Page 72 of Quiver of Cobras
I hopped up onto a stool. ‘We thought we’d wait and let you do it,’ I said with forced cheeriness. ‘You know, in case it’s actually a bomb or something. That way you’ll be the one to get blown up.’
She glared at me. ‘You’re just charm personified, aren’t you?’
Morgan stepped in before matters could escalate. ‘Madrona is complicated.’
Finn snorted. ‘That’s one way of describing her.’
Morgan frowned. ‘I can open the damned box, Arty. We just thought it was wise to let you see it first.’
I exhaled loudly. ‘Give it to me. I’m the superhero. I’ll martyr myself so the rest of you can live. I expect statues and songs and my own public holiday in return, though.’
‘You’re not getting the public holiday,’ Finn declared. ‘If anyone’s getting the public holiday, it’ll be me and my brothers.’
‘FinnWinnJinn Day?’ I shook my head. ‘It’ll never catch on.’
‘It’s a hell of a lot better than Mad Day.’
I put my hands on my hips. ‘Mad Day is catchy. Mad Day in Madchester.’
A muscle ticked in Morgan’s cheek. ‘Both of you are being stupid. Can we please focus on what’s important? Besides, we all know it will be Morgan Day.’
Artemesia stared at the three of us. ‘Is this condition contagious?’ she enquired. ‘Because I like my ego where it is, thank you very much.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with a bit of self-confidence.’
She raised her eyes heavenward. ‘There is if this box doesn’t work.’ Her voice darkened. ‘Or if it does indeed blow up in our faces.’
‘If you can’t engage in some well-placed gallows humour when you’re facing the end of the world, when can you?’ I asked.
Before anyone could move, I jumped off the stool, snatched the little box from Artemesia’s hands and moved to the back of the room. I flipped it open before any of these jokers took my martyrdom away from me. It was almost disappointing when nothing happened.
‘Anything interesting inside?’ Finn asked. ‘Or is the box empty like that dragon’s damned soul?’
Morgan strode over to me. ‘Don’t do anything like that again,’ he growled.
‘Are you saying that you’d be upset if I got blown to smithereens, Morgan?’
He grabbed my wrist in an iron grip. ‘Just don’t, Maddy.’
Something about the look in his eye gave me pause and a strange warmth spread through me. ‘Okay,’ I said quietly. I held the box out to him. ‘I can’t tell what it is,’ I admitted.
Morgan took it from me and stared down. I recognised that look. I wasn’t the only one who did, either.
‘What is it?’ Artemesia asked. ‘What’s the problem?’
He sighed. ‘It’s a branch.’
Finn let out a bark of unamused laughter. ‘Of course it is. No wonder the old dragon was happy to let it go.’
I gazed at all three of them, thoroughly befuddled. ‘He doesn’t like trees?’
Morgan reached into the box and, between his thumb and forefinger, gingerly pulled the supposed branch out. It didn’t look like a branch to me, it looked like a squidgy sponge-thing. At least it was a pretty colour.
Artemesia drew in a sharp breath. ‘It’s red.’
‘Yep.’ Morgan held it up to the light and turned it round. ‘You’ll need to check it over, Arty. Make sure that it still has enough power left. It’s obviously ancient. Goodness only knows where Chen got it from.’ He placed it back into the box and passed it over to Artemesia. She took it, albeit rather gingerly.
‘Either the lot of you are talking in code,’ I said, ‘or there’s something going on here that I don’t understand.’
