City of Spells (Into the Crooked Place #2) - Alexandra Christo Page 0,22

last time anyone thought to try it was during the War of Ages.”

When the Crafters were stolen from their beds and used like commodities rather than people.

“We brought magic into this world,” Saxony said. “Let’s use it for good.”

“You truly believe calling strangers to help us is best?” Asees asked.

“We cannot look at everyone we do not know as a stranger who is not important,” Karam said. “Strangers are not strange to their own families or the people who love them and mourn for them. They have lives and they deserve a chance to live those lives. We can help them do that, with your magic.”

The silence that followed those words was tense, and Karam dreaded the thought that maybe they had burned a fragile bridge, or alienated another leader. With Saxony’s grandma refusing to help, Asees was the only Crafter left with the power they needed to make a real change.

“I left last time to follow these people,” Arjun said. “But I will not leave your side again, Asees. I will follow you and your decision in this. Whatever it will be.”

“But if I say no, then you will think I am wrong,” Asees said, with a small grimace.

Arjun’s silence was enough of an answer.

“You trust her with your life?” Asees was looking at Karam now. “You love this woman, but you are of our people, Karam. So I ask you now, once more, is this the right choice?”

“There is only one choice,” Karam said. “One side and one war for one enemy. Dante Ashwood has to be stopped.”

Asees nodded. “Thank you,” she said, and looked to Saxony with large, firm eyes. “I will help you. I will not run from this and make the mistakes of my past again. We will call the Lieges of the realms to come to our aid.”

Saxony’s smile was like magic in itself. “Thank you,” she said. “I promise, doing this will change everything for us.”

Saxony was finally taking the steps she needed to help her people, and though Karam was proud of her, it also made her wonder if she should start doing the same.

Karam’s hands were tied here and even if she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Saxony, her beautiful Crafter seemed finally ready to go at things. She was starting to become strong enough to do this without Karam by her side, and that meant that it was nearly time for Karam to go.

There were things she had to take care of, things she knew nobody else could, and she’d been putting it off for too long.

Karam threaded her hand through Saxony’s, knowing that this was both the start of something and the end of something.

7

Saxony

SAXONY WAS ALONE WITH Asees, her stomach tied in knots as the Liege explained the ritual and the fact that she was going to be greeted with fear and hesitance. Lieges didn’t often speak among themselves and Crafter Kins almost never came together in harmony. They stuck to their own, hiding from the world and from each other.

“Are you ready?” Asees asked.

She held out her hand.

“I’ve been ready for a while now,” Saxony said.

She tried to hide her joy, but as she took Asees’s hand to form the summoning circle, Saxony couldn’t help but let her lips tilt upward into a smile. Tavia was right: She had spent too long trying to pander to her own family, or waiting for the other shoe to drop.

She needed to get something done, just like her old friend had.

Now was that moment.

She and Karam had convinced Asees—the Crafter Liege of another Kin, of another realm—to join hands for the first time in decades. It felt good to have them on her side, trusting her judgment. They believed in Saxony, and that was something she hadn’t felt for a while.

All that was left was for the rest of the magical world to follow.

“We’re going to save everyone,” Saxony said. “Together.”

The moment the words left her lips, their magic ignited.

Though they both spoke the summoning command—Saxony in Uskhanyan and Asees in her native Wrenyi—the words were not what mattered. They rarely were. It was the intention, and magic could always read that well enough.

Saxony focused on the wish inside of herself and let her mind reach out like a talon to those she needed. Her skin warmed with her Energycrafter magic, the fire in her veins blazed as it propelled her mind onward, but Asees’s grip didn’t lessen in her own. She didn’t flinch or rip her hand from