JP takes in a deep breath, his eyes sad but resigned.
“No, I don’t think I am,” he admits. “I d?—”
“Chicadee,” Murmur yells, launching himself into the air and extending his blue-and-black wings.
Murmur’s full demon form is something to marvel at. So, it doesn’t surprise me that he would forgo the snazzy dress code and has stuck with his dark jeans, biker boots, and messy brown hair. What is a nice change is the absence of a white t-shirt under his black leather jacket, which would normally have to be pried from his ripped and chiseled abdomen.
Next stop, drool central.
Students stop and stare in awe as he glides in our direction and lands beside us. “How are my favorite family members doing?” He wraps an arm around JP, and his tail wraps around my waist, pulling me to his side so he can do the same to me. “I’ve missed you so much. We must catch up.” His smile is bigger than the Cheshire Cat’s.
“There goes our cover,” JP mumbles.
“Oh, we were going undercover?” Murmur whispers. “Do tell. I love sharing information, or did Rez not tell you?”
JP rolls his eyes and slides out from under Murmur’s arm.
“You got this, right? I’m gonna mingle and see what I can dig up. It’s good to see you, Murmur.” JP excuses himself, and a part of me wants to follow him and demand that he tell me what’s going on.
But I know, on the other hand, I’ve already lost the moment of him opening up. I love Murmur, but fuck, his bad timing sucks. Maybe I can get something out of this, though. I mean, I am speaking to the Mischief Demon and the gossip queen himself here. Let’s see what kind of gossip he has today.
“It’s good to see you, Murmur. How’s Hell?” I start, leaning in and giving him a hug.
“Boring without you, to be honest,” he chuckles, his English accent thick.
“Oh, come on. I would think putting down a rebellion would be pretty exciting,” I push, and Murmur gives me a knowing look.
“Aww, my little minx. Are you up for sharing information?” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“I could be, if the information is worthwhile,” I hint, looking into the scenery behind him.
The ballroom is massive, and I’m beyond impressed that they conjured a practical forest of full-grown trees into the room as props, but it also leaves us with multiple ways of having people sneak up to eavesdrop on us.
“Oh, you do intrigue me so.” He rubs his hands together, and his green eyes sparkle as his lips curl up. “Come sit.” He leads me into the gloomy trees and into a corner where two toadstools have sprouted, and he motions for a shield.
I smile coyly at him and secretly try to throw up a shield. I feel the power build, but then sputter out as if there’s nothing to push it over. At least I didn’t feel pain like I did on the Trail of Worth. His expression drops, realizing something is wrong with me though, so I shake my head.
“That’s part of the information I need to share.” I awkwardly shrug.
He visibly recoils slightly and narrows his eyes, but doesn’t comment.
Throwing up his own shield, he casts another spell between us, and I feel a mental connection click.
‘I figure we might need the extra fortitude. I have a feeling this is going to be too good to pass up.’Murmur’s emerald eyes sparkle with mirth.
‘You have no idea,’I tell him.
‘Do share and don’t leave anything out,’he insists.
Eager to comply, I tell him about our escape, the Gate’s monster, Lynx’s parents, and the prior Storm Shifters mysterious disappearance, our trip through the Trial of Worth, the different tasks, me being stabbed, losing my mother, Moni killing her mother, seeing the rebels waiting on the other sideof the portal, changing the destination so we weren’t ambushed, all of us growing stronger in our combat skills—all thanks to L.A.M.B.—and the attack on the school. We truly wouldn’t have made it without their help, though. I have a Cliff’s Notes book’s worth of gossip to fill him in on, minus all the spicy bits, so his information better be worth it.
What I really concentrate on is what happened after we came through the portal because I’m hoping for his advice. I tell him about Levi’s kidnapping and what information he received because of what happened to him.
‘So wait. Levi voluntarily took this potion just to find out what they coated that dagger with?’
‘Yes. He agreed to take it, but they practically forced it down his throat.’
‘Shit, birdie. You’re in bigger trouble than you know,’he states as he runs his hands through his brown hair.
