“You guys want some brownies?” Jazz called from the kitchen. “They’re special—made with Maya chocolate. If I were you, I’d definitely want some chocolate before I died.”
“No one’s going to die!” Ren hollered.
Brooks shook her head, processing my suggestion. “First we’d have to find the gods, and then we’d have to explain everything. I’m sure they would totally listen—right before they cut off our heads.”
My mind caught up with hers a second later. “Yeah, you’re right. Telling them about the godborns would for sure equal no godborns in the future.”
Adrik took a swig of Ren’s soda before mopping up the spill with the towel Jazz brought him.
Ren folded her arms across her chest. “So, Jazz, can you tell us more about this party?”
“Yeah,” Jazz said. “If you’re not on the invite list, no chance you can get in.”
“How do you know all this?” I asked.
“My hermanos head up security for them.”
“And you’re willing to help us crash the party anyway?”
“And beat the we-know-better-than-you jerks at their own game?” Jazz said, grinning. “Heck yeah.”
Brooks paced, avoiding the sticky soda spill. “Do you have a boat?”
Jazz smirked. “Do I have a boat? Are you kidding? Of course I do,” he said. “It’s not a yacht or anything, but it’s got this really souped-up engine and—”
“Can we use it?” I asked.
“No way,” Jazz said. “No one drives Betty but me. But that?
?ll cost you extra. Especially since you’re asking me to undermine my bros.”
“You just said they’re jerks,” I reminded him.
“So?” He pushed his hair off his face and gave us the elevator gaze. “And if you’re going to try to fit in, you’ll need something better to wear.”
“Like what?” Ren asked.
“I heard it’s a Star Wars party,” Jazz said. “You can go as any character except Luke or Han. Those are reserved for the twins.”
Adrik took off with Jazz to get us Star Wars outfits. Apparently Jazz “knew” some guy who ran a warehouse…. Sounded sketch, if you ask me, but as long as we got the costumes—preferably ones that hid our faces—I was cool with it.
By the time they got back a couple of hours later, the sun had set, and Ren, Brooks, and I had a plan. We’d head out to the yacht, climb aboard, blend in with the other Star Wars characters, and do some serious sleuthing. We’d have to make sure the twins never saw me or Brooks, since that would definitely mess up the future.
Rosie would help us sniff out the gods. That meant we had to conceal her, too, which is where Ren’s shadows would come in. If the twins saw a hellhound cruising around their boat, they’d sound the alarm for sure.
Jazz blew into the house and tossed the costumes on the sofa. “May the Force be with you!”
Adrik shook his head as he came in behind him. “I wanted to be a stormtrooper and have a blaster,” he grumbled, “but this is all the guy had left—stupid brown robes with hoods.”
“Stupid?” Jazz said, a vein popping out of his forehead. “Obi-Wan is the best character,” he argued. “Smartest. Toughest. No one messes with Obi!”
I’d seen the original Star Wars trilogy, and Obi-Wan was pretty cool. I mean, not as cool as Han Solo, but what did I care? I just wanted to get off that yacht with the gods and without anyone seeing us.
We had a quick bite of canned pork and beans and soggy fish sticks. Gross, I know, but Jazz said he only knew how to heat up food, not cook it.
After dinner, I changed into the white shirt and brown robe, then met up with Adrik and Ren in the living room. Rosie was lying on her side with her eyes rolling back as Adrik scratched her belly.
“Where’s Brooks?” I asked.