why isn’t it affecting Cordi the same way it did the guy she apparently got it from?”
“Good question,” Damian said. “There wasn’t any expression on her face, any more than there was on Chapman’s. When she began to lift the gun, her arm trembled like his did.”
David sat up and turned to my dad. “And she snapped right out of it when you asked her what she was doing?”
“Yes. Is that important?” Dad looked from him to me. I shrugged, wincing when the movement caused a pang in my hand.
“The sound of your voice apparently swung the odds in her favor to fight off the compulsion. This could be,” David nodded at me, “where blood comes into play, with the familial bond between you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Any time, kid.” We grinned at each other.
“We can figure out how the spell was done later. Right now, we need to try and isolate it, in case Cordi’s resistance to the compulsion wears down. It’s still present, or she’d have let go of my gun by now.” There was a faint worry line between Damian’s brows. “I’d rather not be surprised again.”
“It’s unloaded,” I pointed out.
“You teleported it. You could teleport the clip. We’re not going to take chances.”
“Okay.”
My dad rubbed his chin. “I’m clean of magic, right?”
“Yes,” Jo said.
“Would I make a good place to isolate it?”
“No.” My response came at the same time as David’s “Yes”. He didn’t flinch when I glared at him. “You are not using my dad as a jar.”
“I volunteered,” Dad said. “I can’t teleport guns and the four of you should be more than enough to keep me from hurting anyone.”
Everyone ignored my protests. David dug out a leather glove for Dad to wear so his wrist would be protected before Damian cuffed him to the banister of the stairs. I balked when waved over. “I don’t like this.”
My dad smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
Huffing out a swear word, I rose from the chair and crossed to the stairs. He held out his free hand, and I gave him mine. “I don’t feel anything happening.”
No sooner than I’d finished speaking, than the gun thumped to the floor. “Okay, I guess it worked. Ow, my hand. Dad?”
“I’m fine,” he said after shaking his head. “Better let go, in case it moves back or something.”
I did, stepping away to massage my aching hand while Damian retrieved his gun. The warlock’s tense posture relaxed and he smiled at me while tucking it into his shoulder holster.
Jo’s familiar, a gray tabby cat named Beatrix who answered to “Trixie”, wove her way through legs and jumped onto the banister. Copernicus, David’s raven familiar, fluttered over and landed beside her. Both intently watched my dad while Damian called his familiar, Illusion.
The goofy-looking husky popped into existence, a piece of toilet paper sticking out from the side of his mouth. Damian dropped his head, covering his face with one hand. “Did you leave any alive?”
With a wag of his tail, Illusion grinned. He noticed the other two familiars, and tilted his head. His soft “Rroowrroo” earned an equally soft caw from Copernicus. At that, the husky sat down at the foot of the stairs and joined the other two in staring at Dad.
Though I couldn’t feel anything, I moved back a few steps. All three of my friends watched their familiars as intently as the animals watched my dad, who winked at me.
“Feels like I’m giving a presentation to hard-to-impress clients.”
“I’ll bet.” I dug my thumb into the palm of my hand, trying to rub out some of the ache. “It’s good pra…”
Illy barked, and I glanced at him before looking at the other two. Trixie’s fur puffed out and Copernicus half-spread his wings while opening his beak. When I looked back at my dad, his amusement had become blankness. “Okay. It worked. Do whatever you need to and get it off him.”
“Mr. Jones, do you hear voices?” David’s hushed question gave me the creeps. I rubbed
“Good question,” Damian said. “There wasn’t any expression on her face, any more than there was on Chapman’s. When she began to lift the gun, her arm trembled like his did.”
David sat up and turned to my dad. “And she snapped right out of it when you asked her what she was doing?”
“Yes. Is that important?” Dad looked from him to me. I shrugged, wincing when the movement caused a pang in my hand.
“The sound of your voice apparently swung the odds in her favor to fight off the compulsion. This could be,” David nodded at me, “where blood comes into play, with the familial bond between you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Any time, kid.” We grinned at each other.
“We can figure out how the spell was done later. Right now, we need to try and isolate it, in case Cordi’s resistance to the compulsion wears down. It’s still present, or she’d have let go of my gun by now.” There was a faint worry line between Damian’s brows. “I’d rather not be surprised again.”
“It’s unloaded,” I pointed out.
“You teleported it. You could teleport the clip. We’re not going to take chances.”
“Okay.”
My dad rubbed his chin. “I’m clean of magic, right?”
“Yes,” Jo said.
“Would I make a good place to isolate it?”
“No.” My response came at the same time as David’s “Yes”. He didn’t flinch when I glared at him. “You are not using my dad as a jar.”
“I volunteered,” Dad said. “I can’t teleport guns and the four of you should be more than enough to keep me from hurting anyone.”
Everyone ignored my protests. David dug out a leather glove for Dad to wear so his wrist would be protected before Damian cuffed him to the banister of the stairs. I balked when waved over. “I don’t like this.”
My dad smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
Huffing out a swear word, I rose from the chair and crossed to the stairs. He held out his free hand, and I gave him mine. “I don’t feel anything happening.”
No sooner than I’d finished speaking, than the gun thumped to the floor. “Okay, I guess it worked. Ow, my hand. Dad?”
“I’m fine,” he said after shaking his head. “Better let go, in case it moves back or something.”
I did, stepping away to massage my aching hand while Damian retrieved his gun. The warlock’s tense posture relaxed and he smiled at me while tucking it into his shoulder holster.
Jo’s familiar, a gray tabby cat named Beatrix who answered to “Trixie”, wove her way through legs and jumped onto the banister. Copernicus, David’s raven familiar, fluttered over and landed beside her. Both intently watched my dad while Damian called his familiar, Illusion.
The goofy-looking husky popped into existence, a piece of toilet paper sticking out from the side of his mouth. Damian dropped his head, covering his face with one hand. “Did you leave any alive?”
With a wag of his tail, Illusion grinned. He noticed the other two familiars, and tilted his head. His soft “Rroowrroo” earned an equally soft caw from Copernicus. At that, the husky sat down at the foot of the stairs and joined the other two in staring at Dad.
Though I couldn’t feel anything, I moved back a few steps. All three of my friends watched their familiars as intently as the animals watched my dad, who winked at me.
“Feels like I’m giving a presentation to hard-to-impress clients.”
“I’ll bet.” I dug my thumb into the palm of my hand, trying to rub out some of the ache. “It’s good pra…”
Illy barked, and I glanced at him before looking at the other two. Trixie’s fur puffed out and Copernicus half-spread his wings while opening his beak. When I looked back at my dad, his amusement had become blankness. “Okay. It worked. Do whatever you need to and get it off him.”
“Mr. Jones, do you hear voices?” David’s hushed question gave me the creeps. I rubbed
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