“You want to tell us the others?”I asked.
“I can.But now we’re here, all the other possible futures have been altered.”
“Free will,” Lu said.
“That’s it,” he agreed.
“Did she tell you why you were supposed to be here?”Pamela asked.
“Little bit of free will in that too,” he said.“So, no.Just that I might want to lend my services.I do know Lula and Brogan have the spell book of the gods.”
“That’s right,” Lula said.“What does that have to do with you?”
“I can only guess it’s because I’m a wizard.I have extensive training with magical tomes and ancient spells.”
“You rank high in the guild?”Elmer asked.
Cardamom’s eyes seemed to darken, but his voice was still steady, friendly.“High enough.”
That made Elmer grunt.
I could tell Cardamom was underplaying his ability.I wondered if it was out of habit, or if he had a reason to hide.
“You can’t touch it,” I said.“The book.No one can.”
“How did you transport it?”
“Witch’s box,” Lula said.
“Someone picked it up, put it in the box?”
Lu nodded.
“Look.”He leaned back, easy like there was nothing on the line with this decision.“I’m good at this stuff.You’re Ricky’s best friends.If you’re going to be dumb enough to try and use god magic, the least I can do is try to help you stay alive, point out possible traps, help decipher language.
“You can say no,” he said amiably, “and I’ll get out of your hair.But if you want my knowledge and skill, I’m here for you.”
“They teach you how to wield god power in this wizard school you graduated from?”Pamela asked.
“No.But they teach us how to wield power.Any power.”
There was something about how he said it that sent warning chills down my spine.
“You haven’t asked us what we want to use the book for,” Lula said.
“It’s not like I’m not curious, and knowing what kind of spells you want to use would help me guide you.But Ricky loves you.That means I’ve got your back, because I know you have hers.”
“I think you should say yes,” Abbi said.She was on the floor pulling a string with a knotted end for Hado to chase.
“Let’s just get to the point,” Josie said.“What’s the downside of having a wizard help with the magic?”
I rubbed my face.“Death, I suppose.Messing with the book could kill us, but there’s an even higher chance it would kill you, Card.Then what would Ricky think?”
“She’d think I was a dumbass for not setting up protections.”He gestured with his teacup, the tattoos on the backs of his hands glowing.“I, my friends, am not a dumbass.”
“Maybe the lizard can help,” Abbi said.“I liked the lizard.”
“Lizard?”Cardamom asked.
