Sly hesitated a moment. Then shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Well, maybe y’all need a little more. Let’s keep passin’ it until it’s gone. We got more collectin’ in the bucket over yonder.”
Gwyneth pointed with her thumb toward the still where indeed the bucket held at least another jar full.
Sly gazed at Morgaine. “What do you say? Do you think it’s worth a try?”
She shrugged. “Having never done this before, it’s anybody’s guess. Maybe it does take a certain amount to be effective. Like medicine.”
“I’m game if both of you are.” He handed the jar to Gwyneth.
“Y’all know I’m in favor.” She took another swig.
“So, while we’re sitting here, drinking, we might as well talk about our plan B,” Morgaine said.
Gwyneth stole an extra sip before handing the glass jar to Morgaine. “You mean going to New York?”
“New York? Who’s going to New York?” Sly asked.
Just the thought of it made Morgaine jittery and she took a large swallow. “Plauhh!” She took a few deep breaths hoping to cool the molten lava sliding down her throat. At last, she answered him. “If I live through this, you and I need to go to New York to see my old friend, Mikhail.”
“Is that the guy who makes the Vampire Vintage?”
“Yes, I called him, but he wouldn’t give me the secret ingredient. The one thing he said he would do is trade me a case of it for a little magic.”
Sly gave her a sidelong glance. “What kind of magic?’
Gwyneth sat up straighter. “Why Sylvestro Flores, are y’all jealous?”
“N—no. I was just…curious.”
Gwyneth slapped her knee. “Don’t deny it. Y’all are jealous. I know the signs.”
Morgaine had to intervene, although it secretly pleased her to think Sly might be a little possessive. “Gwyneth, ‘mind your own beeswax’ as a certain witch I know would say.”
Gwyneth jumped up and said. “Fine. I feel like dancin’ anyway.” She whirled away trying to pirouette across the basement.
“I was hoping you’d come with me, Sly.”
“Oh? Wouldn’t Gwyneth have to go? I can’t travel in daylight, and you can’t travel at night—or at all.”
“I have to go. Mikhail doesn’t know Gwyneth, and he’s very cautious of people he doesn’t know. He wants to meet you for the same reason.” She leaned toward him and whispered, “Besides, he needs me to remove a curse and set up a sophisticated protection sigil. It’s a type of magical warning system, and that’s rather advanced. I don’t think Gwyneth can do it yet.”
“Okay. So how do we proceed?”
Gwyneth twirled past them. “I can teach y’all about takin’ Morgaine out into the scary world.”
Morgaine sighed. “I’m all right as long as I’m with someone I trust.”
“Yeah, but y’all need to know what to do, if she has a panic attack.”
“I’ll learn all I can about your condition and how to help you with it, but are you really willing to do this, Morgaine? For me?”
She stroked his arm. “Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t do it for anybody else.”
Sly leaned over and kissed her, senseless.
Gwyneth recited “Sly and Morgaine sittin’ in a tree…y’all have stupid names.” Then she became giddy and couldn’t finish the rhyme.
