Chapter 16: It was for research
The first to wake up was Garrick. His eyes snapped open, and for a brief moment, he looked utterly lost. Then his expression twisted into confusion, like he’d just remembered something profoundly stupid.
He groaned, rubbing his face. "What... happened?"
"You tried to exorcise the air," I said, deadpan.
Garrick froze. "I... what?"
"You punched the air. A lot. Yelled something about banishing evil spirits."
He stared at me. Then, slowly, he turned to look at his knuckles, which were slightly red. "...Huh."
Before he could process that further, the others started coming back to life.
Julien was next, stretching with a lazy yawn like he’d just woken from the best nap of his life. Then his face twisted. "Ugh. My mouth tastes like tree bark."
"That would be the Mistleaf Essence," I said.
Mira groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You drugged us."
I crossed my arms. "You volunteered."