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Luca gave him a regretful smirk. "For her, I am expendable."
"Better than being useless," Theo said to him, with a commiserating look.
"I think he should come." Luca turned his green gaze to me. "He knows the book."
"He can't read Velartan," I retorted, glaring at Theo.
Theo reached into the box and lifted out a thick stack of paper held together with a binder clip. "But Neath can," he said. "And the translation doesn't go without me."
"Seriously?" I said. "You're holding the translation hostage?"
But Luca was already pushing the passenger seat forward. He gestured at me to climb into the back. "River," he said, "I'm afraid your legs are much shorter than Theo's."
I gaped at him. "You've got to be kidding me."
Theo, grinning, clapped a hand on Luca's shoulder. "Get comfy, unicorn," he said. "It's gonna be a long drive."
I grumbled, but folded myself into the tiny backseat and set the box carefully beside me. Luca didn't waste any time, and just minutes later we were winding our way off campus and heading east.
"Okay," Theo said, twisting sideways in his seat so he could see both me and Luca at the same time. "Give me the details. Who exactly are we going to see? And where?"
"Yes," I piped up. "I'd like to know that too."
"His name is Julian Zugravescu," Luca said, glancing at Theo before meeting my gaze briefly in the rearview mirror. "He used to live outside of a tiny village in the mountains called Kalnu Upelis, but I cannot be sure he is still there."
"Shouldn't you have called first?" I asked. "Or emailed or something, to make sure he's there before we drive all this way and show up unannounced?"
Luca gave a short laugh. "No. Julian will not have a phone. Nor a computer."
I raised my brows at Theo, who shrugged.
"But you know this guy, right?" Theo asked.
There was a slight pause before Luca answered, and with his words came what I thought might be the barest hint of uncertainty. "Once, yes. It has been many years."
I exchanged another glance with Theo, but decided not to press it. If Luca was feeling laconic, I wouldn't get the answers I wanted. We would find out soon enough anyway, I supposed.
"How long will it take to get to…”
"Kalnu Upelis," Luca repeated, and there was a tightness in his voice that I didn't recognize. Then he flashed a grin at me over his shoulder. "It literally means 'mountain stream,' for reasons that will become apparent when we arrive. It will take much of the day. Seven, perhaps eight hours?"
Oof. Eight hours trapped in a car with Theo and Luca? It wasn't ideal. True, they'd been perfectly civil to each other so far, but just being around the two of them together was enough to set me on edge. It wasn't like I expected one of them to challenge the other to a duel for my hand, or beat their chests like cavemen, but surely it was only a matter of time before some uncomfortable topic of conversation came up, like—
"So Theo," Luca began. "I understand you and River grew up together. Tell me something about her I do not know."
"Wait, no—" But the bastard wouldn't meet my eyes in the mirror.
"Well, let's see," Theo said, speaking right over my protest. "She's an only child. Middle name Yu-Lan, after her grandmother."
I blew out a breath. Okay, this wasn't so bad.
"What else," Theo mused. "Oh, has she ever told you why she decided to study archaeology?"
I sat up straight. "Theo, no—"
But it was too late.
"No, I don't believe she has mentioned." Luca was grinning at Theo, the two of them completely ignoring me.
