Page 78 of The Stone Survival
My heart sinks. “We have to work fast. They could know you’re here.”
“Who?” Willowman looks confused. “The faction? Trust me, no one knows I’m here.”
“This place may be bugged,” Levi explains.
Willowman scoffs. “Not likely. I scoured the tower myself after we found out about Prasan. No mystical or electronic bugs. You had enough on your plate without having to worry about that. I meant to tell you but…things happened.”
“So if this place isn’t bugged, how does the faction know our every move?” Sharniza says.
“It doesn’t matter now,” Curi replies. “We have to focus on getting to Serath and Cameron.”
“What happened to them?” Willowman glances around, noticing their absence for the first time.
“The faction has them.” I fill him in quickly.
“Shit, I get it, hence the need for a tracker. I need hair or blood from either of them.”
“I’ll get Cameron’s hairbrush!” Sharniza rushes out of the room.
“How long will it take?” Levi asks. “The tracking spell?”
“An hour at most. I just need a few things from my cottage.”
We can’t be seen entering the cottage. “Derek can get them when he returns. Did you manage to activate our plan B?”
Willowman smiles smugly. “Of course. Fifteen halfbloods are ready to fight if needed. I have them staying at a safe house. I can orb them to wherever they’re needed.”
“Damn, it’s good to have you back.”
Sharniza returns, hairbrush in hand, and Taz slips into the room around her. He pads over to me and bumps my leg.
Willowman goes still, staring at Taz intensely.
“You’ve met Taz. You remember, right?” Maybe the alchemists digging in his head stole some memories.
He exhales sharply. “Oh yes. I’ve met him. Lovely feline.” He crouches and beckons to Taz with soft tutting sounds.
Taz stares flatly at him as if to say,What do you think I am? A bloody cat?
Willowman ceases his tutting and holds out a hand. “Hey, Taz, can I take a quick look at you, buddy?”
Taz pads over, and Willowman runs his hand over Taz’s head and down his back. He does this twice, but the third time he stops at the neck, fingers digging in slightly, which makes Taz hiss.
“Hey!” I take a step forward, but Willowman shoots me a warning glare. “One second, sweet boy,” he says to Taz. “One…more…” He plucks something out from Taz’s fur: a small coppery disc that looks like the head of a bobby pin.
“What is that?” Sharniza asks.
“It’s a mystiaudio receptor,” Willowman says. “Still in the experimental phase from what I recall. Something the council has the alchemist labs working on.”
“Why is it on Taz?” Ginia asks.
But it’s obvious to me, and from the looks on their faces, to everyone else too.
Willowman straightens. “Looks like we found your information leak right here.” He drops it into the plug hole, chasing it with water from the tap. “The feed’s dead now, so they’ll suspect something is up. We’ll have to work fast.”
Sharniza hands him the brush. “Derek shouldn’t be long.”
She’s barely finished speaking when Derek materializes by the island. He sways and grabs at the counter to steady himself.
