There was a strained beat, then everyone spoke at once.
“Logan.”
22
OPAL
Opal knocked on Logan’s front door.
She heard a thump and glanced back over her shoulder. Tyler’s head ducked behind the garbage cans where he, Nico, and Emma were hiding. “Real subtle,” Opal muttered. The sun dipped behind the oak trees lining Overlook Row, flashing pink and red and gold.
No one answered.
Opal pressed the bell, examining the ornate paint job on Logan’s house. Her mother was obsessed with repainting their new place in a “historically accurate” way, so the outside was currently a patchwork of different yellows as she hunted for the perfect shade. One more thing Opal didn’t understand.
She touched the colorful siding, thinking of all the people who’d lived there. People who lived until they died, and became skeletons. Opal shivered. She had to find out what happened to that man. Her conscience was eating at her for not callingthe sheriff, but there was too much at stake. Reporting the skeleton would reveal the Darkdeep to everyone.
“I guess he’s not home,” Nico whisper-shouted from the sidewalk. But at that very moment, the door opened and Opal found herself face-to-face with Sylvain Nantes.
“Oh, hi.” She’d been hoping for Logan or his mom. “Um, is Logan around?”
“Hi, Opal.” Logan’s father wore a button-down shirt and dress pants, not his usual flannel and jeans. “Lori and I are on our way to a festival board dinner, but Logan and Lily are inside.” He held the door open for her.
“Thanks.” Opal prayed her friends would stay hidden.
“They’re in the kitchen. Go on back.” He called up the stairs. “Honey? It’s time to go!”
“Almost ready,” answered Mrs. Nantes.
Logan and his younger sister were eating dinner and watching an iPad propped between them. “Hey, Opal,” Lily greeted her cheerfully.
“Hi, Lily.” Opal saw Logan close his eyes briefly before turning to look at her.
“What do you want?” he said.
“Logan!” Lily looked shocked. “That’s rude.”
They heard footsteps on the stairs. A moment later Logan’s mom stuck her head into the room. “Nice to see you, Opal,” she said warmly. “We’ll be gone a couple of hours, kids. Finish your homework.”
Logan waited until his parents bustled out the door. “What do you want?” he repeated.
“Can I talk to you in private?”
“Oooh.” Lily grinned as if witnessing something important. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She wandered from the room, shooting Opal a backward glance that turned into a wink.
“We have a problem,” Opal said once Lily was out of earshot.
“Youhave a problem.”
“No, it’s awething.” Opal pulled out her phone and showed him the skeleton, zooming in on the Nantes Timber Company logo. Logan stared at the picture, then shrugged. “So what?”
“So what?” Opal’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a human skeleton in a ditch wearing a Nantes company uniform. Aren’t you curious about it?”
Logan finally looked at her. His eyes were shadowed, tormented.
Opal nearly gasped. “Logan, are you okay?”
“No, Opal.” His voice shook. “I got sucked through a well into a freezing lake, and then a video-game monster tried to kill me. Except that’s impossible. So I’m pretty not okay right now. I’mfreaking out.”
