“She, your other friends, and your mother are researching ways to break the magic barrier.” He dug a hair tie out of his pocket and pulled back the top half of his hair. “When Caius asked for her help, she told us to ask her parents, and I looked at her file for their names.”
Rory’s face was blank to hide her thirst for murder. “Why didn’t you look them up?” she asked through clenched teeth.
“I had more pressing matters, and breaking the magic barrier is impossible,” he replied. “It is a fool’s errand.”
A netsite popped up with their names, and she almost jumped up and down. It was an article about their contributions to one of the largest museums in the city where they worked. Rushing into the office, she jotted down the museum name and address and stuffed it in her sweatshirt pocket.
“The museum opens soon.” She hopped on one foot as she struggled to put on her sneakers.
Sam sighed and grabbed his boots, tugging them on. “Any other pointless errands to run while we are out?”
She ignored his sour tone. “Yes. We’ll go after talking to the Coopers.”
Rory pulledher hat low before she and Sam walked through the revolving door of the museum and made a beeline to the information desk.
She couldn’t enjoy the splendor of the place, but she made a note to come back later for a tour.
The young man at the desk looked up with an easy smile. “How can I help you today?”
“We need to speak with Meena and Kellin Cooper,” Rory said, foregoing pleasantries.
The man typed something into his computer and clicked around before twisting back to them. “Did you have an appointment?”
“We do not,” Sam said, his booming voice echoing around the large room, making the man behind the counter flinch.
“They don’t see anyone without an appointment,” he informed them, avoiding Sam’s menacing glare.
“We are friends of their daughter, Kit, and it is important that we speak with them immediately,” Rory insisted. She wasn’t above tying this guy up if she had to.
He nodded meekly and picked up the desk phone, dialing quickly. “Hello, Mrs. Cooper. There are two people here to see you and Mr. Cooper.” He paused, listening to the other person. “No, they do not have an appointment, but they said they are friends of Kit’s, and it’s important.” Another pause. “I will bring them right away.”
He stood and walked through the desk like air. AnEidolon. “Right this way.”
Rory tried not to react to the absolute cluttered chaos when they entered the Cooper’s massive office. Books littered the shelves,some thrown haphazardly on top of stacks of other books turned every which way.
Pillars of books, folders, and papers were on the floor, as well as a few tables. The only things clear were two desks on the back wall and a lighted glass case filled with relics and paintings.
“Please, come in,” a woman said as she wove around stacks and tables. She was older and taller, like Kit.
A man pulled two empty chairs from a back room and set them in front of the desks before sticking his hand out when Sam and Rory approached. He was impossibly tall and a spitting image of his daughter. If Rory didn’t know who she was meeting, she would still know this was Kit’s father.
“Kellin Cooper,” he said, shaking their hands. “This is my wife, Meena.”
He was kind and soft, whereas she was suspicious and curt, just like Kit. Rory pressed her lips together when they tried to curl into a smile. “We appreciate you agreeing to see us. I’m Rory, and this is Sam.”
“I understand you know our daughter,” Meena said, getting to the point. “When did you meet? We know all of Kit’s friends, and you are not one of them.”
Rory looked at Sam, who nodded his head. At this point, she would either be killed by Gedeon or saved by Caius, and the only way to make the latter happen was with their help. Telling two more people her true identity wouldn’t matter at this point.
She removed her hat and looked up, watching their faces pale. Meena stood firm, but Kellin stepped back. “Aurora Raven.”
Nodding, she began talking, telling them her story. How she knew Kit, what Caius was to her, how she was back in Erdikoa, the threat Gedeon posed to not only her and Caius but the realms, and what Caius told her to find. When she was done, she held her breath.
The two wore matching blank expressions before Meena burst out laughing. “You expect us to believe that?” She looked at her husband, who had shifted his gaze to Sam. Rory could practically see the wheels turning in his head, but he stayed silent. Meena, stilllaughing, turned back to the duo. “I admit, you look like The Butcher, and that was a convincing tale, but nothing you said is possible.” Her laughter died down, and her face hardened. “And I do not appreciate you using my daughter’s name for attention.”
Sam stood and looked around before silently picking up entire stacks of books and moving them to clear a space.
“Don’t touch our things,” Meena admonished.
