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She shrugs without agreeing or disagreeing, even as her lips tip up at the edge of her mouth.
When they enter the room, Kenna stands with Sierra who leans over the table, and Cora joins them. She places the paper bag on the table beside the open book, and she starts unloading it, placing the food on the table. There are bagels, loxs, veggies, and way too much food for the number of mortals in the room, making Caleb’s stomach grumble again even as he knows it’ll have to wait.
Cora nods toward the book. “Anything new?”
“Not yet,” Sierra murmurs. “But we’re checking it out.”
Caleb scans the room, turning slowly in place. The Faeries seem to be nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Sylvan? I haven’t seen him in a little while.”
Maddy gestures to their surroundings. “Maybe Sylvan went underground after the vampires stole the book. They’re probably worried about getting caught unawares.”
Caleb picks a spot between the breakfast food and the book before snagging a bagel. His stomach still churns from the power coursing through him, so he foregoes any cream cheese or anything else. “Where are we at?”
Maddy crosses her arm and stands slightly behind him. She doesn’t touch any of the human food Cora brought. “How far have you gotten through the book?”
“Not very.” Sierra doesn’t look up. Instead, she carefully turns another page and begins studying the images and markings on the page without reading anything aloud.
He swallows, and it still feels weird to have something other than blood go down his esophagus. “What’s on that page?”
“A portal for some place in a watery world. I’m not really sure. It’s been the same sort of jump spells for the last dozen pages.”
“Jump spells?”
“Jump-from-place-to-place spells.”
“What’s that page say?” Caleb asks around the last bite of dry bagel, and he winces as his stomach flips around.
“I can’t really read it to you.”
“Fair enough.” He’s getting sick of being along for the ride in nearly every way now. He’s not driving anything forward, and his words don’t mean much anymore. “I’m going to find coffee.”
Maddy hooks his elbow and tugs on him. “You okay?”
“Fine.” He stalks out of the room without another word.
But Sierra’s excited “Oh!” brings him back.
“What is it?” Kenna asks.
Caleb knocks on the table’s edge, fidgety and impatient to get everything settled. He wants more time with Maddy. He gestures to the book. “What did you find?”
“It’s a missing page.” She swipes a magnifying glass from the table and peers at the book, her eye weirdly huge in the center of the glass. She studies one side and then the other.
“What?” Caleb’s hands stray to his pendant. “What’s on the missing page?”
Maddy leans forward expectantly, but she says nothing. The stress must be getting to her, too.
“Neither side has any residual markings from the ripped-out page.” Sierra frowns at the parchment surfaces and lifts the bottom edge of the book so the light falls across it, highlighting any change in the surface. She looks again through the magnifying glass. This time, the tool glows. “Ah.”
“Ah?” Caleb echoes. “Ah, what?”
“It looks like it’s a spell. I’m not sure exactly what kind.” The enchanted magnifying glass stops glowing, and Sierra places it on the table beside her. “I can find out?”
Maddy releases a frustrated sigh.
Caleb grits his teeth and takes a moment before answering. “We don’t have time for that.”
“He’s right,” Kenna agrees. “Orion’s here, and we don’t have time to work out some kind of spell. We need the location of the weapon.”
