Page 120 of My Wild Horse King

“Not dirty,” she says. “And certainly not pot.” She shakes her head. “Just contain Leonid, and get him back home as quickly as possible. The longer you’re all here, the worse it’ll be.”

Can I stop him from using his powers? That’s what I need to know. And can I restore Alexei’s magic?

Baba Yaga sighs, for all the world like I’m an errant toddler, yanking my diaper off and smearing the contents on the walls. “I already explained this. Your power cameafterhis. That means that you can’t stop him, not once he’s been granted the magic. All you can do is contain him—wall him in. Got it?” Her head whips to the side, and her eyes widen. “You need to shift and get out of here, immediately. I’m not sure how long I can keep Squannit from noticing you.”

And then, without any warning, she’s gone.

One moment, she’s here, rubbing my neck and patting my muzzle, and then she’s justgone.

It never occurred to me that the person whogaveus our powers wouldn’t be able to help us if she wanted to. I thought she was fickle, but I’m beginning to think it’s more that she’s limited. When Mirdza told her story on the train, I thought it was callous of Baba Yaga to leave the woman and child to be protected by a crippled girl. But now, I wonder if she has to be careful what she does.

She knows too much about how things work, so she’s limited in ways we aren’t, but she did give me a clue. I may not be able to destroy Leonid, and I may not be able to steal his powers, but I can contain him, whatever that means.

While I was busy listening to Baba Yaga, the fighting among the others escalated. Kat’s shouting in Kristiana’s face when I turn back toward them. “He’s not a gun to shove in Leonid’s face. He’s a person.”

“Not right now he’s not,” Kris says. “And I think I know he’s a person. He’s my brother. You’ve known him for what? Like, two minutes?”

My forehead, where my magic usually kind of sits, feels empty. Nothing at all. But my heart, which usually beats like mad, feels large, slow, and steady. I wonder whether. . . I focus all my energy inward, and I think about how it feels to beme. I’m tall. I’m strong. I walk with long, slow strides. My heart beats in the center of my chest, not behind my front legs.

I think about how I felt when I kissed Kat, and how much I want to do it again. Then, like a jolt of lightning running through my entire body, I shift.

It’s a brisk October day in I-have-no-idea-where, and I’m now standing entirely naked in a patch of scratchy grass.

“Bravo, little Gustav.” Mirdza’s smirking. “You grew up right.”

“Not so little anymore.” Adriana whistles.

I throw my hands up in front of my body, hunching forward a little, but it’s too late. Adriana, Kris, and even Katerina have all spun around, and they’re all staring at me, slack-jawed.

“Oh, come on, man,” Grigoriy says. “All you have to do, if you have your magic online, is think about what clothing you want to be wearing and it materializes with you.”

“So all those times you were naked?” Kris is glaring at Aleks.

“I mean, most of them were because I had to be touching you to use my magic,” Aleks says.

“Most?” Kris looks like she’s going to tackle him.

“Clothes, guys?” I groan. “Come, now.”

“They’re back in the car,” Alexei says. “So, I’m not sure. . .”

“Oh, for the love.” Aleksandr shifts into a horse. Thirty seconds later, he’s shifted back and he’s holding a pair of jeans. He chucks them at my head.

“Jeans? That’s the best you could do?” I’m grumbling, but I’m also stuffing my legs into the pants.

“It’s hard to make clothing you’re not wearing,” Grigoriy says.

“I don’t think I could even do it,” Kat says. At least she has the decency to look apologetic about it.

“We do need to get some kind of new vehicle,” Alexei says. “But what can we possibly buy for. . .how much did you say we have left?”

Aleks coughs. “Seven hundred and thirty-six dollars.”

“Unless you idiots have lost my wallet, I’ll buy it,” I say. “Because while you were fighting, Baba Yaga paid me a visit, and I don’t think we need to hide anymore.”

“What?” Aleks looks around like she might still be hiding somewhere close. “When?”

“Just now,” I say. “I’m not sure how none of you could see her. I’d like to master that trick.”

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