“I tried,” Danzig said with a roll of his eyes.
“You’re staying here,” Marduk said again, shooting Danzig a scowl.
“No.” I didn't say it loudly, but that one word made Marduk jerk.
“What do you mean no?”
“You can decide not to take me with you when you leave here,” I said. “But you can't make me stay here. There are plenty of rideshare apps, or I could even call a good old taxi.”
Danzig shot him a smug look. “Told you.”
I thought Marduk would rage at me, but he shut his mouth with a click, his jaw flexing.
“If you keep doing that, you’re going to break a tooth,” I said, only half teasing.
He grunted but didn’t respond.
“Do you remember the whole conversation we had about being partners?” I asked. “Did you forget my amazing throwing arm? You might not have survived if I hadn’t been there.”
Marduk let out a long, bone-deep sigh. I waited, interested to hear what could come next. I could understand being upset when I went to the back of the house, but both brothers were batshit crazy if they thought I’d stand by if either was in danger.
“Yes, you’re right. You were brave, fierce, and acted with appropriate aggression. I can’t ask you to stay behind.”
An intense sense of relief hit me. I’d been really scared this would be it. That Marduk would do something stupid, and I’d have to walk away from them. Especially after they'd offered to be partners!
His quick agreement made me grab him in a hug. “Good serpent,” I said. “You can have a cookie.”
He hugged me back. “I want gelato.”
“Deal,” I said, pulling out of the hug.
“We need to talk about what to do if we meet the casket druid again,” Marduk said. “He didn’t expect to face something as powerful as me. He’ll be carrying stronger spells from now on. Spells that won't be as easy to withstand.”
Danzig nodded. “We should talk to Elena, Mason’s mom. She’s a powerful bruja.”
“Shouldn’t we talk to some other druids?” I asked.
“No,” Marduk said. “This type of magic is so forbidden among them that many never even learn it exists.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I said. “What can a bruja do?”
“I'm not sure, but if anyone knows how to protect against or counter a casket druid, it would be her,” Danzig said.
“I’ll call Elena,” Marduk said.
I sat back down and waited, feeling very satisfied with our partnership.
Before long we were on the move again, heading to Elena's house.
She lived in an adorable single-story house with an amazing garden. As we walked up the path to the front door, the smell of blossoms and the sound of buzzing insects surrounded us. A massive orange cat stepped on the path in front of us.
“Hey kitty,” Danzig said, leaning over to pet the feline, but only touched air. The cat seemed to disappear and reappear next to me. Stretching up, the cat put both front paws on my left leg and kneaded gently.
“Magic kitty,” I murmured, leaning over to run my fingers through the thick fur.
“Don’t mind Chedder,” a voice said. “She loves to play with guests.”
I looked up to see a short, dignified woman with graying black hair and an intense gaze. Her friendly smile made her less intimidating, but I still felt the need to straighten up and tug at my shirt.
