“Eslar?” Pan repeated, as if surprised. Jo wondered just how much time the woman really spent with the rest of them. “Why would he be? I’m the one who’s been with Snow thelongest.”
Well, that threw out a significant chunk of what Jo thought she knew about the group. “What is the Society,really?”
“I think you’ve stopped asking the right questions,” Pan said with a tilt of herhead.
“Back to Severity of Exchange then. . .” Jo reluctantly agreed. “How do I help lessen the Severity of Exchange for thiswish?”
“For that—” Pan paused, the door taking her attention. “I think he’ll be able to helpyou.”
“Who?”
There was a knock. The door cracked open and Eslar poked his narrow nose through. “Am I interrupting?” His eyes darted from Pan toJo.
“Nope.” Pan opened the door the rest of the way. “I was justleaving.”
Jo was distracted by a sudden smell: cinnamon-sugar, baked dough. It was familiar, so familiar that it made her chest ache, like being assaulted by the aromatic representation ofhome.
“Some other time, you’ll show me your magic,” Pan said, summoning back Jo’s focus. “Don’t forget ourdeal.”
The girl was gone before Jo could say anything further, leaving her alone with the elf and his familiar plate ofpastries.
Chapter 26
A Bribe Named “Sopapilla”
“WHAT DEAL?”ESLAR asked as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him while balancing a plate ofsopapillas. Jo instantly recognized them and the accompanying honey jar that rested at the center of thedish.
Her stomach fought with her brain on what to say and it all kind of mushed together. “She wanted to see my magic, was telling me about the Society in exchange. . . Where did you get those?” As soon as the question left her mouth, Jo’s brain mustered the answer. There was only one when something appeared out of nowhere in the mansion. “Did Samson makethese?”
“Just so.” Eslar smiled, an expression that Jo hadn’t ever quite seen cross his features. It was filled with fondness and. . . sorrow? Longing? “I had them made to Wayne’s specifications.” He paused. “Well, almost. I had to look up my own specifications and assure Samson that they were not actually constructed fromsoap.”
Jo laughed, remembering Wayne’s reaction when he had taken her to her home in Texas. He was either an admirable joker, or lovingly dumb; either way, the quality had stolen a soft, squishy corner of herheart.
Eslar deposited the Hispanic pastry on the desk before her. Jo wasted no time, immediately ripping through the thin top layer of crisp, light brown dough. The minute she had access to the hollow center, she took to filling it with honey, chest clenching at the memories flooding her mind and heart. As she took a generous bite, some honey dribbled down her chin that she mopped up with a finger, popping it back in her mouth tosavor.
“I’m fairly sure my actions have not earned my being gifted freshsopapilla.” Jo spoke over her food, still enough of a lady to cover her mouth with her free hand. The words were a bitter contrast to the bright sweetness of thedish.
“It is abribe.”
Something about the direct and deadpan delivery gave her a chuckle. “All right, I appreciate the candor. Hitme.”
“I am interested in what you had to say in the briefingroom.”
Jo’s eatingstalled.
“You seemed to believe you could fix yourerror.”
“I can,” Jo affirmed, wiping her palms on her jeans. “If I have the rightinformation.”
“What information isthat?”
“Everything you can tell me.” Jo continued, “I need details. I need to know the hospital, the patient, everything. What can you giveme?”
“I shall impart to you all I know. . .” Eslar leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and began listing off details that she had been hungry for not an hourago.
Jo listened intently, mentally beginning to catalog everything. When it became too much even for the sponge that was her brain, she opened up a notepad on her computer and typed as he spoke, fingers flying over the keyboard. Magic sizzled in harmony with the hum of computer fans and buzz of monitors. The more information she had, the more connections she saw, the more possibilities she was awareof.
The sensation was instantaneous when the last piece slotted into place, like finally seeing a map for the firsttime.
