Chapter 7 #3
“Yes,” Rhi said calmly. “And so does your mother. We both agree that shoring up your magic is the best use of your time.” She looked up at me, saw my mutinous expression, and smiled sadly.
“Wren, we have to assume that all of this will lead back to the Darkness and, eventually, to you. We can’t leave you so undefended as you were the last time you had to face that kind of situation. ”
I deflated. She was right, though I hated to admit it. Still, that didn’t mean I had to be happy about it.
I therefore spent the day rather grumpily working through a steady stack of lessons as my mom, Rhi, and Persi spent time examining the grimoire, trying to research Jess and, in Persi’s case, disappearing for hours at a time and answering questions related to her whereabouts like vicious attacks.
I didn’t ask. I knew where she was going.
She was visiting Bernadette Claire. I imagined she was the only person visiting her, aside from a dutiful few from her family coven.
Bernadette had been recovering in Sedgwick Cove’s Community Health Center which, aside from helping with stitches, broken bones, and fevers, also helped people recover from magic gone wrong.
Getting information about Bernadette had been about as successful as squeezing blood from a stone, so I’d given up.
From Nova Claire, I’d gathered that Bernadette was basically catatonic since her possession by Sarah Claire.
No one knew if she’d ever recover. But if one person was unwilling to give up on that possibility, however remote it might be, it was Persi.
As the day wore on, I threw myself so deeply into my studies that when I opened the door to see Zale and Eva standing on the porch, their faces glowing with excitement, I was momentarily confused.
“Hey,” I said. “What are you guys doing here?”
Zale’s face fell immediately. “What are we doing here? Did you seriously forget we had plans tonight?”
I looked down at my pajama pants and sweatshirt ensemble, then at the time. “Apparently, yes. I’m sorry, you should just—”
“We are not going without you,” Eva interrupted, raising a hand so close to my face that I had to stop talking. “Just march that forgetful behind up the stairs and change. We’ll wait for you.”
“Speak for yourself,” Nova called from her car, and revved her engine.
“Ignore her,” Eva said. “Go.”
I looked them both up and down, noting the all-black outfits they were wearing. “Am I also supposed to dress like one of the tourists we’ve been tripping over for the last two weeks?”
“Black is traditional, yes,” Zale said. “Sorry, we should have mentioned that. Didn’t your mom or your aunts tell you?”
“No, because I forgot we were even—”
“Don’t worry about it, just go change. It’s gonna be cold tonight, so bundle up.”
“And what exactly are we doing again?”
“No more time for questions!” Eva cried, pointing behind me up the stairs. To emphasize the point, Nova honked her horn impatiently.
“Okay, okay!” I said. “Be right back!” And then disappeared up the stairs.
As I passed my mom’s room, she poked her head out. “Did I hear someone at the door?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s Zale and Eva and Nova. They invited me out with them tonight, but I forgot. Is it okay if I go?”
My mom glanced at her watch. “Sure, it’s only eight o’clock. Where are you—oh!”
I watched as a realization lit up in her eyes, and then a slow smile crept over her face.
“What?”
“I just remembered what day it is.”
“Does that mean you know where I’m going?” I asked, slightly annoyed. “Because I still don’t.”
The smile broadened into a grin. “I think I’ll let your friends surprise you.”
“Mom, don’t you think I’ve had enough surprises lately?” I asked.
She laughed and ruffled my hair. “Not the good kind. And this is the good kind, honey. Trust me.”
“Fine,” I huffed, and bolted into my room.
I dug through my closet until I found a black pair of leggings, a black t-shirt, and a black sweatshirt, which took almost no time at all, because as a theater techie, fully half my wardrobe was black.
I threw them on and, because I was on edge, I also grabbed my old protective charm from Asteria and slung it around my neck.
The charm was no longer active, but it made me feel better to wear it.
I tucked it down the front of my sweatshirt, and bounded out to Nova’s car.
“Finally,” she muttered.
I opened my mouth in a fresh attempt to get information, but Eva forestalled me. “Hey, are you good? After last night?”
I froze. Had Xiomara let something slip in front of Eva?
“You looked kind of upset when you came back. Where did you go anyway?” she continued, and I relaxed just a little. I decided yet again on only part of the truth.
“We went to Shadowkeep. I’ve been trying to commune with Asteria, since she’s my most recently departed relative, but I’ve been having trouble. Your grandmother thought it might be easier if we went somewhere Asteria was connected to, and Shadowkeep was closest.”
“I’m guessing it didn’t go well?” Eva asked with a tiny, sympathetic smile.
“No, it didn’t,” I said shortly.
“Try not to stress out,” Zale said, reaching over to pat me on the shoulder. “Spirit work is intense.”
“Maybe you’re just not a spirit witch,” Nova said from the driver’s seat.
“Of course she’s a spirit witch,” Eva said. “She’s a pentamaleficus.”
“Maybe she’s not,” Nova said, shrugging. “Maybe they’re wrong.”
“So you think the Darkness made a mistake then?” Eva asked, hoisting an eyebrow.
“Can we stop talking about this, and can you all just tell me where we’re going?” I asked, raising my voice over them.
“We don’t need to tell you,” Nova said as she stomped on the brake a little too hard. “We’re already here.”
I turned to look out my window. It was so dark that I could see little outside of the harsh beam of Nova’s headlights.
I hurried to get out of the car with everyone else.
We were parked off the side of the road where it ended near the cliffs above the beach.
If I squinted, I could just make out the place where we had held the bonfire, a huge permanent heap of ash surrounded by logs worn smooth into benches by generations of witchy teenagers gathering there.
It was the spot where Zale had introduced me to the origin story of Sedgwick Cove.
But the benches were deserted now. No embers glowed among the ashes.
And the others were walking away from it, in the direction of the woods.
“Where are we going?” I asked, jogging to catch up.
Eva’s eyes, as she turned to answer me, were alight with excitement.
“We’re going to the Shadow Tree.”