Walkinghome via magic was out. I’dstepus to the Crossroads portal, but I was afraid that much magic might kill Card. We had miles and miles to cover, and not a lot of time to do it.
“Partway,” I said. “I canstepus partway.” I curled my hand around the Minotaur horn in my pocket, feeling for a good point between here and Hornet.
It would have to be something connected to the Crossroads in some way. Something I knew.
Home, I thought.
A scattering of bright light spun out around me, like dozens of multicolored threads tossed to unravel down hallways. Each thread was a way home. I needed the shortest way, the easiest way possible, a place I could go using the least amount of magic.
I focused on those three things: short, easy, not a lot of magic, mentally sorting through the threads as quickly as I could to choose the right way. Now I knew why the Crossroads thought I might need the Minotaur horn. It would always lead me home.
A bright green thread lit up. It connected to an apple tree from my property that I’d planted in Fanning, near the outpost with the World’s Second Largest Rocking Chair tourist attraction.
“Good,” I said, letting go of the horn.
But even if I could get us there, we were still half a state away from the Crossroads.
“That tree is not where I left it!” Gary shouted.
Staying here was not an option. I pulled out my phone and dialed.
“Big Hunt Thrift and Junk,” a familiar creaky voice answered. “This is Elmer. If you are calling about our hours, we’re open when we feel like being open.”
Elmer was ninety if he was a day and had run out of patience somewhere back in the Eisenhower administration.
I grinned. “Hey, Elmer, this is Ricky.”
There was a little shuffling sound as if he were shoving plastic bags in a box. “If it’s more Hush trouble, we’ll be there. I’ve restocked the Rooroo dust.”
“No,” I said, shivering from the memory of the Hush we had fought together. “Not Hush.”
“Demons, then? From that gate we broke open?”
“No. No demons yet. I just need a ride.”
“Well, call a taxi or Zoober or whatever it is you do these days. Hey! Don’t... That’s my phone!”
There was the sound of a short scuffle, then a woman’s voice came on. “Ricky? You need a ride? I’m free. Where are you at?”
“Hey, Pamela,” I said to Elmer’s granddaughter, a monster hunter like everyone else in her family. “I’m going to be at the Fanning Outpost in about ten minutes. Can you pick us up?”
“I can be there in about twenty. How many people?”
“Just me and one other.”
“I’ll be there.”
“We!” said a woman in the background. It was Josie, Pamela’s girlfriend.
“We’ll be there,” Pamela corrected. “Are you in trouble?”
“Nothing that involves Hush, demons, or needs you to bring weapons.”
“Okay,” she said. “We’ll see you there.”
I thumbed off the phone and bent to lever Card to a sitting position.
“Oh,” he murmured, “you’re soft too. Double fuzzy.” His eyes had closed again, and I shook him a little to get his attention.
