Page 31 of To Hunt a Ruby Remedy

“We’ll be so high up that it is safe enough. I’ll set you down somewhere isolated.”

Scarlette pulled on her clothes. “It is safer if you don’t even shift. Not with Gideon still hunting you.”

I rolled out of bed and found a clean shirt to pull on. “Gideon has already proven he’ll use you against me. You can’t risk walking into Wulfkin—or running into him anywhere in the forest.”

Scarlette shrugged and went over to the trapdoor.

I rushed over. “Let me go first.”

A furrow formed between her brows as she stepped back and let me go downstairs.

The cottage was empty. Scarlette followed me into the main room and went to the kitchen. I moved to the sitting area, wanting to add as much power as I could to the charm before I had to fly Scarlette home.

The glass cube still sat on the small table, but the ruby wasn’t next to it. I opened the drawer, but it wasn’t in there, either. I crouched low, checking the floor. “Scarlette?”

“Yes?”

“Did you move the ruby charm?”

She came over to where I still crouched on the floor, patting around as if my hand could find what my eyes hadn’t. “No. It was still on the table when I left the cottage yesterday evening.”

Still on the table. The summons crystal had interrupted my conversation with Scarlette, and in my rush, I had left the ruby out on the table, in plain view.

I looked up and met her eyes. We spoke at the same time. “Gideon.”

I jumped to my feet. “I need to find him. Without that ruby, I can’t make a charm even as close to as powerful as you need. Even if I had the time.”

Scarlette stopped me from running out of the cottage with a single hand on my arm. “How will you find him?”

“I’ll go to the village. Even if he doesn’t plan to give up, he’ll need supplies. If he went all the way last night, I can get there before he wakes up. If he slept in the forest, then I’ll be there when he arrives this morning.”

“I thought you can’t shift once away from the node. You can’t confront him in dragon form.”

“I’ll be fine. And the villagers will help.”

“They won’t know what is going on.” Scarlette propped her hands on her hips. “This is my fault, anyway. I’ll go with you.”

I ignored the nonsense comment about it being her fault. Gideon was the only one to blame for his own actions. “I don’t want you anywhere near him, Scarlette.”

“Too bad. You need my help.” She hesitated. “I’ll bring the crossbow.”

I sighed. “There’s a walking staff in Grandmother’s room. Grab that while I write a message to send to Ortfel. I’ll enchant the staff with the same spell I gave you before. That way, you’ll have better reach.”

Scarlette rushed over to Grandmother’s room. I found a sheet of paper and wrote a quick message explaining what was going on. Someone in Wulfkin could ride up to the other village and explain that I wouldn’t be coming to give Grandmother a ride home until tomorrow.

I told Scarlette to eat something while I enchanted the staff. Then I took the time to layer the magic carefully, with enough power to last for an hour of constant use. I considered the best trigger and decided to add a verbal command.

I handed Scarlette the staff, and she handed me a peeled egg and hunk of cheese. I ate as we walked to the clearing. “The knob at the top of the staff has to be touching your target.” I checked to make sure she wasn’t touching that part of the staff. “You can activate the enchantment by saying ‘freeze.’ Saying ‘unfreeze’ stops the magic from flowing.”

“How long will a person remain paralyzed if I tap them with the staff?”

“About five minutes.” I stopped at the hollowed-out tree. “When we get to the village, don’t go far from my side. Tell either the innkeeper or Thalia, a shopkeeper in the blue building on the west side of town, what has happened. They’ll know who else to involve.”

I added another set of clothes to the pieces I hadn’t claimed yesterday and explained to Scarlette the best way to fly dragon-back. When I stepped into the clearing, I could see the remnants of the nets she had pulled down the night before, a few stray bits of rope still attached to the trees, but most on the ground in a pile.

I shifted, and Scarlette rushed over to my foreleg. She put out a hand, but didn’t climb up immediately, instead stroking over my scales in wonderment. I didn’t know if a real dragon’s scales were sensitive, but I felt the pressure of her hand the same as if she were touching skin. A rumble echoed through the clearing as I discovered I could purr.

Scarlette laughed, not scared by the sound in the least, and climbed onto my back. It took her a bit with the staff getting in the way, but eventually she called out that she was ready. I took off carefully, but she was secure, her laughter echoing around me.

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