Page 120 of Storm Caller

He’s with a different girl now, leering over her like a complete jackass.

I wonder about Trinity’s whereabouts again, and more importantly, why she spends any time around this guy. I fire off a text, but I don’t receive a reply.

“I think it’s working,” Rook says in a low voice.

Dire shakes his head and rubs his eyes just as he stumbles a step, using the wall to catch himself. A moment later, he pushes himself upright and tries to resume his conversation, but it’s obvious he’s struggling.

Another head shake, and he’s forced to lean against the wall.

That’s when Rook makes his way over. I follow on his heels.

“You okay?” he asks, gripping Dire’s shoulder.

“I dunno,” Dire says, clutching his stomach. “I feel like shit all of a sudden.”

“Can’t hold your liquor, Captain?” he mocks, and Dire frowns.

“Fuck you,” he bites out as Rook takes him by the arm.

“Let’s find a place for you to lie down.”

Rook jerks his chin, and I scan the room to ensure none of Dire’s Extinguisher friends have noticed anything. They all appear occupied as Rook drags a stumbling Dire into the bathroom.

We head down a narrow hall lined with individual shower rooms on either side, pick one, and shove Dire in. Rook practically tosses him against the wall, where he groans as he smacks the tile and then slides to the floor, his eyelids fluttering, his limbs sagging, and his skin flushed.

I slam the door and lock it as Rook fumbles through his pockets, drawing out three different key cards.

“We’ll take them all,” Rook says.

Then we search the rest of his pockets and scatter all his belongings around the room, stealing a few things to make it look a little less like we were solely after his keys. The plan is to return the cards after we’ve found Edward, but hopefully this will cover us in case someone finds him before we can make it back.

Just as we’re finishing up, the music cuts off outside, and I hear a raised voice. Someone has come to break up the party.

“Let’s go,” I hiss.

Rook slides the shower curtain closed, concealing Dire’s giant body. Then we leave, shutting the door behind us and exiting the gym, hiding ourselves among everyone frantically clearing out.

“Everyone return to their rooms!” the dean is shouting. “We will find out who is responsible for this, and they will be punished accordingly.”

We skirt past her and through the school, taking a staircase down to the tunnels. My heart is pounding, and my skin is covered in a sheen of sweat.

But we did it.

Time to rescue Edward.

I hope.

42

We make our way toward the same tunnel entrance we’ve used countless times to sneak out of school. The added benefit of the party’s aftermath is that everyone will be focused on the chaos instead of where either of us went. With any luck, it’ll be at least a few hours before anyone discovers Dire in the bathroom.

Even then, he’ll be hard to move, and finding him passed out at a student party should hopefully get him in all kinds of shit. I doubt the Extinguishers are supposed to be hanging out with us, and I’m sure they aren’t supposed to be getting drunk inside the school.

I exhale a breath of relief when we find Henry waiting.

“Hi,” I say as he offers us a tight nod.

“Got it?” he asks.