Page 40 of Heir of Uncertain Magic

“Only two years.”

“Only two years,” he repeated, and laughed. “Well, that’s something, then, isn’t it?” He unloaded the rifle on the birch, sighed, and decided to save the rest of his ammunition. “We’ll wait to tell Hulda about that one.”

Owein reached them, panting.I want to try!

“You have to grow thumbs first.”

A small whine sounded in the dog’s throat. The ground in front of him began to quake and reassemble itself, taking the form of a pistol ... before crumbling around the edges as Owein shook his head and whined again.

“Save it for when it’s worth it, kid.” Merritt stuck the muzzle of his gun into the earth. Owein still hadn’t adapted to the side effects of magic, and hehatedthem. Merritt didn’t need communion to know that.

Don’t go into town.

Merritt quirked an eyebrow. “And why not?”

Owein pawed the reeds.Because I get bored.

“Baptiste can throw you a stick.”

The chef tilted his head.

The dog whined.I want Beth back.

Merritt sighed. “I’m working on it, believe me.” A familiar itch tickled his throat.

Don’t go.

Stepping over to Owein, Merritt set the gun aside and rubbed his cold, floppy ears. “I can’t just not go into town.” He cleared his throat, shaking off his own side effects. He considered a moment. “You could come with me, if you’d like.”

Owein pulled back and whined. Surprising—Merritt had been sure that tail would be wagging happily.No.

“Why not?”

The dog didn’t answer. For the better, Merritt supposed. If he used this spell for much longer, he’d lose his voice.

Today Merritt had to visit Gifford at the Genealogical Society for another lecture on magic, one that would hopefully be more helpful than the last. Then he was swinging by BIKER so he could take Hulda to dinner. He hadn’t seen her since Sunday. He’d thought to come earlier in the week and make sure everything was all right, after what Hulda had shared with him about Baillie, but she’d insisted Sadie Steverus would be close by, and it would reflect poorly on her if she had too many social calls at the office. That, and the man supposedly had no power beyond the ability to incite feelings of silliness in others. Perhaps he should have run a children’s puppet theater instead of going into law.

Regardless, Merritt was greatly disliking this new arrangement of theirs.

“Which reminds me.” He turned to Baptiste. “I’ll be out this evening as well.”

Baptiste dropped his arms from their knot across his chest. “Who am I supposed to cook for, hm? Who? Not MissLarkin, not MissTaylor, now not you.”

He can cook for me.

“Owein says you can cook for him,” Merritt related.

Baptiste threw his hands in the air and stalked back to the house.

Unless it’s venison,Owein added, making Merritt’s throat itching a little worse.I’m tired of venison.

“MissSteverus.”

Sadie Steverus looked up from her desk; MissRichards was running an errand, leaving the BIKER secretary free. “Yes? Oh, MissLarkin, you don’t look well.”

Hulda didn’tfeelwell, either. In fact, all week she’d been suffering from those same waves of sorrow, displeasure, even anger. They came and went, and they were more confusing than ever. Not only had Hulda resolved one of the more stressful issues in her life—she and Merritt were back to normal, if not better than before—but it wasn’t eventhattime of month for her. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Hulda glanced down either hallway for the dozenth time, ensuring no one was nearby.

“Do you know,” she whispered, “if hysterians can cast spells from a distance? Or how long their magic might last?”

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