I'm not here to control you.”
Riley can simply be angry with me, then. “Okay. We'll keep that consistent. Let me think of a look I can adopt. What seems harmless?”
“You don't want to go over the top with that,” Lily says, stopping back at the car. She kicks up a bit of sand. “I try not to look too normal at school. You know that. I just adopt a unique brand of weird. If I tried to look completely normal, I'd have to work harder to hide the truth about myself.”
“Lily, you have a knack for disguise, and I’m glad you’re here,” I say. She got us close to Addie before, and she can help us again.
“When you’re weird, no one questions why you have no friends,” Lily says.
“So I can't look completely harmless, is what you’re saying,” I say. “Should I give myself resting bitch face, then?”
Riley snorts. “Maybe? The High Council will expect any dangerous Nightside to look overly harmless. Make them think you’re a little old lady, and their radar might go up.”
“Okay. Got it. I'll be some girl with resting bitch face who hates her new position and came to the new coven to avoid being homeless. Now I need a look. A different hair color, maybe. I can be a redhead.”
Riley's eyes widen. “You? A redhead?”
“What do you find unattractive?” I ask Riley. “Seriously. If the High Council are super perceptive, they'll detect your attraction to me.”
“Olivia has a point,” Lily says.
Riley pretends to pout. “But I enjoy being attracted to you.”
Is he getting over his anger at me? Maybe it's this new direction for my power, and I'll go with it. I’m working on not being a monster.
“Seriously. What's not attractive?” I ask.
“No Nightside is ugly.” Riley scratches his chin. “You can't be overweight, or disfigured, or anything like that. All Nightsides get in shape fast when they're turned. But I don't really care for red hair, so start with that.”
This will be hard. “I wish I had some fashion magazine to look at. I'll go for red hair, and short hair. And maybe a round face.”
Lily nods. “Great choice. You can carry around a fake temper and complete the package.”
I laugh. “Stereotype much?” But it's a good idea. “Learning how to make everyone think I'm a redhead with a round face and a bad temper might take some time. I'm building an alter ego here.”
“Those take time,” Lily says with a grin. “But if you get into the role, they work, trust me.”
I pace up and down the beach, eyeing the water. “Now, how do I pull this off? Will changing the perceptions of the High Council even work?” I turn to Riley, feet sinking into the cold sand. “I mean, Dad tricked me, but I don't know if I can trick the High Council. Or anyone else.”
Lily rolls her eyes while Riley grins. “Come on. If you can control Dominic, you have a chance. Just stick with fooling one sense, and I think you've got a better shot of succeeding. It might be easier to fool the senses than to get into someone's mind and take control of them. I think people will be less likely to notice that. Just don't try too hard.”
I see her point. Riley just keeps grinning.
“What's so funny?” I ask.
He leans against the car. “You lose all your confidence with things that aren't scary. But control Dominic? You were a pro. You can do this, Olivia.”
“Angry redhead,” I say, pacing around the car. “I'll get behind the vehicle, try to alter your perceptions, and then come out to unveil my fresh look.�
�
“Good,” Riley says. “Can't wait to see it.”
My heart pounds not just with nerves but with the anticipation of impressing Riley. I go behind the car, crouch, and let my senses sharpen.
The woods burst to life, with all the small animals scrambling through the winter landscape, trying to stay unseen. I sense a rabbit snuggled up near the entrance to a burrow a few hundred feet away, and a lethargic mountain lion on the other side of the lake, watching us with lazy eyes. The big cat is up in a tree, tucked away and hidden, and the branch creaks under its weight as it slips into sleep. But the mountain lion is no threat to us. Riley and I are the real predators out here.
Change my looks.
I close my eyes, shutting out the woods and the quiet life in them. I bring to mind the image of that round-faced girl, with red hair and a cut that complements her face. She's got narrow, angry green eyes and a few freckles that caress her cheeks. Riley's and Lily's slow footsteps fade into the background. The image of the girl is vivid, and as I pan my awareness out, I see that she's wearing tight jeans and a gray sweater that I'd never touch. It's not me, but this girl isn't too low-profile. The look on her face warns anyone that if they cross her, they won't be in for a good time.
I wait for a tingle to sweep over my body, but nothing comes. Of course. I won't actually change my appearance. I'm not a fae or anything. I have to make other people see me this way.
Well, I've got the image. And I shift my awareness outward, very aware of Lily and Riley's positions even though I can't see them. But I can hear the swishing of the air moving where they are, and I can smell Lily's blood clearly, like a strange type of spiced soup. Ignoring my stomach and the urges I hope I never fulfill, I focus on the sound of their feet slowly sinking into the sand. They're exactly five feet away from the car, opposite me.
Then I imagine them both seeing the redhead girl rise from behind the car. I'm almost in their positions, seeing through their eyes, and then I'm so sure that I've succeeded that I open my eyes and rise.
“Ta-da,” I say, spreading my arms.