Page 27 of The Order of the Bitter Hunt

“You’re here for Tobey, I assume?”

He nods, taking a drag of his cigarette.

“You know, I’m surprised she kisses your ashtray mouth.”

He chuckles. “And I’m surprised at your commentary, considering yours likely tastes of iron…”

I press my lips together, searching for a rebuttal, but nothing comes to my fogged mind. “Touché.”

We’re quiet, as we often are when we’re alone. Caldwell and I wouldn’t be friends if we had a choice, but I have to put in theeffort. We accept one another’s presence for Tobey, and maybe someday we’ll find common ground. For now, we spend most of our time in silence. His lingering at all is an effort, and I appreciate it.

It would be easy to go our separate ways.

Caldwell isn’t looking his best these days. There are dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles in his clothes. In another circumstance, I may point these things out, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing does.

Eventually, the sound of silence wears me down.

“What’s wrong with you?” I ask.

“The same thing that’s wrong with everyone on campus, I imagine.” He answers the question without hesitation or offense, as if he’s expecting it.

“Yeah…” I frown. “That’s what is wrong with me, too—not that you bothered asking.”

“My apologies.”

“You’re forgiven if you tell me why you’re so morose.”

An unhappy Caldwell will lead to an unhappy Tobey, and I can’t have that.

He leans against the stone wall. “Are you offering free therapy?”

“I suppose I am. You wouldn’t want to waste that in this economy.”

“Good point.” He chuckles and looks up at the sky. “I’m stuck. My mother left me with one task—to avenge her—and it’s at a standstill. I should do more.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is.”

There’s more information, and Caldwell doesn’t know yet, but I don’t want to be the one to tell him about Jun and the secret society. Tobey likely called him over to share the news, and it should come from her. The last thing I need is anotherperson dissuading me from my plan, and I’m not sure how Caldwell will take the news that I may pretend to work with the enemy.

“But it’s not. Your mother didn’t want you to avenge her,” I say. “I heard her last message. She wanted you to finish what she started. That begins with us figuring out what’s going on, and that is not revenge. If you’re seeking vengeance, I won’t try to change your mind, but that’s foryou. Not her.”

His jaw tightens. “If she wants me to figure things out, I’m failing at that as well.”

“How so?”

“I didn’t find any new clues in the shop. I’ve looked high and low.”

“That’s fine. We have other ways to find information and other places to search.”

Namely, joining my father’s society. It’s not the most foolproof way, but it’s the only path I can see.

“Like what?” he asks, narrowing his eyes—nearly as suspicious as his partner.

“Like… your visions.” I clear my throat. Not telling him about Jun, not yet. “Those helped us last time, and they’ll help us again.”

He scoffs. “I haven’t had one of those in a while.”