Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

grit his teeth together. Tears flooded his eyes, and he cried out as the hook
came free. The heaviness loosened its grip, a wave of relief washing over
him that felt like the sun and the stars.
He raised the hook above his head.
And slammed it into Cameron’s chest.
His eyes flashed open when his head rocked to the side from a vicious slap.
“Ow! What the hell?”
He blinked as Mei glared down at him. They were in the tea shop,
Wallace looking up from the floor. “You bastard,” Mei snapped at him.
“What the hell did you think you were doing?”
He rubbed the side of his face, cheek still stinging as he sat up. “What are
you…” His eyes bulged. “Oh shit.”
“Yeah, you dick. Oh shit is right. Do you have any idea what you’ve—”
“Did it work?” he asked desperately. “Did it work?”
She sighed, shoulders slumping. “Look for yourself.” She reached down,
grabbing his arm and pulling him up from the floor. He yelped in surprise
when he shot up, feet leaving the ground as if he weighed nothing. With wide
eyes, he looked down. He gasped when he saw himself floating a few inches
above the floor. He waved his arms up, trying to push himself down. It didn’t
work. Mei glared at him as he tried again. “Yeah, that’s your own fault.
You’re lucky we still had Apollo’s leash or you’d be gone by now.” She
pointed at his ankle. Wrapped around him was a dog leash. He followed the
leash until he saw Nelson holding the other end.
“What’s wrong with me?” he whispered.
Nelson leaned forward, kissing the back of his hand, lips dry and
chapped. “You foolish man. You foolish, wonderful man. You’re floating
because there’s nothing left holding you in place. But don’t worry. I’ve got
you. I won’t let you float away. Unexpect it, Wallace, and trust that we have
you.”
Apollo nosed Wallace’s ankle, licking frantically at the leash as if to make
sure Wallace was still there. “I am,” Wallace whispered, his voice soft and
dreamy. “I’m still here.”