Emma
Something is happening. I don’t understand what, exactly.
Haley told us all along that finding the bone was key. “Anyone who holds the witch’s bone,” she kept saying, “holds the witch’s
power.”
So now that she has Gaia’s witch’s bone, Haley can control Gaia—and the whole world, basically.
So why does Haley care so much that Trina had a phone?
“It doesn’t make any sense,” I whisper to Bella as we pile leaves and branches beneath the Seat.
Haley wants to have the biggest bonfire of the year, for which I’m grateful since the temperature has dropped, like, twenty
degrees, and I didn’t bring any winter or fall clothes with me.
But all of the wood is still wet from the rain the other day, so I don’t know how well this fire is going to turn out.
“Even if Trina did reveal our location to someone, Haley could just use the bone to keep us invisible, right?” I shake my head. “So I don’t
get what the big deal is.”
“I don’t either.” Bella is busy scraping together another armload of sodden leaves for kindling. “But I’m not about to ask. I don’t want to end up like Trina.”
I nod. No one would want to end up like Trina. “Yeah. I don’t get that, either. Trina said she’s sorry.” Trina told me this
herself when I went over to drop off her evening’s rations. She sounded sad . . . and cold. Like me, she’s only dressed in
a sweatshirt and leggings.
Unlike me, she’s currently tied to a tree.
Not just any tree, either, but a tree out of sight of the Seat so that when the ceremony starts, Trina won’t be able to see
a thing.
Haley says this is a fitting punishment for a traitor.
“She only did it because her dad’s dead,” I say—but not loudly enough for anyone but Bella to hear. “She’s all her mom has.”
“I know.” Bella has dropped the leaves, and now she’s heading off to find more. It’s dark in the woods, but Haley has allowed
us torches to see by. The entire Seat is currently lit up by them, almost as if we were having a party. Which I guess we are,
in a way. “But there’s always the danger that Gaia could be tracing those calls, and then she’d know where we are, and try
to stop us.”
Do you really think the mother of all creation has nothing better to do than sit around and eavesdrop on our phone calls? is what I’m about to say in response to Bella.
But I don’t get the chance, because Haley has climbed on top of the Seat, and is speaking to us in the glow of the torches.
“More firewood!” she commands, the long white robe she’s slipped on swaying dangerously close to the open flames. But Haley
doesn’t have to worry. She has the power of Hecate now. She won’t burn. “We’re going to light this place up for the moon goddess!
And be sure to work up an appetite—cake and champagne are on their way. Tonight is a celebration!”
I cheer along with the other girls. It’s been forever since we had cake—even vegan cake—and the last time I had alcohol was when we stole wine from that house across the lake.
I still don’t even know why we did that (besides the fact that we were starving, and Haley was off talking to Hecate, or whatever it is she does when she’s alone).
Then I remember Trina, tied up in the dark and cold. She’s not going to get cake or champagne.
I know she’s being punished, but this doesn’t seem fair. Trina worked every bit as hard as the rest of us to find the witch’s
bone. She should get to celebrate, too.
I don’t know what gives me the courage to walk up to Haley as she’s climbing down from the Seat to say this to her. Maybe
it’s that I haven’t eaten anything all day and I’m a little lightheaded.
In any case, I say, “Excuse me, Your Excellency—” because Haley has the witch’s bone, she’s a high priestess now “—but do
you think I could bring Trina a little cake and champagne when it’s time? I wouldn’t want her to miss out when she’s worked
as hard as the rest of us and only made one little mistake.”
I can hear the other girls gasp behind me. None of them can believe I had the courage to simply walk up and ask.
But Haley isn’t even mad. She throws back her head—causing all her long curls to bounce—and says with a tinkly laugh, “Of
course! Everyone should enjoy some refreshment as we watch the sacrifice. Good thinking, Emma. Make it so.”
Then she walks off, and Bella steps quietly up to my side.
“Sacrifice?” she whispers. “What are we sacrificing now? None of us have any hair left!”
I swallow. “I don’t think she’s talking about hair.”