“Hold that elevator!” A hand slides between the doors, which causes them to open.

I immediately groan and make a face at Emmett before hiding Boris behind my back. Two people walk in, and it’s just our luck that one of them happens to be my favorite person in the entire world. Not.

I force a smile. “Hi, Jennie,” I say with fake cheer. “Hi, David.”

“Hi, Cosette,” David Kim, the Tokki infuser from Saturday School says. His cheeks are as round and ruddy as usual, but he’s got a queasy look about him that makes me worry he’s going to puke. His hand shakes a little as he pushes the button for level 88, and I plaster my back against the elevator wall.

“Cosette?” Jennie raises her eyebrows. “I thought you couldn’t make it to David’s initiation because of space camp.”

I suddenly realize why there are so many infusers at the temple, and why David is looking so nervous.

“Oh, um…” I try an upward inflection to come across as Cosette-like as I can. “The camp got canceled? So Adeline gave me a lift. Surprise!”

“You should have told me. We could have picked you up.” She pauses and studies me as if I’m one of those spot-the-difference puzzles. “Hey, are you feeling all right?”

I giggle nervously. “Of course. Great. Never better!” My voice is an octave too high.

The elevator stops at the basement. “That’s weird,” I say, way louder than I need to. “I wonder why we went down. We’re obviously going to the sanctuary like you, right, Em—I mean, Adeline?”

Emmett nods awkwardly and Jennie studies me suspiciously. “You sure you’re feeling all right? You seem a bit…off.”

“Of course I’m fine.” I quickly change the subject as the doors close and the elevator starts moving back up again. “So, David, you all ready for the initiation?”

He wipes the sweat off his forehead. “Not really. I mean, I hope so.”

“Dude, no offense, but you’re not looking too hot,” Emmett/Adeline points out.

Jennie reaches into David’s backpack as if it’s her own and takes out a small glass vial from the inside pocket. When she opens it, the scent of omija berries, passionflowers, and lemon balm fills the elevator. I immediately recognize it as a calming tonic Eomma and Appa get from David’s mom to use at the clinic.

“I told you to take this ages ago, you dummy.” Jennie hands it to David, who gratefully downs it in one gulp. “You’re hella useless, you know that?”

It strikes me as odd that someone as sweet and gentle as David would be friends with someone as harsh and prickly as Jennie. But if I’ve learned anything from talking to Cosette earlier, it’s that people aren’t always as they seem on the surface. Still, though…Jennie?