Chapter 68

“He does!” Midnight confirms, continuing to do severe damage to the cake. Part of me wants to urge her to go easy so she doesn’t make herself sick. But she’s so slim, and she’s enjoying it so much that…I lean forward quietly and slide the whole plate towards her, indicating that the whole thing is for her should she wish it. Laila, across the table from me, gives me a little smile.

“Is the Fancy House just the palace?” Laila asks.

“Yes,” Orion murmurs, still displeased, still looking anxiously at Jesse, who just…seethes.

“Oh, then we live in the Fancy House too right now,” I say to Midnight, giving her a little smile.

“Explains all the cake,” Midnight says, nodding to me eagerly, her mouth full.

“And do you know where she’s been living?” Jesse asks, gesturing towards Midnight with his thumb. “For the past twelve years? Or probably more?”

Orion sighs, closing his eyes, shame already creeping over his features. I finally start to see where Jesse’s going with this and sit back, taking a long sip of my wine, finding myself already siding with my cousin.

“Yes,” Orion says, his voice flat. “I know she lives in the Land of Darkness alone in…a house.”

“It’s not a house, man,” Jesse snaps. “It’s a tent.”

“A great tent,” Midnight mumbles, her mouth full. “And he knows. He’s seen it.”

“You’ve seen it?” Jesse seethes.

Orion lifts his eyes to Jesse’s, guilt all over his face.

“You’re pathetic, man,” Jesse says, working very hard to keep himself from storming around the table and probably punching Orion’s lights out. “You’ve been living in a palace for twelve years, knowing that your schoolmate was living in –“ he glances at Midnight now, clearly adjusting his phrase for her sake, “tough conditions. And you did nothing?”

Orion just drops his head, utterly ashamed to be called out on this fault. And I find anger roiling in me right alongside my cousin – because Jesse is right. Even if Orion has been spoiled and petted his whole life, to see someone else’s suffering, and know that he could make it easier, and do nothing?

“That’s bullshit, Orion,” I snap, glaring at him.

“Easy, guys,” Anton says, his voice measured as he leans forward to look between me and Jesse. “Not everyone was raised by Ella and Cora Sinclair, okay? He was just a kid, and in this world…I don’t think sympathy and the desire to help those in need goes as far as it does in Moon Valley.”

Midnight slows her eating pace and looks curiously around the table. “Why is everyone getting so mad at Orion? Orion was nice to me. You should have seen what the others were like.”

Jesse sighs and puts a hand on Midnight’s shoulder. “I think he could have been a great deal more nice to you, Mids,” he says, his shadows starting to reel back in for her sake. “And I hope that in the future he’ll find it in his heart to think of others. Not just himself.”

Orion slowly lifts his head to look Jesse in the eye, nodding once, a silent promise that he will. But Jesse just looks coldly back, implying that he’ll believe it when he sees it. And that he will be watching.

“Wait,” I say, frowning, something in Midnight’s voice ringing out in my mind. “Who are the ‘others’?”

“Oh, oh no,” Laila suddenly gasps, her fingertips flying to her mouth as she looks up into the sky. “Oh, the moons are shifting. Honestly, if we want to do the divination…”

She looks anxiously back at the table, clearly stopping herself from saying more, her eyes moving to Jesse and Midnight.

“Divination?” Midnight asks, sitting up eagerly. “What are we finding out?”

“What the hell is divination?” Jesse murmurs, looking around.

Orion sits up as well, looking weary after all the shit he’s taken tonight for being a selfish prince. A critique he certainly deserves but…well, I do think that he’s trying. Even if Jesse is right that he should have started trying years ago, he has begun.

“Midnight,” Orion says, holding the girl’s gaze quite seriously. “Are you going to tell on us?”

She sits up straight. “Probably. Why, are you doing something bad?”

Jesse’s mouth pops open. “Midnight!”

“What!?” She spins to her mate with a frown.

“He’s offering you a secret, and you’re going to tell on him!? Probably to that loser, Darkness!?”

Midnight gasps. “Do not call him a loser, Jesse! He will – you will be smote! Smited!”

“Darkness is more of a dick to you than Orion is,” Jesse says, pointing at the prince as he keeps his eyes on his mate, who stares at him, appalled. “You need to rethink your loyalties, kid.”

“And who do you think I should be loyal to!?” Midnight snarls, leaning forward towards him. “You? You and the rat?” Midnight leans around Jesse to glare hard at me and at first I gasp at the insult. But very quickly I burst into a grin, kind of delighted at her gall.

I mean, Midnight is weird and sometimes mean - but god, she’s certainly brave and spirited and…kind of hilarious.

“Yeah, Mids!” Jesse says, exasperated. “You should be loyal to me, and to Juniper the Rat! Because we’re your family now and we’d never betray you!”

“And to me, please,” Anton says, leaning forward and pressing a hand to his chest. “I’d like to be on Team Rat.”

Midnight gives him a firm nod, letting him know that he’s in.

Even as I laugh at Anton, my heart swells a little at the truth in Jesse’s words, because he’s right – Midnight, if she’s Jesse’s mate? Then she’s family - immediately. And I’m already on her side, even if she’s done nothing but called me a rat and a whore all night. She is ours – a Sinclair. And that means something.

“Jesse’s right, Midnight,” I say on impulse, leaning forward to catch her eye. “I would never betray you.”

She narrows her eyes like she’s not sure she believes me. But I just hold her gaze steadily, willing her to believe it.

Midnight sits back hard in her chair, looking down into her lap, her expression utterly confused like she’s rethinking her whole world. I glance at Anton and see that his expression, like mine, is a bit pained for her. Midnight – if what Jesse says is true…she’s been neglected her whole life. And if the God of Darkness was the only one to show her even a cruel bit of attention…

God, no wonder he has her loyalty.

To my surprise, Midnight looks up and holds Orion’s gaze. “Who are you loyal to?” she asks quietly.

Orion just shrugs, shaking his head like he, too, is utterly confused. “I don’t know anymore, Midnight. These girls have come and kind of…blown up my whole sense of the world.” He looks now between Laila and me and a bit of pride swells in my heart for him as well. Because…I think he means it. And I think he really is growing.

Midnight nods like she understands that.

“But,” Orion says, leaning forward towards her. “Even if my Grandfather came and asked me what we’re divining tonight? I wouldn’t tell him. I think…I think things are really different than what we were taught, Midnight. I think we have a lot to learn. And I think all of these people are good people.”

“But Moon Valley is full of whores and scoundrels,” she murmurs, the phrase tripping off her tongue like it’s something she was taught a long time ago. “Except for you,” she says, looking up at Jesse with shining eyes. “You are very nice. And handsome with pretty hair.”

Jesse nods deeply to Midnight, thanking her for the compliment, as she shifts her narrowed eyes to Anton and me like she’s not yet sure. I smile a little, liking her very much in this moment.

“Midnight, they need the information,” Orion says, drawing our eyes to him. “But we can’t do the divination if you’re going to go snitch to Darkness. So you have to promise not to tell.”

Midnight’s mouth tightens and she glances around anxiously, her allegiances torn.

“You should do it,” Jesse says, breaking the silence as he crosses his arms and looking over at Orion. “Go ahead with it. Midnight isn’t going to tell.”

“We need her promise,” Orion insists, holding out a hand towards her.

“No,” Jesse says, shifting his eyes to Orion now. “I have faith in her. I believe in Midnight. She’s going to do the right thing. She doesn’t need to promise if the rest of us don’t need to hear it.”

Orion opens his mouth to protest, but Anton interrupts.

“You know what, I’m good too,” Anton says, nodding and looking at Midnight with interest. “I have faith in Midnight.”

“Yeah, me as well,” Laila says, smiling prettily at the dark-haired girl. “I think Mids is a good egg.”

All eyes move to me and I smile as Midnight looks to me last, her eyes shining with tears. Because I realize, finally, what Jesse did here.

Midnight – she’s probably never really had anyone have faith in her before. No one has ever told her that they trust her unconditionally and then followed up on the words with complete trust. And, I mean, it’s a choice that could get the rest of us in a great deal of trouble if Midnight breaks her faith with us and does tell Darkness or Death what we did tonight.

But frankly? I don’t care. It’s worth it.

Because it’s what Midnight needs.

“I trust you, Midnight,” I say, giving her a nod and an encouraging smile. “Thanks for being cool.”

“Thank you too, rat,” Midnight whispers, a single tear streaking down her cheek.