Page 11 of Fool Me Twice

Ez doesn’t want to admit that she can relate.

Roma is pleasantly surprised that everything is going according to plan so far.

At first, she was fully prepared to call off the mission when she, Bryant, and Chester realized that Ez is the only demon in the Courtyard today. While the Council miraculously greenlit her plan, they specifically emphasized that JJ is the primary target‍—any information Roma gathers about the other demons would purely be a bonus.

And, above all, she knows perfectly well how little Ez trusted her even during her last fake defection.

But Bryant convinced Roma to run the operation anyway, at least as a trial run. Now, Chester and Bryant are both wrappedin cloaking spells to keep them hidden from wandering eyes, but because Roma knows where to look, she can occasionally see glimmers of them: Chester, trembling with exertion as he maintains an open rift to Tamaros at a respectable distance of fifteen feet away; Bryant, ready and waiting to provide backup from a few tables down‍?—

And Esmeralda Laguerre herself, racing towards the rift more quickly than Roma expected. Cursing, Roma scrambles to her feet, leaves her lunch behind once again, and sprints over.

“Why is italwaysyou?” Ez snaps the moment Roma is in earshot.

Roma glares back. “I’m just here toeat,Laguerre. I’m just‍?—‍”

“Don’t care,” Ez interrupts, and she launches into her disconnecting spell. Roma holds her breath as the rift shudders, starting to fold in on itself‍?—

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of Bryant lifting a hand, her lips moving around an incantation. Immediately, the rift snaps back open, even larger than before.

Ez’s eyes widen.“What?”

Hastily, Roma jumps into her own spell‍—jumps into it for real, just in case Ez would know if she faked it. Magic snakes through her veins, surges down her arms, makes her hands glow with an otherworldly light‍?—

The rift only shivers once before stabilizing. Roma fights back a sigh of relief. She’s honestly impressed with Chester and Bryant for holding their own against two skilled spellcasters, especially since she’s pretty sure they both slept through magic class.

And their cloaking spells are clearly good enough to make Ez’s gaze slide right over them, not even registering their existence. “Where the hell is the summoner?” she mumbles, her eyes narrowing. “Did someone just open a rift without summoning anything?”

Roma’s stomach lurches. “Why would they do that?” she demands, trying to keep her voice as scathing as possible.

“I don’t know, Gutierrez. Because humans are idiots?” Scowling, Ez turns back to her. “Together this time?”

For some reason, the words make a different kind of adrenaline spike through Roma’s blood. “Together this time,” she agrees, and before Ez can cut in, she adds, “One, two, three‍—ages upon ages‍?—‍”

She launches into her rift-closing spell without even pausing for breath, and Ez hastens to join her, only half a step behind. They work through their incantations together, finish at approximately the same time‍?—

The rift collapses inward with a groan, vanishing in a sheen of purple-gold. Ez lets out a disgruntled huff, her eyes sweeping around. “No one is attacking us,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why would someone go to all the trouble of opening a rift without a backup plan?”

Roma scrambles for a theory that’ll attract the least amount of suspicion. “Could’ve been someone with an incomplete understanding of an old spell book,” she suggests carefully. “Or maybe this was, uh, a trial run for something bigger.”

Ez’s jaw tightens. “In the forest,maybe.But in a densely populated civilian area?” Her eyes narrow as the Courtyard’s usual crowd starts slinking out of their hiding places, and Roma surreptitiously glances over her shoulder. No sign of Chester or Bryant. Hopefully, they slipped away just after Roma and Ez closed the rift. “This reeks ofsomething.I just can’t put my finger on what.”

Roma’s throat feels dry. “Maybe,” she says neutrally. “I’ll have my people check it out, and you‍—you can have your people check it out, too?”

Ez doesn’t look at her. “Hm.”

Roma chooses to take that as a sign of agreement. Deliberately, she presses her luck the slightest bit. “Looks like we make a pretty good team, huh?”

She knows she miscalculated the moment Ez stiffens. “We’re not ateam,Gutierrez,” she snaps, jerking around to face her. “I’m not making nice with the sociopaths who tortured my best friendandhis boyfriend, thanks.”

Roma’s temper spikes. “Demons have been killing humans formillennia,Laguerre. We’re here to defend humankind, and‍?—‍”

“Cass never hurtanyof you!” Ez snarls. “Every time he’s gone off to war, it’s been to fightforhumans. If anything, he should be getting a medal.” She leans forward, her lip curled in a sneer. “And how about JJ, huh? What didhedo?”

Roma’s face feels hot and her body feels cold and her skin feels numb. To her horror, she realizes that her hands are shaking. “He betrayed us,” she says, cursing internally when her voice has the slightest hint of a tremor to it. “He betrayed the Sanctum and humanity and‍?—‍”

“No, he just fell in love with someone your lot disapproved of,” Ez bites out. “He just saw a vulnerable little demon girl and decided to save her instead of killing her.” Her eyes glint dangerously. “So ask yourself this, Gutierrez: between the two of us, who’s therealmonster here?”

Roma’s hands ball into fists. “We’re notmonsters.We’reprotectors.”

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