Raven’s smile showed sharp teeth. “You’d be surprised how generous a god can be when it comes to the lost spellbook. A lot of unsavory people want it. But we want it more.”
We knew gods, monsters, and devils wanted the book. Hell, ever since we’d dug that damn thing out of the broken shack in Illinois, we’d run into more than our share of supernaturals.
And yes, we had agreed to look for the book for Cupid. But we hadn’t made any promise we’d bring it to him in a hurry.
What we wanted—the only way out of the deals we’d made and the targets we’d put on our back—was to destroy the book. Failing that, we wanted to hide it so no one and nothing would ever be able to find it again.
“You don’t have to believe me,” Raven said.
“Says the trickster god,” Bathin added.
“But I can besoannoyingly persistent when I don’t get my way.”
“You’re always annoyingly persistent,” Bathin said. “Except when there’s actual work to be done.”
“Says the king who wouldn’t take his own throne in Hell.”
“I like my current living arrangements. That’s not changing.”
“Not even for power? For adoration? To rule?”
“I have all the power and adoration I need.”
“Really?” Raven threw him a look. “Huh. I thought you were just…vacationing from all that.”
“I’m here because I want to protect what I value, Crow. I value Ordinary.”
“Something we have in common,” Raven said. “So do you want the information or not?” he asked us.
I opened my mouth to tell him to shove off.
“What does it cost?” Lula asked.
“This,” he said. “Your time. Your willingness to listen.”
The diner song changed to Kenny Rogers talking about poker hands—when to fold ‘em. When to hold ‘em.
If we listened to whatever information he wanted to give us, I knew someday we’d owe this god more than our time. Listening would be a terrible idea.
“Tell us,” Lula said.
I stifled a sigh. This was not going to end well.
Raven put his fork down.
“The gods’ spellbook has been forgotten by many. By most. An experiment lost to the dust of time. Now it’s reappeared, but it is not easy to keep. You know that.
“The book won’t allow just anyone to handle it. It also won’t allow just anyone to speak the spells within it to wield the gods’ magic. You’ve touched it. One of you.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Brogan?”
“I touched it, and it knocked me on my ass.”
The smile again, with just the hint of tooth. “So, Lula, you’re the one who can hold it.”
Her head made the smallest motion of refusal, then stopped. “Back in McLean. I had it in my hands.”
“What happened?” Raven asked.
“A monster hunter.” It was her turn to show a little teeth. “With a gun. He took it.”
