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“I’ve never seen a potion that colour,” he said. “What do you think it could be?”
“Beats me.”
Potions had never been my forte, and I had only scraped a passing grade in school. But I knew enough about everyday potions to know that this wasn’t a normal brew.
The front door slammed, and I flinched. Ben nearly dropped the vial. He put it back on the bedside table as angry voices rose up the stairs.
We shared horrified looks. They had returned home already.
Iswore under my breath. How were we going to explain being in their house uninvited?
I snuck over to the door and onto the landing, Ben close behind me. We crouched at the top of the stairs, careful to stay a little way back to avoid anyone seeing us.
“It’s disrespectful, George! All I needed was for you to come to Temple with me, and you can’t even do that!” Sobs broke up Michaela’s words.
“I just don’t feel comfortable going inside at the moment, Mickey.” George had the sound of a schoolboy being told off.
I pursed my lips.
Why would anyone feel uncomfortable inside a temple unless burdened with guilt and they didn’t want the gods’ eyes on them? What was he worried they would judge him for?
“It’s the only place I can feel close to Tyler anymore. Being in his room doesn’t even help now!” Michaela cried.
I looked at Ben out of the corner of my eye. He had called it. Michaela must have been ill while spending time in Tyler’s room.
I furrowed my brow as a thought struck me.
Those unusual potions she had been drinking… were they making her ill? Had George been giving them to her?
“Mickey—”
“I don’t want to hear it, George!” Michaela’s footsteps turned into stomps the closer she got to the stairs.
“Go, go!” I whispered, pushing Ben back down the corridor.
We dashed as quietly as we could back into Michaela’s room, and after a second of looking around, Ben dove under the bed. I slid under after him, and our shoulders pressed together as we fought each other for room.
“Move over!” I hissed. “I’m sticking out!”
“If I move over, I’ll stick out,” Ben muttered.
I gave him a shove, and he slid over an inch, allowing me to shuffle under the bed just as the door flew open.
The mattress bowed as Michaela threw herself onto the bed, and I lowered my chin to the dusty carpet to avoid banging my head.
Gods above, how did we end up here?
Mine and Ben’s bodies pressed together down the centre under the bed. He was much warmer than me, and the curve of his muscles against my skin should have repulsed me. But I could admit, only to myself, that I kind of liked it.
The bed shook with every one of Michaela’s muffled sobs.
I tilted my head gingerly to look at Ben.
“What do we do?” I mouthed.
Ben tried to shrug, but with his arms pressed to the ground in front of him, the gesture was barely noticeable.
I rested my chin on my folded hands. We didn’t exactly have much choice. We had to wait this out.
