“And,” hesaid.
Ugh.
I crouched back down. “Quick, buddy. Whatelse?”
He smiled hugely. “You have to get Damien to let me have chocolate chip ice cream every morning for breakfast,forever.”
Oh my God, Damien would killme.
“For a month,” Icountered.
“Fine,” he agreed. “And lastly, I want a petlizard.”
What the hell did he just say? Where in God’s name was I going to find a petlizard?
Josephine met my eyes andshrugged.
“Done,” I said, and hoped he would maybe forget about the lizard thing when wewoke.
He stood. “You want me to get all messy with the green stuff, don’tyou?”
He was smarter and more aware of his surroundings than we gave him creditfor.
“I do. I think it’s going to keep the giant ghouls away from us. Keep ussafe.”
He started blinking rapidly, like a nervous tic. “Okay,Kit.”
For whatever reason, hearing him say my name made my heart pinch. I vowed right then and there to never let anything bad happen to this adorable fuckingkid.
Damien and Brisk were standing behind him and Inodded.
“Coming up behind you, buddy. Cover your face,” Damiensaid.
Jeremy did and they quickly threw the blanket over his head, causing him toshriek.
“I hate it!” he screamed, and they pulled the sheet offhim.
His chest was heaving, fighting a panic attack no doubt, and I wanted to cry but somehow manage to keep my shit together. “Thankyou.”
I looked up and just off in the distance, I could see the head of a giantappearing.
“Okay, let me get covered, and then let’s get the hell out of here,” I said, grabbing the sheet fromDamien.
Brisk and I ran double time to the edge of the lake. I shoved the sheet in quickly, saturating it. As I was bringing it out of the water, I saw something move below thesurface.
I didn’t even have time to scream before a tooth-filled tentacle shot out and wrapped around Brisk’s leg. His plasma arm cuff was alsomissing.
Maxine started firing into the water, and I used my free hand to pull my knife from my thigh holster. Using the close proximity, I lurched forward just as Brisk was being dragged into the lake, and I sliced off the tentacle in one clean swipe. I landed awkwardly on top of Brisk, which caused us both to fall onto the ground. He and I scrambled to get up, but I could see from his wincing that he was hurt prettybad.
Damien swooped in, grabbed the dripping green sheet from me and tossed it around my shoulders. He did a quick pat-down so the goo would stick to my body, and then the heavy sheet fellaway.
“Let’s go!” he said, as the ground shookagain.
Nox grabbed Brisk’s arm and draped it around his shoulder so Brisk could limp and use him as acrutch.
The tentacle was hacked off but still wound up and down Brisk’s leg, bleeding red and green onto theearth.
“Ronnie!” Ishouted.
