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“Now what?” Sofia asked. She stood on the dock, bundled in her warm coat with Kitty at her side. “We’ve got another three hours until we meet Lucy.”
“Do you want to check on your village? I can take you there.” He knew she wouldn’t waste the magical energy herself, but he had more than enough to spare.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“All right.” She held out her hand.
Though he wanted to yank her into his arms, he just took it. Once Kitty had pressed herself up against his leg, he focused on an image of the main street of Bruxa’s Eye and aetherwalked them there.
He opened his eyes to see Sofia transform herself into her Crone form. She added a pointed witch hat for good measure. Though she looked vastly different, he still recognized her by the color of her eyes and the slant of her cheekbones.
“Let’s go. I’ll check in with my friend Aleia. She keeps an eye on things when I’m not around.”
“Aleia? The seer?” She was the most powerful in the world. Even he’d heard of her.
“One and the same.”
She led him down the boardwalk that ran along one side of the street. Kitty trotted happily at her side. The jungle was sweltering this time of day, so he stripped out of his warm jacket. He’d been here several times over the years, wanting to contact Sofia but knowing she’d just turn him away.
It wasn’t that dissimilar to Salem Hollow. The buildings were about three stories high and had more of a Wild West jungle feel to them. Dozens of Mytheans made their way along the boardwalk, many of whom wouldn’t pass in the mortal world.
Sofia turned into a doorway nook near the apothecary and knocked on the door. He stopped behind her. A moment later, a dark-haired woman with round cheeks opened the door. The stairs behind her led up to what he presumed was her flat.
Her face lit when she saw Sofia, and she pulled her into a hug. “You’re back! Damn it, I thought something had happened to you!”
“It did,” Sofia said. She hiked a thumb back at him. “This bastard fucked everything up. And kidnapped me.”
“Asshole.” Aleia glowered at him. “Come on in. But should he stay outside? I can put out a bowl of water for him.”
“I won’t be separated from her.” Malcolm’s voice was hard.
Sofia looked back at him. “No, it’s fine.”
“All right.” Aleia stepped back and let them in. They all went to the kitchen.
“I’m only back for a few minutes,” Sofia said. “I just wanted to know if anything weird has happened while I’ve been gone.”
“Actually, yes. A witch with immense power visited yesterday. She didn’t speak to anyone. She just walked down the main street. By the time she got to the end, she was smiling. Everyone could feel her power. The kind that makes the skin tingle, you know?”
“I know.” Sofia’s voice was dull. “Shit.”
“It was one of the High Witches, wasn’t it?” Aleia asked.
Sofia nodded. Malcolm agreed.
“She’s casing the joint,” Sofia said. “We’ve got to bring them the Salem Coven’s Grimoire or they’ll destroy Bruxa’s Eye.”
“Damn.”
“We’ll get the book, Sofia.”
She nodded. “Of course. Yes, we will.” She turned to Aleia. “For now, tell me what else is going on.”
Malcolm waited while they caught up on what was going on in town. He’d always known she was responsible for a lot here, but he’d had no idea how much. She kept the place in law and order. The people relied on her.
Finally, she turned to him. “Let’s go. It’s nearly time to meet Lucy.”
