Page 66 of Sigils & Spells

“Oh, what are you doing here?” Ramsey asked with an accusatory tone.

I gulped, trying to remember what I was doing there. I had a purpose that didn’t involve sucking Merle’s tongue down my throat, even though that is what I had been trying my best to do.

“Did you even knock, man?”

Ramsey looked twitchy. Over the past few weeks, he had progressively gotten stranger and more distant than he typically was.

My foot hit my messenger bag. Right, I had been making a delivery. I bent over and scooped up the bag. “I should get back to work,” I announced.

I took a step toward the door, but Merle stopped me, wrapping his large hand around my arm. I looked back up at him.

“Tonight still good?” He actually looked worried.

I flushed and bit my lip. “We can continue this later. Yes, tonight is still good.”

I trailed my fingers down the wall on my way out.

* * *

Merle

It seemed like Pandora was always walking away from me. There was something fundamentally wrong about that.

My gaze slid to Ramsey. “What are you doing here?” I asked with a sigh.

“You didn’t return my calls.”

I turned away from him and picked up the folder with the copy Pandora had delivered. I brandished it at him. “I’ve been busy.”

“Is that what you call it? Looked more like something non-professional going on between you.”

Ramsey reached out and grabbed the folder. He opened it and stared at the copy. Slowly he lifted the copy from the folder. “Is this it?”

I took the page from him. “Yes. I think so.”

“What are you waiting for? Can we do this? Can we do this now?”

“I need time to prepare. I have to figure out where in the process this fits in.”

“Tonight?”

I shook my head. “I’ll have to study this for a bit. And I have an appointment tonight.”

“What do you mean, appointment? I should be your priority,” Ramsey’s voice started to wind up.

I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. “Ramsey. I will work on this when I can focus and really give it my undivided attention.”

“And when do you think that will be?”

“Do you have the amulet with you?”

Ramsey glared at me.

I lifted my brows in a silent question.

With a grumble, Ramsey started to search through his pockets.

“It needs to be against your skin for maximum effect.”