“Well, good thing for you, you don’t have to trust what I say. I’m going to see you to America, safe and sound, whether you like it or not. And that will be the last you’ll have to see of me.”
“Good.”
“Good,” I echoed.
Auggie stood abruptly and began stalking away from Lexi’s house.
“And just where do you think you’re going?” I called after him.
“To Kingsbury. Where else?”
I cursed, then followed after him. “And what are you going to do? Pay outrageous prices for salt? Carry those heavy bags across vast distances, with hell-beasts stalking you? Even you can’t be that reckless.”
He wheeled on me. “Callum, I am going to help those people, whether you want me to or not.” He hesitated. “It would be much … easier with your help.”
So, he did want me with him. Okay. I could work with that. I put a hand on my hip. “What about your aunt? What if she dies before you reach her because you took a detour?”
“I’m weighing the lives of hundreds over the life of one woman who never bothered to write to me before now. She might be family, but … what can I do to help her? I know I can help the people of Kingsbury. It’s important. Do you … know anything about the people there?”
I lifted my arms helplessly. They were human. They were as pigheaded as Callum, apparently.
“Kingsbury was a hub for alchemists,” Auggie said. At my surprised look, he continued, “I know. Maybe that doesn’t make me completely selfless. People used to come from all over to exchange ideas, test experiments, build things in Kingsbury. Imagine what must lie there! And we can help them. We can make sure that knowledge lives on.”
“Alchemy,” I said, putting a hand to my head. I couldn’t believe I was being swayed by this human. I should have nothing to do with alchemy, but I had to admit I was curious. And if it put me in Auggie’s good graces … there would still be plenty of time before the blood moon.
I licked my lips. “I have a potion that can turn dirt to salt, but I’ll need to recharge my magic after. It’s still not even full from yesterday’s meditation. I’ll need a few more hours.” I considered. “And I can make some wheelbarrows levitate to transport bags of salt. We can probably make it to Kingsbury by nightfall if we don’t tarry.”
Auggie was grinning.
I scowled. “You don’t have to look so pleased with yourself.”
He approached me and squeezed my arm. “Thank you.”
I nodded, feeling my face heat up. “Yeah, yeah.”
I heard crunching behind us and turned to find Lexi approaching cautiously, Freya and Narcissa just behind her. Lexi smiled tentatively. “Is everything all right?” she asked.
“We’re going to Kingsbury,” Auggie told her. The gloating in his voice put my teeth on edge. “Won’t you join us?”
I nodded. As annoyed as I was with my friend, she would come in handy if someone was injured along the way.
Lexi shook her head slowly, glancing back at Freya. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. The people here need me, and three witches would be a coven. You need express permission from the Council to form a coven, even temporarily.”
“Except in emergency situations,” Freya corrected her. “That provision was added decades ago.”
Auggie considered. “Why is a coven bad?”
“They’re notbad,” I said. “Just powerful. The power of three can work more difficult, more powerful magic—even summoning.”
“Forbidden magics,” Auggie said. “The Council sure is fearful of other people’s power. Like alchemy.”
“Like alchemy,” I agreed. “The only recognized, legal coven is the Council itself, to ensure balance is maintained.” Even I would have had to leave my parents when I’d come of age, to avoid forming a coven at home. “Theirversion of balance.”
Freya narrowed her eyes. “I’m going to ignore that.”
“I always ignore him,” Narcissa helped. “Life is much less frustrating that way.”
CHAPTER TEN
