“I haven’t much, either,” Ava admitted. “He just has this…flair. You know?”
“What do we do? Ask him if he has a key to a lost Elven city?” Kallie asked sarcastically. She sat on the rug next to Ava, painting her nails. “What do you think of this color?”
“Ooh, Iloveit,” Ava gushed.
I threw a ball across the Lair, and Oberi chased after it, panting loudly. A squeal sounded, and Oberi barked as he tripped over Rishi. The ball made athwackingnoise as it hit against the wall.
Ancestors, I wished they’d stop talking about those keys. I wanted to convince them it was no use searching for them, but Ava wouldn’t listen. I kept my mouth shut.
“There has to besomeway to bring it up without giving anything away,” Ava mused.
“Ivy’s half-blood, though,” Kallie pointed out. “Can half-bloodsbedemigods?”
“I don’t know,” Ava said nonchalantly as she scratched her stick through the dirt. “Either way, I’m thinking of letting Ivy in on things. He has some really creative ideas, and he’s running that secret nightclub. He’s bound to overhear tons of stuff down there.”
“No,” I said too quickly. Oberi shoved the ball into my hands, which was wet with slobber.
Ava’s scratching stopped. “Why not?”
“We can’t tell anyone,” I said. “It’s too dangerous. What if the Warden overhears?”
Truth was, I didn’t want Ava finding any more clues. Involving others might actually lead us somewhere.
“We’ll think about it,” Ava stated firmly, but it sounded like she’d already made up her mind. She was just waiting for the rest of us to agree with her.
“I’ve been thinking…” Marcus started. “What if whoever has the other keysaren’tour allies?”
“You mean someone like Mad Dog or Deuce?” I asked as I threw the ball for Oberi.
“Well, they’re both pretty strong supernaturals,” Marcus pointed out.
“No. I refuse to believe it,” Ava said. “Fate led us here. No way would the Great Spirit hand over one of our keys to one ofthem.”
Freakingfate. Ava wouldn’t shut up about it lately.
“What about a professor?” Marcus thought aloud.
“Mm…” Ava thought.
“Hemlock, maybe?” Kallie theorized.
“No. I think she would’ve at leasthintedto something if she was,” Ava said. “She spoke to me about demigods, and I didn’t get the sense that she was talking about herself.”
“I wonder if she knows anything—” Marcus cut off as Ava gasped.
I stilled as Oberi nudged me with his nose. “What is it?”
“I think there’s something under here!” Ava exclaimed.
She began scratching the dirt away, and Marcus joined in, their sticks grinding into the ground below. Kallie coughed. Dirt filled the air, and I sneezed.
“Ancestors,” I groaned. “Let me.”
I swirled my hands around, and the dirt below us followed my command. I could feel the bedrock was only an inch or so down. I swept the thick layer of dirt away with my magic, piling it into a corner of the room.
Marcus, Ava, and Kallie rose to their feet, and their slow footsteps sounded as they backpedaled several steps away from me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
