Or even like him.
Maximus would be my second choice. He’s also ridiculously strong, and not my love either. Though I have to admit his antics do make me laugh,andhe did save Ludo. Speak of the devil.
“I’ll go,” Max says. “That weird space-time-trippy thing was dope on the way in.”
“No, I’ll go first,” Alexis says immediately, wanting to keep his cousin out of trouble. “I’m still a ‘professor’ at the academy. If there are officials or something in the tunnels, it might be better if it’s not a student turning up first, especially one that has been missing for a year—that’s going to take some explaining.”
“Yeah, Feniks should go,” Cosmo contributes. I give him a dirty look. “Whatever, dud. You got a better idea?”
I’m opening my mouth to suggest that he put his big fat dragon head through the portal right now, when Alexis throws himself into the light.
“And there he goes,” Maximus sighs. “Always gotta be the hero.”
The next second, and without any discussion, Max follows his cousin.
“You coming?” Cosmo asks Donovan.
“I’ll go with Theo.”
—I also—
Cosmo gives a dismissive shrug and steps through the intense beams.
Donovan takes one hand, Ludo the other. I look at the portal. “Do you think there’s room for us to go three abreast?”
“I’m not opposed to a three-way, Tee-Tee,” Donovan replies, bending down and kissing my nose. “You know that very well.”
“Ha-dee-ha.”
A quick vision appears in Donovan’s mind. A memory of him, Wes, and me, hot and sticky, tangled in the sheets.
It makes my heart kick up a notch, and I instinctively squeeze both his and Ludo’s hands.
—Are you ready?—
If it means finding Wes, I’m ready for anything.
???
With a groan, I open my eyes.
Someone has a hand around my waist, helping me to my feet. Alexis gently strokes my back. “OK, pulu?”
“A little wobbly.”
“No one’s here,” Maximus says. “But I can shift and use my dog-nose, really check things out.”
“No shifting,” Alexis growls. “We already discussed that.”
I’m gazing around, amazed that we so easily got back to the academy. And truly, it looks like no time has passed. I look around. Everything seems exactly as we left it. Nothing seems to have moved in the cavern. Nothing.
Wait.
“Guys, what’s that?” There’s a tiny green light glinting on the wall.
Ludo, back in his human form, raises a hand.
—Move to the shadows—
