“Absolutelynot,”Ez protests. “Did you learn nothing from the last time you broke in? It took you almost two weeks to escape!”
“I learned plenty of things,” Cass says defensively. “Mistakes were made. Learning opportunities abounded. And it’ll be easier this time—just get in, get the girl, and get out. Easy-peasy.”
“We’re coming with you,” Ez says. “For backup.”
“Thanks for volunteering me,” Obie says.
“Oh, hush. We’ve been following each other into danger for two hundred years. You’re not fooling anyone.”
Cass ignores them. “It’s settled, then. I’m breaking into the Sanctum alone. Great talk.”
“We haven’t settledshit,Cassius,” Ez fires back.
“Ah, but you’re forgetting one very important piece of information,” Cass says, smirking.
Her eyes narrow. “Which is?”
“It’s that you can’t stop him,” Obie says tiredly. “Ez, he’s been using the same line for a century now. The important piece of information is always that you can’t stop him.”
“Nobody can,” Cass confirms. “So let’s plan. What, exactly, is the best way to break a small demon toddler out of a high-security compound?”
3
What, exactly, is the best way to ensure a small demon toddler lives a long and happy life without handing her over to humanity’s worst enemies?
That is the question that JJ has been pondering for the past three days, and he’s continuing to ponder it as he strides back to his bedroom with his double portion of lunch from the Sanctum’s dining hall. There’s no way he’s handing Desi over for testing, not at this point. She’s already roped him into promises to watch all eight seasons ofWyvern Academyand read every dragon-themed picture book from the library, and also to go horseback riding in Paris or something extravagant like that. He adores this little girl too much to eventhinkabout the interrogators down in the basement prison cutting her open for research purposes.
Especially if Chester is on duty. Chester Locke is JJ’s best friend, and JJ would die for him in a heartbeat, but he also knows firsthand what Chester can do with a blade. The thought of Desi being strapped to his interrogation table makes JJ want to throw up, and he’s determined to do everything he can to prevent it.
At the same time, though, Desi can’t just hang out in JJ’s room forever. As much as JJ enjoys her enthusiastic curiosity and unadorned affection, sleeping on the floor so she can take the bed and getting double portions at every meal isn’t a sustainable situation—not without arousing suspicion, at least. And even though the concerning uptick in summonings and demonic activity lately is enough to distract most of the Sanctum from his unusual behavior, he can’t say the same about his strike team.
“Yo, Jayj!”
Speak of the devil.Hastily, JJ slaps a neutral expression onto his face and turns around to face Bryant. “Hey, Bry. What’s up?”
She breaks into a jog to catch up with him, her bow and quiver settled comfortably across her back. JJ is Strike Team Kappa’s best close-quarters fighter and Roma is their best spellcaster, but Bryant Nehemiah is death raining down from the heavens. “Double lunchagain?”she asks, raising her eyebrows at the two bags as she falls into step next to him.
JJ’s stomach lurches. “What?” he says defensively. “I’m a growing boy.”
Bryant rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Walk with me, JJ,” she says, and without waiting for a response, she grabs his arm and drags him down a side hallway.
JJ steels himself as they head towards a quiet stairwell. Roma definitely noticed that he was off his game during training yesterday, courtesy of his nights on the floor messing up his back, and Bryant definitely noticed that he’s been eating meals in his room instead of at their customary table in the dining hall. Neither of them suspects the truth, obviously, but both of them clearly suspectsomething.
He just has to figure out how to assuage those suspicions.
When they finally reach the little nook next to the window and Bryant turns around to face him, her eyes are serious. “Listen, we’ve been friends for a long time, right?”
“Unfortunately.”
She punches his arm. “Shut up. Anyway,we’ve been friends for a long time,and you know that Roma and I will always keep your secrets, right?”
JJ fights back a flinch. “I don’thaveany secrets, Bryant. I’m much less interesting than you give me credit for.”
“Uh-huh. Who’s the boy, JJ?”
And that?—
Thatcatches JJ off guard. “What?”
