Page 41 of Fool Me Twice

Now, Ez isn’t so sure. So whywouldRoma risk the Council’s condemnation just to prove that the Chain has a rogue element? Why wouldn’t she just stay quiet and write it off as a stroke of luck?

Roma Gutierrez is confusing, is what she is. She seemed so sincere when she first helped them break JJ out of prison all those months ago, and then she stabbed them in the back in the worst way. And now she’s back again, and she’s helping Ez close the mega-rifts, and she’s sharing her conspiracy theories, and she’s asking after JJ‍?—

JJ, who she still refers to as her friend.

Ez hugs her arms across her chest, disconcerted. “Honestly, I don’t know. But she‍—she betrayed JJ pretty badly a few months ago. Maybe she regrets that. Maybe she’s trying to… atone for it.”

It’s the first time Ez has voiced that thought out loud‍—the first time, in fact, that she’s really let herself consider it. Obie shoots her a sharp look, but he doesn’t comment.

“Hm.” Maggie leans back in her chair, considering. “I’ll do some digging on my end, too. I have dozens of demons who owe me favors, so‍?—‍”

Obie cuts in before she can finish. “Maggie,” he says, “I respect the hell out of you, and you know that. So I’m asking you as a friend here: stay on the sidelines for this one. There are a few other demons looking into this already, and frankly, we’re not even sure if we can trustthem.I’m afraid that if we involve too many people at once, the entire covert investigation will come crashing down, and…” He smiles ruefully. “No one has ever accused you of being subtle.”

Maggie’s jaw twitches, but she doesn’t deny it. “Then you two need to keep me in the loop, understand? If there’s something shady happening in Redwater, then I want it nipped in the bud as soon as possible. Ez, stop by to update me whenever Roma gives you new information, no matter how innocuous it mightseem; Obie…” She gestures vaguely. “Just tell me the highlights at bowling whenever Trevor and Sasha are distracted.”

“Sure thing,” Ez confirms, nodding.

“On it,” Obie agrees.

“All right.” Letting out a slow breath, Maggie waves a hand and releases the soundproofing spell over her Outpost. “Ez, you’re agreeable to us changing the terms of your contract to account for the evolving situation?”

“I am,” Ez says. “I mean, I’m going to keep closing the stupid things regardless of how much money the Chain gives me, but, ah. Don’t tell them I said that.”

“Noted.” Maggie’s eyes flicker to Obie. “And you’ll help, too?”

“My spellcasting isn’t nearly as precise as Ez’s,” he says breezily, “but I’m sure I can rustle up a human spellcaster and close a few rifts.”

JJ.Ez bites back a grimace. She knows how skittish Cass is about involving JJ in this conflict, especially after their mutual brushes with death a few months ago‍—andespeciallynow that so many hunters are prowling the streets to help close mega-rifts‍—but for now, it looks like they don’t have any other options. Obie can definitely protect JJ, probably even better than Cass himself can, and as for Ez‍?—

Well. Like Maggie and Obie said, Ez has her pet hunter.

She’s not going to analyze too closely the twinge of satisfaction she feels at the thought of working more regularly with Roma Gutierrez.

19

You’re late,” Ez says without preamble, raising her eyebrows at Roma as she jogs into the Courtyard.

Roma scowls, slowing to a stop in front of her. “I’mlate?What do you mean, ‘late’? We’re meeting here coincidentally, Laguerre. Neither of us planned this.”

“Uh-huh,” Ez says dismissively. “Just like we’ve met here ‘coincidentally’ for all of our shifts this week.”

Roma bites back her instinctive retort. Much as she would never admit it to the Council, Ez is right. When Roma first tracked down a mega-rift at eight a.m. sharp the morning after her fateful conversation with Bryant and Chester, it was to find Ez and a Sanctum hunter glaring at each other while they struggled through their dual rift-closing spells.

Ez took one look at Roma, ordered the other hunter to get lost, and commandeered her for the rest of the day. They haven’t gone so far as to exchange phone numbers yet‍—Roma thinks that would be a bit much for both of them‍—but they’ve been meeting in the Courtyard every morning like clockwork since then.

The Council definitely doesn’tapproveof Roma working so closely with a demon, but they’re letting it slide. Partly because managing the mega-rift epidemic takes priority, partly because Roma’s and Ez’s spellcasting have already proven to be complementary‍?—

And partly because they know that Roma’s secondary mission is to gain Ez’s trust and locate JJ. Roma forces that last thought down, just like she has for the past week. “We ready?” she asks briskly, turning in a slow circle to survey the Courtyard. “Honestly, I’m shocked that we don’t have a mega-rift here yet. They seem to show up preferentially in open spaces.”

Ez lets out a slow breath, her eyelids fluttering shut. “I’m sensing something powerful at the north end of Redwater. That’s probably our first one of the day.” Cavalierly, she snaps open a purple-gold rift in the air next to them. “So are we going to do this the easy way? Or are you gonna wimp out on me again?”

Roma takes a decisive step away. “I’ll walk, thanks.”

“Coward.” Ez leans forward. “Come on, Gutierrez. Are you seriously going to keeprunningto every mega-rift? It was funny the first day, but now, it’s just annoying.”

“I don’t like rifts,” Roma argues, eyeing the swirling magic suspiciously. Truthfully, she’s starting to get tired of chasing the mega-rifts on foot, too‍—just because shecancover Redwater’s two-mile diameter in fifteen minutes flat doesn’t mean she wants to do it repeatedly‍—but there’s no way she’s telling Ez that.

And, above all, Roma doubts the Council would approve of her strolling through rifts with Esmeralda Laguerre.

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