Let's Hunt Her (Book #2)

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The sun is setting as I stare out the window of my cab at the quiet Incheon streets, dripping with white lights. And it dawns on me-today is Christmas. I missed al the cheer and peppermint hot chocolate. I missed the decorated tree in Jeongsan town square, the carolers and the god-awful holiday play our local theater puts on. And I miss Sunmi's menorah lighting, where Jisoo and I routinely eat freshly baked donuts until we feel sick. And most of all I miss Appa.

The cab stops at the corner next to Rosé's apartment. I hand the driver some cash and step out into the street.

I enter the code on the keypad outside her door and make my way up the stairs, my mind spinning with everything that's happened. I knock twice in the apartment door, and before I even pull my hand away, it opens. Sehun stands on the other side.

"Suzy," he says, and some tension leaves his shoulders. It's obvious that he's been doing the Sehun equivalent of pacing since I left.

I take my coat off, hang it on the hook, and pull out the bottles and pouch. When I make eye contact with him again, it seems like he wants to say somethings and isn't sure how to phrase it. But before he gets a word out, Rosé barges into the hall.

Her eyes light up when she sees the bottles. "Well, just look at that! It's a holly jolly Christmas," she says with an enthusiasm that seems out of place with my nerve-racking evening.

Sehun gives her a look like he doesn't quite agree as we head into the living room.

Lisa sits on the couch, surrounded by masquerade masks and piles of gauze, lace, and various trimmings. "I'm trying to adjust these so that they cover more of our faces," she says, and I'm reminded of all the time she spent with her sketch pad at the Academy.

"Yes, yes, Lisa is impressive. Always has been," Rosé says. "But what I want to hear is how in the hell you got that necklace. I never thought you would pull that off in a million years. And what exactly is in those bottles in your hands?" She's practically falling over herself to get to them. It's amazing how Rosé can be both nice and awful all at once.

"Two darts of lightning poison," I say, laying the burlap pouch down on the coffee table.

Rosé snatched it up, clearly delighted. "You must really have done something right."

"'Doing something right' is not the way I would describe my evening," I say.

"Well, you're wrong. This stuff is exceptionally rare and nearly impossible to procure," Rosé says, and her voice has more pep to it than it's had all day.

I frown at her.

She turns the small vials around, examining them. "Most poisons take a while to go into effect and most have antidotes. Lightning poison is instantaneous and has no antidote. It's a well-kept secret of Strategia apothecaries." When I don't join in on her excitement, she huffs. "Taecyeon is exactly the type of person who probably keeps antidotes on his person just in case. But this is something he can't prepare for."

"Oh," I say, still deeply uncomfortable with the killing talk. I love a small jar on the table. "Also, Drunken Confessions."

Sehun licks it up and opens the lid, smelling the oily paste inside.

Rosé stares over Sehun shoulder. "Never heard of it," she says. "Does it need to be ingested?"

"It gets rubbed on the skin," I say. "It disorients you, make your legs go completely weak, and makes you spout just about anything that comes to mind. It's kind of terrible."

Sehun looks up at me, his interest shifting from the ointment to me. "How do you know it's terrible?"

"She used it on me," I say. "First thing when I walked through the door. I honestly didn't think I was going to get out of there alive."

Rosé whistles in surprise.

Sehun frowns. "I've heard rumors of apothecaries testing their products on unsuspecting customers, but I've never actually known anyone it happened to. Are you all right? Why didn't you call us?"

But before I can answer, Rosé starts talking.

"She's fine; look at her," she says, brushing off Sehun's concern. "The bigger issue is, if she was spouting all their thoughts, what did Suzy tell her."

"She took my phone," I reply to Sehun's question. "And I said nothing about our plan other than that we intend to remove Taecyeon from power."

Rosé let's out a chuckle. "You're telling me you got an unwilling apothecary for change her mind by telling her you were going to take out Taecyeon?" She shakes her head.

"Turns out I'm convincing," I say.

"I'll say," she replies.

"And, well, it helped that I actually meant it. I think that ointment is part truth serum," I say.

Rosé stares at the oily paste like it's chocolate cake. "Fascinating stuff."

"Also, Angels' Dream," I say putting down the glass bottles. "It's a sedative of some kind."

"A powerful one. It's made with belladonna," Rosé says, and I hear Hisakawa's voice in my head: Atropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade. The Gothic ain't of any good apothecary. But instead of bubbling it over it like she did with the poison, Rosé looks at Lisa, who has visibly stiffened.

Sehun picks up the bottle of Angels' Dream. "We'll need some darts for this."

Lisa quietly exits the room. Sehun notices Lisa's expression, too. We look at Rosé to explain, but she just shrugs.

"Okay, so tell us," Rosé says, changing the subject. "How did you get that necklace?"

"Jungkook," I say without a lead-up, because I fear the more details I give, the more likely I am to betray him with my body language.

"What?" Sehun and Rosé say at the same time.

"Believe me, I was more surprised than you. He stopped me on the street in front of the restaurant. I actually punched him before I realized who he was."

Rosé mets out a belly laugh. "How did I miss this? And why do you get to have all the fun while I have to babysit Sehun?"

"Why is Jungkook here?" Sehun asks, ignoring Rosé. "In Incheon, or all places?"

I shake my head. I wasn't thinking about the fact that Jungkook's in enemy territory; I was too caught up in the necklace trade and the Sejeong conversation. No wonder Jungkook was so adamant that I not tell Sehun about the estuarine; an Eagle property in Tiger territory is something to guard.

"Probably planning some revenge for Taehyung's death," Rosé says, and I wonder if she's right, and if that's how Sejeong convinced him to come.

"Or doing Family business," Sehun says. "Considering his mother is also here."

"Or that," Rosé concedes. "But you still haven't explained how you got the necklace."

"That's because you've been talking," I say, which makes Sehun smile.

Rosé slashes her fingers at him like they're claws and purrs.

"I told Jungkook about the apothecary and it turns out that all the head Eagles wear the same necklace. He gave me his," I say, "I'm exchange for me keeping silent about the restaurant and staying away from him and his Family."

Rosé smiles. "He must really despise you."

Sehun gives Rosé a hard look. "I'm sure they just have important negotiations going on that they can't risk having disrupted."

Rosé looks like she's not convinced, and I don't blame her. I'm not convinced, either.