Vik gave me a reassuring pat, but was otherwise still until I managed to regain some semblance of control, and then he pulled back to look down at me. “So… What did you guys do in New York City, anyway?” he asked, his tone artificially light.

I sniffled, but smiled. “You have no idea. Vik!” It suddenly occurred to me—if anyone could appreciate it all, could truly comprehend, Vik could. “Vik… it’s all true!”

He looked startled. “What’s true?” he asked warily.

“All that Elder Gods stuff Ms. Epistola goes on about! The Great Old Ones, your book, the one that got stolen! Riley…” I couldn’t tell him Riley was a Great One, but… “Riley… knows!” I squeaked. “That’s why we had to go to New York. We had to go and get this other ancient book so that his uncle—Riley’s uncle Neil has this shop, The Crawling Chaos? It’s right off Main Street and you would love it, Vik, it’s so full of creepy artifacts and stuff—but Neil sent us to New York for this book so that he could hide it away from these… these cultists that were after it. They wanted to bring about the end of the world, Vik! But we stopped them. Me and Riley! I was so scared—they came after us in the Port Authority but we got away! Riley saved me…”

I sighed, the bittersweet memory stinging my heart. “He took me to see Phantom.”

Vik was staring down at me as if I had three heads.

“Please, I’m not crazy, Vik!” I cried, grasping his hands. “You believe me, right?”

Vik’s fingers immediately wrapped around mine, and he leaned in close, looking deep into my eyes. I could see how much he cared for me. Good old Vik. I’d never lose him.

“Andi…” For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words, but then he shook his head as if to clear it. “It’s all so much, but… Scarlett’s been showing me things, and… no,” he said, abruptly squeezing my hands. “You aren’t crazy.”

I could have wept, I was so relieved. Instead, I threw my arms around him, hugging him hard. “Thank you, Vik,” I whispered.

He seemed to melt against me. His voice was low, but he sounded relieved as he answered, “Don’t mention it.” A moment later, though, he worked himself away from me to study my face as if he were trying to make up his mind about something. He tucked a strand of my hair back behind my ear before he spoke again. “But seriously, Andi… Riley?”

I nodded.

Vik took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to think of him being connected to all this,” he confessed. “I’m worried about you. If he’s telling you the truth—”

“Of course he is!” I laughed.