“No!” I shouted, and he jerked his hand back. “Um, I think they shifted to the ever-after with the salt. I don’t know what touching them will do. Just … don’t. Okay?”

He nodded as he stood. Looking properly cowed, he went back to his stool. He didn’t pick up the chalk, though. He was going to watch. I smiled weakly at him, not liking that I was at such a disadvantage with ley line magic. But if I followed the recipe, I’d be fine.

All but the barest remnant of power I had drawn from the ley line was now running through my circle. I could feel it pressing against my skin. The molecule-thin slice of the ever-after was a red smear between me and the rest of the world, making a dome arching just over my head. Nothing could get through the bands of alternating realities. The oblong sphere was mirrored below me as well, and if it had run into any pipes or electrical lines, the circle would not have been perfect, but vulnerable to breakage at that point.

Though most of the ley line force had gone into sealing the circle, there was already a secondary buildup beginning in me. It was slower, almost insidiously so. It would continue until I broke the circle and disconnected from the ley line. Ley line witches knew how to properly store power, but I didn’t, and if I remained connected to the line too long, it would drive me insane. The bare hour I’d need would come nowhere near too long.

Satisfied the circle was secure, I let my second sight die completely. The vision of Nick’s aura was lost to me. “Ready for step two?” he asked, and I nodded.

Setting his pentagrams completely aside, he pulled the old book closer. His brow furrowed as he ran a finger under the text to leave a chalk mark as he read. “Next, you remove all charms and spells from yourself.” He looked up. “Maybe you should have taken a salt bath.”

“No. The only charms I have are amulets.” I pulled the spell I had gotten from my mom off, the cord tugging at my hair. I felt my neck, giving Nick a lopsided grin at his attention on it. After a moment’s hesitation, I worked my pinkie ring off and set it aside.

“I knew it!” Nick exclaimed. “I knew you had freckles. It was the ring, wasn’t it?”

He was reaching out, and I handed it to him across the clutter between us. “My dad gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday,” I said. “See the wood inlay? I have to renew it every year.”

Nick glanced at me from under his bangs. “I like your freckles.”

Embarrassed, I took my ring back and set it aside. “What do I do now?”

He glanced down. “Um … prepare the transfer medium.”

“Done,” I said, giving the spell pot a sharp tap to hear it ring. This wasn’t so bad.