“You’d have our help,” said Zhang.
“Pipe dream.” Rory sighed. “I can’t keep my head together with the box open in the city.”
“At the moment, you’re not the master of your powers, they are the master of you,” said Jade. “You can change that—”
“But this isn’t how he should have to learn.”
Arthur. He’d stepped in the study’s doorway, a glass tumbler in hand. Rory tried not to let his relief show on his face. “You gonna come talk to me like an adult? Or you gonna stand over there and sulk?”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t decided.”
Rory wished he’d come closer. Instead he looked at Jade. “So we got a plan?”
“Mansfield is throwing a gala for the new mayor tomorrow night and Ace is going,” said Jade. “We’ll need to get you in another way.” She looked at him appraisingly. “I could get you a waiter’s uniform from the Magnolia.”
“So he’ll just be at the mercy of his psychometry while trying to pass as a waiter at a xenophobe’s mansion? Well, now I’m completely reassured.” Arthur took a drink.
“He can’t be your plus one without drawing attention,” Jade said coolly. “This will keep him off Mansfield’s radar completely.”
Rory nodded. “The help’s basically invisible to rich jerks.”
“How dare you,” said Arthur.
Rory folded his arms. “What’s Mrs. Polkowski’s first name?”
Arthur scoffed indignantly. “She’s been my parents’ housekeeper for years, I know her first name! It’s—it’s—”
“Katarina,” Rory, Jade, and Zhang said as one.
Arthur stared at Rory. “How do you know—never mind, point taken.” He set the glass down and crossed the room to the large table where Rory sat. “So.” He held Rory’s eyes. “We get you past the party, past Mansfield, pastGwen, all the way to the safe and then you get the safe to open. Is that how this mad plan is supposed to work?”
Rory swallowed and looked away. “Guess so.”
“You’re going to have to give me more than that,” Arthur said. “Or I’ll leave you behind, and you won’t beat me to the relic if I tie you to the bed first.”
Rory squirmed. Did Arthur think that threat wasscary? “I’ll be okay if you’re with me.”
“Now you’re shamelessly appealing to my protective nature with pretty words.” Arthur put his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Try again, duck.”
“No, really, I—” Rory looked down at the polished wood surface of the table. “I, uh—I got out.” He traced a circle on the table so he wouldn’t have to look at Arthur. “Of the vision. I got myself out tonight.”
“You got yourself roughed up, nearly arrested, and nearly hit by a car,” Arthur said heatedly. “So don’t try and tell me—”
“I saw the car,” Rory blurted. “Mansfield hadn’t closed the relic up yet, but something was anchoring me to the real world and I saw the car.”
Arthur straightened. “How did you get out of the vision?”
“Um.” Rory bit his lip. “I followed you.”
Arthur startled. “You what?”
“Like aiming for a lighthouse in a storm, or following north on a compass.” Rory took a breath. “I found a lifeline out. You.”
He chanced a glance up to find Arthur looking like he was the one who’d been hit by the Model T.
“Rory.” Arthur was a little hoarse. “What does that—”
“It’s bunk, like everything I say,” Rory snapped, sharper than he’d meant to be. “You got a cabal of paranormals—don’t you know scryers talk crazy?”
