Free The Alchemists Academy: Stones to Ashes Book 1 by Kailin Gow Page A

kind of boots, because I’ve tried and tried, but I still can’t squish the stupid thing.” Priscilla sounded on the verge of tears, which seemed a bit strong to Wirt, given that he was the one only a single footstep away from being squished like a bug.
    Alana put her hand on the other girl’s arm. “You say it knocked on your door?”
    Priscilla nodded. “And then croaked to get my attention.”
    Alana looked down at Wirt. “This is a toad, not a frog.” Alana looked very carefully at Wirt before picking him up with one hand and raising him to eye level. “Priscilla? I’d like you to come with me please. Spencer will just have to catch up to us later.”
    Thankfully, the princess didn’t argue. Wirt, of course, didn’t get much choice. Together, the three of them headed down through the tree, and then out from it, into the meadow beyond. That worried Wirt a little, because there was always a chance that Alana was simply taking the “return him to the wild” approach to toad-disposal, but it was not like he was in a position to complain. Alana turned to her friend.
    “Now, Priscilla, where do toads live?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Wirt heard Alana sigh. “How about ponds, streams, and other wet places. Is there anything like that here?”
    Priscilla shook her head.
    “And toads don’t usually knock on doors,” Alana said, before turning her attention to Wirt. “Croak twice if you aren’t really a toad.”
    Wirt did it as loudly as he dared. Alana acquired the slightly smug look of someone whose theory had just been proved right. Priscilla was not so happy about it.
    “So someone turned into a frog to sneak into our room? That’s… that’s disgusting.”
    “No, Priscilla,” Alana said. “It was not trying to sneak in. I think it wanted you to kiss it.”
    “Kiss it? After it tried to sneak in?”
    “Priscilla, it didn’t. I just told you that. Now please, just kiss the toad.”
    Alana held Wirt up to lip level. Priscilla made a face.
    “But it’s all slimy. I don’t suppose you…no, you’re not the princess, are you?”
    “Kiss. The. Toad.”
    “Is this really all I’m good for?” Despite the complaints, Priscilla leaned closer to Wirt. She screwed up her eyes tightly, and, very delicately indeed, pressed her lips to Wirt’s green skin.
    The world returned to its normal size in an instant, and Wirt was relieved to see his normal clothes, not to mention his normal arms and legs, when he looked down.
    “About time,” he said, before looking at Priscilla. “Was there really any need to try and squash me?”
    “I didn’t have to kiss you, you know. Also…yuck.”
    Wirt didn’t know what he could say to that, so he was grateful when Spencer, or at least King Wilford, chose that moment to show up.
    “Daddy?” Priscilla asked, before frowning. “No, you’re not daddy.” She said a few words, and Spencer was suddenly there.
    Wirt looked at Priscilla. “I thought you didn’t get to do the magic classes.”
    “I don’t, but Alana tends to leave her books out, and I get bored. I’m not a complete airhead, you know.”
    Wirt was not sure about that. Still, he let it go. He had more important things to say. “You’ll never guess what I managed to find out,” he said to the others. They didn’t guess, but he told them anyway.
    “The school is in financial trouble. There was stuff in the Headmaster’s office talking about cuts, and Ms. Preville was talking to him about wanting to sell off some of the artifacts the school houses.”
    “She isn’t the only one,” Alana confirmed. “When I was Ms. Genovia, a couple of the other teachers were muttering about it. I think they were worried about being heard though.”
    “They would be,” Wirt said. He told them about the animals that Ender Paine kept. “What I don’t get is why he’s so hot on keeping hold of them. He seems like someone who would sell his grandmother if he thought it would make a profit.”
    “Maybe he just