department; spells, potions, illusion disguises, stuff like that. Gives us a lot of free time.”
If that was true, and I saw no reason for them to lie, then something here didn’t seem right. “Then why would she send you?”
The remaining Glee Club members exchanged a look.
“We have no idea. ” Red admitted. “But something’s up. Everyone has been extra hush-hush lately. Before it was training and fighting all day, every day. Now it’s quiet meetings behind closed doors. The whole army is in a holding pattern, but no one will tell us why. As if her picking us to come after you wasn’t weird enough, there’ve been rumors…”
“What kind of rumors?” I interrupted.
“Rumors that the Countess isn’t in the Underworld.” Boil Face filled in.
I shot a glance to Kendall, then Gabe. Kendall’s trepidation reflected my own. Gabe looked hungry for demon. “If she’s not in the Underworld, where is she?”
Eddie shook his head. “No idea.”
Again, Gabe growled. The Glee Clubbers cringed and huddled together.
“ He doesn’t think we should trust you.” I explained. Nothing wrong with a little good cop/bad lion.
The lone twin pushed off of Boil Face to stand on his own. His sorrow-filled stare bore into Gabe. “She took away our freedom and killed my brother. If you trust nothing else about us, trust that we want her dead.”
Gabe snuffed and looked away. I didn’t know if he was buying what the Glee Club had to say, but he at least seemed to respect the pain the twin was in.
“ How do we figure out what she’s up to?” I asked.
As the twin’s posture sagged once more, Boil Face stepped forward to catch him. “ You don’t.” He declared. “You have to keep living your lives like nothing is going on. Let us figure out what her diabolical plan is.”
I shook my head . My hands curled into battle ready fists. “No. She’s already killed one of you. What you’re suggesting could make every single one of you all kinds of dead.”
The twin gave a humorless laugh. “She already thinks we’re incompetent. As long as we make it look like we’re still trying to kill you she’ll stay off our backs. Us giving up before is what…angered her.” His head fell at the agonizing memory.
“You guys are going to have to stage it that you’re after me. Can you do that convincingly without doing anything stupid like actually killing me?”
“Sure.” Eddie nodded. “ Staging stuff like that is kinda our specialty. Plus, we’re way too scared of you and your lion to try anything that would inflict actual harm.”
“Good.”
“No, it’s not good!” Kendall argued. She strode toward the Glee Club, hands firmly on her hips, wings bobbing behind her. “This is, like, uber-dangerous. You guys get that, right?”
The last light of day glistened off of Keni’s silky wings, making her glow radiantly. An audible sigh of appreciation escaped every one of the geeky demons.
“We know, and we would love to do this for you.” Eddie declared wistfully. The implications of that sentence registered a second too late. He stammered to tagged on, “I mean all of you. We would love to help all of you.”
My sister graced them with her famous wide-eyed, toothy grin. “If you’re sure , then thank you. It means a lot that you would risk everything just to help us.”
Every one of them ogled her with moon-eyes. It seemed the Kendall Garrett Fan Club just acquired some fresh, new recruits.
“No problem.” They all dreamily chorused.
Gabe and I did synchronized eye-rolls.
“So ,” I interrupted, before things got too nauseating. “The plan is for us to pretend all is right in the world,
If that was true, and I saw no reason for them to lie, then something here didn’t seem right. “Then why would she send you?”
The remaining Glee Club members exchanged a look.
“We have no idea. ” Red admitted. “But something’s up. Everyone has been extra hush-hush lately. Before it was training and fighting all day, every day. Now it’s quiet meetings behind closed doors. The whole army is in a holding pattern, but no one will tell us why. As if her picking us to come after you wasn’t weird enough, there’ve been rumors…”
“What kind of rumors?” I interrupted.
“Rumors that the Countess isn’t in the Underworld.” Boil Face filled in.
I shot a glance to Kendall, then Gabe. Kendall’s trepidation reflected my own. Gabe looked hungry for demon. “If she’s not in the Underworld, where is she?”
Eddie shook his head. “No idea.”
Again, Gabe growled. The Glee Clubbers cringed and huddled together.
“ He doesn’t think we should trust you.” I explained. Nothing wrong with a little good cop/bad lion.
The lone twin pushed off of Boil Face to stand on his own. His sorrow-filled stare bore into Gabe. “She took away our freedom and killed my brother. If you trust nothing else about us, trust that we want her dead.”
Gabe snuffed and looked away. I didn’t know if he was buying what the Glee Club had to say, but he at least seemed to respect the pain the twin was in.
“ How do we figure out what she’s up to?” I asked.
As the twin’s posture sagged once more, Boil Face stepped forward to catch him. “ You don’t.” He declared. “You have to keep living your lives like nothing is going on. Let us figure out what her diabolical plan is.”
I shook my head . My hands curled into battle ready fists. “No. She’s already killed one of you. What you’re suggesting could make every single one of you all kinds of dead.”
The twin gave a humorless laugh. “She already thinks we’re incompetent. As long as we make it look like we’re still trying to kill you she’ll stay off our backs. Us giving up before is what…angered her.” His head fell at the agonizing memory.
“You guys are going to have to stage it that you’re after me. Can you do that convincingly without doing anything stupid like actually killing me?”
“Sure.” Eddie nodded. “ Staging stuff like that is kinda our specialty. Plus, we’re way too scared of you and your lion to try anything that would inflict actual harm.”
“Good.”
“No, it’s not good!” Kendall argued. She strode toward the Glee Club, hands firmly on her hips, wings bobbing behind her. “This is, like, uber-dangerous. You guys get that, right?”
The last light of day glistened off of Keni’s silky wings, making her glow radiantly. An audible sigh of appreciation escaped every one of the geeky demons.
“We know, and we would love to do this for you.” Eddie declared wistfully. The implications of that sentence registered a second too late. He stammered to tagged on, “I mean all of you. We would love to help all of you.”
My sister graced them with her famous wide-eyed, toothy grin. “If you’re sure , then thank you. It means a lot that you would risk everything just to help us.”
Every one of them ogled her with moon-eyes. It seemed the Kendall Garrett Fan Club just acquired some fresh, new recruits.
“No problem.” They all dreamily chorused.
Gabe and I did synchronized eye-rolls.
“So ,” I interrupted, before things got too nauseating. “The plan is for us to pretend all is right in the world,
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