“Wizards.Not the same kind of problem as gods, but…not great.”
“Do we need to keep an eye out for wizards now?”Elmer asked.
“No.I’ve been careful about my movements and magic,” Card said.“The Crossroads has protections set up for me.Ricky’s staked claims that would trigger all sorts of laws and conflicts if the wizards try to push it.For now, for once, I’m not the person in the most trouble.”
“You say that like it’s an unusual thing,” Lu said.
“It’s rare.”This time the wizard’s smile was brilliant and filled with the sort of wickedness I last saw on the trickster god’s face.“People don’t tend to find ways to piss off powerful people as often as I do.”
“You’re in good company, son,” Elmer said.
Card started toward the door.“Just remember, I’m here to help.Nice dragon kind, by the way.”
Elmer swore under his breath and picked up a thermos on the floor next to the desk.“Thinks he’s so smart.”He unscrewed the stopper and poured coffee into the silver lid.“You Gauges staying up like the other two?”
“No,” I said.“We’re going to bed.”
“Elmer,” Lula said, “thank you—again—for this place.For putting your own safety on the line for us.”
He swiveled the chair, making it creak.“Family looks after family.”It was a mantra, a ritual.“It’s a heavy burden that’s fallen on your shoulders.Your choices are going to change the world for all of us.
“Giving a little of what we have to help you is the least we can do.I’ll keep an eye out now.You two kids get some rest.”
I snorted at the “kids” comment.I hadn’t been a kid for almost a hundred years.Both of us were older than he was, in fact.
But Lula tugged on my hand, and there would never be a time I wouldn’t follow her.
* * *
“From the top,”Card said.“Easy now.”
The wizard perched on a wooden chair—he’d specifically said he needed a wooden chair and had inspected all of the chairs in the hideout before settling on this one.
He was outside the circle of spells, in the west corner—again, he’d insisted on that—with a bark-bound book on the table beside him.The table also held several candles in a variety of colors, a bowl of water, and a cup of tea.
I didn’t know what all the other stuff was for, but the tea was for drinking.
Lu and I hadn’t slept deeply, but I’d drifted off for at least an hour or two and felt better for it.
I was sporting a low headache from the bump on the head I’d taken yesterday, and all the aches and bruises were making themselves known, but the hearty meal and about half a pot of coffee had set me up in a better state all around.
Even Lu had eaten—fruit and bread with honey—and Abbi, of course, had nearly demolished an entire tray of cinnamon buns.
Abbi wandered about in the safe room, careful of the sigils on the floor, Hado in kitten form draped across her shoulders.
Lorde wasn’t in the room, because we didn’t want her to get hurt, so she was currently sleeping with the toys and bones Pamela and Josie had showered on her.
Elmer turned in for sleep right after breakfast.Pamela, Josie, and the lizard were holding down the fort.
On Card’s suggestion, Lu and I were both wearing comfortable clothes, and we’d brought blankets, pillows, a first-aid kit, and (worryingly) a fire extinguisher into the room.All of them were stacked in a corner.
“Since the book needs both of you to work with it, I want you both to step into the spell circle at the same time,” Card said, his voice falling easily into a teacher’s patient, upbeat tone.
“All right,” I said.“Three, two, one.”
Lu and I both stepped inside the protective circle.
“No fire, no smoke, no ancient horrors bursting through the walls,” Card said.“I like this.Great start.”
