“Isn’t this a little… off the cuff? Even for you?” Victorine said, mild as she knew how to be.
“That’s how I roll.”
“How reassuring.”
“I’m open to other genius ideas.” I looked around the room: Poppy, Mom, Victorine. Myself in the mirror, the same one I’d seen myself in that fateful day of the party. “No? Then off-the-cuff it is. Tonight.”
“Tonight?” Mom said. “Are you sure?”
“I won’t sleep well until I know he’s six feet under, and staying put.”
That night, I pulled on my jacket and added a scarf and a hat, but tucked my gloves into my pocket, leaving my hands bare. Poppy and my mother had to do one final magical top-up before I left.
“Are you sure I can’t come?” Mom asked.
“What if something happened to you?” I said.
“You couldn’t stop me from coming if I really tried,” Mom said, drawing herself up to her full height, which wasn’t much.
“I could certainly take a run at it.”
“You wouldn’t dare. I’m yourmother.”
“It’s not just that I don’t want you there—”
“A-ha!”
“But that he seems to show up when I’m alone.”
Mom subsided, looking troubled. “I know. I understand, really.” She took my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “Soon I’ll be going home, Zelda, and I won’t even be here to protect you. It worries me.”
It meant exactly what she said but it also meant more, so much more that it suddenly hurt to swallow over the lump in my throat. “It’s not that I don’t want your help,” I said. “It’s just—I can’t take the risk of scaring him off. I have to go alone.”
She gave me a squeeze and a little shake before letting go of my shoulders. “At least pet the dog before you go. You said he was lucky, right?” She scooped up Jester, who had been standing between us in hopes of being included in whatever fun thing was happening.
“Is this a bad idea, boy?” I said, scratching his head. He looked at me with eyes that were simultaneously wise and absolutely clueless. “Be good,” I told him. “And don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
“Or I’m coming after you,” Mom said, carefully setting the dog down.
“Me, too,” Poppy added.
“Fine,” I said. “Everyone can come after me. Now, can you unload some fire magic on me so I can do this?” I held out my hands.
They each took a hand. I closed my eyes, the better to concentrate, and focused on finding that sweet spot between passively absorbing the magic, as I usually did; and outright drawing it in, as I had done with Jessica.
I was a thick hunk of bread sopping up soup in a bowl.
Poppy’s magic felt cozy and well-worn, like a velvet sofa in a pool of midday sun. Mom’s magic was both new and aged, like a vintage bottle of wine that’s just been opened. I took it in until my head spun with the sheer sparkling overflow of it all. “I’m good,” I said, letting go of their hands.
“Call us theminuteyou get done,” Poppy said.
“Yes, mother. And Mom,” I said, nodding to my real mother.
She hugged me. A little more magic flowed through the embrace. Or maybe it was love.
“I’m just banishing him,” I said. “I’m not doing anything dangerous.”
“Be safe,” she said, letting me go.
