/> “No,” he says, sounding frustrated. “And there’s not really much else we can sacrifice. We’ve already got the cheapest plane tickets we can find and we’re going to be living off peanut butter for like two weeks … if we’re lucky.”
“What about knocking off that hotel in Salem?”
He eyes me warily. “You think I haven’t considered that? I got the booking dirt cheap. Cancelling it wouldn’t even give us enough money for the upgraded tent.”
“Might give us enough for some smaller upgrades though,” I say thoughtfully. “But I’ll go check another section for agropelter info—knowing its territory size will be helpful whether or not we can afford better tents.”
Piers just nods and turns the page—which is focused on another monster altogether. I get up and walk to another section of the library, hunting for something more specifically on winter habitats. Last year when we worked together we were able to get a private study room, but we moved too slow this time. We’ve managed to claim a partly-secluded table between two bookshelves, and though people rarely bother us, it isn’t the same.
As I move through the section, grabbing books that look promising, I spot Sawyer come in out of the corner of my eye. I loiter too long and he spots me as well. He turns to head my way, but I pretend I haven’t noticed him and walk with my heavy stack of books back to my table with Piers.
“Hope those are better than the ones I’ve got,” Piers growls as he pushes yet another book away. He must not be having any luck. I tip my armload onto the table and immediately overbalance.
“Shit!” I hiss as I trip, falling onto Piers. He stands up to catch me, grabbing me around the waist. The books tumble to the floor as I grab him to catch my balance, leaning my head against his chest … just as Sawyer rounds the corner.
I imagine what the scene must look like—books scattered around us, Piers and I standing close, his arms around me as though we were caught up in the moment and had to leap at each other. To make things worse, Piers hastily—almost guiltily—pushes me away, his face reddening.
Sawyer doesn’t say anything. He just stands there for a moment, mouth slightly open, before turning and walking away.
“That looked bad,” Piers says worriedly as Sawyer retreats.
“Oh, no,” I sigh with feigned concern. It’s Sawyers own fault if he keeps lurking around corners. I duck beneath the table to grab the books—and that’s when Sawyer chooses to come back, possibly to say something, but sees me pop up from beneath the table, right near Piers’ waist.
Shit. I know exactly how this looks this time.
“Oh—sorry,” Sawyer mumbles.
“No, wait!” Piers says as Sawyer rushes away, but it’s too late—Sawyer’s completely misunderstood. I hide my own embarrassed glow behind the books I’m gathering. Piers throws himself into his chair with a groan. “Let’s just get back to work.”
I agree. There’s nothing to be done, not if I’m going to keep from getting distracted again.
At dinner, I find Erin as soon as I can and practically throw myself down across from her. “What’s up with Helsing?” I ask before she can even greet me.
She shrugs. “He won’t say, but something’s definitely wrong … especially if he’s in the mood to praise me for something that isn’t combat,” she adds darkly.
I pause. This isn’t a mood I expected from her.
“What do you mean?” I ask carefully.
Erin sighs and looks around. I do, too. Luiza is normally here by now. Her arrival would mean a change of subject, but she’s nowhere to be seen.
“My dad and I have never really been close.”
That doesn’t surprise me. I didn’t find out that Helsing was her father until the end of last year, and they barely interacted at all then.
“Actually, that’s an understatement.” She stares down at her food, but it’s like she’s a thousand miles away. “When I was little, he … practically hated me. He tried to train me to follow in his footsteps, to be a monster hunter, but I was too scared to go on hunts. I wasn’t good with most of the weapons he gave me. He called me a coward. A lot.”
I don’t reply. I don’t know what to say, and I’m afraid she’ll stop talking if I interject. I’m not even sure she’s talking directly to me.
“He went off on a lot of hunts after he stopped trying to train me.” Erin brushes some hair behind her ear, and I can imagine her as a little girl—pale, thin, wide-eyed. “One of them he came back so mutilated that Mom and I barely recognized him. Mom says he was … missing something. It’s why they ended up separating.”
“Missing something?” I ask despite myself.
Erin’s face colors. “Apparently the monster, whatever it was, got ahold of him. Everything below the waist was ruined … if you catch my drift.”
“Let me just stop you there,” I say. I place both of my hands flat on the table as gently as I can, but my body is shaking. “Erin,” I say slowly. “Are you saying Helsing lost his dick?”
She nods, her face nearly as red as I’m sure mine is.