“We just discussed one,” Nico says. “She could leave.”
Is he serious? “I’m going to die if you send me out there alone.”
I hate how pathetic the words make me sound, but it’s true. Billy almost got into my head deep enough to do permanent damage, and I had zero idea how to stop him.
“That’s dramatic,” Nico says.
I study his face, trying to find some crack in that cold mask, but there’s nothing. He’s looking at me like I’m a problem he needs to solve, and apparently, the way he’s going to do it is by making me disappear.
“You’d really rather send me out there to die than have to look at me every day?” I ask.
“You aren’t going to die.” He leans against the wall, arms still crossed as he looks me up and down. “You’re capable of takingcare of yourself with the right tools. I can rig up your car. Give you protective sigils. Anything you need. You just have to leave.”
I want to tell him exactly where he can shove his protective sigils, but I can barely think around the hot indignation rising through me.
“Enough.” Donny isn’t loud but carries enough quiet authority that both Nico and I snap our attention to him. “Nico, your recommendation was noted and rejected. You will train Eden, and she will remain on the team.”
“This is ridiculous.” Nico steps closer to Donny, positioning himself squarely between the desk and me so I can’t even see Donny. “We barely know anything about her?—”
“I have nothing to hide.” I stand up and step out from behind Nico, so I’m standing next to him, only looking at Donny because he’s the one calling the shots here. “I can tell you anything you want.
“We know nothing about her mental stability.”
Mental stability? I’d hardly argue I’m the picture of mental health, but who does he think he is, saying that in front of Donny?
He may be the team leader, but with great power comes great responsibility to not be a complete and total dick.
“Says the guy who was having secret midnight chats with Billy Lundby,” I snap. “What exactly were you guys talking about, by the way?”
“I was conducting an interview,” he tosses out, keeping his focus on Donny. “Working through a standard questionnaire.”
“Is it standard, during questionnaires, for you to leave the door wide open for anyone to come down there and find you?”
“I didn’t—” He stops. “That door was closed.”
“It wasn’t when I got there.”
Nico is so tense that if someone strong enough managed to push him over, he might shatter into pieces. I’ve spent enoughof my life having people lie to me that I can smell bullshit when someone gives it to me, and right now? Nico’s lying. Or at least not telling the whole truth. He knows exactly why that door was left open.
Maybe it’s just me, but if I had a bunch of monsters in the basement and the creepy door was open when it wasn’t supposed to be, I’d want to find out why. At the very least, I’d tell my boss. I’m curious what bullshit Nico spewed when he told Donny how I ended up in the containment room if the door was closed in his fairytale retelling.
Donny clears his throat. “Eden has a connection to these entities that we cannot ignore or dismiss. It would be irresponsible, both to her and to us, to send her away untrained.”
“I’m not qualified to be anyone’s teacher,” Nico grumbles.
“You underestimate yourself. Don’t forget, you were once as Eden is now. Eden will benefit from your experience, and you’ll begin this morning.” Donny puts his glasses back on, sinking deeper into his chair. “Unless, of course, there’s some other reason you don’t want to train her that you’d like to share.”
The challenge hangs in the air between them. Each second that passes is painfully long, and I’m unable to read Nico, but then he gives Donny a curt nod.
“Fine,” Nico says. “But I want it on record that I objected.”
CHAPTER 17
I found Alexander alone in the containment vault again last night. He says he’d rather risk brain damage than live without knowing how to protect himself, but if you ask me, the kid’s got more dogged determination than sense.
—Journal of Donald Dellman, December 2020
“Are we the only ones on the team who can hear ghosts make any noise at all?” I ask Nico, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Bob isn’t trying to limp after me. Donny promised he’d keep an eye on him.
