Page 132 of Fool Me Twice

“A pretty significant detail,” Hart scoffed.

“Nobody could have seen it coming, Hart,” Damir said. “We’ve informed Nexus, and they’re up in arms about this. They’re digging into all the information they have, questioning everything they taught us. This case will change a lot about the way cursebreakers are being trained, and it’s all thanks to you. I had very little to do with this.”

“He’s being really modest,” Fix said. “He set up the mirror room, and his methods were also a big part of it. We told him you don’t allow other people present during the breaking process, but he absolutely insisted Cane be in there with you.”

“Oh…” Hart said, feeling his cheeks heat up. Cane squeezed the back of his neck.

“He’s important to you,” Damir said. “Having someone who keeps you grounded when there are things pulling you apart is always a good idea.”

“How did you…?” Hart started.

“I can always tell,” he said simply, not offering any other explanation.

“Thank you,” Hart said again.

“I’d say ‘anytime,’ but let’s all hope I don’t have to help with something like this ever again,” Damir joked, and Hart smiled despite the turmoil. “I should get going.”

He stood up, followed by Fix, who extended his hand to shake. Ash followed, then Black, Hart, and finally Cane.

Damir finally turned to the last person in the room.

The tension was back again, Wren looking anywhere else, his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

“Little Bird,” Damir called softly.

Wren glanced over, like an automatic reaction. Instinct. Like it was written into his being to answer to that name.

“Can we talk?” Damir asked.

Wren recoiled, shaking his head as he moved back toward the open window, Blu following.

“My name is Wren,” he said, chin jutting out slightly as he tried to set his face into a firm mask. “And I have work to do.”

“Please…” Damir called after him, but Wren was already climbing out the window and disappearing from view.

Damir’s face fell completely.

“A story you won’t tell us?” Hart asked.

“Not unless he tells you first,” Damir said, picking up his bag and phone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny envelope. He handed it to Hart.

“Give him this, please,” he said, expression beseeching. “He might never read it, but…”

“I will.” Hart took the small letter with both hands.

Damir nodded, looking around the room once more and giving them all a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes before walking out.

“Have you guys heard any more news about Arianna?” Cane asked, breaking the silence. “I filled Hart in on some of the details.” He locked eyes with Fix as he spoke, something passing between them before Fix nodded once, resolutely.

“Last I heard from Cyrus, she doesn’t know anything about our mysterious list,” Black said. “But she’s also crazy, sooo…he’s working on it. For now she’s going to be taken into PUMA custody permanently for Nexus to deal with as not only an unregistered caster, but also a criminal unregistered caster. They’re very not happy about what she was able to do. She’ll probably end up in maximum security.”

Ash whistled. “The big leagues.”

Black nodded. “The good news is they’re so busy focusing on her that they still aren’t coming after Cane for anything right now. She kept talking about a body, but there was nothing there to find. Which is lame.”

“So lame,” Cane deadpanned. The only thing that gave him away was the small shift closer to Hart. Hart took his hand.

“Unexplainable curses are becoming too much of a theme around here,” Ash grumbled.

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