Read Online I Should Die by Amy Plum - Free Book Online Page A

was already feeling so depressed and guilty that it didn’t have any effect.
    “He too feels that if the numa had no knowledge of Kate or Georgia, the best course of action would be keeping them away from the revenants.”
    Now I was the one who felt slapped. “How can he say that after he was the one who asked me to come back and talk to Vincent when we were broken up?”
    “He admitted that to me, Kate,” Mamie responded. “He said that it was bad judgment on his part. That he was only thinking of Vincent because he had never seen him that distraught before. That one thinks of one’s own child in such circumstances, and that he was remiss to have not considered you and your safety.”
    Papy gave a kind of harrumphing noise, signaling his displeasure.
    “In any case, what is done is done, and we both agreed that at this point you are safer near the revenants than away from them. Actually, we all are. Monsieur Grimod says that at this moment Violette is intent upon war and they should consider any of their allies or contacts at risk, even though it is doubtful that she will maintain an interest in you girls now that she has Vincent.”
    So. Jean-Baptiste hadn’t told Mamie that Violette could use me as bait to make Vincent obey her every whim. That was the real worry as far as I was concerned—the only reason she would be concerned with me in the least.
    “Jean-Baptiste promised me that Kate and Georgia will have revenants watching them twenty-four/seven.” She turned to us. “Don’t worry, girls, you won’t even know that they’re there.”
    “He’s assigning them both full-time bodyguards?” Papy asked, confused.
    “Believe me, Antoine, Monsieur Grimod has a lot of revenants at his service. This will barely put a dent in his numbers. What do you feel about it?”
    Papy glanced between the three of us, and then, crossing his arms over his chest, he exhaled a long, sad sigh. “ Ma princesse ,” he said, facing me. “I know that Vincent and his kind are here to help humanity. That he’s one of the good guys. If it weren’t for the fact that being close to him and his kindred put you in danger, I would count it an honor to be associated with them. But your safety means the world to me, and that changes everything in my mind.”
    My grandfather paused, thinking. “If we asked you to relinquish Vincent and his kind, would you do it?” he asked me.
    I couldn’t look him in the eyes. Massaging my forehead with my fingertips for a few seconds, I admitted, “No.”
    “A truthful answer,” Mamie said. “Because of that I would rather we collaborate with Jean-Baptiste to keep you safe than to restrict you from seeing them like your Papy did.” My grandfather began to disagree, and Mamie put a hand up to signal peace. “Quite reasonably, darling, I don’t blame you for it one bit. But that drove Kate into their camp without our awareness.”
    Papy sat back, defeated.
    “Although it is the opposite of my natural inclinations,” my grandmother continued, “I feel it is best that you stay under the revenants’ protective care—as long as we know where you are at all times.” She turned to my grandfather. “Antoine, can you find your way to agreeing with me?”
    My grandfather sat there looking miserable. “I don’t like it, but it makes sense. There’s no question the revenants can protect the girls better than we can. I will agree to this as a short-term plan, but I want you all to know that I feel very much backed into a corner, and that it is not what I wanted in the least.”
    “We all know that,” Mamie allowed, and then turned to us. “Girls, do we have your word that you will not try to shake off your guards like you did yesterday—or leave the house like today, unless you are accompanied?”
    Georgia and I agreed.
    “Well, then. We have an understanding.”
    I went to hug my grandmother, and when I leaned over I whispered in her ear, “I’m so sorry, Mamie.”
    “So am I, dear