The Rules of the Red - 2nd Edition |✓|

Chapter Eleven, Part One - Bad Girls

"The Leadership, I'm not worried about," I told Adelle the following evening, over dinner at the Maison. There was no leftover jetlag from my trip to New York, but I still suffered from nostalgia. I missed the colorful people, the crowded streets, the wall-to-wall traffic. But then again, I missed my best friend's biting sarcasm more. "I can handle them." I twirled spaghetti around my fork. "It's getting involved with Tidus that's the intimidating part." 

"Then why do it?" Addy took a healthy sip of her Merlot. "Why not just tell Tidus to suck it? You can take care of Charles without his help." 

"True. But Tidus has the Council, and that can be used to my advantage--I can't just ignore that. And finding out about Glamour and Vampire blood - it's icing on the cake."

A buzzing sound halted the conversation. I pulled my phone from my purse to see a message from Claire. A handy little app allowed me to re-route messages from a track phone to my personal cell. This way I could stay in contact with those I didn't trust without giving away my personal information.

"It's Claire," I said. "She wants to meet Saturday night at one. Welp. There goes my plan to relax this weekend."

"I almost forgot about her." Addy's brown eyes shined with eagerness. "Can I tag along? Pweeeease?"

"Of course." I sent Claire a quick reply. "Addy, you know I could never break into Jeremy Franks' office to look at confidential information that could get me thrown into jail without you."

"Mmm. And cheers to that, babe."

We clinked our glasses in a toast.

* * *

We were enjoying our last sips of wine when a familiar, unfriendly figure approached our table. Normally I would've been glad to entertain more company, but this was not a conversation I ever looked forward to. I'd been wondering how long it would take her to approach me.

Eve Arling wore a yellow sundress that showed off her tanned legs. Her striking blonde hair was pulled back in a bouncy, curled ponytail, and her lips were blotted in dark pink. She smiled in innocence, but her brown eyes held an animalistic quality that reminded me of hunted animals. The kind that were cornered, had given up, and were wild with their last-ditch (often bloody) attempt at freedom.

"Hello, bitches." Eve smirked. "Am I interrupting?"

"Um, always?" Adelle scowled. "What the hell do you want?"

"As much as I enjoy a tête-à-tête with my favorite slut, I'm not here for you, Adelle." Eve dropped the smile and the pretenses. "I want a parley with Leader Noble. Alone."

Addy rolled her eyes and sighed at the ceiling before rising from the table. "I'm gonna go pay the tab. "Besides she's just gonna tell me later on anyway."

"Stupid whore." Eve muttered as she took Addy's empty seat.

"Hypocrite!" Adelle's retorted. I ducked my head and pretended to be absorbed in the menu while fellow patrons clucked their tongues and shook their heads at the mouthy red-head and her indecent girlfriends.

"It's such a shame stupidity isn't painful..." said Eve, once Addy was out of earshot. "Now, let's get down to business shall we? You're a Leader now and I appreciate that. Hell, I can even respect it--but I'm here to set the record straight." Eve's tone had gone from playful to icy, and I knew I had every reason to want to avoid this conversation.

"Sweety, you've been here for two seconds and already you've steamrolled your way to the height of the Leadership pyramid. Not to mention you managed to steal my boyfriend in the process--along with any happy chances I had at making a name for myself in this miserable town."