Page 93 of Espíritu

Julian.

He couldn’t scream.

Couldn’t run.

Couldn’t breathe.

SLAM.

Julian jerked upright with a sharp gasp, the image of the closet door still burned behind his eyes, only to find Rio in the doorway.

“Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me!” Julian barked, adrenaline bolting through his veins.

Rio dropped a small paper bag onto the table with a thud. A few bottles of generic Pedialyte rolled out alongside a handful of grocery- store-brand medicine.

“What’s all that?” Julian asked groggily.

Rio tossed him one of the square bottles. “Drink it.”

Julian wrinkled his nose. “This is for babies.”

“Drink it,” Rio repeated, not in the mood for jokes. He dumped a few pills into Julian’s hand.

“Why?” Julian asked, even as he obeyed. He downed the pills and took a swig—and immediately gagged. “Ugh. Salty Gatorade.” At least it was purple.

“Good,” Rio grunted, moving to the kitchen as Julian glared at his retreating back.

Julian rubbed his eyes, pulse still spiking from the dream. But the Pedialyte didn’t make him feel better. If anything, it made him more aware of how bad he felt—dizzy, nauseous, as if the floor could shift out from under him any second.

He couldn’t sit there.

“I’m gonna go to Yadriel’s place,” Julian announced, pushing himself off the couch, blood rushing to his head.

“I don’t want you going out,” Rio said immediately.

“What? Why?!” Julian balked, his voice pitching higher. “It’s still light out!”

“Because you’re sick,” Rio said, rounding on him with that all-too-familiar I’m in charge stance—arms crossed, jaw set. “Carlos told me you looked ready to pass out. You need to rest.”

“I’m fine,” Julian insisted. “I was working all morning, wasn’t I? If I can do that, I can go see Yads.”

Rio didn’t budge. “Jules.”

“Look, I’ll use my phone’s GPS, okay?” Julian blurted, pulling out his phone and waving it like proof of life. “You can track me the whole way there—I won’t go anywhere else, I swear!”

Rio looked at the phone. Then at Julian. Something shifted behind his eyes—not anger. Not annoyance.

Worry.

Rio opened his mouth to argue again but paused. His jaw shifted, and then he let out a long breath, shoulders sagging just slightly.

“You really want to see Yadriel that bad, huh?” he asked, voice lower now.

Julian swallowed. “Yeah.”

“You’ll see him tonight anyway,” Rio said. “The Midnight Vigil. His Lita texted me about it.”

Julian blinked. Of course she did.