Damien looked stressed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Buddy, she told you she doesn’t want you to do tests onher.”
I didn’t know what to say. I felt bad pushing away one of his inventions, but I didn’t want to be some guineapig.
Jeremy didn’t put his hand down, continuing to hold the hat out to me. “She needs to though. It could make the ghouls leave. Forever,” he said, as he stared at myfeet.
That was aboldstatement.
I stood and he met my eyes for the briefest second, and I was taken back with how beautiful they were. Blue likeDamien’s.
“What do you mean? Can you explain it so I can understand?” I askedhim.
He lowered his hand, looking frustrated. “No. It makes sense in my mind, but I can’t explain it. Just do what Damien does and trustme.”
“Trust me.”Those two words, coming from him, made my heart gomushy.
“Okay, Jeremy. I trustyou.”
He visibly perked up. “Does that mean I can studyyou?”
I chuckled. “Yeah,sure.”
Damien met my gaze. “Thank you,” he mouthed, from behind his brother, and I nodded. This kid had gotten us this far, and he was making a kitten dream band for my best friend, so the least I could do was wear a hat forhim.
He put the baseball cap on me, pressing down on each electrode as it stuck to my head with some type of built-in gel pad. I noticed there was a little black box clipped to the end of the bill, almost like apager.
Once the hat was on, Jeremy ran out of the room without saying aword.
I met Damien’s eyes and he shrugged. Then Jeremy was back, carrying a laptop and looking excited. “Okay, I’m getting some readings!” hesaid.
I gave him a thumbs-up.
“Okay, now do your thing on my brother. Send him a mental message,” heinstructed.
My eyeswidened.
“What?” I wasn’t prepared to do that. I hadn’t sent anything to Damien before in the real world, only when I was in the Dream Wars. It felt more intimate this way, and I didn’t want to freak himout.
Damien lookedworried.
“Yes, just a small thought or whatever. I need a baseline,” Jeremysaid.
“Damien?” I askedhim.
“It’s fine,” he replied, although his face told a differentstory.
I settled my nerves and dropped my head, closing my eyes. Letting my awareness filter out, I brushed against Damien’s strong signature and pushed a simple, randomthought.
‘I likechocolate.’
“Holy shit!” Damien shouted, and my eyelids snapped open to see him leapbackward.
Maxine laughed in the corner where she sat with Nox. “Freaky-ass shit,huh?”
He just stared wide-eyed at me andnodded.
Jeremy was typing feverishly into his laptop. “Got it! Now just wear it the rest of the day and night. No getting it wet,” he said, then took off back up thestairs.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Okay.”
