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"Not my problem"

"--and who orders breakfast at seven pm, anyway?"

"Seven pm?" I asked, confused Because it sure felt like I’d slept longer than that

"You’ve almost slept the clock around," Marco toldanywhere," he told me, which didn’t impress Unfortunately, he also had a hand on the shoulder I was trying to leverage out of bed, and I guess that did Because I wasn’tany headway

"I have to talk to Caleb, to Casanova--" I said, struggling ’Cause despite the sleep, it didn’t feel like I could shift

"That war o--"

"What did he say?"

"--and I don’t think Casanova wants to talk to you"

"Marco" I grabbed his shoulder in a grip that would have been painful on a human Marco didn’t even flinch "What Did He Say?"

"That you’re not to worry, ’cause nothing’s happened" Marco shot ?"

"No And stop stealing my food" That last was aimed at Fred, who appeared to have an appetite that would have done a trucker proud

"It’s not food; it’s coffee," he said, shooting me a look "And you have a whole pot"

"Not now," I pointed out,the purloined pot farther away from him He rolled his eyes And then he stole some of my cream "Why are you here?" I demanded

"I live here"

"Not in my bedroom!"

"Yeah, but the only alternative has witches in it"

I stopped eating "What?"

"They showed up an hour ago--" Marco began

"Well, send them away!"

He just looked at me "They have an appointment Reme one of them to make an appointment And shit

"What do they want?"

"They haven’t said"

"You didn’t ask?"

He frowned "I’"

"Marco!"

"Well, I asked," Fred said, his

"And?"

He sed "And they told me to mind my business Only they weren’t that nice I think they’re mad they had to wait"

I fell back onto the bed For someone who had just had almost a day of sleep, I didn’t feel rested I felt achy and stiff, and sluggish from the five pounds of breakfast I’d just consu with three irate witches

"It’s your call," Marco said, and he sounded serious Like if I said I wasn’t up to it, he would et lost If it was anyone else, I’d have assus than a trio of pissed-off ic workers I was afraid he’d actually do it

And I didn’t know the reverse spell for chicken

"It’s okay," I told hiive me a couple , which I did because I needed the energy, but I’d sort of lost h Still tired and sore as hell, but less like a good gust of wind ht blow?"

I looked up to see that Fred had returned, maybe because there were no witches into remember where Marco put the codeine," I told him truthfully

"You can’t have that stuff Messes up your Pythia power Reht now, anyway And I feel like death"