Penny’s hand covers mine on the bed. “Was it a special spell?” she asks softly.
“No,” I say. “I just… pushed.”
“Show me.”
Baz raises himself up on one elbow to watch. I lock eyes with Penny.
“I trust you,” she says.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t hurt you.”
Penny shrugs. “Pain is temporary.”
“That doesn’t mean I won’tdamageyou.”
She shrugs again. “Come on. We have to figure out how this works.”
“We neverhaveto,” I say. “You just alwayswantto.”
She squeezes my hand.“Simon.”
I can see she’s made up her mind; she won’t leave me alone until I do this. I try to remember how it felt out on the Lawn. Like I was opening, unwinding—just a little. Just barely letting go…
I give the very smallestpush.
“Great snakes!” Penny says, snatching her hand away from me and jumping off the bed. “Fuck a nine-toedtroll,Simon.” She’s shaking her hand, and there are tears in her eyes. “Stevie Nicks and Gracie Slick!Fuck!”
I’m on my feet. “Sorry! Penny, I’m sorry, let me see!”
Baz drops back onto his bed, cackling.
Penelope holds out her arm. It looks red and mottled. “I’m so sorry,” I say, gently taking her wrist. “Should we go to the nurse?”
“I don’t think so,” she says. “I think it’s passing.” Her arm is quivering. Baz gets off his bed to take a look.
“Did it feel like I cast a spell on you?” I ask.
“No,” they both say at once.
“It was more like a shock,” Penelope says, then looks up at Baz. “What about for you?”
He gets out his wand. “I don’t know. I was focusing on the dragon.”
“Did it hurt?” she asks him.
“Maybe you didn’t see what you think you saw,” Baz says. “Maybe Snow reallywasjust giving me moral support.”
“Right. And maybe you’re the most gifted mage in five generations.”
“Maybe Iam,” he says, tapping his ivory wand against her arm.“Get well soon!”
“How didthatfeel?” I ask her.
“Better,” she says reluctantly, pulling her arm away from us. She frowns at Baz—“Hot.”
He grins, hitching up that eyebrow again.
“I meant temperature-wise,” she says. “Your magic feels like a grease-burn, Basil.”
