“At least he has that,” I said. “Not everyone does.” I gave him a closed-lipped smile and his face softened. “My mom’s parents died when I was about Jupe’s age. I never knew my dad’s parents.”

“My parents are both dead,” he said. “I inherited my money and property from them.”

“Siblings?”

“Only child.”

“Me too, but I guess you know that from watching the news.” I squinted at his scar. “So how did she do that?”

He traced his finger along it and exhaled. “She cut me with a kitchen knife on my way into the divorce courtroom.”

“Holy shit.” I was shocked and slightly horrified.

“In the end, it was worth it. My request for full custody of Jupe was granted without question. The judge said she should be locked up in a mental institution, but I didn’t have her arrested.”

“Why not?”

“Because … my dabbling with magick is the reason she’s the way she is,” he said without emotion, stubbing his cigarette into the grass. He looked away, as if that were the end of the conversation.

“What? Don’t think you can just drop a bomb like that and not explain it.”

He shrugged, but didn’t respond. Clearly he thought he’d said too much and was clamming up again.

“I’ve shared secrets with you,” I reminded him, “so it’s only polite that you return the favor.”

The barest hint of a smile, but he wasn’t budging.

“Fine,” I said, brushing my hand on my jeans. “If you aren’t ready to tell me now, I can wait.”

He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. I interpreted that to mean that he’d tell me eventually. “Ready to get back to work?” he asked. “We need to get this finished. You’ve still got to charge the damn thing with Heka once we’re done.”

I sighed and pushed myself out of my chair with a groan, carefully scanning Lon’s face for clues to his feelings. Funny that after all my years living in hiding, I was struck by the realization that someone else’s secrets might be just as interesting as mine.

13

A day had passed since Lon and I erected the ward around my house, and my servitor still hadn’t returned. I was beginning to worry, and contemplated pulling it back prematurely.

Apart from my house or Lon’s, or my now heavily warded rental car, one of the safest places I could be was probably the bar. Being around people coming and going would help to disguise my energy from any lurking spies. So, regrettably, I resumed my shifts at Tambuku until Lon had had a chance to research our new glass talon lead. Most of our regulars acted glad to see me back behind the bar. I only had to break up one fight yesterday, and it didn’t involve binding anyone, so not too bad.

Tambuku was busy today, and the work kept my mind off matters. During a short break early on in my shift, I tried to email Caliph Superior in Florida. I wanted to tell him about the glass talon and the visit to the Tamlins, but I didn’t think it was a good idea to phone him, just in case his calls were being monitored. However, my email bounced back, saying that his in-box was full.

While I debated whether to risk a call to the caliph, my phone rang. Lon’s number.

“Hey there,” I answered. I’d been getting antsy waiting to hear from him today, so it was a relief that he’d called.

But it wasn’t Lon’s voice that answered in reply; it was Jupe’s.

“Heya, Cady, whatcha doing?”

“Umm, working. What are you doing calling me on your dad’s phone?”

“You’re not mad, are you?”

“No—”

“Whew! You scared me there for a second. I didn’t know your number and he checks all the calls I make on my cell phone, I mean, uh, not that it matters … anyway, are you at your bar? I looked it up online. How come you don’t have a website?”

“We do have one, it just isn’t very big.”

“Pfft. A tiny photo with your address and phone number—that’s not a website, that’s a web page. You should let me build you a better one.”

A thirteen-year-old kid can build a website these days? Holy shit. “Umm … we’ll see.”

“Hey, you wanna go on a date?”

“Huh? With who?”

“With me.”

“Uh, Jupe, I’m flattered, but I’m a little old for you.”

He laughed. “My dad said the same thing—he said you’re too old for me and too young for him and told me not to get any ideas.”

“Well, he’s probably right.” Though it stung to know that Lon thought I was too young.

“Look,” he said, lowering his voice. “It’s not really a date. There’s this movie playing at the drive-in that I wanna see real bad. It’s only playing for two more nights. My friend Jack was supposed to come with me tonight, but his parents won’t take us. They say he’s not allowed to stay out after ten on a school night.”

“When I was your age, I couldn’t either.”

“Well, that’s dumb. I can stay up till midnight.”

“Impressive. Why can’t your dad take you?”

“He says he’s too busy.”

Amanda walked up to the bar and gave me a three-drink order for a booth.

“Who are you talking to?” Jupe asked.

“I’m working, remember. I’m talking to a waitress.”