Adam laughed. “If you answer, I promise not to look… well, not much.”
Pardon me while I hurl. Obviously, even if she had been showering, this wouldn’t be the first time Adam had seen Ryann in the buff. They weren’t kids. But that didn’t make it any less uncomfortable, since now my head was full of… well, that. And Ryann had turned beet red. Also, her hair wasn’t wet, so she’d have to wriggle out of that one. Maybe she’d come up with some excuse about wearing a shower cap. Women used those, right?
“I’m never living this down, am I?” she whispered.
“Not a chance, Pickle.” I chuckled, but it sounded hollow to me.
“Help me with this stuff.” She gave me a pleading look. “I can’t stay naked forever. He might break in, thinking I’ve slipped and broken my neck or something.”
Oh boy… Trying to push away thoughts that would see me at confessional for a week, I scrambled to stuff the books back into their bags. Ryann hurried across the room to hoist the other hefty ones onto her shoulders. I’d managed to haul the first two bags into my arms. They dug in like the world’s heaviest shopping bags, but adrenaline gave me a boost of strength as I scampered to the nearest wall. With my charmed chalk, I sketched a door and whispered the Aperi Si Ostium spell. The lines fizzed and cracked, forging a doorway to the SDC’s infirmary.
“I’m so sorry.” Ryann glanced over her shoulder. “I had no idea he’d come by, but I promise I’ll catch up with you soon.”
“So, you’re saying he would mind if he found me here?” After all her protestations earlier that it would be fine, it seemed she’d been talking a load of fluff.
Ryann grimaced. “He can be a bit jealous sometimes, though he tries not to show it. I’ve never had another guy over before. He might get upset if you were here. I really am sorry.”
I couldn’t help feeling a bit special. I was the first guy she’d invited here, besides her boyfriend.
Yeah, because you’re her friend, dumbass. She wanted to help you break your deal and figure out the Gateway, that’s all. My brain kicked in with a swift dose of reality. She was trying to be both a good friend and a good girlfriend by throwing me out and keeping Ted Bundy’s ego protected. Not that I imagined he had much of an ego, being Canadian and all. Still, it made me wonder if Adam had his weaknesses. Maybe he was human, after all.
“Go!” Ryann hissed, shoving me through the now open doorway. Her two book bags followed me into the infirmary before the door slammed shut behind me.
Rude…
“Finch?” Krieger peered out of his office, wearing a puzzled expression.
“Afternoon, Doc.” I dropped my heavy bags.
He frowned. “Did you need something?”
“Ice packs for my arms,” I replied.
Jacob materialized beside the good doctor. “Finch—where did you come from?”
“I just got booted out of… never mind.” I flexed my forearms to get the blood flowing again. “What are you two up to? Leviathan stuff? Magical detector stuff?” The two of them had grown thick as thieves since Dr. Krieger had officially adopted Jacob. They were always squirreled away in Krieger’s office, working on some mystery project or another.
Krieger smiled. “Oh no, the Leviathan business is all finished. Remington took the samples a few days ago, and it looks like it may come to nothing. As for the magical detector, we are still toiling away on that. I’d hoped the secret services would find the old one when they raided Eris Island, but it never turned up. Who knows where it is now? Katherine must have hidden it.”
“Sounds like her.” I huffed out a sigh. “What was that Leviathan stuff, anyway? You were taking samples, right? I think Leviathan freaked my sister out a bit.”
“Yes, that was unfortunate, but he’s been refrozen.” Krieger looked flustered. “We were looking into his cellular regeneration, but Remington doesn’t think it’s transferable to the human form. An interesting idea, but not all interesting ideas can be realized.”
“Then what are you up to in here?” I squinted with suspicion.
Jacob grinned. “The greatest trick the SDC has ever seen.”
“Come again?”
“Halloween is coming up, right? Krieger and I are working on the best spell ever. It’s going to scare the bejeezus out of everyone!” Jacob laughed maniacally.
“Don’t ruin the surprise,” Krieger chided.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. It’s going to be amazing.” Jacob beamed with pride. It was sweet to watch the two nerds bonding over their shared love of all things geeky. Like father, like son. I’d have chimed in, but they weren’t my brand of nerd. Until they decided to build a working Iron Man suit that I could swipe, I wasn’t interested.
I stooped to pick up the bags, wondering how the hell I would carry all four. Then I remembered that I had magic at my beck and call. It’d been a weird afternoon, and apparently being with Ryann made me lose my mind for a minute there. I could’ve done this from the start. Idiot. I sent out four slim tendrils of Telekinesis and picked up the four bags with minimal effort.
“Well, don’t you dare spook me, or I’ll put dead fish in your mattresses.”
“Aww, come on, Finch. You have to be a good sport,” Jacob protested.
“Dead fish. I mean it.” I flashed him a half-warning, half-amused look.
Jacob pouted. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”
“Sure. As long as you let me know when it’s happening, so I can be somewhere else,” I replied firmly.
Jacob’s eyes brightened. “Deal!”
If only every deal were so easy to negotiate.
“Although, more information would be good, so I’m not accidentally in your pranking crosshairs.” I couldn’t resist finding out what they were scheming.
Jacob leaned forward out of the door. “You won’t say a word if we tell you?”
“Scout’s honor,” I replied.
“I highly doubt you were ever a scout.” Krieger chuckled.
“First, we’re rigging drones and dangling those cheap Grim Reaper costumes from them to chase people through the halls. Then, we’ll play holograms to scare everyone stupid!” Jacob beamed excitedly.
That sounded like exactly the kind of thing that would set off my gremlins.
I nodded. “Yeah, definitely staying away on Halloween, but you two knock yourselves out. I don’t need to see the Grim Reaper any sooner than necessary, and I’ve had my fill of spooks and specters.”
“It’s going to be ace!” Jacob relaxed back into the doorframe, satisfied.
“What’s with all the books?” Krieger gestured to the floating bags.
I pulled a weary face. “Research.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?” He stepped from his office, as if to take a closer look. I moved the bags away to prevent him from seeing the titles.
“What does this face tell you?” I waved my hand over my grim visage. The Vs in the thesaurus really had expanded my vocabulary.
Krieger chuckled, taking the hint. “Well, good luck in your endeavors.”
“Same to you. Just remember—”