Page 30 of House of Pain
He was sure he had seen one exactly like this one before—
Ah, Alecto Black owned this same necklace.
How interesting.
It didn’t escape his attention that Alecto had been completely ignoring him.
As if Blaze didn’t even exist.
It had been a week since Blaze left Alecto in that greenhouse, since she got into trouble just as he had engineered, and she hadn’t said a word to him ever since.
Blaze made sure that Professor Gabetown would get a message that someone had broken into the greenhouse, and he timed his retreat perfectly, so that she was occupied enough for him to sneak out before Professor Gabetown walked in on her.
Ah, it was worth every moment of her icy rage and silence.
Yet while Blaze was satisfied that he had gotten what he wanted, somehow he still managed to be annoyed. He just wasn’t sure what about.
“Step the fuck away from the shelves, Leveau.” Gill’s croak jarred Blaze away from his thoughts, and he whirled on his heel towards the counter.
Finally, Gill decided to grace them with their presence.
They wore their grey hair in long, thin braids, cascading down their shoulders, all the way to the base of their back. Gill’s deep brown eyes were almond-shaped, and when they landed on you, it seemed as if they were reaching right into your soul.
Blaze fought the shudder as he walked closer, reaching a hand to pet one of the ravens.
The bird’s beak snapped, nearly taking off Blaze’s finger.
Gill chuckled.
“Keep your limbs to yourself unless you’re ready to say goodbye to them,” they mused, one corner of their full mouth curving up.
“I’m happy to see you too, Han,” Blaze murmured, watching the raven tiptoeing towards Gill.
They offered their arm, and the raven took it, swiftly climbing up to Gill’s shoulder.
“Why the fuck are you here?” Gill asked. “You don’t have anything better to do than to interrupt me?”
Val smirked, unbothered by Gill’s rudeness.
Gill might have been rough around the edges, and they might have chased the Snakes out of their shop multiple times in the past, but everyone knew that Gill loved them.
Well, maybe not loved, but at least Gilllikedthe Snakes.
“You know why we’re here, Gills,” Val drawled. “Like every new academic year, we’re in need of your best protection enchants for our House.”
Gill scoffed, rolling their eyes.
“Why do you fuckers have to bother me every year with it?” they scolded. “I give you the best I’ve got, and yet you keep coming back and back, ungrateful, spoiled witchlings.”
A sudden cough rattled Gill’s chest.
But they just croaked, waved their hand, and resumed like nothing happened. “Maybe I should send my flock of ravens after you and see how fast you can run for wasting my fucking time every single September.”
Val exchanged a glance with Blaze and Andro.
Andro’s eyes were wide, but he didn’t speak. Blaze had to rub his thumb over the corner of his mouth to hide a smirk.
“Listen, Gill,” Val said. “We know you’re the best of the best. That’s why we’re here. And don’t tell me that you haven’t found a better spell, a more improved spell from last year?”
