“Of course it is,” Maxwell said. He had almost forgotten about the curse because he was so busy thinking about Chloe. “Have you called Chloe?”
“Yeah, I did,” Tilly said. “She was going to come and tell you later; she didn’t want to wake you up. Which is kind of sweet of her, huh?”
Maxwell made a sound. It was kind of her, but he knew she was like that. “Does she have to sacrifice something too?”
“Yeah, it’s got to be both of you,” Tilly said. “And I know it’s a bugger, but you get this curse broken and put it behind you.”
“Thanks, Tilly.”
“Just doing my job,” she said. “For which you have paid me very handsomely. I should be thanking you!”
“I’m grateful, though,” Maxwell said. “If I had done this to Chloe, and there was no way to fix it, I don’t think I could have ever forgiven myself.”
“Aww, that’s very sweet,” Tilly sounded happy. “You’re more worried about spines on her face than yours.”
“I didn’t say that,” Maxwell protested, even though it was true.
“You didn’t need to,” Tilly said and ended the call.
Maxwell sat there, blinking. It was good news. Excellent news, actually. The curse was going to be broken. No spines, not for him or Chloe. It just meant destroying the most precious thing he owned.
Maxwell rubbed his eyes again and dialled Chloe’s number.
“Hey,” she said. “It’s very early for you.”
“Tilly woke me up.”
“So she told you about the final ingredient? It’s kind of a bummer.”
“It sure is,” he said. “I’m sorry, you know. That breaking the curse means destroying the thing you treasure most. I hate that I’m making you do that.”
There was a pause. “That’s very sweet of you,” Chloe said slowly. “But it’s okay, really. It’s just a thing. I mean, the cave was probably worse. And even when I sacrifice my doll, I’ll still have the memories.”
“A doll?” Maxwell asked. “That’s your most treasured possession?” He had to admit, he was surprised.
“It sounds stupid,” Chloe sounded defensive. “I know, but she’s a special doll. A real Cabbage Patch kid, even though she’s just a mini. I always wanted one because the other girls at school wouldn’t let me play with them because all I had was this cheap off-brand baby doll, and they said only real Cabbage Patch dolls were allowed. And I begged, and begged, and I thought my parents would never get me one. But on my birthday, I opened my present, and there she was. And I was allowed to play with the other girls at school. Until they moved on to Tamagotchis, which I never got. But for a while, I was part of the group. It was…nice.”
Maxwell felt like an asshole. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realise how significant a doll could be.”
“It’s okay,” Chloe said. “I mean, you were born in like the 1900s. They probably didn’t give little boys many dolls back then.”
“Not so much,” Maxwell said. “I’m sorry you have to lose her.”
“Better than poisonous spines on my face,” Chloe said cheerfully, but he knew what it was costing her to pretend it was no big deal. “It will be great to put all this curse crap behind us, move on with our lives.”
“Yes,” Maxwell said. What would his life look like with the curse broken? Would Chloe still want to be a part of it? “I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Chloe said. And whether she meant seeing him or breaking the Hedgehog Hex, he didn’t know.
Maxwell was early, even though he knew the ritual couldn’t begin until the moon had risen high in the sky. He wanted to get this done, as much as the thought of sacrificing the object most precious to him made him angry. Damn that witch, he didn’t deserve this. And Chloe certainly didn’t.
When he pulled up the Range Rover to the edge of the empty field, he could see that everyone else was already assembled.
He got out of the car, forcing himself to remain calm, and neatly cleared the fence in a move that he hoped looked both graceful and masculine to Chloe. Not that he was showing off or anything.
“The gang’s all here,” Maxwell said, raising his eyebrows and trying to appear nonchalant.
“Guess we were all kind of excited.” Tilly shrugged. “This is the most complex curse I’ve ever broken.”
“But you’re sure you can do it?” Chloe looked at her anxiously and then at Maxwell, who tried his best to give her a reassuring smile.
“Completely sure,” Tilly said confidently. “My research is sound, and the principles are the same, no matter how complex it is.”
“Can’t wait to see this,” Jesse added, and Maxwell thought he was standing unnecessarily close to Chloe, as though trying to ensure Maxwell didn’t move any nearer. “And help, of course. That’s why I’m here.”
“Sure you are,” Tilly rolled her eyes. “You just want tickets to the best show in town.”
“Maybe a little,” Jesse shrugged. “Like I said, curse-breaking isn’t my area, but it’s cool as hell.”
“Let’s hope it has nothing to do with Hell,” Tilly said. “My reputation will be shot if I accidentally open a portal to the nether realm.”
“Is that a thing?” Chloe looked anxious. “Is that a possibility?”