Ballad & Dagger: An Outlaw Saints Novel, Book 1 by Daniel José Older

Author:Daniel José Older [José Older, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hyperion
Published: 2022-05-03T00:00:00+00:00

“Y’ALL PULLED THE FIRE ALARM?” I ask as we hurry across the street toward where Tams and Maza stand on the far corner, looking some kind of radiant with their triumphant smiles.

Maza scoffs. “Pshh, no! That’s for amateurs. We set stuff on fire!”

“What?”

“It was just a trash can!” Tams shrugs. “Once we got what we’d come for, we figured you guys were probably hemmed in somewhere. Thought a distraction might help.”

“It did,” I say. “Thanks.”

Chela starts to say something, then seems to think better of it. She hasn’t said a word since we left the studio, although mostly it’s because we were just trying to duck out without being seen. Still, she looks withdrawn and sullen, especially compared to how easygoing she seemed earlier. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s frustrated we didn’t get to hear more of the Gerval-and-Vedo convo.

“What’s wrong?” Tams asks. “How’d your search go?”

How to explain? Gerval played a song and a giant wave of light crashed inside me, and he’s trying to get Vedo to bring him Chela for the ceremony, and, oh, he also wants me to bring her to him, too, and it all sounds very, very bad?

Chela saves me the trouble. “Not much. Vedo’s in league with Gerval somehow; that’s about all we found out.”

Tams glances at me, clearly not buying it, but then Chela asks how it went for them and Maza lights up. “We scored, y’all! Scored!” They reach into their courier bag—“‘Find some of those ye-olde-type tomes Tolo loves so much,’ you said”—and pull out three ancient books covered in worn leather, two large and thick, the other much smaller. “And that’s exactly what we did.”

Chela brightens some. “Whoa. Nice work.” She takes the smaller one and starts skimming through it.

“Turns out Gerval has a little side room he sleeps in,” Tams says, “adjacent to the office. And these three beauties were right there on the bedside table. You know, some peaceful sleepytime reading, I’m sure.”

“I wonder if these are the books Vedo mentioned that his mom passed on to Gerval,” I say, eyeing the ornate calligraphy on those worn pages.

“She did what, now?” Maza says. “That sounds shady.”

Chela hasn’t taken her eyes off the book she’s holding. “We’re gonna…Let me…Let me take this to Tolo.”

“Wait, alone?” Tams asks, incredulous.

Chela nods. “Yes, I…I just need to…” She frowns. Shakes her head.

All I want to do is talk to her about everything that just happened, make it make sense somehow, but it’s like she’s drifting further and further away by the second.

“Let me come,” I say. “I’ll go with you.” I make pointed eye contact with Tams. “Then we’ll catch up with you guys after.”

Tams makes even more pointed eye contact back to me as Chela starts to head off. “You okay?” she asks quietly.

I tilt my head to either side, shake it. “I have no idea.”

She squints at me, then puts the huge tome in my hands. “We’re talking later, buddy. You and me. At the bembé.”

“The…bembé!” I catch myself just in time.

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