Chapter 47
In Which I Will Not Describe the Preceding Events out of a Sense of Demure Politeness, but You Can Be Assured that It Was Some Real Freaky Shit, Some Real Satisfying You Know What, Which Involved Magic and, No I Shan’t Say, and Wow Am I Glad to Have Absolute Privacy in This Underwater Bedroom, I Sure Would Hate to Have Any of This Observed or—
Excuse me for interrupting . . . whatever this is. If you’ll allow it, I can arrange to call back later.”
I was hanging by my ankles, buck naked, when the voice came. It seemed to emanate from a bubble holding a woman’s projected face, which bobbed before us.
Merulo leaned back. “No, this is as good a time as any.”
“If you’re sure.” The woman sounded faintly embarrassed.
She looked like an elf, although her face was pleasantly round-cheeked, and her skin a darker shade of blue.
One of her eyes wandered slightly, drooping.
“Well then, first I’d like to perform an identification.
Glenda? Is this the sorcerer Merulo? And is that . . . Sir Cameron?”
Glenda’s doll-like face appeared in the hovering bubble. “Oh my God, Cameron! Oh my GOD.”
“Microwave! Microwave!” I sputtered, flailing.
With a flick of his wand and a rushed mutter, the sorcerer summoned the illusion of clothing. My illusory shirt promptly fell down over my face, denying me sight.
“I can give you some privacy, but first, please take this as an announcement of intent.” The woman spoke in a melodious voice, which I might have found pleasant under different circumstances.
“I, Domitia, the one they call the mongrel witch, will be putting an end to your schemes.” A pause.
Then, with a touch less drama: “If you’d prefer to come my way to finish this, that’d be terrific.
Just follow the connection made by the call. ”
“No. I won’t.” Merulo’s face was hidden from me, but I imagined it held some variation of his usual scowl. “You are Domitia the half-dragon?”
The seriousness of it all hit then, and my heart pounded in my throat. I wanted down, quite badly, but also feared interrupting.
“Indeed,” said the woman, in her strange, musical voice. “I simply offer this warning then: I will be coming.”
“How admirable,” spat the sorcerer. “Now get out. I haven’t finished with him yet.”