Debating briefly the risks—and maybe getting Axell, who seemed able to make them invisible—Dan decided he’d be better off tackling this on his own. If they both went, he had no guarantee Axell wouldn’t be punished.
Dan descended the tree and walked toward the village. He had a bounce in his step at the thought of the influence he might have if he had powerful allies like Ellie Brandeau. It wasn’t quite as good as if he had the power himself, but all he really wanted in life was to be here. In Crenshaw. Everything else he’d ever thought he wanted came second to that.
No one witnessed the way he practically ran past the woods, where he could swear he heard the hissing venomous beast. He’d dreamed about the nest of serpents chasing him the other night, and so he said a silent prayer to whatever deity witches prayed to that he would not need to go into the woods tonight.
He’d barely reached the tavern when the two witches came outside, giggling and holding on to each other.
“Don’t let him touch you,” Maggie said as soon as she saw Dan. She stood with her arms stretched out as if she were on a tightrope. Then she stepped in front of Ellie.
Dan held his hands up in surrender. “Whoa!”
People nearby were giving them suspicious looks, maybe because of Maggie’s loud words and the other things such words could mean or maybe because they were students and ought to be in the castle.
Or maybe they all knew about the snake and the hole under it.
“She thinks I can change people’s magic,” Dan said in a low voice. He shook his head. “I’m not your enemy. Either of you. They’re doing a bed check tonight, and I saw you head to town—cool tree, by the way—so I thought I’d come tell you.”
Ellie took a tipsy step toward him. She extended her index finger and leaned forward but didn’t touch him. Her words sounded like each one had a long pause after it as she jabbed her finger in the air toward him and announced, “You went hiking. Now you are missssing. Didja know?”
“What?”Dan stared at her. As far as he knew, only Sondre knew about his near-death adventure. Well, and he told Ana. Maybe—
“Hiking. Ravine.Aaaaaah.” She made a gesture in the air like her fingers were walking and then fell. “Plop. Dead Dan… except you’re not dead. You’re a fucking witch.”
Nope. I didn’t share all that with Ana.
“Did I know you over there?” Dan stared at Ellie, finding her knowledge of his near-death unsettling or maybe embarrassing.
She shoved at his shoulder. “I’m a remedial witch, Daniel Monahan Who Hikes. Like you and Mags. We’re all fucking witches in this poisonous place.”
Ellie spun and grinned at Maggie, who was staring at her as if she’d sprouted horns or something. Maggie said nothing, and Ellie was grinning at him like a cheerful drunk.
“Right, well, bed check you know…” Dan gestured toward the path to Crenshaw Castle. “We ought to get back, so no one is in trouble.”
But Ellie stepped closer. “If you touching someone when they do magic is a thing, I want to experiment. On me. Not on Mags or anyone else.” She no longer sounded drunk or even vaguely tipsy, which set off more alarms for Dan.
“I don’t think—”
“So when we get back,” Ellie interrupted, “youare going to help us figure it out. Call it science. We’re going to test this.”
Dan sighed. “She’s wrong. I’m barely able to do the spells. The only thing I’m really good at is ending up in the wrong place.”
“Didn’t we all do that?” Maggie muttered as they started toward the school.
And Dan wasn’t sure what to say about that, as he hadn’t meanthere. He liked here. He wanted here. Saying he meant more “under thrall to the whims of the headmaster” and “facing a weird purple slime venom serpent over a hole in the ground” wasn’t really an option, though, so he kept his mouth shut.
“At least if all you can do is boost other people’s magic, you’ll be able to get back to Baltimore,” Ellie said finally.
He stayed silent. That was exactly his fear, and he was no longer sure he could trust Sondre.
“What if you tried to make something?” Maggie suggested. “Let him grab your arm after you start.”
Ellie walked away and came back with a big rock. “Okay, so here’s the plan. If I go dangerous again, Mags, you conk me on the head.”
“Are you sure?” Maggie asked, accepting the rock with both hands.
“They can heal me. Just do it. Hit me hard.” Ellie gave one nod, as if to emphasize to herself or maybe to Maggie that it was a good plan. “He’ll cooperate. Won’t you?”
Dan swallowed awkwardly. “This is a bad idea.”
