What Sue meant by “worse” did not fully describe what happehe three dark gashes on Samantha’s arm expanded, dark, root-like veins grew from the ters of the gashes. And when Gloria focused her Qi, she could see that some kind of bck smoke was slowly rising from them.

  Tae Kuo washed his hands, coated his fingers on both hands with oil, then id his middle and index fingers on her wrist and the inner side of her elbow. Gloria could tell that Tae Kuo was infusing a bit of Qi into Samantha’s muscles, skin and meridians, to check whether her body was being corroded by the curse.

  “Hmm.” When Tae Kuo retracted his fingers and wiped them , he seemed to be baffled.

  “What - is she gonna be okay?” Brian asked, holding Kevin tight. Samantha also looked at Tae Kuo with worries in her eyes.

  “I think she is. Strangely, nothing has ged.” Tae Kuo frowhen looked Samantha in her eyes: “I ’t sense any signifit ge or corrosion to your body. There is no ge in the bance of energy on your arms and your meridians. So the only ge is - it just grew in size.”

  “But - but what kind of curse would do that?” Gloria asked.

  “Wait - could it be a trag curse?” Sue snapped her fingers and asked.

  Tae Kuo and Gyuu Park both turheir heads to Sue, surprised.

  “Sorry - I mean - it’s just an idea, I’ve read a lot of stuff retly - ” Sue scratched her hair and lowered her head.

  “Nonono - I think you’re right, Sue.” Gyuu Park smacked himself on his forehead: “That expins it - it’s a trag curse - that’s why it’s not doing you any harm for now, and it’s stantly releasing some kind of energy in the air. It’s trag you for the caster.”

  “Trag me?” Samantha shivered: “So - are you saying - that thing will e for us again?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Tae Kuo nodded and sighed, then turo Gloria: “We o make some preparations - this ge could mean that the thing will e soon. And IF - I mean IF, it’s really the Cat Granny, we’d want fire.”

  “Okay. I’ll try.” Gloria nodded, she knew a few pces where she could buy some borderline illegal fuel or even ons.

  “When did it attack you st time?” Gyuu Park asked Samantha.

  “Late - te st night, what?” Samantha moved a bit away from her son and husband, who then pulled her back to them, despite her protests.

  “Then it means that we still have at least a little bit of time.” Gloria Sue: “It will not strike right away.”

  “Sundown.” Gyuu Park took out a few copper s and put them oable: “Sifu Kuo, you lend me a few droplets of your priced oil?”

  “Sure, of course.” Tae Kuo sighed, then hahe small bottle he treasured to Gyuu Park: “Don’t be wasteful.”

  “I wouldn’t want that either.” Gyuu Park took out a small wooden pque with symbols and a words carved on its upper surface like the drawings on a talisman, and pced the three s on the pque in a line, with almost equal distan between. With the oil bottle in hand, he dropped one droplet in each of the three square holes at the ters of the s. He then backed off, k on the ground, kowtowed to the pque for three times, ting a spell in a lowerved voice.

  Gloria could not tell what Gyuu Park was doing, so she looked to Tae Kuo. This Sifu nodded lightly in approval, and turo Samantha: “Lady, you give us a lock of your hair, a us take a little bit of your blood from your injured hand?”

  Samantha was fused at first, but then nodded. Luoshan Zi brought over a pair of scissors and hahem to Brian. Tae Kuo pricked the tip of Samantha’s middle finger, and held a droplet of her blood using his Qi. Having ed the lock of hair and the drop of blood in a small piece of tissue paper, he then put it in front of the wooden pque.

  “Okay - this - this is a dete talisman.” Gyuu Park stood up and panted a little: “With the blood and the hair, it will react if something that radiates simir energy as the curse mark gets close - you will see the oil in the middle bubbling. ”

  Tae Kuo nodded: “Good, very good. Now - one of us should stay here just in case we are wrong about the timing of the attack, while o out and see if we collect as many supplies as possible.”

  “I’ll stay here with them.” Luoshan Zi shrugged: “You could go ahead, I’ll call you if there’s anything. And - uh, even if something was about to e, I try to hold it off for a while.”

  Brian seemed to be in disbelief: “Wait - are you sure - ”

  “Yeah, don’t uimate Luoshan here.” Gloria immediately shook her head at Brian: “She - well, she taught me almost everything I know.”

  “‘Almost’? ” Luoshan Zi raised her eyebrows.

  “I picked up a few tricks in my casual practice, okay?” Gloria shrugged.

  “No, that’s not what I meant - ” Luoshan Zi shook her head: “You should’ve picked up more, and discovered your own stuff.”

  “Alright, alright, MOM!” Gloria chuckled, then could not trol her own ugh: “We’ll be back as soon as possible. If anything happens, call us.”

  “Yes, and be back soon.” Luoshan Zi pointed her fi Gloria, then turo Gyuu Park and Tae Kuo: “Remember, today the building’s access code is 4321.”

  “Got it.” Tae Kuo nodded.

  “So, what we gather?” When at the exit of the building, Gyuu Park asked: “I go bad check, but I basically brought everything I could from my temple. Just let me know what else I help you with.”

  “Your temple’s that broke?” Tae Kuo asked with a heavy frown.

  “Dude, have you been to my temple? It’s a miracle it’s still fug standing!” Gyuu Park rolled his eyes.

  “Then - holy shit I’m out of stuff as well.” Tae Kuo sighed: “My coffin home’s closed, and everything’s kinda - fiscated by the collective. I brought all I have left already as well!”

  “What the - ” Gloria raised her voice: “her of you have anything?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Gyuu Park sighed, then took a peek at Tae Kuo: “I mean - I heard it ossibly ay, so the stuff I didn’t bring won’t help - ”

  “Yeah - same - same with me… ” Tae Kuo stammered.

  “I get it, yood friends. I appreciate it.” Gloria sighed and looked up at the sky: “Let’s - try the Kshiti Temple again?”

  “Wait.” Tae Kuo snapped his fihen looked at Gyuu Park: “The Association of Local Churches Pact!”

  “What - what is that?” Gloria frowned.

  “That’s - that’s very risky, stupid, even.” Gyuu Park opened his eyes wide, but then shook his head: “But what the hell - let’s go.”

  “What is that?” Gloria asked as she followed the hurried footsteps of the two men.