I know what alps are and would normally be just as excited, and at the moment I don’t care. I gently take my arm from his grasp. Immediately, his demeanor changes. He turns to look at me, seeming to notice the air of hesitation around me for the first time.
“Avery?” he asks uncertainly, frowning. “You okay?”
“Yes … and no.”
He frowns. “You’re gonna tell me something I’m not gonna like, aren’t you?”
“Probably.” I sigh and glance over at the man-made pond. A few swans drift across it like paper origami on a black sea. “Look, Sawyer, I can’t do this thing with you.”
“This thing?” He frowns. “You mean - last night?”
“Yeah.” I bend down and pick up a pebble on the path, turning it over in my hands.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, not really.” I look up at him just for a moment. He looks so sad that I have to look back down at the rock. “I need space, Sawyer. I have to focus on hunting and studying. There’s a lot of things going on, and I just can’t have … this.” My mind flashes to the djinn phylactery on its pedestal. I thought, just for a second, that I could forget what happened, move on and all that … but I can’t.
But when I glance up and see the way he’s hanging his head, I can’t tell him that. “I really need to study, Sawyer. That’s really what it is.”
“Sure.”
“It’s true. I need to buckle down and work. It’s not just schoolwork I need to do, either.” I sigh, still thinking of the djinn and the contract. “Plus, I have this hunt to plan—”
“With Piers,” he interjects, and I scowl at him.
“Yeah, with Piers,” I say. “Is there a problem?”
“You need to focus on your studies, but you’re spending all this time with—”
“With my partner for my hunt?” I snap. “Don’t do this again. I thought we got past that. You’re not the only one trying to make amends here, Sawyer. I beat the shit out of Piers, remember? I’m lucky he still talks to me. And you’re lucky I’m still talking to you.”
He holds up his hands. “You’re right. It’s none of my business. I’m sorry. It’s just … I’m disappointed.”
I sigh. He really is. I’ve never seen him frown so much.
“Sorry about that. I just need to focus.”
He shrugs and looks away, his eyes roaming over the scenery. “Shall we find Luiza and get her to fess up?”
“About how this was all an excuse to hang out with Erin?” I laugh. “Let her keep her secret for a while. It’ll be a cute story for her to tell Erin later.”
We wander around the park for a little while longer before we find Erin and Luiza, and I react with mock surprise when Erin says they couldn’t find the brownie.
“Imagine that,” I say, glancing at Luiza, who stares firmly at a sign written in German. At least one couple found some happiness today.
Chapter Eleven
The rest of the festival is a blur of more beer and sausage and men in lederhosen. I don’t let the girls out of my sight again, and after my talk with Sawyer … we don’t see much of him, or Piers.
I stride into Helsing’s office Sunday night, tired but happy. Cleaver is tied to a chair in the corner, and Helsing sits at his desk. He looks up at me and immediately jabs his finger at Cleaver.
“Take this mutt out of my sight.”
Cleaver’s hackles are raised and he’s growling and snarling at Helsing so hard that drool is dripping from his fangs. I’ve never seen him so worked up.
“Cleaver?” I say in disbelief as I run to him.
“He’s been like this all weekend,” Helsing snaps. “Won’t let me get near him.”