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“What would you do with a wish?” Vic asked, turning to his side.

Adam was already drifting off. Pulling Vic along with him took a big bite out of his limited energy, and sleep was close. He heard his own voice as if far away when he answered, “I’d save Ian, keep him from ever becoming the Wolf. You?”

Vic reached to turn out the light.

“I’d save you.”

9

Though he had his reservations, Adam checked Seamus’s bit of cardboard when he left for work.

He wanted to tell the leprechaun what he’d found, to honor their agreement, but that didn’t mean he wanted to walk into the western territory to make a report without backup.

The coin in his pocket might grant him safe passage, but it wouldn’t help if Adam was spotted talking to the enemy. Silver had asked that he request permission before crossing the boundary again.

He didn’t know how his probation would affect the king’s reaction if Adam walked into the western watchtower. At best, he’d frown on it. At worst, he’d sanction Adam further. Either way there would be questions, and Adam did not want to draw more attention to himself, not until he’d found a way to help Ian.

He resolved to wait on Seamus or find some way to send him a signal.

Tune-ups and oil changes filled his day. He went from job to job, losing himself in the flow. The most interesting thing to come across his schedule was an old Subaru with a blown freeze plug.

Adam said goodbye to the crew and went to clock out in the office, but he found himself elsewhere when he stepped through the door to leave.

The shift unbalanced him and Adam fell forward to land on his hands and knees. The tile floor beneath him felt cold on his palms.

“Sorry about that,” Jack said, stepping into view and offering Adam a hand. “I couldn’t trust messaging you.”

Jack’s hand was warm in his as he helped Adam to his feet. It surprised Adam. He’d never touched the technopath before.

Made of copper-and-gold wires with hints of green circuit boards, Jack wore a pair of pleated slacks and a sweater vest over a button-up with rolled-up sleeves. His bow tie was a little askew. On his vest was a little pink-and-blue flag pin. Adam couldn’t imagine he needed the spectacles, unless he was trying to rock the librarian look, which he succeeded at.

Adam shifted his attention to the narrow room. There were shelves of paper towels and toilet tissue along with a mop bucket that matched the one Jesse had at the garage. The green cinder block walls glowed, pulsing with light not dissimilar to the spirit realm’s constant crescent moon. The smell was dirty water mixed with something astringent. It took him back to Liberty House, the institution where he’d spent his last years of high school, and Adam shuddered.

“Where are we?”

“A supply closet at the school,” Jack said. “It seemed the most discreet.”

“I didn’t realize you could have the school grab me whenever I open a random door.”

Jack ducked his head.

“It helps that it knows you.”

“What did you want to talk about? Did you find the missing information?”

“No, but I think I found a lead.”

Jack squirmed a little. He might enjoy bending the rules from time to time but outright kidnapping was outside his comfort zone.

“The Archive Infinite,” he said.

Adam squinted, thinking back to the fall.

“You’ve mentioned them before. You sent them a letter about the Wolf cult’s spells?”

“Exactly. They’re old school. Analog. If there’s anything written down about the elven religion, they’d have it. I mean, the Elven Academy might as well, but we’re not getting in there without the king’s express permission.”

“Yeah, I’m not his favorite person right now, so tell me about this archive.”