Will pressed the button, and we waited our turn. When the Walk sign lit up, we crossed Third Avenue, ducking into the shadows of the residential side of 104th. Distant sirens and the clunk of our footsteps were the only sounds in the night. Almost in the clear now.
“So, what’s this mission anyway?” he asked, breaking up the silence.
“You’ll see,” I whispered. We had to sneak past the Harlem projects without being seen. Didn’t he get that?
The street was darker now. Twenty more feet and we’d be there.
“C’mon man.” Will was whining now. “Tell me what’s up.”
Shaking my head, I kept walking. Five more steps, and I stopped. “Here we are.”
Will backed up. “No way. I can’t break into a church.”
“Some pampered Nexis president you’ll be, mama’s boy,” I hissed at him. Pivoting around to face the wimp, I glared him down. Think. Make something up. “Listen, man. This is my last mission as Nexis president. And your first. It’s a long-standing tradition to initiate the new guy. But hey, if you can’t handle it, I’m sure they’ll find someone else.” There, that should shut him up.
Sure enough, his eyes went wide. “Are you serious? I’m the next Nexis president? Awesome. Let’s do this.”
“Welcome aboard.” I shook his hand, all official-like and everything. See what I mean? Responsible. Turning back to the church, I pulled my lock pick out of my pocket.
Bing. Bong. Bing. Bong. The church bells dinged as I jimmied the lock. Not helping.
“St. Lucy’s Church,” Will said slowly, as if he had just learned how to read. “We’re breaking into a church named after the first Seer?”
My hands quaked. Please God, don’t let him figure it out. Not yet. But I kept working the lock. I had to get those documents. My own Lucy needed protection from the likes of people like him. And she needed that stone.
“Don’t you have a sister? Her name’s Lucy, right?” Will asked.
I flinched and hunched my shoulders, refusing to give anything away. “Yeah, so what?”
“A funny coincidence I guess.” He started whistling to himself.
“Yeah, funny.” I tuned him out. Thank God he was fifteen and completely clueless. Back to business. I was so close. My palms were sweating now. My heart thumped in my ears. I could feel the lock about to give way. I needed to relax.
Pop. Like magic, the lock clicked and the door cracked open.
“You’ve gotta teach me how to do that,” he said as we tiptoed into the dark building.
“Shh.” I put one finger to my lips.
Darkness draped the cavernous foyer in eerie silence like it knew we were here—watching our every move.
My sneakers squeaked across the marble. I slid up against the wall, motioning Will to do the same. He followed my lead as we turned the corner and trekked up a long hallway. Two doors down was the library. I knew because Responsible James had already cased the place.
At the library door, I jimmied the lock again. This one popped open in only a few twists. These guys needed to up their security, especially in this town.
“Nice,” Will whispered.
I opened the door, yanked him by the collar, and dragged him inside. Ever-so-slowly, I closed the door until it clicked. Locking it behind me.
“Keep your voice down,” I growled at him. “Try to remember we’re on a covert mission.”
“Sooor-ry.” He hoisted his hands in the air. “What’re we looking for anyway?”
Gripping his hoodie tighter, I stared him down. “This stays between us, past president to future prez. Can I trust you?”
His eyes were wide, but he didn’t flinch or look away. “Of course you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone.”
“You can’t tell a soul. Not Nexis, not even your parents. No one, got it?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You swear? This is life or death stuff here.”
“I swear, James.” With one nod he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I know I’m a Stanton and everything that’s supposed to mean in the Nexis world. But I’m your friend first. You can trust me. Tell me what’s going on.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, studying every nook and cranny of his face. But I couldn’t find anything. No telltale nervous tick, or rapid-fire blinking. Will just stared back at me, looking me square in the eye. Could he actually mean what he said?
Will came from a long line of Stantons, the family that had ruled the Nexis Semigod Nations for a century, with no end in sight. But this guy seemed different. I’d watched him all year. He wasn’t like every other Nexis freshman looking to climb the ladder. Maybe Will’s family hadn’t told him about their plans. Maybe he was in the dark like I was once. So I decided to take a chance on this guy.
Pulling two flashlights from my hoodie pocket, I handed him one. “Here’s the deal. I’m looking for documents on the sacred stones and their current locations. Think you can handle that, rookie?”
“So that’s what this is about.” A slow grin curled his mouth. “You’re looking for a leg up. Can’t say I blame you, either. If I was next in line to be the Seer I’d want to find the Watcher’s Sapphire, too. So everyone would take me seriously. But I doubt we’ll find a treasure map to their secret hideout in here.”
“No, that’s not it,” I said, shaking my flashlight. “I don’t want just anyone to be able to see the unseen world of angels and demons. It’s not a gift. It’s an incredible burden.” I had to give this kid credit, though. He knew more than I did at his age. Figures.
“So what are you looking for?” he asked. “You know where we keep the Nexis Ruby.”
“Do I seriously have to spell it out for you?” I shook my head at him. “There are only three sacred stones. I’m looking for the Guardian Amethyst.”
“Whoa.” He sucked in a breath. “You’ve got some balls man. That could
