Page 47 of Sweetwater and the Witch

“Yeah?”

“I’m still new in town,” she said. “I was curious about it.”

Ethan’s mouth kicked up a little at the corner. “Given the nature of your second talent, that’s not surprising.”

“No, I suppose it isn’t, but I don’t think most people would understand. They might conclude I was somewhat obsessed with fire.”

“Probably. I’ve done a little off-the-books exploring in the Underworld myself,” Ethan said. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks.”

“You know, I see this as a critical stage in our relationship.”

“Our fake relationship?”

“Whatever.” Ethan drove the sled down a hallway lined with arched doorways and radiant green chambers. “The point is, I feel a level of trust is developing between us.”

“Probably because a couple of goons tried to murder us tonight. That sort of thing can result in a bonding experience.”

“Do you think so?”

“I’m sure the feeling is temporary.”

“Who knows? But on the plus side, I feel like I’m learning a lot of stuff that will be useful when you finally find the right match for me.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Ethan.”

“I have faith in your talents.” He glanced at the locator and brought the sled to a halt. “Looks like there’s an exit near here. This is as close as we can get to the location where Spooner made his stop in the Shadow Zone.”

They got out of the sled. Harriet hopped onto Ethan’s shoulder and chortled enthusiastically.

“Since I’ve met Harriet I have come to realize life is simple for a dust bunny,” Ravenna said. “Hours of games, snacks, and adventures, interrupted by moments of acute danger.”

“We could probably learn a lot from dust bunnies,” Ethan said.

They found the exit from the tunnels that had been detected by the locator. Ethan grabbed a small backpack from the cargo bay of the sled and slung it over one shoulder.

The hole-in-the-wall proved to be a narrow fissure in the quartz that opened onto the unlit basement of an abandoned warehouse. Ethan took a slim flashlight out of the pack and rezzed it. The beam splashed across an assortment of old card tables, broken stools, and antique slot machines. What was left of a long mirrored bar stood in the back of the room. There was a small stage in the corner.

With an exuberant chortle Harriet plunged into what was probably a dust bunny’s idea of an amusement park. She vanished almost immediately.

“Looks like an old unlicensed gambling den,” Ethan said. “The hole-in-the-wall probably served as a handy exit in the event the place was raided by the cops.”

There was a glass-and-steel spiral staircase in the middle of the room. The once-transparent treads were coated with decades of dust.

“That must be the way out,” Ravenna said.

Ethan speared the staircase with the light. “Looks like it’s still in good shape. I’ll give it a try.”

He threaded a path through the clutter and put a cautious foot on the bottom step. The metal squeaked but the glass tread held.

“It feels solid,” he said. “I’ll go first.”

He went up the stairs. There was nothing more than a couple of squeaks from the steel frame. When he reached the landing he paused tosweep the light around. “This place was abandoned a long time ago. Come on up.”

Ravenna put a sneaker-clad foot on the stairs. “Harriet, we’re leaving.”

There was an answering chortle. Harriet appeared out of the darkness and bounced up the glass stairs. Ravenna followed her. When they reached the top, Ethan led the way through the empty warehouse to a door that sagged on rusty hinges.

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