“Tell me about him,” she demands, pulling the chair back in to sit down.
“I don’t know anything about him. I just knowofhim. I had no idea you didn’t.”
“You must know something, or you wouldn’t have brought him up,” Modeus presses.
Cyrus opens his palms. “I know your dad never trusted Adder’s mother. He swore she had something to do with his brother’s death, and theone time”—he holds up a single finger— “Harlow spoke to Adder, he thought the witches had poisoned his mind. He didn’t even tell me what made him believe that, just that the boy was a lost cause.” He looks around the table again. “I mentioned him because he’s blood, just like you are. I thought me might have used Harlow’s death as a way to get into the club or challenge you for leadership, not because he had something to do with Harlow’s death.”
Lore slips back into her seat. Her mouth is slightly open, and I can’t tell if she’s too stunned to speak or gathering her thoughts. I reach for her leg this time. I’m not one to offer comfort, so I don’t know if I’m doing this right, but for her, I will try anything. Her eyes leap to mine, and the emotion in her gaze makes my chest feel tight.
“Thank you,” she murmurs softly, and the ball in my chest unfurls, leaving behind warmth. She always knows what I’m thinking.
CHAPTER20
Lore
My mind is racing almost as fastas my heart. I have a cousin, a half-witch cousin, whom Harlow never once told me about or mentioned. Why?
“What coven does his mother belong to?” I question Cyrus.
“I don’t know,” he replies, answering yet another question with the same three words, and my frustration mounts. “I wish I had more to tell you, but it’s been years since I’ve even seen Harlow, and it’s not like we’re telephone pals. I had no idea no one knew about this,” Cyrus tells me, looking directly into my eyes.
“I don’t mean to hound you. I just have so many questions, and this feels like the first chance I’ve had at getting any real answers.”
“I hate that I can’t give them to you,” the gargoyle says sincerely.
“Someone else had to know. Reaper?” Modeus muses.
“Maybe.” I sigh heavily while pinching my temples between my thumb and middle finger. “But I think I know who I should ask first.”
* * *
Lore
I hadevery intention of avoiding the clubhouse today, but it seems the universe has other plans. I park my bike on a nearby side street. No one will mess with it, anyone who lives in this city knows whom it belongs to. I asked Cyrus, Egan, and Modeus to hang back, much to their annoyance. Emmy Lou might like to know about everything, but she sure doesn’t like everyone knowing about her. We used to have that in common.
Shoving my hands deep into my leather jacket pockets, I meander to the center of the square. The sun hasn’t been set long, so she may just be waking up for the night, if I’m lucky. I lean my back against one of her favorite trees, knowing full well I’ll probably be rewarded with chigger bites later.
After a solid minute of waiting, I hear the leaves of the huge oak above me flutter as she scuttles over. “Evening,” I say in greeting.
“Lorelei.” Her voice is high, like that of a little girl. It always has been.
“I brought something for you.” I pull my hand from my pocket, clutching some of the hazelnut leaves I pilfered on the way over. I don’t bother looking up to watch her long, thin leg reach for the leaves, but I feel her pull them from my grasp.
“What would you like to know?” She knows the score and doesn’t beat around the bush.
“What have you heard about a halfling gargoyle named Adder?” I don’t divulge that he’s a witch or my cousin.
“Only that Harlow did not care for its mother.”
“How do you know that?” I pull another leaf from my pocket.
“He spoke to her under the leaves, long ago.”
“Do you know her name?” I try to keep my voice calm. I’m confident Emmy Lou will give up the information, but it’s better if she doesn’t know how valuable it is to me.
“No, he called her Witch only.”
“Is there anything else you can give me? A coven name, a description, or what they spoke about?”
