A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

unnaturally, her open mouth sucking in the air.
    “What’s she doing?” Kieran whispered in my
ear.
    Cass puffed. “Let me guess, women are a
whole new species to you, fascinating yet scary at the same time.” She touched my
arm. “I can’t believe what Layla did to you. She’s
such a meanie.”
    I nodded. “Thanks, Cass.”
    “Let me get out my handy dandy make-up kit,”
Cass said. “You’ll look good in no time. Just ask Clare. She’s had one of my
famous makeovers.”
    “Her skilled hands work like magic,” Clare
said. “It’s amazing what she can do.”
    Were they kidding? Talking about cosmetics
when we had no idea what happened to Amber? I took a deep breath and peered at
the snacks on the table. “No, Cass.”
    “You sure? I can tone down that pale thing
you got going. You know, give you some color. Make you look like you’re—”
Cass waved her hand in the air, trying to find the right word “—alive.”
    “No,” I said. “And that’s final. Now, I don’t
want to be a killjoy, but can we get on—”
    “Your loss.” Cass shrugged and applied
another thick layer of bright-red lipstick.
    “We don’t have time for this,” Blake said. I
turned and shot him a thankful smile. Blake was strange, always lurking in
corners, silent as a grave, but he actually seemed sane compared to my other
companions.
    Cass put away the lipstick and smacked her
lips. “Okay, let’s get down to business. You guys are wasting my precious time.”
    I stared at her, dumbfounded. We were
wasting her time? Go figure.
    “No idea why she’s always here. She doesn’t
even have any powers,” Kieran whispered.
    “I’ll get them once I turn eighteen,” Cass
said. “Besides, I have the power to kick your butt, and that’s all I need.”
    I pushed the glass of water from the table
into her hand, lest she jump up and challenge my brother to fight. The girl was
half fallen angel; it wasn’t her fault she couldn’t control her temper. But my
brother had absolutely no excuse. “If you don’t keep quiet I’ll kick you both
out. I’ve no time for this. Amber’s life depends on us and all you do is—”
I shook my head in exasperation “—you should go out together because you
seem to have a lot in common.”
    Cass snorted. “No, thanks. I’d rather join
a convent.”
    Clare laughed. Kieran shot her an irritated
look, and she quieted.
    I hurried to change the subject before they
started another fight. “Cass, do you know where she could be?”
    “Okay, I’ll bite.” Cass let out a giggle. “No
pun intended. Why’d you think I knew what happened to your sweetheart?”
    “According to Aidan we’re supposed to work
together so, no more vampire jokes,” Kieran said. “Got it?”
    Cass narrowed her gaze. “You think you’re
God’s gift to women. But you know what? I’m way hotter. Literally. See, I can
make hell jokes too. So don’t get all touchy because it’s not personal. Really,
take a chill pill.”
    I rubbed my temples, staring at them. They
had to stop eventually. I’d just wait it out.
    “Of course you’re comfortable cracking
jokes about your kind,” Kieran said. “You and your demon breed are the epitome
of hilarious. Just look at the way you dress.”
    Her eyes sparkled, her set jaw screamed
murder. I raised my hand to stop further confrontation. “Cass, listen, I asked
if you knew anything because you usually know what’s going on, that’s all.”
    Cass cleared her throat, her eyes moving back
and forth as though she was leading an inner argument. Kieran snorted.
Eventually, Cass smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll tell them, but they owe me big
time.”
    “Who’s she talking to?” Kieran whispered.
    “I got you the ambassador position,” I
said, ignoring my brother’s question. “As the new ambassador you’re bound to
tell me anyway. If you don’t play by the rules, you risk another war and you
can kiss your position goodbye before you’ve even started your new job.”
    Cass tapped a finger on her chin, thinking.
“That makes sense.”
    I breathed in, forcing myself to remain the
patient, reasonable one when Cass pushed the envelope with her lack of urgency.
If she continued putting off telling us what she knew, I might have to shake
some sense into her.
    “Cass, what do you know?” Clare said as
though sensing my annoyance.
    “Not much.” Moistening her lips, Cass brushed
a hand over her wrinkled, oversized jeans. “Yesterday morning, I came to visit