Shatter the Earth (Cassandra Palmer 10)

But I hoped he was feeling perky today, since I had a job for him.

I finally stood back to admire my handiwork, which once again looked like a glittery, golden spiderweb stretched over my door. My trainer could make a web that she could throw, like a fisherman’s net, but I didn’t have that kind of finesse yet. Which was too bad, because it would have really come in handy today.

Pythia stuff was hard.

“Now that you’re done,” Billy said, in his I’ve-been-patient-look-how-patient-I’ve-been voice, “I reiterate: what the fuck?”

“Language,” I said automatically, because some of the girls around here could hear him.

“Nobody’s in here but you and me, and why do you need another ward?” he demanded. “And how did that thing catch me?”

“Ghosts are ruled by time, too,” I reminded him. “At least on this plane.”

“So?”

“So a time ward fixes a person in time rather than space, but since they’re two facets of the same thing, it also fixes them in space. Or something.” I was still getting the theory down. “Anyway, it’s the only ward that works on everyone.”

“And you need a universal ward because?”

I told him.

“You really think a fey assassin is coming here?” he demanded, when I was finished. “He’d have to be crazy!”

“Anyone would have said the same about HQ. Who breaks into an underground warren full of crazy war mages?”

“Somebody who can’t get in here?”

I shot him a look. “Now you sound like Pritkin.”

“Maybe he’s right. It’s not like everybody and their dog haven’t been trying to assassinate you since day one. And with the war heating up—”

“Why waste time on me?” I finished for him, deciding that my ward, although a little lopsided, would have to do. I went over to the bed and started turning it down.

“Because you’re Pythia?”

“Exactly. I can’t go into Faerie. My power doesn’t work there, meaning that I’m not very important for the next phase of the war. You’d think our enemies would be more worried about people helping with the invasion.”

“People like Pritkin.”

I nodded. “And it was his room. Which is why I need a favor.”

“Oh, boy.” Billy put out his cigarette on his boot. “Here it comes.”

“You’ll get a draw,” I told him, talking about the energy boosts I gave him, to increase his range. “A big one.”

“Now I know I’m not gonna like it.”

I got in bed and sat back against the pillows. “I don’t like it, either, but I don’t know what else to do. Pritkin won’t listen to me—”

“Well, your name is Cassandra. Wasn’t she that chick who went around prophesying, only nobody paid her any attention and they all ended up dead?”

I scowled. “Not the time to bring that up!”

“So, I’m guessing you’d like a different name.”

“I’d like a different outcome. One that doesn’t involve Pritkin’s insides being on the outside!”

“Why worry about it?” Billy asked, looking at me slyly from under his hat. “You could just go back in time and save him. I mean you do that now, right?”