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“Careful not to be too rough,” Amelia warned without looking at us. “I have to return most of those.”
“Where did you get them from anyway?” Margo asked.
“Friends, contacts, people I’ve met along the way. There’s a lot of…weirdout in the world. You have to find the right doors to open. Let's hope something here helps.”
Margo looked at me. “Mind if I help Amelia?”
“Go for it. Don’t forget to take breaks.”
Victor and I dove into the books, but the texts were so dry or confusing or unreadable that we ended up watching what Amelia and Margo were doing.
“What do you think they’re up to?” Victor whispered.
They were both on the floor, facing each other with their eyes closed. There was a feeling in the air, a vibration against my skin, but mostly, they seemed to be meditating.
“No idea,” I murmured back, reaching for a snack. Were their eyes silver and blue? Were they using magic? Was that the electricity in the air that made the hairs on my arms stand to attention?
Amelia groaned and slunk over, her forehead almost touching the ground. Margo lay on her back, panting as though exhausted.
Victor glanced at me and shrugged.
“How’s it going?” I called out.
“Not great,” Amelia said through gritted teeth. “I can’t get a feel for what it is Margo does. When I try, I bounce back as though I hit a wall. It’s nothing like the magic inside me, and I can’t find a way to apply anything I know to this.”
“I’m sorry,” Margo said. “I need to stop. It doesn’t feel right.”
Amelia looked like she needed a break, too. “You lead the way.”
“It’s lunchtime,” Victor said plaintively as though we’d starved him all day.
“I should head over to Perdita’s,” Amelia said. “I need to eat anyway.” She reached for her bag then took out her purse. “Here, go get some lunch.” She held some notes out to me.
“Nah, it’s okay,” I said, embarrassed.
“Don’t be an idiot. Think Perdita would let me breathe if she knew I kept you cooped in here all day without even feeding you? We’re pack. Take the damn money.”
I hesitated, so Victor took the money instead.
Amelia stretched. “If you feel like trying again, I’ll be around, but I need some new ideas.”
“We all need a break for the day,” I suggested. “You look tired, too, Amelia.”
She bit her lip then nodded. “You’re right. Even so, this is a good place to study. As long as you lot aren’t too loud, you can come back, okay? It was kind of nice to have company today.”
As we headed out of the room, her words lingered in my head. Was she lonely? How could she not be when most of the pack didn’t treat her as a friend? For the first time, I felt a little sorry for Amelia Evans.
We met Jeremy and Byron in the hallway on the way outside. Jeremy appeared irritated to see us again, but Byron greeted us like a normal person.
“How did it go in there?” he asked Amelia.
“Margo needs a break,” she said.
“Sorry,” Margo said, her cheeks flushed. “I’m trying to be careful.”
Amelia sighed. “I wasn’t getting anywhere anyway.”
“Hopefully, we won’t need you to,” he replied.
