Page 12 of Hexual Healing
He shrugged, then stood abruptly and walked over to the sink.“It didn't end well.”
“Did they curse you too?”
“No.”He turned on the water, watched it run.“She killed me.”
The words hung in the air like a bad joke waiting for a punchline.But Baz didn't laugh.Didn't elaborate.Just washed the pan with mechanical precision while I tried to process what he'd just said.
“You got better?”I finally managed, realizing what an idiot I sounded like as soon as the last word left my mouth.
“Eventually.”
“I have so many questions,” I said as Gary slithered closer to my elbow, leaving a trail of nervous shine.I so hated when he did that, but he only gooed me up when he had something important to say.It was a boundary we’d established eons ago.Well before snail mucin became all the rage in fancy Korean skincare.The idea of rubbing any Gary parts on my face made me throw up in my mouth a little.
“Well, that's not ominous at all.Tansy, darling, we should probably discuss our exit strategy,” Gary whispered so low I could barely hear him.
“Thereisno exit strategy,” Baz said without turning around.“She's already coming.The only question is whether you'll be ready when she gets here.”
As if in response to his words, the curse flared so hot, I gasped.My vision went white.For a second, I could feel her.Illanya.Like she was standing right behind me, breathing on my neck, whispering my name.
Found you, little spark.
The plate exploded.I didn't remember standing, but suddenly, I was pressed against the wall, hyperventilating, while Baz stood between me and the door like he could see something I couldn't.
“How long?”His voice was different.Harder.The kind of voice that had given orders in situations where orders meant the difference between living and dying.
“I don't… What?”
“How long until she gets here?The curse just pinged her, didn't it?She knows exactly where you are now.”
I tried to do the math, but my brain was static.“Tomorrow?Maybe tonight if she pushes it?”The words came out on autopilot.I didn’t know which was scarier: the fact that I knew the answer, or the fact that I didn’t know how I knew.
“Then we have a lot of work to do.”He grabbed his jacket from a hook by the door.“Can you ward?”
“Basic stuff, but with the curse?—”
“Can Gary?”
We both looked at the snail, who somehow managed to look offended despite not having eyebrows.
“I'm a familiar, not a hedge witch,” Gary sniffed.“But yes, I can ward.A hell of a lot better than she can, by the way.”
“Good.You'll need to create a secondary perimeter.Something that will slow her down but not stop her.”Baz pulled a box from a high shelf, setting it on the counter with surprising care.“Stopping her will only make her angrier.”
“Speaking from experience?”I asked.
“Yes.”
He opened the box.Inside were scales.Dragon scales.But not red like Illanya's.These were deep blue, almost black, with edges that caught the light like razor blades.
“They’re so pretty,” I said as I reached toward it.
“Don't touch them.”He pulled on leather gloves before handling one.“Dragon scales hold grudges.These are from the one who killed me.They'll recognize similar magic.”
“You kept scales from the dragon who killed you?”
“I kept insurance.”He placed three scales on the table in a triangle pattern.“Dragons respect power and preparation.When she arrives, she needs to know you're not undefended.”
“Iamundefended.I can barely keep my magic from exploding every time I have a feeling.”