“It’s gold, like the flakes,” Rory said impatiently. “It could mess with the magic transfer.”
Ellis’s eyes narrowed. “Did you actually see a wedding band messing with the siphon in its past?”
“Well—no—”
“Then it’ll be fine. I’m not taking it off without a better reason.”
Rory huffed. “Fine,” he said. “But focus on the siphon, all right? We’re trying to suck the magic out of the dagger and release it into the air.”
He crouched in front of the clock and motioned to the knife Ellis was holding. “Wipe some of your blood on the zodiac hand, then set it to your sign.”
Ellis raised an eyebrow. “Creepy,” he said, which pretty much summed up Rory’s feelings about all magic that took blood.
A minute later, Ellis was sucking his bleeding finger and the final hand of the siphon clock was set to Leo.
“Now close your eyes,” said Rory. “The less you know about how this works, the better.”
“Whatever you say, kid.” Ellis closed his eyes.
Rory waited a moment, then waved his hand in front of Ellis’s face. Satisfied Ellis wasn’t peeking, Rory twisted the final dials along the outside of the clock until the Tropic of Capricorn was aligned with sunrise and the Tropic of Cancer was aligned with sunset.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Ellis gasped, his eyes flying open.
Rory grabbed Ellis’s wrist and pinned it, forcing his hand to stay in place at the top of the siphon clock. “Stay put,” he ground out. “Concentrate on pulling the magic from your dagger.”
Ellis gritted his teeth, and his arm was tense under Rory’s hand.
But he stayed in place.
Rory could almost taste the magic in the air, his skin prickling uncomfortably like he was being stuck all over with needles. The Venom Dagger’s jewels were glowing. “It might be working,” he whispered.
“It feels like a current’s running through me,” Ellis ground out. “So it better be.”
The hands of the siphon clock finally began to spin counterclockwise, achingly slowly at first, then moving faster and faster. The sensation of needles on Rory’s skin grew stronger, his blood tugged at uncomfortably, like a too-strong magnet coming for his veins.
Rory watched, holding his breath, as the jewels on the dagger’s hilt began to dim—
The siphon clock abruptly stopped.
Then all of the hands suddenly spun clockwise, so fast Rory could hear them whirring.
Ellis gasped.
“No,” Rory said desperately, holding Ellis’s hand down as magic poured the wrong direction. “No, wait, that’s not right—Ellis, the clock, focus on theclock—”
But it was too late.
Ellis’s eyes flew open. He yanked his hand off the siphon clock, out of Rory’s grip, and stared at his wedding band.
Rory threw up his hands and cursed. Loudly. “I told you to concentrate on the clock!”
Zhang’s astral projection suddenly flickered into view. “What’s going on?” he asked, just as a stampeding of feet came from the landing.
The door flew open. “Teddy,” Arthur barked out, Jade and Gwen behind him. “Are you all right—”
“No, I’m not all right!” Rory pointed at Ellis. “I told him to take off that gold ring but this jackass wouldn’t listen!”
