Book Eight: Chapter 156

“Eight,” she replied. She always picked that number.

“Fine, eight,” he said. “But now that I know you’re out, you should come with me. It wouldn’t be wise to leave you unsupervised. Take this.” Callisto pulled the sheet off his head and tossed it over his sister. “Try to scrunch your body up,” he said. “So people don’t see your legs.”

The ghost in front of him shifted and morphed as his sister obeyed. Once he was satisfied that her arachnid morphology was sufficiently concealed, he gave her a thumbs up and picked up his sack.

“Did you have to bring Tick Tock?” he asked, trying to conceal his concern that the mimic would out them.

“Yes,” she replied. “For backup.”

“Don’t you have Pawpaw Cyrus for that?” he asked with a smirk.

“No man left behind,” she replied, then shifted inside her sheet and stuck out a hand to reveal the stuffed bear.

“You keep him inside Tick Tock?” he asked, offering a hand to lead his sister out of the bushes.

“Ye