“You go on with your day
I’ll be okay,” I told Megan and Kaitlyn and Avery.
“But Bran tell me please,
Does it sting like a bee?
Does it look like a bug?
Or is it more of a slug?”
I thought I could stand the slug thing. As disgusting as it would be to have a piece of living snot in my ear, it was way, wayyy better than having a roach holed up in there—no pun intended.
Bran reached over to cover my hand with his reassuringly.
“It’s kind of like a tiny, see-through salamander,” he told me. “Not like a bug at all—not even a little.”
I felt my shoulders sag in relief and I nodded my thanks to him, not trusting my voice. A salamander I could handle. It was still gross, but at least it didn’t come with long, hairy legs and twitching antenna…ugh, just the thought of that was enough to make me puke.
“I’ll be okay
For the rest of the day,”
I told everyone. I nodded at Megan and Kaitlyn.
“You two go show your dress
About me don’t stress.”
“Are you really sure, though?” Megan anxiously.
I nodded vigorously, not wanting her to have any doubt.
“I’ll be all right
‘Till the evening light.
Please don’t fear
What’s in my ear.”
“Oh, Emma…” Kaitlyn put an arm around my shoulders and then Megan and Avery were reaching out to hug me too. We might have more people in our Coven now, but our core group of four was still really tightly knit.
I took comfort from their arms around me and their murmurs of encouragement. I would be okay, I told myself. I could stand having a skink in my ear just a little while longer providing Avery could figure out a way to get rid of my unwanted guest by tonight.
And if he couldn’t…well, I didn’t even want to think about that possibility. The skink had to come out…one way or another.
16
“All right, are we ready to go?” Avery asked, looking around at everyone assembled in the Norm Dorm on the two blue overstuffed couches and the two ratty old armchairs, which were surprisingly comfortable.
Our whole Coven was there, including Griffin, Ari, Saint, and also Bran, since he seemed to know more about skinks than anyone else. I had been worried about him getting into trouble for staying on the castle grounds past curfew, but he had assured me he would be fine. If the skink removal went too long, he would just spend the night in the boy’s dorm with Avery and Saint. After all, there were plenty of beds and he would have been housed in the Norm Dorm anyway, if he’d been living on campus.
“We’re all present and accounted for,” Megan told Avery.
“Well, except for Jalli,” Ari sounded apologetic. “I was afraid she might be sick again, so I sent her to bed early with her chimelings.”
“That’s fine,” Avery said. “We don’t need anyone puking around Emma because then she’ll start puking.”
Which was absolutely true. I’m one of those people who just can’t be around someone else when they’re barfing—not unless I want to lose my lunch too.
“Now, first things first,” Avery continued.
He was standing in the middle of the room in front of the fireplace like a general reviewing his troops and I was beside him, keeping my mouth shut.
“I’ve read up on skinks and Bran is right—or partially right,” Avery said. “They either have to be convinced to vacate a human host voluntarily, or ordered out by one they respect.”
Bran looked doubtful but remained silent at this.
“Ordered out?” Megan asked. Then she got an excited look on her face. “Why, Griffin can do that! His family gift is the dominion over animals!” She turned to her Bond mate and looked at him eagerly. “Can’t you?”
Griffin shrugged.
“Of course I will be happy to try.” He stood up and came over to where Avery and I were standing in front of the fireplace. He looked at Avery for directions. “How do I address the creature? Do I speak directly into Emma’s ear?”
“Yes, but first you have to speak the skink’s language,” Avery told him. “Which is an ancient form of Celtic.”
Griffin frowned.
“I do speak several languages, but I am afraid ancient Celtic is not one of them.”
“Fortunately, I thought of that,” Avery told him. “I worked a translation spell on myself before we started. When you hold my hand and speak into Emma’s ear, the skink will be able to understand you and you will be able to understand it. In fact, all of us should be able to hear it,” he added, nodding at my Coven-mates, who were sitting anxiously on the edge of their seats.
“Very well.” Griffin held out his hand without hesitation and Avery clasped the Nocturne’s long, white fingers loosely in his own.
“Order it out,” he told Griffin. “You don’t have to shout, though—just be firm.”