“You’re not coming with me.”
“I told you—he has my sister!”
“What do I care?”
“I’m going to help you fight.”
“I don’t want your help, you monster.”
“Too bad,” he says, yanking me. “You’ll have it!”
We’re interrupted by desperate yelping: A Normal is out walking his dog, a cross-eyed Cavalier spaniel, and it’s taken an interest in Nicodemus and me, barking madly.
“Come along, Della.” The Normal pulls on her chain, and the dog nearly chokes herself jumping at us.Bark, bark, bark.
I could swear it’s saying,“Baz! Baz! Baz!”
I turn away from Nicodemus and look more closely at the spaniel. “Are you saying my name?”
“Baz!” the dog barks. “Thank magic! It’s me, Penelope!”
“Bunce?” It does sound like her. In a yelpy, canine way. “Who turned you into a dog?”
“Am I a dog?” she yaps. “The spell’s never worked that way before. Baz, you have to come get me!” The Normal is leaning over to pick up his dog, as if I’m a threat to her.
I am. I grab the dog and hold it up to my face.
“Hey, now,” the Normal says. Nicodemus hisses at him, and the man lets go of the dog’s chain.
“Bunce, what are you talking about?”
“Baz, we can’t let Simon face the Mage alone—I have a really bad feeling about it. I need you to come get me!”
Simon. Alone with the Mage. With my mother’s murderer.
“I’m coming.” I shove the animal under my arm and look up at the Normal. “I need to borrow your dog.”
“You can’t just—”
I hold up my wand.“There’s nothing to see here!”The Normal looks at us, then down at his hands, then gets a cigarette out of his pocket.
I start running towards my car.
Nicodemus is right behind me. “I’m coming with you!”
I keep running. He grabs at my arm again, and I whirl around, starting a fire in that palm. He jumps back.
The Bunce spaniel yelps at him.
“I have to save my sister,” he says. “And you could use my help. You know I can’t get in on my own.”
I tilt up my chin. “Icoulduse your help. And if what you’re saying is true, Ebb certainly could. But I’ll be damned to hell twice over before I let a vampire into Watford. Even a gelded one.”
77
AGATHA
“Oh, thank magic,” Mum says. She’s standing in my doorway in her dressing gown.
