Shock shifted her backpack. Loki's tail and limbs loosened around her ear, with just enough grip to stay in place. If she stopped and listened, she'd hear a faint, rhythmic hiss, but she knew well enough that her scorpion had decided to take a quick nap. Shock smirked as she listened to Carver.

"It could be the end of our fun if Agatha gets mad enough for him to figure it out," Shock said, "but we'll just find a new source elsewhere."

She pondered the offer.

"Bet taken," she said, "since we've been planning this for months, and he just celebrated their anniversary last night, and [i]still[/i] didn't get warm feet."

They cleared the hill that blocked the tree house from the town and were almost to the main gate.

~~~

Barrel just kept his grin. Good, he had Aggie's attention. Now to keep it.

"Well, a lot of stuff I cook with anyway, I found in the spellbook," he said. "It didn't seem too much different."

He gave a quick glance to Agatha, and actually mentally thanked Shock for all the lessons. Barrel spoke with confidence as he told her:

"I actually knew that. Same thing with white baneberry and doll's eyes."

He smiled at Agatha.

"I'd like that--" Barrel shot a glance at Aggie. "--but I'd like an experienced teacher, too. If-if it's not [i]too[/i] much trouble."