In the past, that sort of hand-to-hand contact always led to me finding myself trapped in some super scary world that I had to fight like heck to bust my way out of. Which is why I was a little more than surprised to find us still standing there, hands still clasped together as the girl smiled and said, “You may call me Messalina.” I nodded, continuing to brace for the big, dramatic thing. But when it didn’t happen, when it turned out to be just your standard, everyday kind of handshake, I freed myself from her grasp and said, “I’m Riley. Riley Bloom. And while it’s been really great talking to you, the thing is, I have a job to do. I really need to find a way to get through to Theocoles. So, if you have any helpful hints, any sort of insider info, I’d love to hear it. But if not …” I shrugged, figuring there was no need to mince words. “Well, then we should probably say our good-byes since I really need to move this thing along.” I’d just barely finished, when she did the most unexpected thing: Instead of getting mad, or huffy, or completely offended—she laughed at me.
