Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1)(71)

“To find the newspapers,” she snapped. “I’m not storming off. I’m not about to—” she raised her voice “—let all the world know about this shatz. And that she—” She pointed at Enne, and Jac grabbed Lola’s arm and shoved it down. “That she...shouldn’t be allowed to live.” Her voice was quiet and strained. She could barely say the words, and Enne realized that was the power of the street oath binding her. She tried not to feel hurt at the intensity in Lola’s conviction, but the words still stung. Lola thought of her more as a weapon than a human being.

Jac pushed Lola against the bookshelves. Enne frantically shoved the books back into their places. Levi was already on his feet, ready to back Jac up.

“What is your problem, Dove?” Levi asked.

“I’d think you’d know my problem more than anyone,” Lola hissed. “Everyone knows about you and Vianca. What would Vianca do with someone like her?”

“Vianca won’t know about her.” Both kept their voices low. Thankfully, there was no one on this floor to hear, anyway.

“And if she demands you tell her?” Lola challenged Levi. “I know how omertas work.”

Enne’s annoyance piqued, as it did whenever people started talking about her like she wasn’t there. She stood up and pulled the boys away from Lola. “I’m right here,” she seethed. “And you might have already made up your mind about me, but I’m not from New Reynes. I go to finishing school. I spend my days dancing and curtsying and baking. I dot my i’s with hearts because I think it looks pretty. Whatever you think I am, you’re wrong.”

“Two nights ago, you almost killed me,” Lola growled. “Maybe I know exactly what you are, and you’re the one who’s wrong.”

The words hit Enne like a slap. “Th-that’s not true.”

But there was more truth in Lola’s words than Enne cared to admit.

“I’ve lost everything to the gangs—my parents, my brothers. Every time the city finds their favorite villains, people end up dead.” Lola scowled as she looked between them. “So you might be here flirting and bickering as if nothing else matters, but you’re all in a library with loaded pistols in your pockets. Trying to find Lourdes Alfero as if the monarchists are anything other than lowlifes—yeah, I know who Alfero is.” She shook her head. “This story will end badly.”

Enne blinked back tears. “I didn’t ask for this.” Beside her, Levi put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her anger at him from earlier disappeared, and obviously, his had, too. Arguing or not, she still had his support, and that assurance helped steady her.

Lola rolled her eyes. “Muck, missy. Crying now? You’re something else.”

“Can you just calm down?” Jac told her, moving between the two girls. His voice was weaker than earlier, though—unsteady. Maybe part of him believed what Lola was saying.

“Come on,” Levi said, giving Enne’s shoulder a last squeeze. “Let’s dig up some newspapers on Gabrielle Dondelair, get what we need before this place closes and go home.”

Lola cursed under her breath and walked off, Jac following close behind, grumbling about Lola’s hypocritical collection of knives.

Enne and Levi trailed after them.

“She’s right,” Enne whispered. She yanked the gun out of her pocket and placed it in Levi’s hand. “I don’t want this.” It felt like she was talking about more than just the weapon.

He bit his lip, but didn’t take the gun. “We can leave, if you don’t think this is a good idea.”

“No, no,” she said. “We need something. Right now all we’ve learned for certain is that we don’t even know Lourdes’s real name.” She refused to leave less certain than she’d come.

They found Lola and Jac on the second floor—a much more crowded area—among the periodicals. Lola slapped a stack on the closest table, and the four of them took seats. “This is everything from that period. There’s a lot. Kids at schools here write essays about this girl.”

Enne slid the newspaper toward her and Levi. The headline read “Capitol Ablaze.” But of course, she already knew this story. The capitol building had to be entirely reconstructed after the fire—Gabrielle hadn’t left anything behind in the ruin.

“I think I already found our answer,” Levi said. “Look at this one. ‘Criminal’s Execution Postponed.’ They had Gabrielle in custody and didn’t execute her due to health reasons. And she wasn’t killed until...”

Lola pointed at the paper she held. “Until February 3.”

Uneased washed over her. “You can’t execute a pregnant woman, can you?” Enne asked softly.

“There’s even a picture.” Lola turned to Gabrielle’s faded head shot. Her hair was lighter than Enne’s, her face softer and her skin warmer. Enne searched for some kind of resemblance, but it was hard to be certain. They had similar lips, she supposed, and maybe there was something about her eyes, but there was a grief in Gabrielle’s expression that Enne couldn’t see beyond.

“She’s got that whole doll thing going on.” Jac gestured to Enne’s face, as if that served as genetic evidence.

“She looks so young,” Enne said.