you can throw me if you want

[truthwright]

It turns out that there was really not much point to making a schedule. Kas and Helen visit the witch clan whenever Helen feels like it, and stay as long as she wants, and go when she wants to be somewhere else, and it all adds up to plenty more time spent with the clan than away.

After the aquarium jaunt with Ranata, it's a little more than a month before they visit the clan again.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

He is.

The first foreign cursebreaker declines to second-guess Rinda at all. The second listens to the symptoms and the circumstances, asks whether Kas happens to smell of mace, and eventually concludes that he cannot be helped. The third's phone is answered by her son-in-law, who says that she's going to be spending the next six months on a retreat in the Alps and will not be speaking to anyone until the end of same.

Ranata puts her phone away.

"Not much sense in waiting," she murmurs.

[carillons]

Helen sniffles and hugs Charlie.

"What are you going to do?"

[alicornucopia]

Ranata kisses her forehead. "I'm not sure what will get through the ice. It's probably better if you don't watch."

[carillons]

She shakes her head.

"I want to," she says.

[alicornucopia]

"No, sweetie. Stay here with Charlie, okay?"

Charlie holds Helen securely.

[carillons]

"Please?" she says. "I want to see. Even if it's going to be scary and awful. Not seeing would be worse, because then it would be scary and awful and I wouldn't know—" She clings to Charlie and presses her face against his shoulder.

[alicornucopia]

"I don't want you having that image in your head, Helen," says Ranata.

"She's right," Charlie opines.

[carillons]

Helen shakes her head vigorously.

[alicornucopia]

"Stay put," says Ranata, and she leaves.

[carillons]

Helen starts crying and trying to get away from Charlie.

[alicornucopia]

Charlie holds onto her. Kesathi wraps her forepaws around Kalavar and nuzzles her.

[carillons]

Kalavar turns into a flea and hops away, and turns into a dragon and launches herself into the air, flying after Ranata. She can't get very far, but she pulls as hard as she can, even though Helen is now crying hysterically.

[alicornucopia]

"Helen, honey," says Charlie. "Looking won't help. Kalavar, come back - sit down - just wait. It'll be over soon."

[carillons]

"Let us go," wails Helen.

And she listens to Ranata.

[alicornucopia]

"We said no, Helen," Charlie says.

Ranata is producing footsteps.

And the sound of a dagger unsheathing.

And an apprehensive sigh -

And the sound of ice shattering.

[carillons]

"Mommydaddyspinaaaaaaach!"

[truthwright]

The crackle of flames.

"—Button? What the hell—"

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, thank goddesses all," says Ranata, sitting heavily down on the ground.

[truthwright]

"Did you just—? What happened? And where is my daughter?"

[carillons]

"They wouldn't let me see!" says Helen, the words inaudible to Charlie, unless he can hear her all the way from where Kas and Ranata are. "I'm with Charlie—Granatee, bring him here!"

[alicornucopia]

"This way," says Ranata, getting up again and leading Kas Helenward. "The witches who took Helen cursed you, and it wasn't looking breakable - I was betting on your extra immortality. Isabella's afterlife if it didn't work; it let Charlie out quick enough."

[truthwright]

"Thank you," says Kas, and he hugs Ranata. Petaal bounds along beside them as a doe.

As soon as they're in sight of Charlie, Kas rushes forward and scoops Helen out of her grandpa's arms.

"Button, I'm here, I'm okay, see?" he says.

[carillons]

Kalavar dives onto Petaal's back and clings.

Helen clings likewise to Kas, still crying.

[alicornucopia]

Ranata sits down again. She puts her dagger in its sheath, and leans her head on Charlie's shoulder, looking drained.

[truthwright]

"It's okay," Kas murmurs into Helen's hair. "I'm right here, I'm fine."