“What about friends?”
Zia stared at me as if I’d used a foreign term. I realized I hadn’t seen anyone close to our age in the First Nome. Everyone was either much younger or much older.
“I don’t have time for friends,” she said. “Besides, when initiates turn thirteen, they’re assigned to other nomes around the world. I am the only one who stayed here. I like being alone. It’s fine.”
The hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I’d said almost the same thing, many times, when people asked me what it was like being homeschooled by my dad. Didn’t I miss having friends? Didn’t I want a normal life? “I like being alone. It’s fine.”
I tried to picture Zia going to a regular public high school, learning a locker combination, hanging out in the cafeteria. I couldn’t picture it. I imagined she would be as lost as I would.
“Tell you what,” I said. “After the testing, after the Demon Days, when things settle down—”
“Things won’t settle down.”
“—I’m going to take you to the mall.”
She blinked. “The mall? For what reason?”
“To hang out,” I said. “We’ll get some hamburgers. See a movie.”
Zia hesitated. “Is this what you’d call a ‘date’?”
My expression must’ve been priceless, because Zia actually cracked a smile. “You look like a cow hit with a shovel.”
“I didn’t mean...I just meant...”
She laughed, and suddenly it was easier to imagine her as a regular high school kid.
“I will look forward to this mall, Carter,” she said. “You are either a very interesting person...or a very dangerous one.”
“Let’s go with interesting.”
She waved her hand, and the door reappeared. “Go now. And be careful. The next time you sneak up on me, you might not be so fortunate.”
At the doorway, I turned. “Zia, what was that black shimmery stuff?”
Her smile faded. “An invisibility spell. Only very powerful magicians are able to see through it. You should not have.”
She stared at me for answers, but I didn’t have any.
“Maybe it was...wearing off or something,” I managed. “And, can I ask, the blue sphere?”
She frowned. “The what?”
“The thing you released that went into the ceiling.”
She looked mystified. “I...I don’t know what you mean. Perhaps the candlelight was playing tricks on your eyes.”
Awkward silence. Either she was lying to me, or I was going crazy, or...I didn’t know what. I realized I hadn’t told her about my vision of Amos and Set, but I felt that I’d already pushed her as far as I could for one night.
“Okay,” I said. “Good night.”
I made my way back to the dorm, but I didn’t get to sleep again for a long time.
Fast-forward to Luxor. Maybe now you understand why I didn’t want to leave Zia behind, and why I didn’t believe Zia would actually hurt us.
On the other hand, I knew she wasn’t lying about Desjardins. That guy wouldn’t think twice about turning us into escargots. And the fact that Set had spoken French in my dream—“Bon soir, Amos.” Was that just a coincidence...or was something a lot worse going on?
Anyway, when Sadie tugged on my arm, I followed.