Page 45 of April's Fool
My mind buzzed even as my steps slowed, making Jorgoth look at me with a frown. “Sorry, long night, tired. Incubi and their stamina, huh?” I joked.
Who could Jorgoth be—?
Basil.
The only witch who would have a reason to come for me was Basil. The same witch who had Toth for hoursbefore we rescued him. Could Basil have tortured Toth for more than Cody’s demon name?
Jorgoth’s face twitched in, I guess, was supposed to be a smile. Not a hint of a laugh escaped him. If anything, my delaying tactic and joke seemed to make him more uncomfortable.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Barr’s approach. Without a word, I took off, running back the way we came, towards the portal guild. I was not relying on the hellhound to get me to Mori. There was no way I was going back to the castle. Who knew how many names Basil had stolen from Toth’s mind.
Not knowing if Barr was friend or foe, I skirted him and just ran.
Streets blurred past me as I dashed through them. Shouts went up as water was flung at me, crashing into walls. An icicle flew by my head by inches. Fuck, that would have hurt!
“This way!” Barr yelled.
I hesitated, losing vital seconds to Jorgoth, who was relentless in his chase.
Barr reached me before he did. He clasped my wrist, drew a portal, and we were gone.
We came out only a few streets away. “Sorry, I panicked.” Barr’s eyes were frantic. His breathing was heavy, his slightly furry cheeks red.
“Are you working for Basil?”
“Who’s Basil?”
The hellhound was innocent, my gut told me as much.
“Why were you following us?” I asked.
Barr ran a nervous hand over his face. His fingers were trembling. “Can we move while I explain?”
I nodded my agreement and took a circular route, still intending to get to the guild, but not waiting for Jorgoth to find us until I had answers.
“So, a few weeks ago, Jor was supposed to meet me on his day off, and he just vanished. When I finally got a hold of him, he couldn’t explain where he’d been. It was just so off, you know?”
Again, I nodded. “Couldn’t? Like he couldn’t say the words, or wouldn’t?”
“He tried speaking. It was like his throat would close around the words.”
“A geas.” At Barr’s confused look, I explained, “a binding spell of sorts. Makes it so the person can’t do something. Here, it was preventing him from telling you he’s contracted.”
Barr stopped still in the street. “He is?”
“Yeah, I think I know which one, too. Means I can’t go back to the castle and Cody really shouldn’t be there until we either free the demonkin affected, because if I know this witch, there’s more than one in contract, or we kill the witch.”
“By the magic! This is worse than I thought. Prince Amorandes is going to be so upset! What was Jor going to do with you?”
“I think he was taking me to the witch because he certainly wasn’t taking me to the portal guild.”
Up ahead, I spotted the guild. “Fuck! Jorgoth is there.”
“Where do you want to go? You said you can’t go to the castle, so where can I take you?”
“To Mori. He’s going to be in a club in Sweetwater.”
I led Barr away from the guild while I searched for a picture of the heat club on my phone. He would need a reference of where to go for the portal.
