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Where was he?
Worry churning in my stomach, I decided on one last text.
Luna:Are you okay?
Please respond. What if he wasn’t? What if he needed me right now? Reaper lived by an organized, dutiful schedule. If something was amiss, it must be horribly serious…
Reaper: …
Reaper: …
Luna:Do you need a rescuer?
If I brought Gaksi, I could probably intervene in whatever situation he became trapped in. Worry somersaulted in my gut, matching the torrent of emotions in my soul.
Reaper’s response catapulted my spirit.
Reaper:No, but you might after I tell your mother you’re so devoted to me.
I almost collapsed laughing. He—I—would be alright.
ChapterTwenty-Two
THE ORACLE MUSINGS
Hoarding secrets is no fun. Sharing secrets means you’ve won. How do you make even the most serious of men sweat?Alcohol, bets, and a delicious game they’ll never forget.
Flora:I need something against Reaper I can actually use.
Luna:What do you mean?
Flora:Hopes? Fears? Dreams?
Luna:Why do you need those?
Flora:Hopes direct his current motivations. Fears show if there’s anyone stronger than him he’s afraid of. We can interpret dreams as either an indicator he sleeps (a vulnerable position), or how corrupt his ambitions are.
No wonder Flora led the Fae. She was clever at getting key info out of people. I supposed that when other faeries couldn’t lie, you had to subtly ask them the right questions to get them to spill.
I released a sigh. I’d need to catch at least three demons, and it usually took me a week just to chase down one.
“How am I going to get so much out of him at once?” I asked Cordelia.
We studied on adjacent hammocks together on the Diamond. Gaksi had cast a sound barrier around our blanket so that our conversation was private, while we got to enjoy people-watching in public. Bicyclists rode by, students threw frisbees above, and birds sang. Midday, it felt so peaceful and free. So… university. If I never got entangled in this mess, would my life be this serene?
“Maybe you should get him to play strip poker,” Cordelia swooned. “Then you can at least learn more about his body.”
“Stars, Cordelia! How would I even suggest that?” I sputtered.
“Start stripping?”
“While I’m catching a demon? Should I ask the lost virgin ghost to join too?”
“Yeah, keep it spicy.”
We dissolved into giggles.
Cordelia stopped laughing first, which was out of character for her. Usually, she was the silly one I had to reel in. Her face indicated that her next prompt was serious.
