So it was a crow then. “Ah, what’s with the snake?”
Marcus grinned wide. “So glad you asked.”
He went to another bookcase and waved me over. This one contained folders, which looked sort of like trapper keepers for kids, all clearly labeled on the sides. “Everything you need to know about animals and other symbolism is right here.”
My eyes widened. “Then why are they so thick?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “This one is one of the best parts of our job. As new Grimoires come in, we scan them for certain things that stand out, like?—”
“Wait.” I put my hand on his arm, stopping him. “You’re telling me that we can freely look through a family’s spells and memories and such? Isn’t that, like, sacrilege or something?”
Malcolm’s gleeful excitement fell away, replaced by deep seriousness. “Now you’re beginning to understand. We don’t just hold secrets here, but things are revealed to us in these tomes that must be recorded for others since they don’t have access to the information of other families. Must not.”
“I…I’m not sure I understand.”
Malcolm smiled. “And this is why you’re here. This is why you must be trained. I got lucky. No one’s ever tried to force themselves into these hallowed walls, but…”
“But they could?” When his lips tightened, I pressed, “But who? Who would do that?”
“Some Grimoires end up here because the lines have gone dark. The words have gone illegible.”
I opened my mouth to ask more, but he held up his hand. “Let’s not go down that road today, Kingston. That path is one of disappointment and tragedy. We’ll get there soon enough, but for now”—he pulled the references for crows and snakes—“letme show you how to research within the ancient volumes to know what you must do.”
So like I had since he first hired me—even though this was so different—I took a seat on the stool next to him and learned.
“Hey, King. You have guests,”Jetty called out, walking toward me with the two teenagers I’d invited to join me, trailing him.
“So let me get this straight,” Buck said, staring at the two boys. “The redhead is a believer, but his friend just kind of goes along with it on behalf of his friend.”
Subtly, I nodded my head yes.
Stevie smirked. “This is gonna be fun.”
Trixie—who’d become Stevie and Buck’s partner in crime when I wasn’t paying attention—frowned. “We’re not going to frighten them too badly, are we? They’re just children.”
Buck’s nose wrinkled. “What fun is?—”
“Of course not,” Stevie interrupted, reassuring Trixie.
That was odd. Usually Stevie followed Buck’s lead, but I wasn’t going to argue. I didn’t want the boys traumatized or anything. However, I wanted Theo to catch glimpses of enough to keep him as interested and attached to the supernatural as I’d been at his age. A young person could have worse hobbies than searching for ghosts in their spare time. And since they were technically real, what could it hurt?
Craig, on the other hand, was an enigma. He came off as kind of standoffish and brash, and definitely didn’t believe in spirits or magic or anything like that, so I didn’t know if he watched RIPP with Theo the way Jetty used to humor me or if he made fun of his friend when no one else was around. I didn’t knowwhy, but it suddenly felt important to me to make sure Theo’s thoughts and feelings were protected.
He gave me a silly little wave—with a beaming smile and twinkling green eyes—as they reached me. I suddenly had the desire to wrap him in bubble wrap, as well. What the heck was going on with me right now?”
I nodded at them. “Theo. Craig.”
“Hey, Kingston. This is so cool,” Theo said, body vibrating with excited energy. There was more of that golden retriever energy. I bit back a smile.
“Aw,” Trixie cooed. “He’s adorable.”
Jetty’s lips twitched at her comment, but we were both careful, refraining from looking over at our three friendly spirits since Theo and Craig couldn’t see them. We’d already had plenty of practice with how disconcerting that could be for someone else in the house with poor Ego. Until Buck and Stevie started haunting him—thereby distracting him—he’d been pretty sure we were all cuckoo forCocoa Puffswith the way we’d seemingly talked to ourselves and looked off into what he saw as blank space.
Craig lifted up the fishing poles in his hand. “I brought these. The guy who owns the place?—”
“Chance,” Jetty, Theo, and I all said at once, making Craig scowl.
“I was going to say that.” He rolled his eyes. Such a teenager. “I got permission from him to fish while we’re here. I figured it would give me something to do while you guys geek out about whatever.”
