“I saw this room, last time I was here.” Rory shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “Just never thought I’d have people to sit with at a table like this.”

Arthur’s own family would have filled three tables this size and he would have been dying to escape. He pushed the steamer basket toward Rory. “I can share.”

“You’re supposed to share with the whole table,” Rory said, but helped himself to a bun.

Next to Zhang, Jade cleared her throat. “Thanks, everyone, for getting together.” She looked over at Pavel and Sasha, who spoke for a moment in quiet Russian.

Then Pavel leaned forward, the lodestone’s cord just visible beneath his collar. “I am willing to make a potion that may destroy the pomander.”

Arthur’s eyes widened. “Pavel, you are not obligated—” he started, just as Rory said, “Pav, no, you’d have to take the lodestone off—”

But Pavel interrupted them. “I care about the world too,” he said determinedly. “I heard the pomander enslaves non-magic minds, and I care about people without magic.” His gaze darted to Ling, so subtly Arthur almost missed it.

“But what if you make a potion, and then the lodestone doesn’t work again when you put it back on?” Rory demanded.

Pavel shrugged. “It is worth the risk.” He held up a hand when Arthur started to protest. “It was my idea. My decision. No one asked or forced me; Sasha and I want to help.”

Arthur frowned, but what could he say? He didn’t want Pavel to face the risks, but Niagara Falls had done nothing to dampen the pomander’s magic. They had no solid leads. Baron Zeppler had already shown he was willing to kill to gain the magic of the relics for himself. If Zeppler pulled the pomander’s secrets from Rory’s mind, he’d have the power to enthrall an army of non-magic. He could start his own war.

“It is possible Pavel’s potion will not work,” Sasha warned Jade, her tone very serious. “But Pavel is willing to give it the strongest chance.” She coughed, and added meaningfully, “Which would take the strongest magic.”

The table turned to look at Rory.

Arthur abruptly understood. “Blood magic? With Rory’s blood? No,” he said immediately. “No, there must be another way. Pavel doesn’t like alchemy done with blood, and what about the risk to Rory—”

But Pavel was shaking his head. “I would not ask, if there was any other way.”

“Most magic is in auras or our equivalent,” said Zhang. “But blood magic goes deeper, directly into the veins. There’s very little that’s stronger except possibly the relics.”

“It’s okay, Ace.” Rory had gone a little paler, but his spine was straight. “I wanna help too.”

“You already did,” said Arthur. “You scried the cursed thing so we know what it does—”