“I have no idea—”
“We’re about to massacre a bunch of werewolves and their riders. Do you think you could manage to cut the bul shit for three seconds?”
Final y, a thread of humor in those hazel eyes. “Yes.”
“I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer it fast, without even thinking. Can you at least do that?”
Slight frown at the chal enge. “Of course.” I motioned for her to take a break from the Party Line, and I did the same. Then I asked, “What do you want, just for yourself?”
“Cole.”
I laughed.
Her hands curled into fists. She said, “It’s not funny!”
“I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because, deep down, you are such a girl. I mean, of course you want Cole.
Everybody does. He’s adorable.”
“You don’t.”
“I’m not a girl.”
She stared at me. “No. You’re Eldhayr.”
“Did you have to stoop to name-cal ing?”
She smirked. But the half smile vanished almost instantly as she scanned the rooftop where Cole had settled. “He’l never have me.”
“You mean for good.”
Hurt in those eyes when they came back to mine, which surprised me. I hadn’t realized she felt so deeply for him already. Damn, but he had a way. She said, “Your honesty is no virtue.”
I shrugged. “My dad used to love tel ing us that the biggest obstacle on any course is the one sitting between your shoulders.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Obviously Kyphas’s digs weren’t heavily populated with military men or she’d have total y run with the reference. I said, “You’l never snag Cole because you don’t believe you can.”
“I am hel spawn.”
“Yup.”
“He wants me. Yet he despises me.”
“Oh, yeah.”
She threw up her hands. “What else is there to say?” I shrugged. “I guess nothing. I mean, you and I both agree that you could never, ever become the kind of woman he could love. So just keep on yanking our strings and throwing temptation in our paths. Maybe one of these days you’l have us al in hel with you. And that’l be even better. Right?”
She nodded. Doubtful y.
I turned to Bergman and Sterling just as they were emptying their pockets. They reminded me of a couple of fifth graders comparing treasures. I could almost hear the discussion.
“I’ve beaten this Pokemon game so many times I’m dreaming about it now. I’l trade it to you for that Snickers bar, your free pass to the basketbal game, and the combination to Heidi Neyedmeyer’s locker.”
“Okay, but the Snickers bar’s kinda melty. It’s been in my pocket for, like, three days.”
“No problem.”
“Deal.”
I replaced my Party Line so I could snoop. Their conversation wasn’t nearly as fun as the one I’d imagined.
Bergman was saying, “… stil think the hardest part wil be distracting everybody from what we’re doing. There’s”—
Bergman gestured around helplessly—“no privacy.” Sterling said, “Stickman, if you’re that worried about it, I can toss the ingredients for my special tea into this dude’s pot instead of using mine.” He nudged his elbow toward sel er number seven. “In thirty seconds nobody within a hundred feet wil care if we’re dancing naked on the tables.” Bergman frowned down at himself. “
Sterling chuckled. “I hope not, for my sake. You’re too damn skinny to turn streaker!”
“Everybody stays dressed,” I ordered. “Sterling, keep the goodies stowed. We may need them later. Bergman, relax. Nobody gives a crap what you’re doing as long as you act normal; they’re too busy having their own lives.” Muttering something that sounded like, “If you say so,” Bergman watched Sterling unpack, wel , it looked like a Bergman watched Sterling unpack, wel , it looked like a wooden dandelion. A late-phase one, after the bloom has gone to the spunky white seed that reminded me strongly of my landlady’s Sunday-go-to- meeting wig. Except where the hair made me want to pile drive her into a frozen pond to see if the spikes were as sharp as they looked, the carving was so intricate I wondered if its artist had studied under the guy who’d done Vayl’s cane. Or maybe taught him.
I slapped the cane against my leg, wondering idly if the sword it covered contained any silver, as Sterling nodded at Bergman. “Just like we discussed, now,” he said.
