I grabbed the bag of snacks on the way out. As soon as I got halfway across the yard, I knew who was leaning against my car.
“Shit,” I said under my breath. “It’s Garrett.”
Moira cursed softly. “We’re going foraging.”
“I don’t have my basket.”
“You’re carrying a bag.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “but it’s not my basket.”
Moira let out an annoyed huff. “Can we pretend just this once that you aren’t a neurotic weirdo and maybe pretend the bag is where we’ll stick the imaginary mushrooms?”
“But it’s not my basket,” I whispered.
“For fuck’s sake,” she muttered.
Garrett pushed away from the car as we got closer. “Going somewhere?” he drawled.
Caelan’s Second and I didn’t get along too well, though things had thawed somewhat once he’d been put in charge of Thalia, a young and slightly odd Seer. Thawed, as in I didn’t grow irrationally angry every time I saw him these days, and only because Thalia drove him batshit insane, which was fun to watch.
“Foraging,” Moira said before I could say something stupid.
“Takes three of you, does it?” His eyes flicked to my canvas bag and back up to my face. “Where’s your basket?”
“See?” I hissed.
Garrett’s eyes glowed with amusement.
Moira’s teeth clenched. “Goddammit, Evie. Can you be normal just once?”
“No,” Garrett said solemnly. “She cannot. Your Floromancer always takes her basket when she forages because, and I quote, ‘it’s wide and flat on the bottom and has these little pegs built into the wicker so I can add a little shelf on for a double decker carry home.’”
“Okay, Rain Man,” Moira muttered. “I’m ashamed as your BFF that I didn’t notice quite how fucking weird you are.”
I sniffed. “Then I trust you can see how this is on you. Double decker baskets are extremely hard to come by.”
Moira shook her head. “What do you want, Garrett?”
“Who’s the target?”
Silence fell.
Garrett sighed. “I know you’re going after the Lords. Who’s first?”
Moira’s eyes narrowed. “Shouldn’t you be more interested in plausible deniability?”
He scoffed. “I’m trying to keep you idiots from getting caught or killed.”
“How’d you know?” she asked.
“Thalia,” I said with a groan. “She’s really getting in the way of our shenanigans.”
Garrett nodded, his smile holding an edge of malice. “She foresaw tonight going one of two ways.”
I gave my bag a mournful look. “Damn. I packed awesome snacks, too.”
Tess shook her thermos. “And I brought Mexican coffee. It’s caffeinated and sweet enough to put hair on our chest.”
