Page 102 of Captured Immune

Trey’s answer comes easily. “No. Not soberly, anyway. She claims I said it once when I was wasted, but I don’t remember it, which means it doesn’t count.”

“It probably counts for her. I actually think it counts more because it was unfiltered.”

“I don’t love Liz the way I love you, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“I’m not. I’ve seen how you two are together. The kind of relationship you guys have is pretty exceptional, but not romantic.”

He lets out a little scoff. “You should say that to the media. Maybe they’ll stop making up stories about me leading her on.”

“Okay, to review, the list goes: Trey Grant did not kidnap me, he does not abuse women, he likes to watch women sleep, and he does not want to bang Liz Hart.”

A bright smile lights up his face, and it’s the brightest one I’ve seen on him in what feels like weeks. “Yes. In that order.”

I miss these moments between us when we’re just talking, all light and playful. I miss the way things were when simply being with him was enough. I miss feeling like as long as I had Trey by my side, everything else would fall into place. Can we ever be like that again?

I don’t know how that can happen, considering that law forbidding Zordis from being with Ordinaries. If the zovernment is afraid that I’ll find out about their world, that ship has sailed. Maybe now I can be an exception. Is that a thing? Can they make exceptions?

I can’t be the first Ordinary who has found out about Zordis. Trey mentioned that they erase the memories of those people, but since they can’t do that with me, what would happen instead? I’m not sure if I want to find out.

I know we’ve made it to Chinatown when some reddish-orange pagoda roofs with curved edges appear in the distance. The signs say things likethai food, pho,andsushi. Still no dragon statues warding off bad people, but there is a golden statue of an Asian man riding a horse.

Trey leads me past a bunch of shops. Most of them look slow and empty. The parking lot is pretty vacant too.

We’re walking past more shops when Trey stops and his body goes rigid. I follow his gaze to a storefront window, where a bunch of miniature golden cat statues are waving at us with one arm. Trey stares at them like they’re about to spring alive and attack him.

Suddenly, he grabs my hand. Then he flips around and scans the parking lot.

I give him a moment before asking, “Is everything okay?”

“Uh, yeah.” With a tug on my arm, we continue walking. Not even for a second does Trey release his firm grip on me. I don’t mind. It’s giving me a sense of comfort and safety.

His mind power must be some type of danger alarm. That’s how he knew that teenage boy was getting hurt. That’s how he can know if a Royal is close. If his danger alarm went off just now, why aren’t we trying to hide?

My feet are achy by the time we stop outside a store with a turned-off neon sign that saysginseng. The inside is dark and messy. Cardboard boxes are scattered all over the floor.

A handwritten note on a blank sheet of paper is taped to the inside of the door.

Closed for remodeling. Reopen Oct 1.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Trey grumbles.

“Is there another Healer nearby?”

Trey responds to my question by banging on the glass door. “Hello?”

I seize his arm. “Stop! Didn’t you read the sign? They’re closed.”

He ignores me and slams his other palm against the glass. “We need help! Please!”

“Trey!” I try shoving him from the store, but it’s like trying to move a house. He barely budges. “Stop it. No one’s here.”

“Yes, there is. Two people are inside this shop, and they heard me. They’re just refusing to come out.”

“How do you know? Can you see through walls?”

He knocks again. “Please! It’s urgent!” He bangs some more until his fist stops in midair. “Thank fuck. Someone’s coming.”

A short Asian man in his early sixties glares at Trey and me as he unlocks the door. He opens it a crack just so he can yell at us in his thick Chinese accent. “Can you read duh sign? Open October one! Right now, not October one!”

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