Up in Flames

My phone was still in my dress pocket, so I texted Harry as I made my way back to the residential center.

Maddie

Hey. i’m alive

Harry

Oh shit! thank god!

Harry

Darshan was freaking out!

Harry

But guess who’s not alive??

Maddie

Dom

Harry

How did u know?

Maddie

He od’d, yeah?

Harry

Ummmmmmmmm

Harry

Mads

Harry

His body was found but it was…

Harry

Mauled

Harry

shredded

Harry

Picked to pieces

Maddie

WHAT THE HELL

Maddie

Just him?

Harry

Yeah

Harry

I mean the guy was a total prick

Harry

But NO ONE deserves that

Maddie

Try not to dwell on it harry

Maddie

I’m glad we’re all safe

Maddie

Be home soon. tell darshan not 2 worry

When I got back to Greensward, everyone was grieving—well, grieving might be too strong of a word—~processing~ what happened.

No one had any love for Dominic—he was a monster.

But he was also one of us.

We’d all grown up with him.

He was an orphan. A street kid.

His life hadn’t been easy.

For my part, he’d taught me almost everything I knew about thieving, even though he held it over me like a debt that needed to be repaid.

I sure as hell wouldn’t miss the son of a bitch, but I was still shaken by Harry’s description of his body.

Apparently, the image was too graphic to even show on the news.

I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, and that was exactly what Dominic was.

When I opened the door to my room, Darshan immediately threw his arms around me.

“Damn it, Maddie, don’t scare me like that again,” he said, his voice quivering.

“Sorry, Dar, I promise I’ll be more careful next time,” I replied, giving him a tight squeeze.

We sat on the edge of my bed and lay back, staring at the ceiling.

“I’m glad he’s gone,” Darshan said suddenly. “I’m glad he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

I clutched Darshan’s hand and took a deep breath.

He was a good kid, and I’d been looking after him for years, but the truth was he looked after me too.

I was glad I still had friends like Dar and Harry to lean on when things got weird.

And things were getting really freaking weird as of late.

“Let’s not devote any more time to talking about that bastard—may he rest in peace. Let’s talk about something fun,” I said, changing the subject.

“Mads, have you met us? When do we ever have fun? We’re dour, disadvantaged orphans, and that’s the extent of it,” Darshan responded.

We both broke into laughter and rolled around on the bed, poking each other, but were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

~Ugh, freaking Elle.~

She stood in my doorway with a look of pure annoyance on her puckered face.

“What do you want?” I asked, not even trying to hide my distaste for her.

“I see you two have no respect for the fact that your fellow brother has just died.” She sniffed haughtily.

Elle knew exactly what kind of person Dominic was because she was exactly like him.

His death probably meant the end of several illegal operations she had going with him.

“We all mourn in our own ways,” I said scathingly.

“The school called—said you skipped again,” Elle said with an evil smirk. “That’s two strikes, Maddie. One more, and I’m throwing your ass out on the streets.”

“You can’t do that!” Darshan shouted. “This place is supposed to take orphans in, not throw them out.”

“She’s almost eighteen,” Elle sneered. “She’s out of here soon anyway.”

“But that’s still over a year away,” Darshan said, his voice full of worry.

I squeezed his hand. But it was true—I would be kicked out sooner or later. And I had no idea what I’d do when that happened.

“Anyway, this came for you.” Elle dropped an envelope on the middle of the floor instead of handing it to me. “Better not fuck up again.”

I looked at it, confused. I’d never received a piece of mail in my entire time at Greensward.

As Elle walked out, I scooped up the envelope and tore open the seal.

“What is it?” Darshan asked impatiently.

“It’s…an invitation,” I said, examining the fancy letterhead. “To a party at Req Enterprise…tonight.”

“Are you going?” Darshan asked with a gleam of excitement.

“~We’re~ going,” I said with a smile. “I have a plus one.”

***

A stretch limo pulled in front of Greensward, and Darshan and I piled in, dressed in our best outfits.

It was already filled with other kids our age, likely from other programs funded by Req Enterprise.

This was the company’s annual anniversary party, and the Dobrzyckas had decided to make it a public event for the first time.

I didn’t exactly want to see them after our encounter this morning, but the party would be massive—I could probably just avoid them.

~With my luck? Fat freaking chance.~

“Did you see the news this morning?” A blue-haired boy across from me sneered as he talked to his friend. “Fucking brutal. That’s what you get for going to Club Emerald. I wouldn’t go within a mile of that death trap.”

From the way he was dressed and the smug look on his face, I could tell he must’ve come from money. He was definitely not from a residential center like me.

“I knew him,” I said. “He was from Greensward.”

The blue-haired boy turned and looked me up and down.

“You’re from one of the Dobrzyckas’ charity programs? Greensward you said?” There was a note of distaste in his tone.

“That’s right. I grew up there.”

“Those arrogant assholes throw their money everywhere just so they can have their greedy claws sunk deep into every facet of this wretched city. All they want is power,” he said with surprising venom.

“If you despise them so much, then why are you attending their party?” I shot back.

“They fund my boarding school, and I’m top of the class,” he replied arrogantly. “It’s sort of a requirement. What’s your name, girl?”

“Maddie,” I replied, somewhat coldly.

Our limo slowed to a stop in front of the Req Enterprise skyscraper.

“I’m Nautica. You should remember that name if you know what’s good for you,” he said, smirking. “I’m here to ~slay~.”

~Barf.~

This guy was so full of himself.

But I had to admit I was curious about his claims against the Dobrzyckas…

***

After showing the invitation to the security guards and getting patted down, I pulled Darshan into the crowded elevator with a dozen other teens, including Nautica.

I had two goals for tonight.

One, get really drunk.

And two, avoid Loch and Hael.

The doors began to close, but before they shut, a muscular arm shot through the divide, and they reopened.

All the girls screamed in delight as Loch crammed his massive body into the already too-full elevator.

“What’s going on?” Darshan whispered to me.

“Trouble,” I whispered back, annoyed that I had already failed one of my two simple objectives.

While most of the guys looked at Loch as though he were a god, Nautica glared at him with absolute contempt.

Loch wasted no time in pushing his way over to me as the elevator began to rise.

“Madeline, I’m glad you were able to attend,” he droned.

I was surprised he was using my name. He always seemed to enjoy talking down to me, but I guess there were other people around now.

“I’m here for the open bar,” I replied dryly.

“Partying two nights in a row? And on school nights no less? Bad, bad girl,” he said mockingly.

There was that condescending prick I knew.

I felt my cheeks turning red, but I wouldn’t let this asshole embarrass me.

“Your concern is touching, Loch. But you’d think you would have more important things to worry about than a teenage girl’s schedule,” I sneered.

The elevator reached the eighty-fifth floor, and the doors slid open to a bustling party.

Loch pushed to the front but turned before exiting and gave me a smirk. “Next time you spend the night, Madeline, don’t run off before you’ve had breakfast.”

Every girl in the elevator gasped and looked at me like I was the devil. Nautica had a strange expression as well. He looked at me like I was…suspicious?

“It’s not what it sounds like,” I said, grabbing Darshan and dragging him into the party.

“Uh, what exactly is it then?” Darshan asked with a hint of judgment. “Because it sounds like you slept with Loch Dobrzycka.”

“First of all, gross. And second of all, I’ll tell you everything—as we get wasted.”

***

Darshan and I had at least managed to accomplish my first goal of getting drunk. I had filled him in on everything that’d happened, and he was way too delighted by the whole situation.

But after a couple of hours, I was starting to get antsy.

There was usually only one reason I was at a party like this…and it wasn’t to dance.

“Hey, Dar, what do you say we fleece a couple of these rich bitches? It’s the perfect opportunity.”

“Mads, are you serious? We’re way too drunk, and the people here are actually nice. I’ve been making some friends,” Darshan said, wobbling slightly.

I laughed, slurring my words. “C’mon, Dar. You be the eyes, and I’ll be the ears.”

“Har har,” he scoffed. “Look, I won’t judge you if you can’t keep your hands out of other people’s pockets, but I’m gonna go talk to those kids from the disabled youth center again.”

“You’ll be all right on your own?” I asked, concerned.

He nodded. “Go do your thing, Mads.”

As Darshan joined a group of kids a few feet away, I started looking for my mark.

There was a wrist with a loose bracelet, looked like diamonds, but the woman was talking too much with her hands.

There was the telltale bulge of a wallet in a man’s back pocket, but his pants were tight; I’d risk being caught if he moved the wrong way.

Maybe that woman’s purse on the table? It was small and covered in jewels, and she didn’t seem to be paying much attention to it.

But before I could move in, I found myself being marked—by Loch.

His massive arms wrapped around me, and he pulled me to a velvet curtain near the large glass window overlooking the city.

I squirmed in his arms. “What the hell, Loch? Where are you taking me?”

“The VIP section. Your services are needed,” he said playfully.

I thought about calling out to Darshan, but with Loch’s arms around me, I lost my fight. There was something about him, about being surrounded by his scent, his strength.

It went against my better judgment to go anywhere alone with a Dobrzycka, ~especially~ with Loch, but my inhibitions had flown out the window.

Was it the wine? Or something else?

On the other side of the curtain was a beautiful garden terrace where hypnotizing green flames danced in a stone fire pit.

Hael was on the other side of the flames. He looked uncertain as he watched us approach.

“All right, Hael, I brought her,” Loch said, releasing me in front of his brother. “Shall we?”

“I still think this is foolish, brother. She’s not ready,” Hael replied.

“I disagree. I think she is. We’ve both felt something strange ever since we met her.”

~What are they talking about? What feeling?~

Hael let out a long sigh. “Very well. Let’s test her.”

~Test her? Meaning me?~

Grinning, Loch suddenly held my wrist in a vice grip. I couldn’t break free, no matter how hard I struggled.

“What are you doing?” I asked, alarmed.

But Hael just nodded to his brother.

“Set her on fire.”