Page 29 of The Stone Curse
“The sauce is ruined,” Derek says. “But it isnotSharniza’s fault.”
“Well,” Levi says, “Stone Comfort does excellent pizza.”
“Oh yes!” Ginia claps her hands. “So cheesy and delicious.”
“I’ll go get us some,” Levi says.
“I go with you,” Derek says. “Help you carry all the pizza.” Levi looks a little wary, and Derek’s eyes dim slightly. “I not hurt you, Levi. I only hurt those that try to hurt my Cameron.”
“Good to know,” Levi says.
The door opens behind him, and Orix storms in looking windswept and angry.
I step away from the hob and round the island. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Willowman?” Palia asks. “What’s happened?”
Orix bites on his bottom lip, his chest heaving. “The alchemists have Willowman. They think he has something to do with the attack.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Touron says. “Prasan almost killed him.”
“We saw it,” Palia adds.
“They’re claiming that he used some kind of mind-altering spell to make you believe that he was injured. That he deliberately took longer than necessary to alert the academy about the breach.”
“That’s fucking bullshit!” Touron snaps as the lift dings
“What’s bullshit?” Cameron exits the lift with Curi in tow. “What’s going on?”
“The alchemists have Willowman,” Derek tells her.
“What? Why?”
Orix reiterates what he’s just told us, and Cameron’s face takes on the blank look that I’ve come to associate with an intense wave of rage. “Where did they take him?”
“Carter’s office,” Orix says. “It’s been commandeered by the alchemists while they stay here. They said that they needed to do something called a deep dive.”
“But that could kill him!” Palia says, shocked. “I mean…I read about their practices. Deep dives are only to be used in extreme cases where the evidence supporting their use is strong.”
Orix’s gaze shoots up to meet hers. “You know the law on the methods used?”
She nods quickly. “Our sire has access to certain legal texts. I used to, uh…take scrolls and books to read. The binding laws surrounding alchemists and their interactions with the gargoyles made for interesting reading.”
Cam crosses to the stairwell exit, her stride long and determined. “Then we use what you know to our advantage. We are not losing another friend.”
CHAPTER 10
CAMERON
Ahooded alchemist guarded the door to what had once been Carter’s office.
A scream echoed from within, and my pulse jumped.
The guard stepped into my path. “You can’t go in there. You can?—”
I shoved him aside and slammed the door open. Two alchemists stood by Carter’s desk like sentries while another was hunched over Willowman. The witch was tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth and silver cuffs shackling his wrists—muters for his magic.
“What you do to him?” Derek demanded.
