CHAPTER#85

"He can't help anybody!" When she swung her arm, rays of frost struck the ground, causing ice to climb up the edge of the fountain. "He's not the Caretaker anymore, I am! The position is mine by right." Naia could argue about magical homes all she wanted, but Yuki knew the truth.

Emily had used magic to erase Yuki. The thought made Yuki growl, and the wind swirled around her, flurries appearing around her.

"Look, Yuki, you need to settle down." The glyphs along Naia's ribcage glowed ominously and the pressure outside dropped. "There can only be one Caretaker and it isn't you. Where is Mike?"

"The centaurs have him."

"What centaurs?"

"The ones who live in the wardrobe." Ice crystals formed on the stones, creeping up the side of the house now. It occurred to Yuki that the Mandragora's vines were no longer there. Likely they had died before he could figure out how to care for it. "They've probably killed him by now if he's lucky."

Naia's eyes flashed, the water now swirling around her and blasting the frosty air with steam. "Why are you so angry with him? Yes, Mike has screwed up more than once, but I doubt he's done anything to you that can't be undone." She tilted her head to one side as if listening to a distant sound. "He's still alive, by the way."

"Not for long." Yuki held up the key to the wardrobe, causing Naia's eyes to widen. She was tempted to bend it, maybe snap it in half, but remembered that she needed to go back for Daisy. Instead, she made it vanish with the flick of her wrist. "This house doesn't need him. It needs someone who can protect it. You'll see."

"Mike is the Caretaker here. That will not change." Naia's voice was suddenly dangerous. "Give me back that key, Yuki."

Yuki raised a finger, ready to blast Naia and freeze her fountain. She knew better than anyone just how dangerous the nymph could be. But when her sleeve slid up to reveal that the backs of her hands and wrist were now covered in soft white fur, she let out a heavy sigh. She was losing her temper already and was about to make a huge mistake. This wasn't Naia's fault, after all.

It was Emily's.

"I don't have time to wait for you to remember, to know that I'm right." Yuki loosened the straps of her eyepatch. "But when I do, I promise I'll come back and fix this."

She took off the eyepatch and Naia's eyes went wide in terror. It was a face Yuki had seen many times, but this time flooded her with guilt. Naia couldn't know what was about to happen, but Yuki knew she was already feeling the effect, and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

The effect was usually instantaneous, but it was different with Naia. In slow motion, a dark gray color spread across her body, then sank into the water beneath her feet. Her outstretched arm solidified, her entire body solidifying in place.

The nymph had been turned to stone.

"I'm so sorry," Yuki said, slipping the eyepatch back on. She stepped toward the statue and slid her fingers between the fingers of Naia's outstretched hand. "Once I get everything here figured out, I can undo it. You will remember me."

She felt the ground shake behind her, the air filled with the sound of thousands of pounds of stone colliding with the earth. Grabbed from behind, she was hurled backward toward the house so hard that the back door ripped free of its hinges and she tumbled down the hall.

Abella stomped toward her, murder in her eyes.

"Why did you do that? Why did you kill her?" Abella scooped up one of the concrete planters with little effort, her biceps bulging.

"I didn't kill her, just let me—" Yuki summoned a wall of ice, but the planter busted through, scattering ice shards down the hall. She summoned several walls behind her and stumbled to her feet at the sound of Abella busting her way through.

"Abella, wait, listen!" She ran farther into the house, wincing at the sound of crackling wood. If she got into a fight with the gargoyle here, the house would be quickly demolished. But if she went outside, the gargoyle would have the advantage of the sky. Without the Jabberwock to help her, she'd have to rely on her wits to win.

The house had to come first.

Yuki sprinted past the stairs where Tink and a large rat stood on the landing, open mouthed. The house shook when Abella shattered one of the ice walls, howling with fury. Yuki shoved her way out the front door, casting a wary eye at the porch swing. She wasn't certain if Cecilia would help Abella, but was relieved to see the banshee was absent.

She ran across the yard, summoning a storm of ice. The Gorgon's Eye wouldn't work on the gargoyle, which meant she would actually have to fight her. She had tried to use it on the mysterious naga, but the smoke and steam had made it hard to spot the snake, and by the time she was ready to use it, the naga had hit the sun stone with a massive ball of fire.

There were only seconds left before Abella caught up. The storm was still too weak to provide Yuki with much cover and she was still recovering from her fight with the naga. Several walls of ice formed between her and the front door before Abella stepped out. Yuki had already ducked behind one, tracing symbols in the ground. She didn't want to hurt Abella, but she needed a plan to stop her.

The heavy flapping of wings signaled that Abella had already gone airborne. Using a swirl of powder, Yuki dashed to another wall. A thin layer of snow was beginning to form, and she commanded her dress to shift back to the white furs she had worn before. Huddled behind another ice wall, she traced more sigils into the ground.