Surrender by Lee Nichols Page A

“Terrible.”
    He hadn’t seen my dagger fall, and thought I was upset about the fight. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He grinned at my uniform with the plaid skirt. “And since when did we become Catholic? Come give me a hug, Sister Mary.”
    â€œYou’re such a jerk,” I said, as he hugged me.
    I felt him grin against me. “Some things never change.”
    But one big thing just had. How was I going to kill Neos without my dagger?
    I needed help.
    Max had sent me back to class, telling me he’d meet me at the museum later. As I walked through the hallways, I worried about searching Thatcher. Would there be more ghasts waiting for us? Had Neos sent them purposely to get my dagger? No, it had felt like an accident, just stupendously bad luck.
    But there were still so many rooms, so many hiding places. I needed someone who knew the school better than I did. So when Harry caught me searching the janitor’s room on my way to Trig and said, “Looking to buy the place?” I considered enlisting him. Except the last thing I wanted was to involve Harry with Neos. If he got hurt, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
    I answered, “Not enough closet space,” and hurried off to class.
    As I waited for Trig to start, I traced the desk graffiti with one finger, then summoned Edmund, the man in the brown suit who’d taught history at Thatcher fifty years ago. He’d been haunting the place ever since, and might know something useful.
    Hi, Edmund!
I chirped.
How’s it going? Any, um, news?
    He eyed me suspiciously.
What do you want?
    Just to chat
, I said innocently.
Did you know there were ghasts living in the old cellar?
    I’m dead, young lady, not stupid
.
    Oh. Well, the reason I was down there is that I need to find Neos’s ashes. They’re here someplace
, I filled him in.
Where do you suppose they could be?
    No, no, no
. He shook his head.
I’m not involving myself in any of
that.
    Edmund, please. Don’t be a wimp. I need your help
.
    I do not know
, he said in his most officious teacher voice,
what gave you any indication that you could speak to me like that, but I’ll have you know—
    I’m sorry, Edmund, you’re right. How about this: you help me find Neos’s ashes and I’ll—
I swallowed.
I’ll dispel you
.
    He’d been asking me to dispel him since we first met, but I’d refused. Dispelling still felt like murder to me, purely reserved for bad ghosts, or very nasty ghasts. Still, I needed his help, and this was his decision.
    Give me your word
, he said, knowing I might not follow through without it.
    I
hesitated.
I—are you sure?
    Positive
. He looked completely resolute.
    I took a deep breath. This felt so wrong, but with Natalie and Lukas wrapped up in themselves, I needed someone else. And this is what Edmund wanted.
I promise
.
    Then we’re agreed
, he said, almost cheerfully.
But you’re quite a powerful ghostkeeper, can’t you simply sniff them out? They must reek of Neos
.
    I shook my head.
I’ve tried
.
    Ah. Well, perhaps he’s found some way to hide the spectral traces of himself. Have you checked the dean’s office?
    The dean’s office was in a little building outside Thatcher’s gates.
Hadn’t even thought of it
, I admitted.
    Hmm. And the attic is a good hiding place, if a bit obvious. Perhaps the old herbal room and the closet under the back stairs? You know, this is quite diverting. I always enjoyed a treasure hunt
.
    If only we were looking for jewels
, I said, thinking of the evil that must fester in Neos’s ashes. How was I ever going to defeat him now that I’d lost the dagger?
    Edmund waved his hand in the air.
A small matter. There’s still my reward
.
    I took a circuitous route to the cafeteria, hoping to find some ghostly trace along the way, but all I found was Sara flirting with the two sophomores who’d