CJ narrows their eyes. “Why am I sensing guilt from you?”
I adjust the bag of peas. “Well, this might not be the first time I’ve encountered Waring.”
Rook straightens, eyes wide. “What?”
CJ gives me alook.
I wince. “Yeah. It was right before you showed up in the hearse.”
CJ looks harder.
“I know, I know. I should have told you. I just…It wasn’t relevant at the time.”
Now I’m getting looks from everyone.
“We had other stuff going on!”
Poppy rubs her forehead. “Jesus Christ, Elle.”
“The good news is he doesn’t want to kill me. He wants to offer me a job.”
“Job as in data entry?” Tolliver asks. “Or job as in whacking someone?”
“Neither. He wants me to retrieve the codex. But,” I continue quickly before they all freak out, “more good news: He thinks it was stolen by the Cult of Hades.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Rook adjust his collar.
Poppy takes a huge sip of wine. “I’m going to need you to start from the beginning.”
I walk them through the whole story, about the Cult being a bunch of demons wanting to use the grimoire to resurrect Hades and the syndicates joining forces to stop it but also just wanting the codex for themselves. And how they want me to be the one to get the grimoire back for them.
I don’t tell them about the deal to do it in exchange for my brother’s soul because that would lead to questions about his location and we don’t need to discuss that just yet.
“Why would demons want to resurrect Hades?” Tolliver asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know, ’cause they’re evil? Waring made it sound like Hades broke the rules of magic too, so maybe he’s one of them.”
Rook clears his throat, and though I act like I don’t notice, that’s one too many nervous tics within the course of this conversation. I’m now almost positive the Cult of Hades are the ones who killed his sister and beat him up. I’m equally as positive that he’s keeping that detail from us for a reason.
This job just got complicated.
Well, it was already complicated. But now we can’t trust Rook.
Well, we could never fully trust Rook.
Point is, I have to play this next part carefully.
“Tolliver,” I say.
He perks up. “Yup?”
“What potion did you give Ezra?”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t give Ezra a potion.”
“I stole it,” Ezra offers glumly.
“Dude!” Tolliver rushes over to his bag and starts sorting through the vials and flasks.