I See Fire | Wattys 2021/22 Shortlist | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Finally.

I was glad Chal had added a painkilling spell to the cocktail now making Xochi's fingers glow in a faint mix of blue-green and purple. I watched in fascination as the long, thin point of the maguey spine she had collected in Tlalocan dipped in and out of my skin, carrying black ink into new patterns through my tattoo cuffs. I had never thought a plant could be so sharp. Xochi had mounted it on a handle like a paintbrush, and she handled it just as effortlessly.

"Done," she said, finishing the last thin band. The last of the glow siphoned off into the design. "You are no longer contagious."

"That's it?"

"Should be. Those two put their full power into it." She shook out her hand. "You know it's potent when it stings like that."

"Thank you." For all the days I'd spent dreaming of this moment, the magnitude of it was taking its time sinking in. I felt a little stunned. I had not expected the final sealing of Fuego to involve more tattoo work, but then again, tattoos were a lot less nerve-wracking than having spells cast on me. "You made it look so easy..."

Xochi smiled. She rubbed the fresh tattoos with a green-tinted balm and wrapped them in bandages. "Itztia did most of the work. Now, make sure you keep those out of hot water for a couple of weeks. You can take the bandage off tomorrow evening, and after that, use this in the morning and evening until it heals over and the scabs fall off." She placed the small clay bottle of balm in my hand. "No exceptions. It won't affect the spell, but tattoo infections are not something you want to deal with."

"Am I allowed to go slinging this afternoon?"

"No. Give it a few days."

For what I had just received, I could swallow my complaints. I pestered Xochi about her tattoo tools and methods until Jem poked his head in the door.

"You coming?" he said. "Emma's waiting for us."

I thanked Xochi again and refrained from skipping as I joined him. Something heavy had settled in my gut, but the lightness in the rest of me was more than enough to counter it. I was already mapping out all the times of day when I might be able to slip away to the couch room and walk circles past the windows. If I found something, I could actually act on it now. The problem was Jem. If he wouldn't come, I at least wanted a way to get back to him.

"Feel better?" said Jem.

"So much better."

"Do I get to see it?"

"I can take the bandages off tomorrow. And I'm not allowed to sling today, but I'll watch you guys."

We joined Emma and made our way together to the room where she practiced her ice magic with Tlaloc. Quet was there with a pouch of stone shot, not that any of us were good enough yet to break the stones and need replacements. He winked at us and moved to one side of the room. Along the opposite wall were three wooden dummies, dressed up to look like Centzon Huītznāuhtin. Quet fitted a stone in his sling, gave it a lazy whirl and whipped it at a dummy. The mock Centzonhuītznāhua slammed against the wall. He flicked it upright again. It had a huge dent in its face.

"You'll be working with these today," he said, "so it's not a surprise if or when you have to fire at something that actually looks like an enemy. Adriana, you can stand where you normally would."

I followed Jem and Emma to the wall where Quet stood. Jem was first to load his sling, but the moment he lifted it, the dummies came alive.

The walls flashed with memories of golden fire and spinning feathers. On the room's far side stood three men in with thick cotton armour, their faces so expressionless they hardly looked human. Each one raised a weapon: a spear, a sling, and a bow.