April studied her cards. “Tetiana, do you have any jacks?”
Tetiana made a face, then passed over the jack of spades. “Can we use more names besides Jack? It would also add more interest.”
“Jack isn’t the name, it’s a position,” Juggernaut said.
“I didn’t know that,” April said.
“See!” Tetiana triumphantly beamed at Juggernaut. “April is a human and she also didn’t know. Let’s change it—I vote for Clive.”
“If we’re going to change something, I’d like to vote for fewer numbers,” Binx grumbled. “They’re less aesthetically pleasing to collect.”
“Nobody is changing anything!” Juggernaut declared.
I watched for another minute, and after internally vowing to check the internet for the rules, I headed for my usual spot.
April, Juggernaut, Tetiana, and Binx continued with their game, while Brody downed what looked like a protein smoothie. （His back was once again decorated with pawprints—his Pack must have given him an exuberant sendoff tonight.）
Clarence was sitting by himself, fixing the complex knot he’d tied his usual white cravat into, while Grove and Medium-Sized Robert were seated together with Medium-Sized Robert watching as Grove carefully arranged rows of glass bottles filled with multi-colored potions on their table.
I paused at my seat, placing my mask on the table.
Now is as good a time to ask Grove and Medium-Sized Robert as ever…
The thought made my fingers feel clammy in my gloves, but if Sunshine was right and my team didn’t really hate me, they wouldn’t mind the question.
It’s practice. Just like chatting with my neighbors.
Still—I didn’t like it. If I really screwed up, I could make things awkward for the team.
And with that pleasant thought, I made myself shuffle across the room to pause by Grove and Medium-Sized Robert.
Medium-Sized Robert looked up first, jumping in surprise when he noticed me so his stool—made specially for him and the other larger supernaturals—slid a little across the floor.
He offered me a nod, then elbowed Grove—who was adjusting a vial filled with a fizzy green liquid.
“See, when they’re all lined up you can clearly tell which ones are poisons. They have a pearlescent swirl—what?” Grove looked up, then also jumped slightly when he noticed I was standing in front of him. “Blood! You’re too quiet, did you know that?”
“Sorry,” I said.
Grove shrugged. “I suppose you can’t help it. Did you need a potion?”
“No,” I firmly said, glancing down at the bottles. “I, I have a question. For both of you.”
Grove and Medium-Sized Robert exchanged looks.
“Ask away,” Grove said.
CHAPTER
SIX
Jade
Iflexed my fingers and ignored the itch in my elbow, which was more than likely my nerves based on how sweaty I was getting. “Is there a reason for why a fae would drink hot water?” I asked. “Is he, maybe, afraid of poisons or something?”
“What’s the situation?” Grove asked.
“I visited Orrin—with Captain Reese’s permission,” I rushed to add.
Grove and Medium-Sized Robert stared at me for a moment.
“And?” Medium-Sized Robert finally added in his rumbly voice.
“He was drinking hot water from a paper cup.”
“Ah.” Grove leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, he probably wants tea.”
I paused, trying to follow the deduction. “Pardon?”
“Fae are big into tea, you know?” Grove said.
“Yes,” I slowly said—I vaguely knew fae loved tea. All the places that catered to them carried tea. “But I thought that was more of a preference thing—liking tea over coffee.”
Medium-Sized Robert shook his head. “No, Ma’am,” he said. “It’s a cultural custom. Fae view tea as necessary for life—almost as necessary as a connection with the fae realm.”
“Oh,” I said—it was all I could think to say. “I didn’t know that.”
“Did you see any mugs or cups anywhere?” Grove asked.
I shook my head.
“Yeah, then he definitely wants tea,” Grove said.
“He’s being held by werewolves, yes?” Medium-Sized Robert asked. “They probably didn’t think to ask him, and there’s no way he will risk asking for tea when it’s possible it could be construed as a favor.”
“That would put him in their debt,” Grove added for my benefit.