“We do.We’ll take as long as we damned well want.This hideout is so far off grid, I don’t think even Atë or Mithra can find it.”
“Cardamon found it,” I said.
“Let’s ask him how.I bet Eunice or Raven told him.”
I grunted.I hadn’t thought about that obvious possibility.
“This place looks like it can survive an apocalypse,” she went on.“Elmer said they have a safe room where no magic can escape.We can work with the book there.”
“Or we could just grab the book and run to Ordinary.Forget about killing Headwaters.”
One red eyebrow rose, and she held my gaze.“We’re killing Headwaters.”Her words were soft but as inescapable and heavy as a coffin’s lid.
I looked away and tried to steady my breathing.There was no arguing or reasoning her out of this decision.This was the one thing she’d been living for all these years.She wouldn’t give it up now it was within her grasp.
“If it’s too hard to use the spells,” I said, “if it’s too dangerous…”
“Thenwe kill Headwaters no matter the consequences.And take Atë down.There will benogod who will tell us if we deserve to live our lives or not.Ourlives, Brogan.Together.Nothing will take you away from me again.”
“Damn right,” I growled.“Fuck those gods.”
She nodded and exhaled, the circles beneath her eyes like bruises in this light.
I gently touched her cheek and was surprised at the heat of her skin.“You sure you don’t want a couple minutes of rest before we deal with the wizard?”
“Yes.I’m also sure I want you to kiss me.”
That was a request I would never refuse.
CHAPTERTEN
The wizard was sipping tea.“It was the star tattoo, right?”Cardamom asked.
We had gathered at the long wooden table in the control room.
Cardamom looked relaxed and tan, his sandy hair sun-streaked, as if he’d spent the entire summer out in the orchards.Since he was half-dryad, I could only assume he had.
“Ricky told us,” Lula said.
“I hoped you’d call her.”
“Why didn’t you just tell us who you were?”I asked.
“Because I wasn’t a hundred percent sure you were here.If I’d gotten the place wrong, I didn’t want it leading back to Ricky.”
“How did you find it?”Elmer asked.“Because if we have a leak, I’m gonna need to plug that hole.”
That wouldn’t sound as threatening if he didn’t have his rifle in pieces on the table and was slowly notching it back together after he’d thoroughly cleaned it.
“Euterpe told me.She said you’d be here.”
“Did she show up in a dream?”I asked, remembering my own first encounter with the Muse.
“No, she pulled up at Ricky’s about a week ago and asked to have a chat.The house was so excited a Muse was visiting, it conjured up all the fancy china and furniture and put out the best tea and cookies it could get its magical hands on.”
“A week ago,” Lula said.“She must think we’re predictable.”
Cardamom shrugged.“She gave me seven different possibilities.This was number two.”
