The Internet’s Most Haunted Influencer
Page 179
That was okay. Nate had earned his rest.
Leo patrolled. He came back. Nate was still asleep, flat on his back, one arm over the seal.
Then Marvin chimed and rolled off his dock.
Nine o’clock. And the man hadn’t moved.
The vacuum bumped its way past the sleeping bag. Leo let it. He had more important things to worry about than the cheeky vacuum—who was probably taking advantage of the situation.
A few minutes later, though, before Leo could get truly worried, Nate stirred. He cracked one eye against the sunlight and made a sound as if morning had come too soon after all.
“Good morning,” Leo said.
“No,” Nate said, and pulled the sleeping bag over his head.
“Something wrong?” Leo asked.
Apparently, a lot of things were wrong. Nate’s head, the light, the birds, and Marvin. For once, Nate was the one who wished the vacuum would stop moving.
Leo managed not to be smug about it, but just barely.
With some effort, he drew the curtains.
“Thanks,” Nate muttered.
“You should probably have some water too,” Leo suggested.
Nate hummed in agreement, but he didn’t get up.
After a moment, Leo floated into the kitchen. There was a glass on the counter that was still half-full.
Leo looked at it and pondered.
Could he transport it into the sitting room? Maybe. He was pretty good at controlling his powers these days.
He focused and the glass began to float, a little unsteadily. Once or twice, the water came close to sloshing over the edge, but didn’t.
“Ha,” Leo said quietly, and began walking backward to the sitting room, the glass hovering in the air before him.
He came through the doorway. Behind him, Nate made a sound.
“What are you—”
“Don’t speak to me,” Leo said. “I’m concentrating.”
“Okay, but—”
Annoyed, Leo turned to Nate to remind him to shut up, but as he turned, the glass followed the motion of his hands and then onwards as Leo lost control of it.
It flew right over Nate’s face in one graceful arc, spilling its contents all over the medium’s face.
A moment of silence followed.
Nate sat in the sleeping bag with his hair plastered down and water running off his nose.
The empty glass rolled on the floor next to him.
“I was going to bring you water,” Leo said.