Page 64 of School Spirits
“Thanks,” I said, taking the bag and holding out my free hand. “If you’ll just give me your keys—”
But Maya blocked the front door, hands on her wide hips. “No way,” she said. “I promised your Mom I’d watch you, and letting you run off to fight a hedge witch and a homicidal ghost is probably one of those things she’d frown on. Besides, you’ll need my help with the ritual.”
Reminding myself that decking old ladies is wrong, I took a deep breath. “Maya, I appreciate that, but my friends are in danger, and I have to help them. On my own.”
But instead of being impressed with what I thought was a pretty stoic delivery, Maya laughed. “You Brannicks are always saying that.” She dropped her voice an octave or so. “‘I have to do this alone. This is my sole duty. I cannot accept help.’” Shaking her head, she said, “But you don’t do it alone. Youneverhave. There’s always people like me, or that weirdo you keep in a mirror, or these kids at your school.”
Leaning forward, she took me by the shoulders. “You aren’t alone, Izzy. You or your mom or, when we find her, Finley. And whether you like it or not, you need help. And you’re getting it. So get your skinny little butt in my car, and let’s go kick some ghost ass.”
CHAPTER 31
Anderson’s car was parked outside of the cave when we pulled up. Leaning over the steering wheel, Maya whistled low. “Well, if this isn’t the perfect setting for a ghost face-off, I don’t know what is.”
I looked into the mouth of the cave, but everything was dark. Still, they were in there, I was sure of it.
Getting out of the car, I walked to the trunk. Maya and I were just hefting out our bag of supplies when a splash of headlights lit up the gloom. “Who on earth—” Maya started, but I recognized the burgundy town car immediately.
Even though I should have been horrified, I couldn’t stop the giddy leap of my heart or the sudden smile that wanted to break out over my face. The car stopped, and Dex loped out of the passenger side.
“I told you not to come,” I said, walking over to him.
He threw up his hands. “And yet. Now what are we doing here?”
He squinted past me at Maya, who was already toting the bag into the cave.
“Dex,” I said, pushing my hands into my back pockets so I wouldn’t do something stupid like hug him. “This could get—Wait, you didn’t drive.”
Running a hand up and down the back of his neck, Dex sighed. “Yes, my Nana had to drive me. You see, apparently, nearly being blown up at school was somehow my fault, so now I’m grounded. But when I explained that my Fair Isolde had need of me…”
I looked up into his blue eyes, taking in tonight’s scarf, which was a riot of turquoise and purple. His curly black hair was sticking up, and oh man, he was right. I did need him. Kind of a lot.
Which was just so, so unfortunate.
“Dexter!” Nana called, rolling down her window.
“Ah, yes.” He jogged back to the car, resting his hand on her windowsill and ducking his head inside. “Nana, Izzy needs me to go into this cave to get our friends. I’m going to help her with that, while you wait right here.”
Nana smiled at me. “Hello, Izzy. Dexter, you know I always appreciate your being helpful, but this seems…”
She looked past us toward the cave, and Dex craned his head over his shoulder, following her gaze. “I know it looks vaguely unsanitary and potentially scandalous, Nana, but I promise that Izzy and I are only pursuing noble…pursuits. We’ve even got a chaperone! Izzy, who was that woman who went into the cave?”
I blanked, not sure how to describe Maya. I settled on, “My…also my Nana.”
“See?” Dex said brightly, ducking his head in to kiss his Nana’s cheek. “Izzy’s Nana! We are totally safe and appropriate.”
I wasn’t sure Nana was convinced, but she pursed her lips and said, “No longer than ten minutes, Dexter.”
He gave her a jaunty salute, and we turned and walked into the mouth of the cave.
Maya was in the first chamber, spreading salt. It was to Dex’s credit that he just took her in with a “Huh,” and followed me deeper into the cave.
“Okay, so—” I started, but then his hand grasped my shoulders, turning me so that my back was against the cavern wall.
“I like you.”
Bewildered, I blinked at him. “What?”
“I. Like. You,” Dex repeated, and for once there was no glimmer in his eyes, no smile lurking on his lips. “I have since that morning on the track, and I should’ve made that clearer by now.”
