Page 18 of Practical Boots

"Rick's sick?" Kallie's voice broke with worry. "What the hellhappened? It's been aweek!"

"He poisoned me!" Rick half-yelled in childish offense. Kallie's expression went dangerously dark, but Cat raised a palm, slowing her roll.

"I told you," Cat said to Davos, softly. "I told you I was a bad enemy to make. Now get the hell out of my sight."

He went, pulling Savos after him, although she paused, confused, at the door, to say, "Thank you," to Cat. "I don't know what happened, but thank you anyway. I owe you one."

Cat, gruffly, said, "You're welcome," and Savos left in Davos's wake.

Kallie, in clear, stentorian tones, said, "What theactual fuck?"

Rick, still lying in the wrecked remains of Cat's armchair, wailed, "Whatarethey?"

"They'repeople," Cat snapped, then exhaled, trying to bring her temper under control. "They're people of the Torn," she said more softly. "Half-siblings, although I thought they were full until today. The parent they share is obviously a troll, though."

"Oh," Rick said in a high voice, "obviously."

"I've always thought Davos was part dryad," Cat said. "I thought Savos was too, but she's probably something else. Maybe even human. I don't know. Something that allows her to travel through the Waste, though."

"I thought you all could," Kallie said accusingly.

Cat shrugged. "Some more easily than others, to the degree that some people effectively can't. I'm partly of the World, so I can go back and forth through it pretty easily, since I survived getting dumped there in the first place. Andsomeof us gettaughtto travel it," she said, losing her temper in a snarl again. "And if I don't go find my frickin’ father before he decides I've betrayed him, then my poor helpless frickin’ kid sibling is gonna be one of those!"

Rick, faintly, said, "Yourwhat?" and Kallie pointed firmly at Cat.

"You go sort your family shit out. I'll catch Wonder Boy here up on the details."

"Take this." Cat tossed the syringe to Kallie. "If he gets sick, shoot him up with about a quarter of that. Whatever you do, don't use it all. I'll need at least a trace of it to drag Davos back here."

"Apparently I'm not the only one who has to catch somebody up on the details!" Kallie swung toward Rick. "What happened? Where have you been? How'd he poison you? Are you okay? Did you know Trina is going out of her mind with worry?"

Rick's face fell. "Oh no. Trina. She's gonna kill me."

"She won't get a chance if you don't start talking!"

Cat went into her bedroom, leaving them to their mutual explanations. She needed something of the World; something that would last, something without an iron taint, something she could work into her stupid father's stupid Artifact to let him stupid lie.

Something that would let her keep an eye on him, just in case she had to.

"Wait a minute." She spoke out loud, momentarily silencing the conversation in the room beyond. It picked up again as she pulled her phone out and called Davos—she still hadhisnumber, even if he didn't have hers—and said, "I need to talk to Savos," when he picked up.

His rumble of irritation came across the line, but his sister came on a moment later. "Yeah?"

"I think you can pay me back right now. I need a scrying stone. Not tiger's eye, it's too obvious. Something green, if possible. Can you get that for me?"

Savos, after a moment's hesitation, said, "I need earth. Ideally earth without half a city's underpinnings built into it, but…I take it you're in a hurry."

"I think I am, yeah."

Another hesitation came over the line before Savos said, "Give me a few minutes. Can I call you back at this number?"

"Yeah." Cat would have to get a new phone, if she didn't want Davos to be able to reach her after this. Then again, him not having her number hadn't worked out brilliantly this time, so maybe it was better if he just did. She stood there a minute, staring around her room and trying to think.

She could fashion a needle from the Waste, but needed a few milliliters of her own blood, too. And a way to refill the vessel for it, never mind that she'd told her father an Artifact couldn't be tampered with after the fact. Tampering was one thing. Refilling an emptied vial was something else. Although she also needed to be quite certain her father wouldn't be able to drain her blood and use it as power over her, too. Maybe she'd just have to remake the damn thing when it ran dry.

Absolutely no good could come of him wanting to be able to hide his face and lie to the people of the Torn. Cat knew she'd said that to him once. She'd probably say it to herself hundreds of times over the next…the next however-long, before she was freed from the vow she'd taken.

Her kid sibling had better appreciate it.

---