“Are you listening, Rui?”
She stopped fidgeting. “What did you say?”
Zizi repeated slowly, “When you’re testing this spell, do not touch the Revenant and do not let it touch you. There’s a minuscule chance that if you do, its spiritual energy may mix with yours, and its hunger will possess you. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don’t touch the scary monster.”
“Rooroo.Be serious.”
“Don’t call me that. Like you said, it’s a minuscule chance, right?”
“A minuscule chance is still a non-zero chance.”
“Do you think I’m incapable of casting it properly?”
Zizi took the cigarette from behind his ear and flipped it between his knuckles. “The spell needs to be tested. You’re the tester. So, you test it.”
“Answer my question,” Rui persisted. “Are you doubting my abilities?”
“I’m just...” He looked at the talisman, then back at her. “Call it superstition or whatever, but it’s been four years, and today’s your...” He broke off with a sigh.
Today’s your mother’s death anniversary. Today’s your birthday, a day you stopped celebrating four years ago because you almost died. Today’s...
Rui didn’t know what he meant to say.
“Well, I’m not testing it today,” she said. “I’m going on patrol with the other cadets tonight. And you’re being silly... Have I ever failed to test a spell properly for you?”
“You better do a good job then,” he said. “If it works, it’ll be extremely valuable. I could sell it to the Guild for a ton of money and retire to the countryside with Mao.”
“Convenient how you hate the Guild, but you’ll take their money.”
“A boy has to eat.”
“So does a girl. Double my fee.”
Zizi made an unhappy face.
“I’ll have to find an actual Revenant to test it on. This is beyond the scope of what I normally do. It carries a higher risk. Double my fee.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
“I am the best.”
“Fine,” Zizi said, caving quickly.
Rui smirked. “Good.”
Zizi smirked back. “All this negotiation is making me hungry. Why don’t you stay for a while? We can get sushi.”
Rui’s pocket was buzzing furiously again.
“Hang on.” She pulled out her phone.
5 missed calls. 4 voice mails.
They were all from the same number.
She punched in the password for her mailbox and held the phone to her ear. A woman’s voice. Rapid-fire words. Concern and irritation.
