Page 22 of Destiny of the Witch

He grimaced. ‘By the end of the night we were all sitting in a big circle. I’d drunk four or five beers.’

I took out a small flashlight and flashed it into his eyes. His pupils shrank in response. I held his wrist and counted his pulse.

‘Did you drink out of a bottle, a can or a glass?’ Bastion asked.

‘Bottle.’

‘Did you unscrew the caps yourself?’

Oscar frowned. ‘Not all of them. At the end of the night, someone gave out all the remainingbottles.’

‘Who?’ Bastion barked.

‘Edward, I think – and Jacob.’

‘This is all very nice,’ I interrupted, letting Oscar’s wrist fall. ‘But now that Oscar isn’t in danger, we need to focus on saving Benji! We can find the culprits later.’

Bastion studied me. ‘I have never heard of anyone reviving a golem.’

‘That doesn’t mean itcan’tbe done. I’ve done it once before, I can do it again.’ I refused to entertain any other possibility. I wouldnotlose Benji. I stood up. ‘I need to go to my apartment. Can you two check on everyone else who was there last night?’

I held out another vial of Whole Remedy to Oscar and he took it.

Bastion shook his head. ‘I’m not leaving your side.’

‘Time is of the essence,’ I argued. ‘If anyone else has been poisoned like Oscar, we need to find them now.’

‘Timeisof the essence,’ he retorted. ‘So don’t waste it arguing with me. An evil witch has struck out at Oscar and Benji. I amnotleaving your side, not even for a moment.’

I huffed but recognised the futility of arguing.

‘I’ll go door to door,’ Oscar said. ‘And I’ll recruit others to help.’ He pulled on his pyjama top and padded barefootinto the corridor. He left the door open so we could hear as he pounded on Ethan’s door.

Ethan opened it. ‘Oscar?’ He took in his appearance. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I was poisoned last night. Are Jacob and Henry okay?’

Ethan’s lips thinned. ‘Jacob is. Henry didn’t come home last night.’ He turned back into the apartment. ‘Jacob! We need to find Henry! NOW!’

The three men started knocking on doors and I left them to it. I took the stairs to my apartment, Bastion one step behind me. It was time to see if a highly illegal grimoire had another miracle for me.

And if he did, I didn’t care what rules it broke to use it.

Chapter 15

I didn’t even try to persuade Bastion to let me out of his sight; I just went straight in my bedroom to my safe. ‘Close the curtains,’ I instructed briskly as I unlocked it and pulled out the grimoire.

I stroked a finger down Grimmy’s spine but nothing happened. I pulled my athame from its ankle holster, pricked my finger and let the blood well up. When a good drop had gathered, I stroked my finger again down the stained spine. Bastion said nothing.

The book rose up, shining with a golden light. ‘Why hello, Miss Amber. And what can I—’ He paused mid-sentence. ‘You have the griffin with you.’ To my surprise there was absolutely none of Grimmy’s usual Anti-Crea vitriol in his voice.

‘I do. We have an emergency. Do you know of another way to reactivate a golem? He’s already been out forGoddess knows how long, and we’re too far away from Edinburgh’s activation chambers.’

Grimmy’s pages fluttered in agitation as he scrolled through them to see if there was anything that could help Benji. I held my breath. When his pages stuttered and stopped, my heart sank. ‘There is nothing here,’ he said finally.

I sat on the floor in despair, tears welling in my eyes. Bastion dropped down next to me and wrapped his arms around me. What was the point in magic if I couldn’t save Benji? A sob escaped.

‘Don’t despair, Miss Amber,’ Grimmy said. ‘There is nothing in my pages that will help us, but I do have an idea. There are two golems in existence at present, yes?’

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