Torn (A Wicked Saga, #2)(37)

My jaw worked. “We get paid pretty well.”

“For going out there and defending those f*ckers, knowing we’re going to eventually die doing it?” She flung her arm out toward the ledge of the roof. “No. We don’t get paid enough for this shit. And you know we can’t just quit. We were born into this, cosmically pulling the short straw on life.”

She was right about the not quitting part. It wasn’t exactly unheard of, but it wasn’t easy.

“And I know you’re not happy,” she continued. “That’s why you take college classes—”

“Yeah, I take college classes, but I don’t betray everyone I know,” I shot back in a state of disbelief. “If you were this unhappy, you could’ve just walked away from it.”

She snorted. “I could’ve done that, but I . . . You don’t know, Ivy. You see the world one way, but you have no idea what the other side is like.”

“Other side?” I repeatedly dumbly.

“You have no idea what the fae are capable of, and I’m not talking about taking over the world. They are . . . well, let’s just say once you go fae, you never go back.”

“Are you f*cking serious?”

“And when they feed?” She licked her lips. “It’s better than a shot of heroin.”

“You’ve . . .” There were no words.

“Don’t look at me like that—like I’m repulsive. When it happened, it wasn’t like it was planned. I got cornered on a hunt, Ivy, months and months ago. He didn’t kill me. I’m not even sure why. He wanted to . . . play with his food, I guess. I thought I was going to die, but he took me to Marlon instead.”

“Marlon . . . the ancient?” Marlon St. Cryers was an ancient who lived a very public life as a renowned business developer. I’d been this close to him when I’d been at Flux.

Val nodded. “We worked out a deal. He wouldn’t kill me if I helped them find the Order members who were guarding the gates. And you know, it sounded like a deal I should take, considering I liked living and breathing. So I did. But after a while, it wasn’t even like I was being forced, Ivy. I began to see how this was all going to end. They’re going to win, Ivy. Especially now that the prince is here. They are going to take over eventually, and you know what? I’d rather be on the winning side. And girl, like I said before, the fae know what they’re doing.”

I stared at her, horrified. “Do you even hear yourself? You enjoy being fed on? Holy shit, what is wrong with you?”

“Don’t knock it, babe, until you get with one who doesn’t want to make you hurt. And it doesn’t hurt. It’s like a full-body orgasm. Trust me.” She shrugged. “There’s freakier shit out there.”

“No. No there’s not.” Then it struck me. “The new guy you were dating. He’s a fae.”

“Took you that long to figure that out?” she replied wryly.

“Marlon?” When she didn’t answer, I resisted the urge to knock her upside her head. “You’ve been feeding him information, getting people killed and betraying everyone, just so you can stay alive and basically get f*cked and fed on? Wow, Val.”

She moved, stopping a handful of feet from me. “I know what you are,” she stated, her voice low. “So how dare you stand there and lecture me on what is right and wrong? You’re the halfling. You’re going to be screwing the prince soon enough.”

I shot forward, getting right up in her face. “First off, I’m not going to be screwing the prince, because I actually have taste in men. And secondly, I didn’t choose to be this, Val. I didn’t wake up one moment and decide to be a f*cking coward and betray every person who trusts me, because that’s basically what you are. A f*cking coward who f*cks everyone while f*cking them over—”

Val swung on me, and that flipped my oh-hell-no switch. I dipped and then shot back up. Cocking my arm, I threw a punch. I didn’t miss. My knuckles connected with her jaw, snapping her head back.

She stumbled a step and then her head whipped in my direction. She worked her jaw. “Bitch.”

“Really? You deserve that and more.”

Her chest rose. “You know I can’t kill you, and I know you won’t kill—”

Swinging again, I punched her in the face. Pain spread across my knuckles, but this time she didn’t back off. Val launched herself at me like a damn tiger. I went down, landing flat on my back, the air knocked out of me.

“Hitting isn’t nice, Ivy.” She gripped my shoulders and started to lift me up.

That wasn’t going to happen. Rocking my hips, I wrapped my legs around her and flipped her faster than she could blink. Stalling her, I planted a hand on her chest, holding her in place. “You know you can’t beat me in a fight, Val.”

“I don’t know if I want to when you’re grabbing my boob like that,” she said.

“I’m not grabbing—”

She threw a punch at my jaw. I rolled to the side as I saw stars for a second. Holy crap, she could hit.

Val sprang to her feet. “That was almost too easy.”

“Really?” Planting my hands, I shifted my weight and kicked out, sweeping her legs right out from underneath her. “How about that, bitch?”