ck a minute.”
“Go on,” I tell Piers, and he nods and leaves me behind. As he disappears, Helsing leans on his desk, glaring at me.
“You being friendly with that boy again?” he growls. “Thought we talked about all that.”
I glance over my shoulder to make sure Piers is really gone, and then I grin and step closer to Helsing’s desk. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. I haven’t forgotten. I can’t keep going around and beating the shit out of people—I’ll get expelled.”
Helsing grins back at me. “All right. Just making sure. Show them who they messed with.” He leans back in his chair. “Now get out. Got a lot of work to do.”
I leave his office and start heading off toward the dining hall, hoping to grab some lunch before running to the dorm to check on Cleaver. When I turn the corner, as seems to happen often these days, I spot Piers talking to his father.
Perfect, I think excitedly, heading straight for them. Piers spots me as I approach and his eyes widen. He tries to motion for me to leave them alone, but I pretend not to see. I make sure my smile is exaggerated as I approach.
“Did Piers tell you we’re partnering up for our hunt?” I ask, planting my feet firmly between the two.
Piers glances at the floor as Mason shifts his gaze to him. “No, he didn’t.”
“Just got our assignment.” I hold up the paper. “An agropelter.”
I see the expression on Mason’s face shift. He looks at his son. “Agropelters are minor monsters, but still dangerous. They’re tricky to find and have deadly accuracy.”
I elbow Piers playfully. “Wouldn’t it make you proud if he brought it down?”
Slowly and thoughtfully, Mason nods. “A successful hunt would certainly be something to be proud of.”
Piers clears his throat and glances away in embarrassment, but I know it affects him. I grin even wider, almost shaking with excitement. Taking the credit for bringing down the monster will break both Mason and Piers.
“Well, I’m off to lunch! Library tonight?” I ask Piers, who nods with a smile; and I leave them, jittering with anticipation.
Erin and Luiza are in deep discussion in the dining hall, heads leaned toward each other, laughing. I decide to leave them to it, and in a moment of weakness, I grab a tray and head over to sit with Sawyer instead. He looks up in surprise as I plop my tray down and slide onto the bench across from him.
“Avery,” he says confusedly. He looks over at Erin’s table. “You’re … sitting with me?” He perks up.
“Don’t make me regret it,” I say, barely looking at him as I dig into my potatoes. I haven’t seen Sawyer since we had detention together. Maybe it was being close to him again, working together—or maybe it’s just all the male hormones around me all the time, especially now that I’m working with Piers.
He mumbles something and pushes his food around with his fork before sighing and setting it down. “Hey, Avery, I … uh …” He hesitates as I look up at him. “I really am sorry, and—”
I look away. “Maybe I should just go up to my dorm,” I say.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he says quickly. “So we won’t. But … a bunch of second-years are going to Oktoberfest next weekend, and I was wondering if you’d want to go. With us. With me.”
I raise my eyebrows.
“A bunch of us are renting a private room in a hostel in Munich, near the fairgrounds,” he blurts out, “so it wouldn’t be just you and me. And you can invite Erin. We need a couple more people to fill it out.”
I pick up my fork and look down at my food, considering. “I don’t know.”
His hands clench on the table in response to my words.
“Please come,” he breathes. I look up at him. His face is pleading as he leans over the table. “Please, Avery. I miss you. Please come.”
I don’t answer. I let him hang there for a minute, his breathing ragged as I mull it over. No matter how hesitant I am to even speak to Sawyer, let alone go on a trip with him, I think that trip would be a good excuse to get away from the school. Even if just for a bit, I think it would do me good.
And, besides … it’s Oktoberfest. Who wouldn’t want to go?
“Fine,” I say, straightening up. “Only if Erin agrees.”
He grins and leans back, looking genuinely happy for the first time in a long, long time. “Yeah! Sure! Okay! That’s good enough for me!”