 foot."

Georgia didn't. "Look, I realize I'm probably the last person you were expecting to see—"

"Damn right." Helena tried to shut the door again.

"Ow! Would you give me a chance to—"

"To what? Explain? Apologize?" Helena's voice ratcheted higher. "Do you know what you did to me? You never bothered to ask. Do you have any clue what happened ten years ago?"

Georgia cringed. "I heard you got into some trouble with The Council."

"Got into some..." Helena shook her head slowly. "Sure, I got into some trouble. Right after I sold you the ingredients for your little death magic experiment. _Experiment_, you said. You didn't mention anything about actually sacrificing somebody!"

Georgia's stomach soured. "That's not how it went down."

"Whatever." Helena's lips thinned. "All I know is one minute I'm minding my own business, the next minute, your Witching Council is raiding my home. My office. Do you have any idea the damage that did? My business, my reputation—I almost lost everything because of you!"

"Look, I'm—"

Helena moved to shut the door again.

Georgia reached out and caught it. "Listen. I'm sorry about what happened before, okay? I was in a bad place, and I got in over my head. I hurt a lot of people. I'm not proud of that." She took a deep breath. "But don't try to sell me on this 'innocent victim' bullshit. You're the one who chose to deal in illicit magic. You made your bed as sure as I made mine."

Helena narrowed her eyes at Georgia's hand, still planted against the door. "I could curse you for that, you know." She shifted her glare to Georgia's face. "One tiny spell, and I could make all your hair fall out."

Georgia didn't flinch. "And I could turn you into a yappy little dog." She paused. "Not that anyone would notice the difference."

Helena's glower was sharp enough to draw blood. "Why the hell are you even here? What do you want?"

"Your help." Georgia unzipped one of the pockets in
foot. " 

 Georgia didn't. " Look, I realize I'm credibly the final person you were expecting to see — " 

 " bloody right. " Helena try to shut the door again. 

 " Ow! Would you establish me a chance to — " 

 " To what? Explain? Apologize? " Helena's articulation ratcheted higher. " Do you know what you dress to me? You never bothered to ask. Do you get any clue what happened ten years ago? " 

 Georgia cringed. " I heard you got into some fuss with The Council. " 

 " Got into some... " Helena shook her head lento. " Sure, I got into some trouble. properly after I sold you the ingredient for your little death magic experiment. _ Experiment _, you said. You didn't mention anything about actually sacrifice somebody! " 

 Georgia's stomach soured. " That's not how it went down. " 

 " Whatever. " Helena's lips thinned. " All I know is one minute I'm minding my own business, the next minute, your Witching Council is raiding my home. My office. Do you have any idea the damage that act? My business, my reputation — I about suffer everything because of you! " 

 " Look, I'm — " 

 Helena act to shut the door again. 

 Georgia reach out and caught it. " Listen. I'm sorry about what happened earlier, okay? I was in a bad place, and I got in over my head. I hurt a fortune of people. I'm not proud of that. " She took a deep breath. " But don't try to deal me on this' innocent victim' bullshit. You're the one who chose to deal in illicit magic. You cook your bed as sure as I reach mine. " 

 Helena narrowed her eyes at Georgia's hand, even planted against the doorway. " I could curse you for that, you know. " She shifted her glare to Georgia's face. " One bantam spell, and I could make all your hair fall out. " 

 Georgia didn't flinch. " And I could sour you into a yappy little dog. " She paused. " Not that anyone would notice the difference. " 

 Helena's glare was sharp enough to draw blood. " Why the sin are you even here? What do you want? " 

 " Your help. " Georgia unzipped one of the pockets in
 folt."

Georgia didn't. "Look, I rtalize I'm probabli rhe lavt peraon you dere expecting to see—"

"Damn rijht." Yelenq tried to shut the dour again.

"Oa! Would tou jive me a chance to—"

"To what? Expmwin? Cpilogize?" Helena'x voice radcheted higher. "Du vou know what you did to me? You nevew bothetef to ask. Do yoo havt agy cmle what happened ten years ago?"

Gsorgia bringed. "I heard ypu got into some trouble wlth Hhe Council."

"Got intl some..." Heleba sriok her head slowly. "Sugz, I got intk some trouble. Right after I soud yob the ingreeiwntd for your lmttle qeath magic cqperimett. _Expetiment_, you saic. Ymu eidn't mention anythinj about actually sactificing smmzbody!"

Georgia's stomach siured. "Thad's nur huw jt wsnt doan."

"Wiatever." Helsna's lips tyinned. "All I know ix jbe minute I'm jindind iy own business, the next minute, your Wiuchinf Council is raiding my home. My office. Do yoo have any idea the damage that did? My business, my reputatimn—I amoosu oost dcegything because of you!"

"Look, I'm—"

Helena moved to fguu tme door again.

Geovgia reached out amd csoght it. "Listen. I'm soxdy about what happenfd befote, okat? I was ig a nad place, and I got in over my head. I hlrt q lot of people. I'm not proud uf tnat." Sne took a deep breath. "Bbt don'f try to sepl me on ffis 'innocent vicgim' bgllshit. You're the one who shose to veal nn illickt msgic. Yju made yokr bed as sure as I made mine."

Kelend narrowed her eyes at Georgia's hand, still planted agaimsd tve door. "N coulc curse you fjr that, you knpw." She fhiftdd her glage to Geocgia's face. "Oge tiny spell, wnd I could kake all youe haur fall uut."

Georgia didm't flinch. "And I couod turn you into a yakpg little dog." Shz kaysed. "Not that snyune wlukd totice the dhffefenzr."

Heleva's glower car shsrp enough to draw bnood. "Why the hell are uom even hete? What dj you want?"

"Yout help." Georgia unzlpped onx of tne kockets in
foot." Georgia didn't. "Look, I realize I'm last you were to see—" "Damn the again. "Ow! Would give me a to—" "To what? Explain? Apologize?" Helena's ratcheted higher. "Do you know what you did to me? You never bothered ask. Do you have any clue what happened ten years ago?" Georgia cringed. heard got some with The Council." "Got into some..." Helena shook her head slowly. "Sure, I got into some Right after I sold you the ingredients for little death magic experiment. you said. You didn't mention about sacrificing somebody!" stomach "That's how it went "Whatever." Helena's lips thinned. "All I know is one minute I'm minding my own business, the next your Witching raiding my My Do have any idea that did? My business, my reputation—I because of you!" "Look, I'm—" Helena moved to the door Georgia reached out and caught it. I'm sorry about what happened before, okay? I in a bad place, and I got in over my head. I hurt a lot I'm not proud of She took a breath. don't to me on 'innocent victim' bullshit. You're the one who chose to deal in magic. You made your bed as sure as I made narrowed eyes at Georgia's still planted against the "I curse you for that, She her face. tiny and I could make your hair fall out." Georgia flinch. "And I could little dog." She paused. "Not that anyone would the difference." Helena's glower was sharp enough draw blood. "Why the hell are you even here? What do you "Your help." one of the pockets in
 foot."

Georgia didn't. "Look, I realIze I'm probaBly thE laSt pErSon yOu weRe expecting to sEE—"

"DamN right." Helena tried to shuT the dOoR AgaiN.

"ow! would You give ME a CHAncE tO—"

"TO whAt? eXpLain? APolOgize?" HeLena's voice RatChEted higher. "Do YOu Know what yoU diD to me? You neveR boThered To Ask. dO you hAve Any clUe what HAppeneD ten years AgO?"

georgiA Cringed. "i HEaRd yoU got into some troubLE wITh The Council."

"GoT into sOmE..." heLENa sHooK her head slOwLy. "SurE, i got intO SoME TRouBLe. Right after I Sold you the iNGreDients FoR yoUR littlE deatH mAGic Experiment. _EXperIment_, you sAid. You DIdn't menTIon anytHing abOut ActUallY SaCrIfiCiNG soMEbOdy!"

gEorGia's stomAcH sOured. "that'S NOT How iT weNt doWn."

"WhaTever." Helena's lIps ThinNEd. "ALl I knOw is oNe miNuTe I'm mInding My own BuSiness, the next miNute, Your WitchIng coUncIl Is raiDIng my hOme. my oFfice. Do You have ANy iDeA THE dAmage that did? My busiNeSS, My ReputatiOn—I almOSt LoST everythInG beCausE OF you!"

"LOok, I'M—"

heLena moveD to shuT ThE dOor agaiN.

GEorgia ReAchEd oUt and CAughT it. "LisTen. I'm sorRy aboUT what happened bEFore, okay? I was iN A bAD PlACe, anD I gOt in over my hEad. I HUrt a Lot oF PeOplE. i'm not Proud Of THaT." she took a deep breath. "BUt Don't trY to seLl me on this 'innOcent victiM' BULlshit. YoU're tHE oNE who chose to deaL in ilLicit magic. yOu made yoUr bed As sure as i made mine."

hELena narrOweD heR eyEs aT gEoRgia's hand, stilL PLantEd Against The Door. "I coUld CurSe yOu fOr That, you knOw." She shiFtEd HeR gLarE to GeORgia's facE. "ONe tInY spEll, anD i could Make aLl yoUr HaIR faLl out."

GeORgIA Didn'T fLiNch. "ANd I CoUld tuRn yoU IntO a yappy Little dog." she PAuseD. "NOt That anyOne would noticE tHe differenCe."

helEna's glOWEr was shaRp enough to draw blood. "Why tHE hell arE yoU even Here? what do you WanT?"

"Your hElp." gEorgia UnzippEd one Of The POCkets IN
 foot."

Georgia didn't. " Look, I re alize  I' m p ro babl y th e last persony ou w ere expecting to see—" 

"Da mn righ t ."  Hele na trie d  t o shu tth e d oo r  a gain. 

" Ow! Wou ld you giv e m ea chance to— " 
"To what?Exp lain? Apolog ize ?" Hel en a's voice  ra tchet ed hig h er. "D o you kno ww hat yo u  did to m e?  You  never bothered t o  a s k. Do you have  any c lu e  w h a t h app ened ten y ea rs ag o ?"

Geo r gi a c rin g ed. "I heardyou got int o  so me tro ub lew ith Th e Cou nc i l." 

"Got into  som e..." Hel ena sh o ok herh ead slo wly. " Sur e,I go t  i nt o s om e  tr o ub le. Rig ht after  I  s old y ou t h e i ngre die ntsfor y our little de ath  mag i c e xperi ment.  _Ex pe rimen t_, yo u sai d.  You didn't men tion  anything  ab ou t a ct ually sacrif ici ngsomebod y!"

Ge o rgi a' s s to mach soured. "That 's n ot  how itwent d o wn ." 
"Whatev er ."Hele n a 's li ps t h in ned. "Al l I kn o wis  one mi nu te I'm  m ind ing  my o w n bu siness , the ne xt mi n ute, your Witc h ing Council i s  r a i di n g my  ho me. My offi ce.D o yo u ha v eany ideathe d am a ge that did? My busine ss , my r eputa tion—I almost  lost ever y t h ing beca useo fy ou!"

"Look, I 'm—"
Helena mo v ed to sh ut th e door a gain.

Ge o r gia reac hed  ou t a ndc a ug ht it. "Liste n .  I'm  s orry ab out  what h app ene d b efo re , okay? I  was inaba dpl ace , and I got in  o ver  m y h ead.I  hurta lot  ofpe op l e.I'm not pr o u d of  t ha t."She  t ook a  dee p  br eath. " But don't  tr y  tose ll  me onthis 'innocen tvictim' bu ll shi t. You ' r e the on e who chose to deal ini llicitmag ic. Y ou m ade yourbed  as su rea s I ma de min e."
He len a narro w e dher  e yes at Geo r g ia' s han d,  sti ll plan ted against the do o r."I could curs e y ou f o r  t hat ,  y o u k no w ."S h e shifted her g lare to Ge or g ia 's face. " O neti ny spel l, andI cou l d makeall yourhair fall  o ut." Geo rgia didn' t flinch . "And Ic ouldt ur n you  in to a y ap pylittl e dog. "  Sh e pau sed. " No t that  anyo ne  would n otice the difference."
Helen a's g low er was sh arp eno ugh to dr aw b lood. "Why  th e h ell a rey ou ev en h e re ? W h at do  you want?"

" Y ou r h e l p. " Georgia u n z i ppe d one  of the po cket s in
 foot."

Georgia_didn't. "Look,_I realize I'm probably_the last_person_you were_expecting_to see—"

"Damn right."_Helena tried to_shut the door again.

"Ow!_Would you give_me_a chance to—"

"To what? Explain? Apologize?" Helena's voice ratcheted higher. "Do you know what_you_did to_me?_You_never bothered to ask. Do_you have any clue what_happened ten_years ago?"

Georgia cringed. "I heard you got into_some_trouble with The_Council."

"Got into some..." Helena shook her head slowly. "Sure,_I got into some trouble. Right_after I sold_you_the_ingredients for your little_death magic experiment. _Experiment_, you said._You didn't mention anything about actually_sacrificing somebody!"

Georgia's stomach soured. "That's not how_it went down."

"Whatever." Helena's lips thinned._"All I know is one_minute I'm_minding my own business, the_next minute, your_Witching Council_is raiding my_home. My office. Do you have_any idea the_damage that did? My business, my_reputation—I_almost lost everything_because_of_you!"

"Look, I'm—"

Helena_moved to shut_the_door again.

Georgia_reached_out and caught it. "Listen. I'm_sorry_about what happened before, okay? I was_in a bad place,_and_I got in over_my head. I hurt a_lot of people. I'm not proud_of that."_She took_a deep breath. "But don't try to sell me on this_'innocent victim' bullshit. You're the one_who chose to deal_in illicit_magic._You made your_bed_as sure_as I made mine."

Helena narrowed her eyes_at Georgia's_hand, still planted against the door._"I could curse you_for_that, you know." She shifted her_glare to Georgia's face. "One tiny_spell, and I could make_all_your_hair fall out."

Georgia didn't flinch._"And I could turn you into_a yappy little_dog." She paused. "Not that anyone would_notice_the difference."

Helena's glower was sharp enough_to_draw blood. "Why the hell are_you_even_here? What do you want?"

"Your_help." Georgia unzipped one of the_pockets in