“You’re only making this harder on yourself,” Richard told me. I saw his eyes flicker and knew he was calculating how to get close enough to cut my throat. Behind him, Arachne’s spell was working, repairing the damage to Anne’s mind, but it needed time. I saw Richard tense, about to move— Hermes blinked into existence right in front of me. Richard paused. Hermes crouched protectively in front of my body and gave a sharp, threatening bark.
