Crest (Ondine Quartet Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

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    Fujio crossed his legs. "Rude and obvious."
    I scowled. "I've been working on it."
    In addition to our studies, Catrin helped me fine-tune the use of my Virtue. Politically, it was a valuable asset.
    She sighed. "You must control your expression, Kendra."
    "It felt like a truck running over my insides," Urian added helpfully.
    "I know I have to work on it more," I muttered.
    Fujio turned to her, mouth set in a discontent line. "She's a child. A teenager. What is the Governor thinking?"
    Catrin leaned back, expression calm, and waited for me to react.
    Was this part of our lesson?
    Since my arrival, she'd grilled me daily on etiquette, policies, culture, and political history. The more I learned, the more I'd developed a new respect for what my grandmother did.
    I crossed my legs and gave Fujio a cool look. "I'm sitting right here. Why don't you ask me?"
    "All right." Black brows came together. "You believe you can be Governor?"
    "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think so."
    "You display a blatant disregard for security."
    "Chevalier LeVeq and I are running a classified operation that may end this war." I leaned forward. "I don't know you, Chevalier Viel. Therefore, I don't trust you."
    Irritation flashed through his eyes. "And do you also decide what rules to follow?"
    "What do you mean?"
    He spread his arms. "You're the grandchild of the current Governor and niece of the Head Chevalier. You arrive in New York without any protection and insist no one ask questions while you do what you want. You behave as if you're above the rules."
    I kept a tight leash on my anger. "As sondaleur , I need —"
    "You're not an inducted chevalier." He shot me a highly skeptical look. "You've yet to prove in any substantial way you're the sondaleur . You've spent the majority of your life Rogue, outside the elemental world. Now we're expected to believe you're fit to lead us. How do we know you can do this?"
    I opened my mouth.
    "Enough," Catrin said. "It is what it is."
    Not exactly a vote of confidence, either.
    Fujio made a lot of valid points. If he gave me this much flack before my succession was announced, how would the rest of the elemental world react?
    Catrin studied her top chevalier. "Why don't you tell her why you're here?"
    Fujio stared at me a moment longer as if weighing his words carefully. Hesitance shone in his eyes.
    "I'm here because I want to talk about the recent ondine deaths," he finally said. "The first bodies were found under my jurisdiction so I'm heading the investigation."
    Two Redavi ondines and their gardinels were discovered in a shipping warehouse eight days ago. Another report came in from Merbais, the community in Maine, about the death of a Redavi ondine and her gardinel four days later.
    All had been killed with brutal efficiency.
    I frowned. "Did something else happen?"
    Urian spoke up. "Two more deaths in California at the Sèchau community. Another Redavi ondine and her gardinel. She was from the Rossay family."
    "So far, the Desmarais, Rosamunds, Genevieves, and Rossays have been targeted." Fujio steepled his fingers together. "The Redavi are beginning to panic."
    There was no pattern to the deaths. All died in different ways, in separate communities and varied circumstances.
    "Anything special about the latest victim?" I asked.
    "Nothing, except she had a binding ceremony a month ago. Her mate was human."
    Sacrificing your human life to become an elemental for the woman you loved only to lose her...the pain must be unimaginable.
    The memory of Gabe, eyes wild with grief, staying day and night by Marcella's side in Lyondale Hospital's elemental wing flashed before me.
    My throat tightened. "Anything else?"
    "Victim and gardinel were on a shopping trip at a location four hours from Sèchau," Urian added. "She wanted to get a surprise gift for her mate. Details of their excursion were on a server only accessible by someone with security clearance."
    "Why now?" Catrin murmured.
    "They're Aquidae." I