68.1

“Throw it.” The faerie pointed at the ceiling. “It should remain airborne until it absorbs the curse.”

“And then?” I asked.

He raised a shoulder. “Then make sure you don’t let the blade graze you on the way down, or you’ll become the curse’s next host.”

“Is there anything else we need to know?” I clutched the dagger. “Any salient information you have that will ensure we don’t summon you again because you omitted something vital.”

His lips pursed. “Seventy-two hours, don’t let the blade touch you,” he counted off the items on his fingers. “Try this summoning shit with me again, and I’ll be ready for you with curses.”

Griff patted me on the shoulder and nodded at the other end of the room. “Throw it in that corner.”

“All right.” I tossed the dagger over the ritual circle, making Rumpel Kracknuts duck and hiss.

It embedded in the wall, directly beneath the cloud. A tendril of black smoke seeped into its blade and disappeared into the metal. More and more of the vapor streamed into the da