Page 29 of Fool Me Twice

So they’ve always treated you like property?Ez bites back the words. “Uh-huh,” she says instead, and she raises her eyebrows expectantly. “So?”

Roma glares at her for a long moment before looking away. “She’s in the prison,” she says quietly.

Ez’s blood runs cold. “For real?”

“Yeah.” Roma briefly wavers before easing herself onto the bench seat across from Ez, her shoulders tense. “Same MO, too. Arrived within twenty-four hours of being summoned, delivered by the same out-of-town hunter.”

“Did you ever figure out the hunter’s name? Or which Sanctum they’re from?”

Roma grimaces. “As far as I can tell, this hunter doesn’t even exist. I can’t find a record of them anywhere. They could be from abroad, but…” She trails off. “I don’t know why they’re here.Orhow they have a connection in the Redwater Chain.”

Ez’s stomach churns. “It might be more than one connection,” she admits. “I’ve followed up on the neophyte’s case a few times with different Education representatives. They all claim that she’s living her best life in Oregon.”

Roma’s eyes widen. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Ez lets out a slow breath. “Looks like we have our confirmation. We have rogue elements‍—on both sides. I really didn’t want to consider it before, but…”

Roma presses her lips tightly together. “Maybe,” she says, her voice hitching the slightest bit. “I don’t‍—I don’t really want to think about that, either.”

Ez swallows down her instinctive reply. While she’s beyond horrified that a demon, someone from her own home dimension, is apparently working with demon hunters and betraying their own people, she feels like Roma’s disgust has more to do with a hunter deigning to associate withdemonsthan anything else. Valiantly, she forces her bitterness away. “If that’s the case, though, then I might know your alleged hunter,” she says reluctantly. “Any chance you snapped a picture of their signature?”

“No picture, but, um.” Roma winces. “They go by ‘G. Ricci,’ apparently.”

Shock jolts through Ez.“Ricci?Like, R-I-C-C-I, Ricci?”

“Yeah. And their first name starts with the letter ‘G.’ Wait, do you‍—‍?” She looks stunned. “Do you actuallyknowthem?”

Ez tastes bile. “I might,” she hedges, her thoughts racing at a thousand miles per hour. “I knowaG. Ricci, at least. Might not be the same one.”

G. Ricci?GregorioRicci, one of the Chain’s Personnel employees‍—and Micah Devereux’s husband? That can’t be. Gregorio has been on Earth for over two thousand years, has been working for the Chain for nearly two centuries, has mostly kept to himself during all that time‍?—

How would he even divert neophyte demons from the Education Department to the Sanctum? Is the entiredepartmentcorrupt? Or are they just covering their own asses after losing those neophytes? And if the Education Department is innocent, then how have demons gone missing multiple times without triggering an investigation?

None of it makes any sense. And above all‍?—

“I don’t think it’s the G. Ricci I know,” Ez says eventually, resting her chin on her fist. “He’s helped us before. Helped Cass and JJ stay under the radar.”

Roma’s expression shifts. “Oh,” she says slowly, leaning the slightest bit away. “Then‍—then I don’t think it could be him, no. The Sanctum has been pretty clear that getting JJ back is a high priority.”

It looks like Roma regrets the words the instant they’re out of her mouth. Ez’s temper spikes. “Well, you’re notgettinghim back,” she snaps. “He’s built a wonderful life for himself with his doting boyfriend and their kidnap-adopted daughter. We’re not letting anyone take that from him, least of all you and your ilk.”

Roma scowls. “Can we just‍—can we just not talk about him right now? We were discussing the neophyte in the prison. What are we going to do about the neophyte in the prison?”

Well,Ezis planning on rallying the troops and organizing a jailbreak as soon as feasibly possible, but there’s no way she’s going to tell Roma that. “Don’t worry about it,” she says briskly, crumpling up her takeout container and tossing it in the nearest trash can. “You just keep your head down and be a good little lackey.”

Roma scoffs. “Yeah, it’s a bit too little, too late for that, Laguerre.”

Ez’s anger wavers. “How’d the Council take it?” she asks cautiously. “That you let the neophyte get away, I mean.”

Roma shrugs uncomfortably. “Could’ve been worse. I framed it as an error in judgment. They seemed to accept that.” She looks away. “But they want more oversight in, um, how I’m closing these mega-rifts. Mandatory reports and such. And I wasn’t allowed to go back down to Redwater without their approval.”

Ez’s chest twinges. “Sounds like the prison isn’t the only place keeping people locked up.”

Roma’s jaw works. “I get by. Regardless, how‍—how have the mega-rifts been?”

“About the same. A little less frequent over the past few days, though. Which is good,” Ez adds waspishly, “because you’re basically the only useful hunter in that entire building. Your spellcasting instructors are doing an absolutelyabysmaljob of training the next generation.”

Roma’s lips twitch. “We’re only required to learn the basics. I just took it upon myself to become an expert.”

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