Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere by Bella Forrest Page 0,43
energy resonating inside my chest, and the sadness swelled like a balloon, making my breath hitch.
“Persie?” Nathan cut through my strange reverie. “Are you ready to look deeper into these pixies, so I can help you?”
“No.” The refusal blurted out of my mouth as though someone else had said it. “I caused this; I’ll fix it. I caught one, I can catch the rest. You’ve given me enough to go on.” I bolted away from him, driven by an uncontrollable sense of urgency that spiked in every vein. I owed it to these creatures to be the one to gather them up. Maybe that didn’t make sense, and this wasn’t the time to be a maverick, but my mind was made up.
Nathan ran after me, cutting me off before I crossed the Repository threshold. “Persie, hold on a second. I’ll let you do this, as I can see what it means to you, but I can only give you a brief window before I have to say something.”
“Just… give me until tomorrow.” My eyes widened, imploring him. He was right—it did mean a lot to me, because if I didn’t at least attempt it solo, then I wasn’t sure I deserved my place here. Otherwise, everyone would always be on their guard, rolling their eyes, wondering when my next screw-up would happen.
“On one condition. You come back with every pixie you manage to capture, so I can safely deposit them in the orbs. You’ll quickly run out of space if you don’t,” he said firmly. “And then, come tomorrow; if it hasn’t worked, we’ll discuss our next course of action.”
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I would need somewhere to put the pixies, given that I only had a few of the pre-hexed Mason jars. With a subtle nod, I agreed. “That’s fair.”
“And come back here if you decide you want further help. I’ll stay in my study all night so you can easily find me.” He offered a reassuring smile, and he didn’t chase me this time as I took off out the door.
I didn’t want to depend on the Institute’s aid, but there was one person I could call without feeling like I’d handed off my responsibility. Taking out my phone as I ran, I dialed Genie, only to get her voicemail. I remembered the movie, and realized she’d probably turned it off. Still, I’d keep trying while I went after these annoying pixies.
I’ve got a good feeling about you, Nathan O’Hara. You’re one of the nice ones, I can tell. I smiled as I slowed my pace. Genie might not have thought much of him, but I knew she’d feel the same as I did once she got to know him better. And I guessed we’d be seeing a lot more of him now that he’d seen what my Purge ability could do.
Settling into a brisk walk, I roamed the hallways, watching every corner and crevice for the slightest sign of a pixie. I kept my ears peeled, too, if that was a thing, listening for the sound of their fast-fluttering wings. Even if it took all night, I would find those mischievous critters.
An hour later, after circling back to the main common areas empty-handed, I froze at the sight of a figure storming toward me. It was Charlotte, her face like thunder, striding along and taking out her foul mood on the floor. Her hazel eyes narrowed as she saw me, her footsteps quickening.
“What is it with the two of you?” she barked. I wouldn’t get a trophy for guessing who the other half of that duo was.
But I didn’t have to pretend innocence. “Is something wrong?”
“Like she hasn’t already told you.” Charlotte folded her arms across her chest. “I just spent the last two hours mopping up the banquet hall. It wasn’t exactly how I wanted to spend my evening.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t seen Genie since dinner.”
Charlotte eyed me, clearly debating whether or not to believe me. “You shouldn’t be out at this hour.”
“It’s not even ten yet,” I replied, keeping my calm. “I didn’t realize we had early curfews here.”
Her small frown told me I’d called her bluff.
“I was trying to be nice,” she said, though her expression remained indecipherable. “Hosseini goes hard on his students, and you’ll be a wreck tomorrow if you don’t get a decent night’s sleep. When you do badly in a class, it reflects badly on the whole Institute. So, like I