“Of course I read it.” Bones’s mouth twitched. “I’d like to listen in. Would you be adverse to keeping a mental channel open between us while you’re in there?”
I stared up at him. “Forsooth knew we’d been talking in class,” I pointed out. “Not to mention Wragnus caught us today––”
“I got sloppy,” he cut in. “Both times. I won’t tonight. You won’t even feel me there. There’s some chance I won’t be able to get past Forsooth’s protections over the Tower, anyway, but I want your permission to try.”
I folded my arms, thinking, and overly conscious of how close he stood.
“And what do I say, if they catch you trying and ask me if I knew?” I asked.
“Say whatever you want.”
“Bones––” I began, frustrated.
“I was going to propose a trade,” he cut in. “A trade in support of our overall agreement, only a more specific one. Information for information. You’re the one who offered up these meetings as your end of the deal.”
“You don’t trust me to summarize them?” I asked.
“It’s not that. I want to hear it for myself. There are things you can’t possibly know yet. I can provide context, and the history of some of the issues they discuss. I can give you the backgrounds and allegiances of some of the players. This willhelp both of us, Shadow.” He hesitated. “What do you say? You can play dumb if you get caught. Blame it on me.”
I thought about that, biting my lip.
He was right. I’d wanted to know what the royals were up to, so I’d offered him Golden Sun, even knowing it might be utterly insane to trust him with it. I could also admit I’d likely miss a lot in a meeting where things moved quickly and a lot of different topics and people were being discussed. It would help to know more about the other members, too.
“What did you have in mind?” I asked, refolding my arms tighter. “For your end of things. Are you planning to let me attend one of your regular Dark Cathedral meetings, in exchange?”
I said it sarcastically, but watched his face for a reaction.
Bones’s eyes relaxed slightly, but he didn’t stop watching me, either. His expression grew thoughtful briefly, then close to wary.
“Well,” he said finally. “I still have to keep my father at bay.”
I frowned, confused by how that had anything to do with what we were talking about. Then, all at once, something clicked. Maybe it was just the way he was looking at me.
“You mean with your revolving door?” I asked, a faint scoff in my voice. “Are you proposing I supply you with your next witch to parade around? Which of my friends did you have in mind, exactly?”
“Yes,” he said, ignoring my sarcasm. “Iamproposing that, actually. But I wasn’t thinking about your friends.” He hesitated. “It occurred to me it might make more sense just to bring you. Disguised, of course,” he added, when I opened my mouth. “They couldn’t know who you are, obviously. But I’ve brought enough variety with me to these things, they won’t blink if they don’t recognize you. Occasionally I’ve brought dates with me who don’t attend Malcroix at all. Not currently, at least.”
I felt my annoyance return sharply, but did my best to keep it off my face.
“Of course you have,” I muttered.
“Are you interested?” he asked, sounding a touch irritated again. “There’s something in a few weeks. The royals are throwing a big party under The Eyrie. The night beforeEleusínia Myst?ria.They do it every year.”
I thought about that, and swallowed. “Right.”
“I have to be there,” he added, a touch sharper. “I’ll be expected to bring someone. The others, Maskey, Voltaire, and Panzen, especially, will think it strange if I don’t, and will probably report that back to my father.”
My eyes flickered up to his. I didn’t hide my disbelief.
“Report it to your father? Theyspyon you?”
“Of course,” he said, like that was totally normal. At what must have been another incredulous look from me, he shrugged, averting his eyes. “They won’t much care who it is, although they’ll give me shit about anyone they’ve never seen before. If you can handle that, and a lot of other crude rubbish, they’ll mostly leave you alone.”
I thought about that. Why did it feel like he was trying to tempt me?
“Okay,” I said.
My heart was already hammering harder in my chest.
