Lazarus eeps.

Keziah is undeterred. She grabs his head. She gets ahold of his gook and she yanks. This would be easier with Céleste, but she can do it without. Begone, foul ick.

And if Peter were thinking of trying anything else, now he can't.

Sally's finger comes to rest on the sapphires set into her lower lip. Very casually. Suspiciously casually.

"Everyone stop doing alarming things," says Lazarus.

"Lazarus, Keziah, local wizards if you have anything to add, please inform me when your friend is no longer disposed to attack my daughter, such that I should allow him to so much as twitch again."

The local wizards nod.

They do not exit battle-ready positions.

Meanwhile, Peter's corruption is being a real bastard to get rid of. It's like prying someone's fingers off of something they're desperately trying to keep. While they bite you frantically. Keziah's got the upper hand, but it's very, very stubborn.

"Keziah, what's happening?"

"It's nasty. Can I get Céleste to help?" says Keziah, voice tense with effort.

"...Leave it alone for now, treasure. I didn't mean to call you in early but clearly there is more to the situation than we knew. Micaiah, will you please take Pen home? And before anything else happens, I would like a more complete assessment of what's going on."

Keziah scowls but drops her hands. "It jumped! It got worse all of a sudden when he said the thing about - power and Outsiders!"

Micaiah nods, and cues Jane to send Pen back to Samaria, and freecasts after her.

Ari straightens up slowly. "...The Outsiders thing, that wasn't in character for him. That much I know. He wants power, but ordinarily he'd- recognize that there are better ways to get it standing right in front of him. And he's been honestly trying to recover from his Lawbreaking, he doesn't want to add more wood to the fire."

"And... that attack was meant to kill her. Shred her soul right out of her body. He wouldn't have done that. Not to a young girl, especially."

"Jane," says Angela, "put Keziah back for now."

"But Mom -"

Zoink.

"He really wouldn't have-"

"Eep!"

The Bells immediately turn to Lazarus for an explanation.