Q. stared at Seymour—that is, his creepy empty eye sockets turned in his direction. “Did you see anything while in the Crossroads that may assist us?”
“Uh.” Seymour gulped.
“The brain!” Day whispered. “We saw the brain!”
“Yeah, the, uh, the brain!” Seymour stood taller now. “There was this guy, this snake kinda lookin’ guy, and he definitely had a magical brain.”
“Where is he now?” Q. asked sternly.
“He got away,” Seymour replied, his stomach jumping up and tying itself into a knot. “I saw him leave. I think? Through one of those doorways in the Crossroads. It was a tree. Definitely a tree, but like, looking up at it? It was?—”
“Enough.” Q. held up his hand, and he shot a glare at Absolis and Vilanos. “Find it.”
“Yes, sir,” the twins repeated in unison.
“You.” Q. looked now to Mr. Heiss. “Take Lou and secure the city. Get everyone out that you can. No one is safe here until we find that brain.”
“Yes, sir.” Mr. Heiss bowed his head.
Lou nodded respectfully. “Right away, sir.”
Seymour glanced around before asking, “And, uh, what about me? Sir?”
“You?” Q. managed a small, amused smile. “What about you?”
“I’m supposed to be findin’ that brain, sir.” Seymour swallowed hard. “Pretty worried about Sariel and Shiloh too. I wanna help. Just tell me what to do, and I can?—”
“Mr. Heiss.” Q. smirked. “Keep the mortal safe for me, will you? We may have need of him later.”
Mr. Heiss scowled, but he said, “Of course, sir.”
“Ha! Hear that, fucker?” Seymour grinned.
“What I hear is that you’re going to be in the way, so I get to remove you,” Mr. Heiss said smoothly.
“Remove mesafely. You have to protect my poor, squishy, mortal body. You gotta?—”
Mr. Heiss snapped his fingers.
The room spun, shifted, and Seymour was now standing in Sariel’s living room. He reached up to make sure Day was still with him before calling out, “Sariel?”
There was no answer.
Day took a big breath and hollered at the top of her lungs, “Sariel!”
Sariel poked his head out from the bedroom doorway. He was wearing a pastel pink T-shirt and a pair of matching pajama pants. As soon as he saw Seymour and Day, his halo glowed. “Oh! It is you!”
“Hey! Who the hell else would it be?” Seymour rushed forward to throw himself in Sariel’s arms, squeezing him tight. Then he remembered Sariel was hurt and backed off. “Shit. Sorry. Are you all right?”
“I am all right.” Sariel’s smile was tired, but he had no obvious injuries.
Seymour looked him over. “Really?”
“What about your wing?” Day demanded.
“Yeah! What about your damn wing!”
“Yes! Your damn wing!”
