Page 46 of Fool Me Twice

Mainly, they discuss the intricacies of spellcasting. Roma is stunned by how much she’s learning just by chatting with Ez, and most days leave her taking frantic mental notes on concepts that Ez mentions, ready to be researched in further detail in the Sanctum’s library later.

Even demon magic is fair game. Roma has taken to poring over the same spell books that Chester was studying, coaxing out unexpected nuggets of information about demon spellcasting. Different magic bases, different stances, different theoretical underpinnings‍?—

The most startling part, though, is how similar demon magic really is to human magic. Roma gave the topic some consideration back when she faked her defection, aggressivelytrying to figure out human-magic glamours and human-magic rifts to pass the time, but lately, she’s starting to realize that those spells might actually be possible.

They wouldn’t be easy, of course. But she’s pretty sure they’re possible.

And she and Ez talk about lighter topics, too. Mainly food, since they stop at the food trucks in the Courtyard or at Lakeside at least twice a day. Sometimes, they’ll even partake in the legendary gossip mill that powers the Redwater Food Truck Association, eavesdropping on the thrilling sagas of Nick’s unsuccessful attempts to woo Esteban and Javier’s and Viktor’s unsuccessful attempts to woo Mina.

Always light. Never personal.

Never personal, at least, until the day when Ez asks out of the blue, “So what’s the deal with Naomi and Sawyer?”

Roma nearly trips over the cracked pavement, her heart stuttering. “Excuse me?”

Ez raises her eyebrows like this is a perfectly normal topic of conversation. “You know. Naomi Gutierrez and Sawyer Solomon. I have it on good authority that at least one of them is related to you. Probably both, considering the inbreeding.”

Roma scowls. “We have geneticists to prevent that.”

“Uh-huh. And how many generations are you removed from the Solomons?”

Roma doesn’t want to admit that shedoeshave some Solomon blood in her. “Why do you even care?” she asks curtly, stepping up to their next mega-rift and extending her hands. “They left Redwater a long time ago. One, two, three‍—ages upon ages‍?—‍”

“In the name of Nostringvadha‍?—‍”

Roma hopes that Ez has enough tact to realize that this is a sensitive subject and drop it. Unfortunately, Ez apparently has even less tact than Bryant Nehemiah, because the mega-rift hasbarely fizzled out before she’s speaking again. “I know a few demons who might have a secret obsession with them. So what happened? Why’d they defect?”

A warm rush of power breezes past Roma’s neck. She’s never been so happy for the distraction. “Next mega-rift,” she says, pointing towards the surge. “That way, I think. Rift us there?”

Rolling her eyes, Ez snaps open a rift. Roma strides through first, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead, and Ez waves it closed behind them before starting in again. “Wow. Touchy, much?”

“You get pissy if I so much as mention JJ’s name,” Roma snaps back, stalking over to the mega-rift. “I don’t like mentioning theirs. One, two, three‍—ages upon ages‍?—‍”

“In the name of Nostringvadha‍?—‍”

This time, Ez is quiet after they finish their incantations. Roma is grateful. Just thinking about Sawyer and especially Naomi is enough to put her in a bad mood, much less talking about them.

Much less talking about them with Esmeralda Laguerre. Another burst of magic sweeps past them, and Ez snaps open a rift to the location. They close that mega-rift, and then two more, lapsing into one of the contemplative silences they occasionally find themselves sharing.

“‍—‍command you to close!”

“‍—‍‍close what once was opened!”

Their latest mega-rift teeters drunkenly before collapsing in on itself. Roma holds her breath for the next power surge, but it doesn’t arrive. Too soon for one of their longer breaks, so it must be a short one.

That’s fine by Roma. She needs a quick recharge. Yawning, she takes a sip from her water bottle, cracks her neck, rolls out her shoulders‍?—

“JJ is doing well.”

Roma’s heart slams against her ribcage. Slowly, she turns around to face Ez. “What?”

“JJ.” Ez shrugs one shoulder. “He’s doing well. Cass is teaching him how to cook, and he’s actually not half bad‍—his macaroni and cheese is Desi’s favorite meal. He and Cass are homeschooling her together, but since she’s still a preschooler, they’re spending more time on spellcasting and socialization than actual academics. And JJ is learning Spanish, because he’s always wanted to speak another language. It’s taking a while, though, because he’s too embarrassed to practice with us, even though Cass, Obie, and I are all fluent.”

Roma’s throat feels tight. She swallows hard, unsure of how to react to the words.

It’s been months since she’s gotten any meaningful scrap of news about JJ. She’s seen him once or twice‍—usually glamoured‍—but hasn’t been close enough to talk to him. It’s beenmonthssince she heard anything about one of her best friends, and‍?—

And he knows how to cook now. He’s homeschooling his adopted daughter. He’s learning Spanish, a language that Roma has always wanted to speak, too.

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