“So you’ve said. I’m sure there will be a learning curve, but it’s fine. We have lots of time.”
I sigh, frustrated. “Can you just please explain to me what you want? What am I supposed to do in this room?”
I stare at the laboratory and try to make sense of it. It’s set up in a circle with a round conference table in the center and stainless-steel counters with cupboards below and shelves above surrounding the table. Lots of jars, but again, they are not whimsical and hand-blown, like my jars at home. They are all very sterile and cold.
“Come this way,” Tarq says. “This is our laboratory bloodhorn.”
I follow him around the laboratory counters to a small grow room set up in the corner. There are lots of lights hanging from the ceiling and an intricate set of pipes that must be a watering system. I’ve never seen the actual bloodhorn plant since Pell still hasn’t let me past the front entrance of the greenhouse—and we have monsters who know far more than I do—so I study it for a moment. It doesn’t really look the way I pictured it. In my mind it was… like a poinsettia. Big, red flowers. Because, of course, all I’ve ever seen were the big red flowers.
But it’s nothing at all like a poinsettia. It’s more like a palm tree with long spikes. The red flowers only grow from the top. And it’s super tall. Like… ten feet tall.
“Why are you looking at it that way?”
I glance up at Tarq. “Huh?”
“You’re looking at it funny. What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing. I don’t think. I’ve just never seen the whole plant. Pell won’t let me inside the greenhouse. He says some of the plants are dangerous so he just brings me the flowers.”
I get the idea that my explanation—even though it’s the truth—makes Tarq suspicious.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s why I’m here.
He thinks we’ve got a secret. And we can’t blame him for that, because I now know that we do.
The scary part is that Tarq thinks that I will give him that secret.
But I won’t. And I think he’s starting to realize this.
But you know who might give him that secret?
“You should invite Pell along tomorrow,” Tarq says. Like he’s reading my mind.
Yep. Him. Pell’s whole opinion of Tarq is based on some ancient friendship. He clings to the idea that he and Tarq are the most amazing BFF’s of all time. He thinks that they’re on the same side and that they have each other’s backs.
If Pell was here and Tarq asked him how we got through the portal, Pell would tell him. I know he would. He’s… loyal. Yep, that’s the perfect word for Pell. Loyal.
“Pell can’t see the doors,” I say. “If he’s with me when I approach the tombs, the portal disappears.”
“I think we can fix that.”
“Oh?” I try not to sound disturbed by this, but I’m not entirely sure I succeed. “How would we do that?”
“I have Ostanes’ book. Remember?”
“Right. The book. So there’s a spell in there that can make Pell see the tomb doors?”
“I’ll check it out. In the meantime, you should make yourself at home here.”
And then he turns, like he’s going to just leave me here in this place. “Wait! What do I do?”
Tarq calls over his shoulder as he walks away, “Learn how to open the portals using things we have here, Pie. That’s how you cancel your debt.” And then he disappears around one of the lab stations.
I follow him, practically running to keep up. “But how do I do that? And how much is it worth? I need to see the Book of Debt!”
“Later, Pie. We’ll meet at the end of the day before you go home. If you have something good to tell me, we’ll talk about erasing some debt.”
“Talk about it?” What the fuck? “That’s not how this works!” I yell. “There’s a menu of… tasks and what everything is worth! You can’t just change the rules!”