Page 134 of Failure to Match

I tried putting the lid back on. Nothing.

“Close sesame.” Nothing.

I rubbed the lamp in case the sisters hadn’t been messing with me and there was a sensor or something that would trigger the door. Nothing happened.

Okay, it’s okay. Don’t panic, because if you panic, you won’t be able to think, and if you can’t think, you won’t be able to?—

“The command is ‘ten swords, twelve lies,’” a male voice said from behind me. “But you have to open the lid for Genie to hear you.”

Without looking back, I tentatively opened the lid and muttered the command. Sure enough, the shelf moved, smoothly sliding back into place. I swiped at my cheeks before turning around, not wanting him to see any of the residual wetness still lingering on my skin.

Bensen stood at the arched doorway of the library, hands clasped professionally behind his back, spine straight as ever.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

He dipped his chin. “Of course.”

I shifted on my feet awkwardly, fiddling with the edge of my phone case. “Are you going to tell him I was in here?”

He considered me for a moment. “The staff was given explicit instructions prior to your arrival to report any suspicious activity directly to the Young Master.”

I nodded. “Okay. That makes sense.”

“I would be going against his direct orders if I kept quiet about this.”

“I understand.” This wasn’t his fault. He was just doing his job.

“He’s quite protective of this space, you know. It’s off limits to all members of staff, save for the Harrison sisters.”

“I get why—wait. Then how do you know the command to close the secret door?”

His mouth quirked. “You’d be surprised at how much one picks up in a position such as mine simply by… being present.It’s also the name of a bedtime story I made up for the Young Master when he was a child; not something I’d easily forget.”

Damn it, I was going to start tearing up again. “You’ve really never been in here?”

“Not once.” He glanced around the room, and I swear his eyes, shoulders, posture—everything about him visibly softened. “It’s lovely. I haven’t seen his drawings in— This brings back a lot of memories.”

And then, to the utter detriment of what little emotional stability I had left, Bensen choked up.

“My apologies, Miss Paquin.” He fished a cloth handkerchief out of his breast pocket and gently dabbed at his eyes while my own overfilled with fresh tears. “I wasn’t expecting… Regardless, we should take our leave.” He folded his handkerchief back into a neat square and sniffled. “The Young Master is expecting you in the main kitchen for your meeting. I was tasked with fetching you from your suite which, I’m sure you can agree, is exactly what I’ve done.”

I wiped my eyes as I made my way to the door. “So, you’re not gonna tell him?”

Bensen sighed. “You are not to blame for the scheming of the Harrison twins, Miss Paquin, though I suggest keeping your phone on the next time they send you out on an adventure.”

“It died,” I muttered, waving the useless brick in the air.

Bensen shut the door behind us. I locked it.

“Shall we?” he said.

I fiddled with the rainbow twill in my hands, twisting it over my fingers. “Before we go... I’m gonna do something and I need you to not be weirded out by it.”

He blinked. “What exactly?—”

I threw my arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug.

“You’re a good dude, Bensen,” I said, my throat clamping over the words. “For real.”

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