Page 20 of The Hocus Pocus Handbook

Or me?

Either way, I give Da time to get free, and then I make my way to the gate, where Kerboros is pacing. A pity I’m already well-fed, because he looks angry again.

“I have been waiting for—”

“Why? I never said when I’d be here.” I cut off the complaint in a cheerful tone. “Let’s get out of here while we can. Before something else goes wrong.”

“For once, I agree with you.”

It’s too bad that I hate the way Kerboros portals so much; the abruptness of his shifts nauseates me. Otherwise, I’d ask him to take us to the pookas. But though time is limited, I’d rather travel the slow way. Besides, I suspect I know exactly where they are. Once we pass the gates, I set a brisk pace along a footpath worn by the wild fae who have been banned from the mushroom circles and portal stones.

Usually for causing chaos.

Moss dots the trail, the flat stones placed ages ago now half covered by greenery. The air is humid, scented with loam, and the trees cast a verdant shadow, their branches woven into archways with leaves that whisper as we pass. Giant mushrooms like the one Da turned into Miremorel House rise here and there, caps polished with wind and rain. Their undersides glow with phosphorescence that lights the deadwood and damp leaves below.

Roots break the surface, making progress treacherous beyond the track, and ferns cluster around the trunk of an ancient solitary tree. I recognize this one, feeling a hot blush creep across my cheeks. I hope the dryad doesn’t see us passing by. But she wasn’t cruel, and neither is her forest; they both reward curiosity with rare gifts.

“Where are we going?” Kerboros asks, after we’ve been walking for a while.

“Do I need to confide my plans? You’re here to spy on me after all.”

Hs jaw clenches. “Not by choice,” he snaps. “Had I an alternative—”

“But you don’t.” I can be annoying too.

Before he can respond, a gruagach stomps into view, armed with an uprooted tree.

10

In Plain Sight

This piece, unlike most in the collection, is abstract. It’s a frieze that encircles the entire room, a narrow band atop all the walls. Over many long years, it has been carved in geometric patterns that do not repeat. Lines meet at unusual angles within the bordering framework, and sometimes there are three or four lines running parallel or intersecting at odd intervals. People have speculated that there may a be a message hidden in code, but that some cipher may be required to discern the secret written in plain sight.

No one has ever decrypted its hidden meaning.

Kerboros

The gruagach is as tall as a house, wide as a hill.

His marbled gray skin resembles patchy stone, and he’s covered in tufts of dark hair that grows all over his body in luxurious patches. He has broad features, heavy brows, and a mane of hair that gleams in the light, even caught up in a topknot as it is. The fur on his shoulders grows into his beard and sideburns, making it difficult to see his mouth.

I step forward, intercepting the gruagach before he can attack.

Though I’m no expert, I’m familiar with many of their customs. Often, they enjoy testing their wits against travelers, though a loss might prompt a display of temper. I can’t obviously throw a contest, however, as that would be insulting. To avoid violence and navigate this encounter, I need to be judicious.

“I challenge you,” I say swiftly.

“To what?” the gruagach asks.

“A battle of the brightest—for right of passage.”

The gruagach glances at Thea for some reason and then sets down the arboreal weapon. We’re safe for now.

“Go on, then,” he says.

A riddle. If the stakes weren’t so high, I might savor this exchange more. After thinking for a moment, I offer, “I speak without a mouth, and I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”

“Starting with a simple one, I see. An echo! My turn…” He pauses, tapping his large foot as he considers, and the resulting vibration sends tremors that rock the earth beneath my feet. “I’ll try to match your level. I can’t be seen, can’t be felt, can’t be heard, and can’t be smelled. I live behind stars, under hills. And empty holes, I fill. I creep softly and follow after. I devour land and kill laughter. What am I?”