“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
Drained and annoyed, I slumped into the creaky food court seat. The soft pretzel I stuffed into my face was my only consolation for a crappy day. That and Sagitta’s presence.
He sat across from me, nibbling on his own soft pretzel. A dark cloud hung over his head. We must’ve looked like the moodiest guys in the whole mall.
“I can’t believe I got fired,” I mumbled.
Sagitta scowled. “I can’t believe Faust isn’t gone.”
My brow furrowed. “Dude, can I get a crumb of sympathy here? He just lost me my job.”
“I know. I was there.”
We bit off chunks of our pretzels in silence.
Faust moaned as the salty, buttery flavour hit my tongue. “This pretzel is exquisite. Can we get another?”
“Shut up,” I said.
Sagitta’s gaze locked onto me. “You’re talking to him again. Stop it.”
A surge of irritation prickled my skin. “What am I supposed to do? Ignore him?”
“Yes.”
“Well, excuse me if my willpower sucks compared to yours. It’s hard to ignore him when he’s talking in my freaking head!”
The group of teenagers at the table next to us went quiet, then snickered and whispered among themselves. I was too cranky to give a shit.
But Sagitta bristled at being overheard. He narrowed his eyes, then leaned forward and spoke barely above a whisper. “You need to keep your voice down.”
His condescending tone ticked me off. I glared at him and took another bite of pretzel.
“Why?” I asked with my mouth full.
His jaw tightened. “You’re drawing too much attention to yourself.”
“So? They don’t know what I’m even talking about. Nobody cares as much as you think they do.”
His nostrils flared as he took a breath, but he didn’t look any calmer. “Demonic entities thrive on that laissez-faire attitude. The less caution you exhibit, the more they sink their claws into your soul. You have to fight it, Chase.”
For once, I felt like Sagitta didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. His professional advice was just wishy-washy crap. Faust hadn’t done any of the things he’d warned me about. What hehaddone was get me in trouble, lose me my job, and get on my damned nerves.
I bit my straw between my teeth and sucked down my lemonade. The hit of sugar didn’t take the edge off my bad mood.
“Are you listening to me?” Sagitta asked.
“Yeah.”
“I know you hear my words,” he said dryly, “but are you actually listening?”
I slowly put my drink on the table. Suddenly, Sagitta’s presence was no longer calming or helpful.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m five,” I warned.
His unrelenting black eyes pierced mine. “Then don’tactlike you’re five.”
Frustration swelled in my chest until it formed a tight knot of anger.
