Page 26 of Entranced By the Basilisks

I snort, flustered. “It’s not like that. He is in a… relationship with the man who is helping us solve this.”

I gesture to my head as if the snakes are visible. Which is a mistake because Ma’s eyes light up in curiosity, but she drops the commentary about Jasper.

“Show me,” she says softly, patting my hand resting on the table.

I freeze. My first instinct is refusal, but you do not refuse a request from this woman.

“It’s not pretty,” I say instead.

Ma tilts her head down and arches a brow. “I don’t need to remind you of my profession. I doubt it’s comparable to necrosis.”

I cough a laugh and relent. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Before I have a chance to change my mind, I unclasp the necklace that holds the glamour and Ma gasps. Shapes of different colors move in my peripheral vision. The blue one that had made its appearance with Rose runs up against my cheek and I stiffen.

“Oh Emilia, they’re… beautiful,” Ma says.

I rear back at that. “No, they’re not! They’re snakes attached to my head.”

“They are. Look at the colors.”

“I was too busy noticing the scales,” I snap. The frustration and fear are sharp on my tongue.

“Emilia…” Ma starts softly, reaching to place a hand on my shoulder. It’s an action she’s done countless times. When I’m overwhelmed or scared, it sometimes feels like her holding on to me and rubbing my back is the only thing keeping me from tilting over the edge.

But I don’t want to talk about howprettythe invading creatures are. I want them gone. I want this terrible day to never have started and something vicious and unfamiliar bubbles up at my anger.

It happens so fast.

Too fast.

One of the creatures on my head makes an aggressive sound and strikes at my mother.

“No!” I scream, throwing myself backward from the chair, scrabbling to put distance between my mother and the danger of the snakes.

But it’s too late.

Ma and I stare in horror at the twin puncture marks on her hand. Blood and clear fluid start to bead on her skin.

“Oh, this is not good,” Ma says. Her face transitions from slack shock to a hiss of pain.

No, no, no.

“Emilia, we need to remain calm.”

Tears already blur my vision, but Ma’s nurse voice is holding back my panic.

“The snakes appear to be venomous,” she says.

I whimper.

“Stop it.” The order is stern but not mean. “We don’t have much time and we won’t be able to explain this to the hospital.”

Ma glances around, making strategies and discarding them quickly before snapping to my face. A plan gleams in her eyes and she straightens her shoulders.

“You need to buy us some time,” she says.

“How?”

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