Page 39 of Heart of Mischief

The front door swung shut behind Elias, echoing down the quiet street. “Charlotte, would you slow down and listen to me for a second?”

“Listento you?” Charlie asked, whirling around just before she reached the curb, nearly knocking Henry over with her foot. “Why in all eight realms do you think I’d be stupid enough to listen to you? To the litany of excuses that I’m sure you have lined up, ready to explain away the fact that, after three weeks of peace and safety, you show up in this townrightas dead bodies start piling up?”

“Oh, come on.” He folded his arms over his chest, not moving from his place at the top of the driveway. “You’re right that the timing is no coincidence. Your father sent me as soon as he heard about the first attack. He knew that more would follow, and he wanted you and Mason to be protected when they did.”

“Nuh-uh.” She shook her head adamantly. “It’s too much of a coincidence. I’d be an idiot to believe you, to—”

“But the thing is,” Elias said, cutting her off, “youdobelieve me.”

“Excuse me?”

He raised his eyebrows. “You do.” His arms dropped to his sides and swung lazily back and forth as he strolled down the driveway. “Otherwise, you would never have agreed to work with me yesterday. Think about it, Charlotte—what kind of murderer offers to help solve his own case?”

She pointed at him. “The frustrating, irrational, masochistic kind.”

“Frustrating, maybe. Masochistic, absolutely. But irrational?” He scoffed. “I’d argue that I’m the most rational person in this entire town. I’m the only one whose judgment isn’t skewed by human emotions.”

“You aren’t helping your case.”

“My point is…” he said, crossing the driveway and bending down to look Charlie in the eye. She inhaled sharply, caught off guard by the sudden approach. “I’m a selfish person. I can afford to be, when I don’t have emotions like guilt getting in the way of achieving my goals. And right now, my goal is to carry out my mission for Loki and keep his children safe.”

“We aren’t his children,” she bit out. “Stop saying that.”

He straightened, holding up his hands. “Whatever you want. Look, you can refuse to get into that car,” he said, pointing to the convertible over her shoulder. “Or…” He leaned down until there was only a breath of space between them. Charlie had to physically restrain herself from glancing down at his lips. “You can go to the Saugatuck dunes with me and follow the only lead we have.”

Charlie’s eyebrows jumped up her forehead. “The dunes? That’s where we’re going?”

“Yes.” Elias leaned to the side, reaching around Charlie to openthe passenger door of the convertible. He gestured for her to climb in. “They’re about ten miles south of here, right on the coast of—”

“I know where the dunes are,” she snapped. It came out more harshly than she’d intended, but she couldn’t help it.

Every summer for fourteen years, Charlie, Sophie, Mason, and their mom had packed the car full of swimsuits, volleyballs, shovels, marshmallows, graham crackers, hot dogs, and the only tent they owned (a massive pop-up big enough to sleep eight that Mason affectionately named “The Chateau”) and drove to Saugatuck Dunes State Park for a three-day camping trip. While they were there, it was only them—no neighbors or schoolwork or cell phones or TV or video games or anything else to distract from their time together. Just their family and the rolling dunes and the sparkling blue lake. They were Charlie’s three favorite days of the year.

The summer before Sophie died was the last time Charlie went to the dunes. No one cared to continue the tradition after she was gone.

“Right,” said Elias, exhaling loudly. “Listen, are we going or not? Because if this second set of murders is any indication, Rattatosk isn’t wasting any time. By the time you decide to stop being such a pain in the ass, he’ll probably have struck again.”

Charlie narrowed her eyes. Elias was an exceptional actor. There was a very good chance that this whole hurry-up-so-we-can-save-innocent-lives thing was a complete lie.

Unfortunately, he was right about one thing: Rattatoskwasworking fast. The sooner they found who was controlling him, the better. And right now, Elias’s lead was the only clue she had.

She ran her fingers over the bulge in her back pocket where her lucky deck of cards was tucked. “Fine,” she said, sliding into the car, careful not to touch his hand. She plopped into the seat. Henry hopped in after and scampered across her legs, coming to settle on the center console. “Let’s go.”

Elias shut the passenger door behind her, then jogged around tothe driver’s side, where he placed his hands on the window frame and leapt over, landing smoothly on his seat.

“Show-off,” Charlie muttered.

“You’re just delightful today.” He stuck the key into the ignition and twisted it. The car rumbled to life. “No wonder your brother hates you right now.”

She stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” He dug into his back pocket with one hand, pulling out a familiar yellow packet.

Charlie squinted at the wrapper. “Are those… Gushers?”

“Yep.” Elias ripped the package open with his teeth.

“You eat Gushers for breakfast?”