Page 38 of Nightmares and Numerology

“No, but that doesn’t mean anything,” she said, sounding exhausted. I’d never be sure how she managed to feel so tired without doing any physical labor. “We were kept in small cells for a reason. If I was captured or flipped on them, I could only expose one link in a large chain. I was placed higher than most, but even my information was limited by design. Lucretia was willing to take it, regardless. It’s more progress than she’s made in the last decade.”

“So she could be a masked lord?”

“No. Those titles are all held by men. It’s been a boys’ club for a while. She could be the right hand of one,though.”

Huh. Even in gangs of immoral body snatchers and monster killers, sexism was still alive and well. Go figure.

Everyone exchanged nervous glances. Finally, Poppy chimed in. She’d been sitting near the door like a blonde afterthought. In a room full of strong personalities, she was the only one who didn’t face disrespect. Even bad-tempered warlocks held their unpleasant impulses in check around her.

“It’s smarter to address that situation when we come to it.”

Wanda cocked her hip to the side, eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, let’s see if there’s any reason to worry before we start planning. Maybe Andrea is a victim in this too. There’s more than one reason she might not want Rodney going to the hospital. I’ve had relatives with phobias around blood and needles. She could have lost someone recently, so it’s hard to be here with him.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “You’re too optimistic for your own good, you know that, Poppy? It makes me worry for you. Some big bad bear is going to eat you while you skip through your house.”

Poppy bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh. “I thinkyou’re mixing your stories again.”

“What?” Wanda demanded.

“You’re thinking of Goldilocks. Also, she skipped throughtheirhouse, not her own.”

“Well, let’s avoid bears and unknown predators,” she answered. “Are you and Lydia ready to perform your little routine as a distraction?”

“You make it sound like we’re about to do gymnastics. It’s a lot simpler than that. How long do you need for your ritual?” Poppy responded.

“Five to ten minutes if you can manage it,” Wanda answered. “We have specific ritual objects and herbs that have to be burned at the right time. It would be great if you could spill something noxious to hide the smell of sage.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Poppy said dryly. Then her gaze shifted over Wanda’s shoulder to me. “Are you ready?”

I sucked in a deep breath and replied with the truth.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

So we went about our respective tasks. Poppy spilled the noxious potion after commandeering a janitor’s cleaning cart. The smell of rotten eggs, combined with the Confusion Oil rubbed thoroughly into her skin, was enough to draw most eyes to her location rather than watch a parade of women pour into a single room and close the door discreetly behind them.

Poppy wasn’t a good liar, but with her magic at play, she didn’t have to be. Anyone she touched seemed to grow bemused, happily accepting the excuse that she’d had an accident and “oh my goodness, let me just clean this up.” It worked like a charm. Before long, there was a doctor and a handful of nurses clamoring to help her.

I stood back, Indigo perched like an overgrown bat in the front of my thoughts, so present that it almost hurt. Usually, she hung back, watching my life like a television show she couldn’ttune out. At least the potion we’d worked out let her turn it off every once in a while. It had to be miserable watching someone live a life she couldn’t.

I had to find a way to let her out. No matter what she’d done in the past, this half-life was too harsh a sentence. It was nearly solitary confinement. Torture. I couldn’t let it go on if there was a way to fix it.

“You’re sweet, but I don’t see it happening,” Indie said. Her voice sounded soft now. Maybe I was projecting, but she almost sounded… touched. “I’m not precisely a ghost, so channeling me like a medium wouldn’t work, even if you had the ability. For whatever reason, I seem to only function when you can’t. I made my bed, and now I have to lie in it.”

“I’m going to make it happen for you. Just watch me.”

Indigo laughed, retreating just a little as I rounded the corner. I was supposed to be the lookout while Poppy did her “aww shucks” act in the hall and to join in if the crowd looked like it was losing interest. The smell was overpowering, so I didn’t see anyone ignoring it anytime soon.

“What is that stuff?”I asked.

“It’s old potion water or oil medium, I believe. Once you sterilize it, it’s neither magical nor toxic to the human body, but leave it long enough, and it gets stagnant and odd-smelling, just like anything else. It’s rancid goo. It won’t stain or hurt their skin.”

“So… it’s like… water from a clogged sink?”

“Essentially. A magical kitchen sink, but yeah, the byproduct is similar.”

I edged along the wall, trying to keep an eye out for any approaching staff. The halls were empty except for one man. He leaned his frame against the wall, watching me scoot covertly down the hall with a hint of amusement. I recognized him a moment later, and goosebumps broke out over my skin.

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