Chapter 5: Tea, Temptation, and Traps
There’s something suspicious about tea that’s too warm.
Not suspicious in the poison kind of way—though, yes, that’s always on the table—but suspicious in that someone is definitely trying too hard kind of way. Miko only makes jasmine tea when he’s either trying to impress someone or distract me from a crime he committed. Considering I didn’t see any bodies yet, I figured it was the second one.
I took a slow sip.
Delicious. Infuriatingly so.
I lounged in the parlor, Jules resting sideways across my thighs like a lapdog with better cheekbones. Roderick sat opposite me, back straight, hands folded like he was about to pitch me an assassination contract.
"We need to talk," he said.
"About the church agents?" I asked.
"No. About Salem. I’m pretty sure he knows about our operations."
I paused. The name had been sitting under my tongue since yesterday, bitter and warm. Salem of the crested jacket. Salem of the fire-orange hair. Salem who knew way too much for someone who claimed he was just a transfer.
"He’s cute," Jules offered lazily.
"He’s dangerous," Miko added, entering with more tea. "But so are you."