Page 86 of Queen of Volts

“Jac was my friend, too.” Lola fumed. “And you don’t see me accidentally shooting people in my grief.”

Levi must’ve carried his share of anger, too, she realized, because he had a very loaded scowl. “Then why tell me what you did, if not to threaten me? To threaten both of us?”

Lola knew this information might burden Levi, but she’d never thought he’d see it likethat. Jonas had used information as a weapon, but the only weapons Lola carried were knives, even if she could barely wield them. After all, information had never protected her. Information had never cured her father or saved her brothers. And despite all the heartache Lola had suffered, she liked that she didn’t use her weapons. It made her better than her friends, better than her brothers. It made her appear unarmed if she got wounded in their cross fire.

But Levi looked at her now like she was no better than anyone. Like she was a player.

Lola brushed past him, knocking into his shoulder and sending his deck of cards spilling onto the cobblestones. The jack of diamonds fell faceup at her feet.

“Goodbye, Levi,” she growled, strutting away, her face burning.

She didn’t look around until she’d walked several paces, and she felt a pang of guilt as Levi tore the jack of diamonds in half.

LEVI

It was Levi’s turn to sit at the edge of Tock’s bed.

The box springs creaked underneath him, and Tock jolted. She blinked open her dark eyes warily. “You could’ve knocked,” she grunted, burying her face back into her pillow. Her short black hair looked a mess—there was a tangle the size of a ping-pong ball at the base of her neck.

“I did knock,” Levi told her. “Multiple times.” When Tock didn’t respond, Levi pressed, “I need you to get out of bed. I need to talk to you.”

In his hands, he clutched this morning’s copy ofThe Kiss & Tell,a magazine he did not typically subscribe to. But an Iron had shown it to him this morning, giggling hysterically at the compromising picture of Enne and Levi on the cover. The edition had passed through every hand in the museum faster than a queen of spades in Tropps.

Did you hint to those reporters to follow us?Enne had asked him. Her words still made Levi want to set every last copy of today’sKiss & Tellon fire.

“Or, consider this,” Tock replied, “you could be miserable with me. There’s plenty of room in the bed. I’ll sleep on this side—you can have that one.”

Levi could smell Tock’s breath from here, so he’d truly rather not. “It’s Enne. Have you seen this front page—”

Tock grumbled something unintelligible.

“I can’t understand you,” he snapped.

She turned her head to the side, glaring at him. “Isaid—it’s always about Enne.”

He grimaced. “That isn’t true.” He’d also planned on telling Tock about Lola’s visit, but he was still working out how to do so without revealing the details of their conversation. Even if he trusted Tock more than anyone, the first person he’d tell about Veil was Enne.

“Fine. Then it’s always aboutyou. What about me? What aboutmyanguish?” Tock pounded her fist on the pillow beside her, and it exploded with a loudboom!, sending down feathers fluttering through the air, and scaring Levi so much he toppled onto the floor.

He clamored to his feet, blowing a feather out of his eyes. He hadn’t known Tock could be so dramatic, but he supposed he had little room to talk. “Fine,” he muttered. “Let’s discuss you first.”

Tock rolled over and sat up, sniffling. She wore a long-sleeved set of black silk pajamas with green piping along the edges. She’d been wearing the same pair the last time Levi had spoken to her, as well as the day before that.

Her room also looked untouched. As expected of Tock, it was decorated bombastically, with every piece of pawnshop curiosity or Casino District trash Tock had found inexplicably “chic” or “charming.” These included a shelf of milivolt-sale books, encompassing all obscure topics from birdwatching to pre-Revolution cookbooks to bad poetry written by university students. There was a poster of an advertisement for a men’s luxury clothing store, and another construction sign from the last time the city had filled in a pothole. She also owned a collection of strange religious items, like a brass chalice and a mobile of prayer beads, which she’d brought with her when she’d moved out of the Catacombs.

“My girlfriendforgotwho I am,” Tock said woefully. “Have you ever heard of something so tragic to happen toanyone?”

Levi could, but he bit his tongue. “Are you sure Lola hasn’t just been...pretending?” Based on her behavior earlier, Lola hadn’t just cut out Enne from her life—she’d cut out everyone. “Did you do something—”

Tock shoved him. “No, thickhead. We aren’t constantly at one another’s throats. We aren’t astraight couple.”

Levi was tempted to laugh and point out that no relationship he’d been a part of was a straight couple, but then he realized the weight of Tock’s accusation. “You’re saying that Lola genuinely forgot who you are. You’re saying...”

“That she made a deal with the Bargainer, yes,” Tock said.

Levi didn’t pretend to be Lola’s closest friend, but he wouldn’t have guessed this of her. When he’d passed by the Bargainer after his meeting on the South Side, he’d been terrified. Maybe it was the hints of his split talent for sensing auras, but the Bargainer had felt...evil. It was the most inane way—but also theonlyway—to describe her presence, the sound of her voice following him like a breath against his neck.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Levi asked sharply.