“There’s too many people in the city now who aren’t us.”

Allie’s head whipped around, trying to identify who’d spoken. Charlie knew who it was, but she wasn’t going to say. They were right. If protecting Calgary meant protecting all the inhabitants, then after the impact they also had to keep them fed and warm. Smarter for Allie to empty the city, leaving only the family, but Charlie doubted she would.

“What about you, Jack?” Heather asked in the pause, cramming the words in as a distraction. “You fly high.”

Charlie turned to where Jack was sitting in time to see him shake his head, hair flopping down over his eyes. Her fingers itched to stroke it back. Surrounded by family. Under the eyes of the aunties. Her fingers had a death wish.

“Not that high,” he said.

“What about sorcery?”

To Charlie’s surprise, the question came from Auntie Jane.

“You’re certainly capable of turning items into things they aren’t.”

At least she hadn’t specifically mentioned the butterflies. “I already said Jack can’t stop this, Auntie Jane.”

“And I believe you, Charlotte.” The clear implication being that they were all fully aware Charlie could ensure belief and no one liked the idea much. Or at all. “Nevertheless, I’d prefer it if Jack spoke for himself.”

Everyone, physically and digitally, looked at Charlie. Then at Jack. So Charlie looked at Jack, too.

Jack swallowed a mouthful of pie and stacked the empty plate with the others on the floor beside him. “Charlie and I already talked about this, back when we assumed the Wild Powers could stop it. I don’t actually control what I do. Things don’t change because I want them to; they change because I need them to.”

“You need this rock to change, dude.” Carmen reached out and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

“He’s had no training,” Graham reminded them.

“Training.” Auntie Jane leaned in, dark eyes narrowed. “Sorcerers in this family are self-taught.”

“And then killed,” Graham growled.

“But if it were heading right for you?” Heather asked, stretching out and poking Jack in the back with her foot. “If the asteroid was overhead, over your head, and it was clear you’d die in the impact, would you make it disappear? Instinctively.”

“I don’t know. It’d disappear or I would.” Jack shrugged. “I might just return myself to the UnderRealm. I wouldn’t know until it happened.”

“So let’s drop a really big rock on him and see what happens.”

“Not helping, Auntie Bea!” Allie snapped, as Jack began to smoke. “Jack, what about your uncles, the Dragon Lords?”

“My uncles?”

Charlie figured that anyone who hadn’t expected the puff of smoke and had inhaled at the wrong time deserved what they got. How could they not know that Jack’s relationship with his uncles was violent at best and . . . Actually, violent pretty much summed it up.