Page 70 of Bright Dark Curses

“You should exorcise the squid,” Bagley said.

“Do you want to go back to being a kraken toy?”

She sniffed. “Nobody wants to be a toy, child.”

Still, would Tiny Kraken be happier if it wasn’t a ghost anymore? My spell had freed the man in the bathtub, so if Tiny Kraken had wanted to go, it should’ve made him disappear as well. I’d try to ask later when Bagley wasn’t around, just to make sure.

“Are you sure this dark witch isn’t one of your cronies?” I asked.

“How can I be sure? I’m stuck here,” she drawled.

“You would’ve known if they were in the movie business.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. People like to keep their secrets.”

She had a point. “I have a proposal for you.”

“Oh, my. I can’t wait to hear this.”

Ignoring her sarcasm, I continued, “One good deed for an extra day out of the locker.”

“What kind of proposal is that? I’m already out of the locker.”

I put my container of pasta on the counter and grabbed the locket.

“Wait. I’m listening.”

“I already gave you the deal: one good deed, one extra day.”

“What are we counting as a good deed? Feeding the poor? Helping at the library?”

Oh, so we were playing that game.

Without a word, I went to the back door and wrenched it open. Fluffy began barking from upstairs.

“Sorry, Fluffy, no walk yet,” I called up. The barking turned into a disappointed yip.

“When are you returning the beasts?” Bagley grumbled. “So nosy. So destructive. Look at the state of my beautiful backyard!”

The backyard didn’t look any worse than the first day I’d walked in. In fact, it looked way more inviting and cozy. “You’re making this difficult for yourself for no reason.”

“Nobody likes being talked down to, child.”

I opened the rusty locker. It had a couple of shelves and a selection of tools lying on the bottom. “I’m simply suggesting a fair trade.”

“You don’t have the heart to leave me in here forever.”

“Not forever,” I admitted. “But for a few weeks at a time? I think so, Ms. Bagley.”

“Fine. One deed, I’m out for a month.”

As if! “Two days.”

“A week.”

“Three days.”

“Deal.”

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