Page 40

“How much are we talking?” I asked, pulling my knife back out.

“Not much.”

I dragged a piece from underneath, at the back, and sliced some off, then popped it in the jar Mags held open for me.

“Right, we’re good to go,” she said.

“I don’t like this,” Ren said.

I followed Mags through the opening to the path. There was a light staticky sensation, but nothing else.

“Fuck this,” Ren snarled.

He strode toward us, his gaze locked on me.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Bram muttered at the same time Mags told him to stop.

He only made it to the trees bordering the path’s opening. As soon as he reached it, he was tossed back like a pebble from a giant slingshot.

He jumped to his feet and was about to charge it again, I could see the determination on his face, but Bram planted his hand on Ren’s chest and shook his head. He was talking, but I couldn’t hear what he said because Mags had taken my hand and was leading me up the path.

Mags glanced back at me. “Wonder what’s gotten into him?”

“No idea.”

She gave me a funny look.

Then we were at the door, and it was flung open. Magic coiled around us, and we were both dragged inside.

“Come on, hurry up,” the crone said as we slid to a stop in the middle of the room. I looked around and tried not to show my horror, but I was pretty sure I was failing big-time. There were more jars hanging off the ceiling and walls, and they were filled with…truly disgusting things.

“You trying to catch flies?” Agatheena said to me.

I snapped my mouth shut.

“You seem too squeamish to be a Thornheart, but that’s what you are, so stop gawking like a nun in a whorehouse and get your butt over here.”

I jumped like I’d been plugged into an electrical socket, but my feet wouldn’t move me in her direction. She stood in a small kitchen off to the side, a raven perched on her shoulder, the bird eyeing me with terrifying black eyes.

“She need my blue smoke?” Agatheena asked Mags, flashing yellow, pointed teeth.

“No, she’ll be fine.” Mags’s hand touched my back, and she gently but firmly pushed me forward.

“If you say so.” Agatheena’s gray hair was wiry and pulled tight in a thick braid, her skin wrinkled and saggy, but her eyes were sharp as they looked me up and down. She huffed, seeming highly unimpressed.

I needed to snap the hell out of it. I was embarrassing Mags and myself. “Sorry, I’m not normally…I just…I don’t usually…”

“Stutter like an imbecile?”

My face went up in flames. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. And stop looking at Dolores like she’s going to peck your eyeballs out.” She grabbed three teacups and banged them down on the table. “She only does that if I ask her to.”

Jesus. “Right.”

“Sit,” she said.

We both sat.