CHAPTER#133

When the wall of ice exploded, shrapnel filled the air and knocked both of them across the yard. The King and Queen of Cups were blown apart, evaporating into a fine mist that clung to the house, and Yuki and Abella tumbled through the snow, coming to a stop at the stairs.

Abella cried out in pain, placing her hands against her ears and rolling off of Yuki. Yuki stood up to watch a large metal golem with wrecking ball hands stride through the opening.

Somewhere in the distance, someone opened a window and threatened to call the cops if they didn't stop making so much racket. Yuki almost laughed, but was too busy summoning a wall of snow between them to hide them from the Society.

"The key!" Abella pulled herself up, still disoriented by the blast. "Where is it?"

Yuki's lips formed a thin line and she just shook her head, holding up her empty hands for Abella to see.

The key was gone. She had lost it in the blast, and had no idea where it was.

---

"Okay, so what do we have?" Mike looked down at a picture of the house that Tink had drawn him.

It was brightly lit by light from the rising sun through a nearby window. They stood in the kitchen, the parchment rolled out in front of them and surrounded by rats, Tink, and Ratu. Zel was still out in the stable, her leg too bad to walk on.

"Fox face turn everyone to stone." Tink laid rocks out along the map. "One-Eye out front and Big Sister in fountain. Rock Butt stuck in ice here." She put down a large stone she had found in the garden. "Fairies and rats all hiding, and not sure about cow fuck or horny lawyer."

"Horny lawyer? Really?"

Tink shrugged. "Tink look in briefcase."

He shook his head, making a mental note to ask about that later. "So it isn't as simple as just going in and shooting her with a trick arrow, is it?" He gave the goblin a wink. "She can turn us to stone with a look, has magic, and wants to kill me. So what are our options?"

"Hmm." Ratu touched the paper map. "We can choose to spring up anywhere in the house. Perhaps we can set an ambush?"

"Maybe. But we have a bigger problem. Even if we defeat her and put a bag over her head, what about the others? Can we get her to return them to normal?"

"That's something you would have to ask her. I assume it's reversible, but can't know for sure. It would also be dangerous to try and figure it out on my own without knowing what type of enchantment it is."

"What about the medusa thing she's got going on? Any counters?"

"Don't make eye contact. Try to look at her through a mirror, or close your eyes." Ratu shrugged. "The only advantage we have is the element of surprise. I suppose we could come up through the Labyrinth and I could get some magic items from the center, but stepping out through the reflecting pool will ruin any chance of sneaking up on her."

"Hmm. I feel like we're missing something." He looked over the map again. "What about the Vault? Is there anything there we could use?"

Tink shook her head violently. "Bad news only. Vault not for fighting."

"There's gotta be..." his eyes fixed on the pebble Tink had laid for Naia. "What about that weird emerald? Is there any way to get that?"

"I was under the impression that Naia had tucked it away, so I'm not sure how." Ratu tapped the map by the fountain. "But if we could get it, it might just work. It's powerful enough that you could use it to wish her away, or make her obedient, but you'd have to be very careful."

"Why?"

"Every story about wishes is a cautionary tale for a reason. And the stone won't just work directly. You can't just say 'I wish things were back to normal' or whatever. You have to feel it, in here." She tapped her chest. "It works off of desire, remember? That part of you that humans have the least control over."

He chewed at a fingernail, looking over the map. "Okay, well, any ideas on how we could get the emerald?"

Ratu and Tink looked at each other and then both shook their heads. Mike grimaced, his eyes back on the map. The emerald could certainly be used, but he had to get it first and then figure out the best way to use it.

"Mistress Tink?" A rat appeared at the end of the table, his ears and nose barely visible over the edge. "We are ready to begin."

"Tink go look." She hefted the club on her shoulders. "Scout out house. Husband wait, then Tink tell what fox face is up to."

"Please be careful." They had the rats open a portal in Tink's room beneath the garage. There should be zero reason for Yuki to spend any time down there, and Tink would be able to slink quietly through the house until she could make contact with Reggie.

"Tink super careful." She walked past him and gave his ass a playful pinch. "Husband watch."

She disappeared around the corner. Mike looked at Ratu.

"And now, for the worst part." She sat down and crossed her arms. "Waiting."

---

"Oh, fuck me." Yuki flopped down on the porch swing, gasping for air. The iron golem lay dismantled in front of her and the yard was finally quiet once more.

When the iron golem had stormed the yard, Abella had rushed to intercept it. While it was powerful enough to do the gargoyle serious harm, she had been quick enough to evade its clumsy blows and fight back. While the battle itself could have been dealt with, six members of the Society had come running in, filling the night air with light and sound as they rained a magical assault down on the front yard.