Heidi curled her lip and exchanged a look with Will.
I pushed myself back upright. “Plus, the stepdaughter didn’t know anything about our second victim, our mysterious Jane Doe who no one seems to know anything about or even have heard of before.”
Heidi frowned and nibbled the end of a pencil. “Oh!” She gasped, and her eyes lit up. “It was a sanctuary! Were the animals able to tell you anything?”
“No.” I grabbed one of the hard lobby chairs and dragged it over to the front desk. I flopped into it and slumped down, groaning—I’d been on my feet all night.
Will sniffed. “Such a lady.”
I shook my head. “It was… weird. The animals acted like they didn’t understand me or something. But then when I talked to the wombat that woman was trying to steal, it could understand me just fine.”
Will’s already huge eyes grew wider, and he let out a sharp gasp. “Are your powers slipping?” He glared at me. “Was it that last potion Ludolf tested on you?”
“Will!” Heidi whacked him on the arm, but he continued to glare at me.
I sighed. I knew he was coming from a place of caring about my health and safety, but it was getting old. “We’ve been over this. I’m just cooperating with Ludolf while we look into him and try to figure out a way to hopefully put him away for life.”
One of Will’s bushy brows arched. “And how many potions has he tried on you since our little mission started, sister?”
I rolled my eyes. “Two, but they haven’t had any effect, good or bad.”
“Mm-hmm.” He pursed his lips and nodded. “Oh good, just two. And how long do you think this can go on before something terrible happens? A few more tests? Less?” He batted his lashes at me.
I shot him a flat look. “And what do you suggest I do instead?”
He huffed but dropped his gaze. “I already told you I’d give you money—I have old friends in the Earth Kingdom you could stay with.” He hugged his hairy arms tighter around himself.
I shook my head. “I’m tired of hiding.” I shot him a sassy look. “Besides, you agreed to help me look into the sea slug, which makes you as much of a target as I am. Why aren’t you going into hiding with these friends?”
He rolled his eyes. “For one, he’s not testing deadly—”
I held up a finger. “Possibly.”
He glared. “—possibly deadly potions on me, Jolene. Second, you’re not the only one who wants to get out from under Ludolf’s control, okay?”
He grew quieter as he studied the speckled linoleum floor. “And third, those friends are actually two elderly aunts, and I might have accidentally shifted in their presence when I was like sixteen, and might have, again accidentally, eaten one of their precious cats and may, as a result, not be welcome back there. Though they’d love you, so it’d be fine.”
Heidi spun on her stool and gaped at him. “You ate a cat?”
I curled my lip. “Ew.”
Will huffed, indignant. “I was sixteen!”
I gawked. “Is that supposed to make it better?”
“I didn’t know how to control shifting back then, okay, Jolene? My powers had just started kicking in.” He leaned forward and flashed his eyes at me.
Heidi frowned. “Did your aunts tell your parents?”
He rolled his eyes. “My aunts didn’t realize I was the bear. Apparently they walked in, found me in bear form… you know… and then chased me out of the house, and I bounded off into the forest.” He shrugged. “I came back later and pretended I’d been hiding under the bed. When they asked me how the bear got in, I panicked and told them it’d knocked on the door and I let it in without checking who it was first.”
A long moment of silence stretched out.
I pressed my eyes shut and held up a hand. “Hold on… and they believed you?”
“Yes.” Will nodded, emphatically. “And they still haven’t forgiven me to this day for letting a bear into the house.”
“Wow,” Heidi breathed. “Your family’s—”
“What?!” Will shot her a challenging look.
She glanced down at her lap. “Nothing.”
“That’s what I thought.” Will turned back to me. “Anyway, back to your slipping powers and the diabolical maniac who’s using you as a lab rat.”
I sighed and slumped lower in my seat. “Right. Back to those cheery subjects….”
Heidi nodded. “I think you need to get back into that zoo—”
I held up a finger. “Sanctuary—they were very clear about that.”
She waved it away. “Whatever. You need to get in there and grill those animals.”
I cocked my head and narrowed one eye.
She giggled. “Not like that. I meant—ask them the tough questions.”
I nodded. “I agree. I just hope they’ll understand me.” I turned to Will and cut him off. “And as to your concerns, Madeline L’Orange left me a note that she’s found something, okay? Hopefully we’ll be able to arrest Ludolf soon.”
“Not soon enough,” Will grumbled, though he unfolded his arms and looked slightly appeased.
We caught up for a little longer, then I rose and put the chair back in its place against the waiting room wall. “Well, I’m off to meet up with Peter.”
Will shot me a saucy look. “Surprise, surprise. Do you even sleep at your own place anymore?”
I grinned. In truth, I’d barely been home more than a few nights in the last month.
“Oh, have your fun.” Will sighed. “While you still can.”
I shook my head at him as I headed back into the drizzly night, my backpack slung over one shoulder. I knew Will teased and poked at me, but it was just because he was worried about me. “Always the optimist.”
He pointed at me. “I’m a realist, Jolene!”
I winked at him before letting the door swing shut behind me. “Love you, too.”
19
COFFEE
