“More and more, the past few months,” he said.
“Then pray,” I said.
“Will it help?”
“Maybe. Probably, even. And I don’t see how it can hurt.”
“Robert is a good man,” Brazell said. “A wife. Two small children. God will help him, won’t He?”
“Near as I can figure from observation, Doc,” I said, “the Almighty mostly seems to be willing to make sure you get a fighting chance when evil supernatural forces stack the deck against you.”
“How so?”
“Like maybe by making sure Robert got enough of a respite to survive until I got here.” I settled back onto my knees and toes, resting my hands on my thighs and beginning to order my thoughts. “Maybe that’swhy they say He helps those who help themselves. But talk to the padre. Faith isn’t really in my wheelhouse.”
Brazell stared at me for a second and then said, “I spent the first half of my life learning so that I could help people,” he said. “I recognize knowledge when I see it. What do you need?”
“Some quiet. And a little luck.”
Brazell frowned in thought. Then he put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a ring of car keys, and detached an old rabbit’s foot that dangled from it. He offered it to me, his expression serious.
I didn’t laugh. Personal totems aren’t a joke.
“Thank you,” I said, and accepted it.
—
Michael and the Brotherhood of St. Brigid were back in maybe ten minutes. They set up what looked like a big shallow bowl that proved to be a large round shield. They braced it in place with three blocks of wood, and then Michael began to direct the building of a fire.
“Remember Mickey Malone?” I asked him.
“Back when we fought Leonid Kravos. I remember you told me about him,” Michael said.
“I’m pretty sure this is the same curse.”
Michael frowned. “The one Kravos threw on him?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Maybe his Book of Shadows survived him. Or one of his cult lackeys walked away with more knowledge than I’d thought he’d give out. This is more intense than the one on Mickey, though. By a good way.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Michael said.
“The city’s a darker place,” I said. “Makes it easier to draw on black magic.”
Forthill frowned at me and said, “You’re saying this is mortal magic?”
“Probably,” I said. “Yeah.”
“Who would…why would anyone do such a thing?” Forthill asked, his voice bewildered. “The Brotherhood has been convened to protect everyone.”
“Maybe we can find out,” I said. “After.”
Robert had begun to sweat. He was twitching and twisting in discomfort, and it was rapidly getting worse. I wanted to move before he started screaming again. I wasn’t sure what that would do to my focus.
“Wizard,” Dr. Brazell said urgently. “He’s going into the seizure again.”
“Fire,” I said to Michael. “Get it going.”
“Start,” he said. He took a plain bottle with a plug held in by a wire rig around the neck. “I’ll have it ready.”
