Page 33 of Warlocks Don't Win
“Get out!” she commanded before she raised a shaky finger and shot a dart of raw glowing magic at me.
I rolled across the grass, leaving a singed spot where I’d been. I stood up on shaky legs, raising my hands. “I didn’t do it!”
She shot another laser ball at me, so I dove, landing in a rose bush. Ow. Also, shooting that kind of magic was incredibly overpowered. Neutral magic users who hadn’t drained the magicout of their mothers just didn’t do that. Where had she gotten that kind of power?
“My roses!” she wailed as I scrambled out of the bush, a bush that scratched me to pieces before I finally managed to get disentangled. She didn’t shoot until I got free, likely because she didn’t want to nuke her flowers. It was good to have priorities. She shot more laser darts as soon as I got out of the bush’s range, but each was less powerful than the one before. Her magic was running down. It was a good thing, too.
On the porch, there was no sign of the butler. A laser magic dart hit my shoulder as I reached for the handle. Ow.
I grabbed the knob and opened the door almost running into Winston the Warlock.
So handsome, strong, buzzing with energy and strength. He frowned past me at his grandmother where she was still yelling for the butler. He pulled me in and closed the door, shutting me in the kitchen with the cook who tenderized chicken behind his broad shoulders. They were having lamb and chicken? Fancy.
“Clary, what are you doing here?” he demanded, eyes pools of warm concern. No, that flickering purple lightning wasn’t warm, but sizzling, like raw magic laser darts.
I blinked at him. “No, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at Sage House making a way door to my shop in Singsong City.”
He scowled and moved closer to me, so I stepped back, bumping into the door. “I tied it to this house when I felt your spell from here. What were you thinking?” he rumbled, scowl growing more fierce every moment. And his grandmother hadn’t really expressed any of the kindness she’d shown in her letters.
On the whole, I felt more attacked than usual. Winston was so capable of making me feel good, and even better at devastating me. I guess it ran in the family.
I said stiffly, “That it would be easier to gauge the curse from this end. And it was. That is what you got me for, isn’t it? I’d hate to disappoint you.” I pushed past him and the vicious cook, then hesitated. If I were going to get to the bottom of this, I’d need help. I turned to smile at the cook. “Do you have any vodka?”
She gave me a flat look and then slowly retrieved a bottle from a cabinet, handing it to Winston instead of me.
“Thank you. So sorry for interrupting your excellent cooking. Winston is lucky to have you.”
“Now is the time for drinking?” he muttered behind me as we walking to the parlor.
“Vodka isn’t for drinking.”
“What, you’re going to pour it over your wound? Let me look at it.”
I rolled my eyes and then opened the door only to find the butler on the couch on top of Jessica. He looked close to unconscious, while she beamed at me, more vibrant and happy than hungover.
“Are you finished already?” she asked, glancing at the butler with regret.
He smiled blearily back at her.
“Yes,” Winston growled. “We’ll take the train back to Sage House.”
Jessica tensed up like she’d been electrocuted when she realized who was behind me. “How did you get here?” she demanded, the disgust on her face very clear as she pushed the butler off her and got to her feet.
Winston curled his lip at her. “I took the way door. Of course, it only goes one way since I didn’t get a chance to set up the other side. And I think fully connecting our houses might want to wait until family relations are less painful, hm?” Winston put a hand on my shoulder.
I winced and pushed his hand off. “It’s fine.”
“Of course it is. She sent the butler away so there would be no witnesses. The back door was sealed until I forced it. She was going to kill you.” His words were so sober, so heavy.
I grinned at him even while my stomach twisted. “Well, of course, since it’s my house attached to her curse.” It really was. Very clearly in spite of me not being in the house for fifteen years. And she should not have had that kind of magic, not after a death curse was eating her away.
“What?” Jessica’s eyes boggled. “You cursed Dame Winston? Are you insane? And then you came here? Do you want to die?”
Winston nodded. “That’s my question as well. Do you want to die?”
I ignored him, grabbed her arm and yanked her towards the hall and the front door. “It’ll all be undone eventually,” I said to her then glanced at Winston. “I don’t suppose you have a car somewhere? Cabs are ridiculously expensive here.”
He glowered at me. “The butler could have driven us if someone hadn’t felt the need to suck the life out of him.” Why was he looking at me like that? I didn’t have anything to do with the butler’s contented slump on the couch.
