Brody rolled his eyes and looked back at the mild-mannered vampire, who was fussing with his modern styled, silk cravat. You could physically tell when Brody picked up on the thought process I’d been trying to lead him too, his entire countenance brightening.
Yes…come on, puppy. Ask.
“Do you know how to play cards?” He asked me.
“I am unfamiliar with the chimera of card games you lot have created, but generally speaking I am…competentin card games.” I punctuated my sentence with a smile.
“Would you like to learn how to play?” Brody asked.
I tilted my head. “I suppose it could be fun.” I glanced over at Jade, trying to keep my tone casual—she could read me far better than anyone else, and she’d put a stop to this if she realized it was for her. “What do you say, Jade? Want to be my emotional support snack and learn their odd card game with me?”
Brody flicked his gaze to Jade, his blue eyes bright with curiosity. “Oh, are you interested in playing, Blood?”
Jade glanced from me to Brody. “I like card games, but I don’t know that my presence would be…comfortable for everyone.”
“No way, that’s not a problem,” Brody said. “We just didn’t think you’d be interested. April wanted to deal you in ages ago because she thought you’d be able to figure out how Clarence is cheating, but we didn’t want to bother you over a game.” He grinned at us, like one of those goofy pet dogs humans loved so dearly. “I mean, you two were the inspiration behind the vampire slayer and the old maid card!”
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Considine
Interesting. I didn’t think they’d have the guts to admit it.
“I am an old maid, then?” I turned to Jade and gave her my best over-the-top smoldering look. “How romantic.”
Jade glanced at the door. “Sarge,” she said.
Immediately, the card game broke up with groans and laughs from various team members. Orrin watched them as he increased the speed at which he was sipping his tea.
Brody started off, continuing to head to his table.
“Brody?” Jade called.
“Mm-yeah?” He turned around and looked back at us.
“I,” Jade paused, and I could tell she was rallying her courage and fighting her instinct to overthink her words. “I would really like to play cards with everyone. Will someone teach me the rules? Please?”
Brody’s goofy dog smile was back. “Sure thing, Blood!” He gave us a thumbs up as Sarge slipped into the room, followed shortly after by Sunshine.
The naiad did a sweep of the room, nodding at us. “Task force,” he said as a greeting.
A couple members waved, but all of them were quiet as they sat at their chosen spots, the legs of their chairs squeaking as they scooted closer to their tables.
Instead of heading to his usual spot at the front of the room, Sarge lingered by the front row of tables and glanced down at Sunshine.
Sunshine—holding a stack of papers—wriggled her fingers in a wave at Jade, but her smile wasn’t as bright as usual, and I didn’t see a sudoku book or crossword puzzle poking out of the pockets of her white lab coat.
Something’s up.
“I have some updates on a few cases that need to be discussed before I hand out the patrol teams for tonight. But we’re going to begin tonight’s muster with a discussion of Orrin’s latest review.” Sarge’s silvery eyes gleamed as he studied the fae.
Orrin set his empty tea down and folded his hands, setting them on his table. He’d be the picture of serenity, if not for the telltale shake to his elbows.
He’s worried. But why?
I momentarily considered if he could be acting as a double agent for Gisila, and immediately discarded the idea. The logistics were impossible given how closely the Cloisters watched him, and the more time I spent with the fae the more I was convinced he had no lost love for the dragon shifter, who seemingly micromanaged him in a way I hadn’t thought possible based on the nuggets of information he’d dropped and his tea habits.
