So I found his phone number on the contact list for our class and dialed, using the landline because my cell service was spotty. “Hello, this is Rosamunde from Crowther,” I said when a woman’s voice answered. “Is Marzell there?”
When Marzell picked up, we made a little small talk about school being closed because of the snow and how lucky it was that we had an extra day off. Then I launched straight into my cover story. “I told Ashleigh about the ski trip yesterday, and she was totally excited about it,” I said, careful of what I said in case someone else was listening. “She’s already arranged for us to borrow a car. We’re gonna drive up on Friday afternoon, as long as the roads are clear by then.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I worried that the call had been dropped. Then Marzell coughed. “There’s been a change in plans. We know you went to your friends.”
“What?” I tried to sound innocent, thinking wildly of an excuse.
“We know your friends are going to help you stop the ritual.” His voice was harsh. “So there’s one small change. You’re going to make sure that you’re the one driving on Friday, and you’re not going to the lodge. Someone will meet you outside of town and direct you to the new location.”
“I didn’t tell anyone,” I pleaded desperately. “I went to see them yesterday for a study session, I swear. If I told them the truth, they’d have me arrested—”
“Too late,” Marzell interrupted me. “We know you’re a double agent for them, so they wouldn’t arrest you. Heather was going to help Ashleigh escape, right? See, we know all the details.” He clucked his tongue, chiding me. “Between that and your scene at Zil’s house yesterday, your mother is very angry. But you get one more chance, Rosa. Don’t screw this up, or we’ll have to take drastic measures.”
I covered my face with my free hand. Everything was falling apart. Someone was watching me, and now all my secrets were coming out.
“I—I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I won’t mess it up this time, I promise. Please, just let me get my sister back.”
“We’ll see what happens on Friday.” Marzell hung up.
Great. Had I just agreed to doom us all by making sure the gate opened? I was out of options and running out of time. I had to think of something new, on my own, in the next forty-eight hours.
And I was drawing a blank.
The roads were cleared at last by Thursday morning, so we were all back at school in time for Valentine’s Day. We’d decorated the classrooms the week before, so there were paper hearts and doilies plastered on every wall, and our teachers had bowls full of pink and red candies scattered everywhere. The dining hall promised to serve pink frosted cupcakes with lunch.
Our teacher Julie’s birthday was actually the day after Valentine’s, but every year I gave her a big bouquet of flowers on the holiday, which she displayed on her desk with all of the gifts and cards from other students. And although it was childish, I still bought a box of drug store valentine’s cards and handed them out to everyone in my class. This year, I was just going through the motions to look normal, but inside I was filled with dread.
Most students exchanged gifts with their friends, although the few couples made a big show of presents, so there were usually several girls carrying around a lot of flowers or big boxes of chocolate. I didn’t track the dating in other classes, but among the juniors I saw Glen gave Ashleigh not only flowers but a huge heart balloon, that she tied to her bag so it followed her everywhere. To my surprise, I also saw Domenico give Lindsey a heart-shaped chocolate assortment—was she really on her third boyfriend for the year already? Robert gave flowers to Daniela.
I felt sad, looking around at the happy couples holding hands, even though I knew that their relationships weren’t perfect. I thought maybe Heather could understand how I felt, since she had to watch Glen walk around with Ashleigh on his arm, but she’d still never said anything about her crush to me. The only sign I saw of that awkwardness was how they both avoided talking or even looking at each other in public, and I could hardly ask her to spill her guts to me.
In the same way, I wasn’t looking around for Zil, who I knew would still be absent, or Kai, who still wasn’t talking to me. I’d never had a boyfriend or girlfriend on Valentine’s Day before, and this year I’d made a terrible mess of everything. Maybe next week, when I’d gotten through the confrontation with my mom, I could start fixing my dating life again.
The four of us weren’t talking about our plans at school, since Marzell or anyone else could be listening in, but as we all sat down together at lunch, a tense mood settled over the table.
Ashleigh, sitting across from me with Glen, flashed me a nervous smile. “I’m packing for our trip tonight,” she said. “And I’m driving the car to school tomorrow. Do you want me to pick you up in the morning so you can throw your bags in? That way we can leave right after the last class.”
I nodded, trying to smile as if I were excited. “Oh, yeah, that would be great. I’m going to need a big bag for lots of warm clothes. My mom always told me to pack extra socks, just in case they get wet in the snow.”
Ashleigh raised her eyebrows at me in surprise. I almost never mentioned my mom in casual conversation anymore. I looked down at my food, realizing that I could have said too much.
Then I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned around and looked up at Kai.
“Hey, Rosa,” he said, shuffling his feet. “Um, I just wanted to give you this. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
He held out a pink envelope and stood there waiting until I took it. I held it between two fingers, away from my body, afraid of what I would find inside. “What’s this for?”
My ex-boyfriend gave me a crooked smile and a half-shrug. “Just open it.”
I looked around at my friends, who were all sitting there and watching to see what I would do. I bit my lip and slit the top of the envelope open with my fingernail.
Inside was one of the most elaborate cards I’d ever seen, with ribbon bows glued to the top, glitter flaking off in my hands, and rhinestone embellishments. Gaudy, was my first thought. Underneath all of the decorations, I could barely make out the fancy cursive printed on the front, a rambling poem about true love and devotion. I skimmed only a few lines before cracking it open to see what Kai had written.
I’m sorry about everything. I was mad about it, but I can forgive you. Please come back to me. I love you.
I looked back up at Kai with one skeptical eyebrow raised. “Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who broke up with you.”
He smiled at me hopefully. “I know, but, I really think it was all my fault. I wasn’t good enough for you, I know that. But if you just give me another chance, I promise I’ll do better this time, and you’ll never want to leave me again.”
I sighed in exasperation. Once again, he didn’t even know what he was apologizing for, he was just hoping to put a bandage on the problem so we could get back together. I didn’t feel like explaining all of the issues with our relationship in the middle of the school—nor did I have the energy to deal with him right now. There was just too much going on.
“Thank you,” I said politely, “for the card. I hope that you have a good Valentine’s Day, too.” I tucked the card into my bag and turned back to the table.
“That’s it?” Kai let out a heavy sigh. “Three months together, and that’s what I get on Valentine’s Day? Okay. Hope you have a good one, too.” I heard him stomping away in the opposite direction.
Ashleigh looked up to watch him go, then gave me a soft smile. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll worry about it later.” I shook my head again, then plastered a fake smile on my face. “I’m just focusing on this weekend. We’re gonna have so much fun!”
33
Preparations
Rosmerta
Friday morning, I made the final preparations for the ritual. I had so many ingredients that I would need more than just my n
ormal purse. I filled a larger bag with my most powerful magical tools: a container of sea salt, packets of dried herbs, a bottle of water charged in moonlight, candles and matches, a silver dish.
“Make sure you dress warmly,” I reminded Akasha for the third time that morning. “We’re going to be out in the snow, and it’s cold out.”
“I know, Mom,” she said automatically. She didn’t lift her head from the pillow, where she lay sulking on the bed, but I could hear the eye roll in her tone of voice.
We were stuck in a tiny motel room under a fake name again. There was no computer for Akasha to go back on the Internet even if I let her, and her books were once again boxed up and left behind at the Burbages’ house until we had a new place to stay. I had a few offers from local Unseelie for our next temporary home, but I hoped that after today, it might not be necessary to hide any longer.
With little to do, it was no wonder that Akasha sat around and sulked. For the first two days since we’d left the Burbages, she’d given me the silent treatment. Just that morning I’d threatened not to take her if she didn’t talk to me, so she was now responding in mostly monosyllabic answers.
I nudged her foot. “Come on, we have to get moving. We’re driving out to get set up early. People are already waiting for us at the ritual site.”
Akasha rolled over and sat up, staring around the small room with glassy eyes. “Can I leave with Rosa as soon as she shows up?”
“Of course not.” I opened my daughter’s suitcase and started throwing clothes at her: if she wasn’t going to follow my instructions in a timely manner, I would take matters into my own hands. “If I let anyone go, then they’ll just run and warn the Seelie Court. You’ll have to wait until the ritual is completed and the gate is open.”
Akasha grumbled and threw the shirt back at me. “I can pick my own clothes.” She crawled across the bed to the suitcase and started digging around. “How long is this stupid ritual going to take, anyway?”
Seeing that she was finally moving, I stepped back to let Akasha get dressed and returned to my own preparations. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s a complicated spell. We hope to time it for sunset so the magic is on our side, but a lot will depend on how difficult it is to get Glen to cooperate.”
“Whatever.” Akasha grabbed an armful of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.
When she finally emerged again, I looked her up and down to make sure that she had enough layers, then held up her scarf. “Hurry up.”
“I know!” She snatched the scarf out of my hand and draped it over her neck. “Can we stop for food on the way? I’m starving.”
I shook my head. “No more delays. Esther is bringing food, so you can eat there.” I held up one finger. “Now, you need to listen to me closely, because what I’m about to say is very important.”
Akasha folded her arms and looked up at me, cocking her head to one side.
“Under no circumstances will you do anything to disrupt this ritual,” I said firmly. “This is the one chance I’ll have, and it could be extremely dangerous for everyone if this ritual goes wrong. If either you or your sister make one wrong move, I’m not letting you go back with her.”
Akasha’s eyes widened. “But you promised—”
“Ah-ah!” I waggled my finger. “I said it was a possibility for you to go back with Rosamunde only if she did everything that I asked. I won’t reward bad behavior.”
She slumped back down onto the bed. “You can’t keep me here. I’m miserable, I’m missing school, and you’re being so mean.”
I’d grown used to her harsh words by now, so I kept myself from snapping back at her. I just shook my head and turned away. “Then you’d better keep quiet and do everything that I say. Get your things, we’re leaving.”
34
Facing Mom
Rosamunde
Despite my constant feeling of dread that someone would find out the wrong thing at the wrong time, I managed to make it to Friday afternoon without falling apart.
I didn’t know how I would explain my reason for insisting on driving, so I was grateful that Ashleigh let me take the wheel without a word. Highway 4 had been cleared of snow and ice in preparation for the holiday weekend, but even though we’d left early in the afternoon, there was already tourist traffic. From their erratic driving, I could tell that most of them weren’t locals who were used to the mountain roads. An accident on the route somewhere slowed our progress to a crawl.
I tried to distract myself from the traffic by making a mental inventory of my magical arsenal to be sure that I was prepared. I still had the mirror charm that I’d made with the Fae specifically for reflecting my mother’s spells so they couldn’t touch me. I had two large boxes of salt, an important component of many spells that did anything from purifying a space to blocking out others’ magic. I had a variety of other little charms and bits that I’d collected over the past few months, all with different effects, and an extra supply of herbs, crystals, and candles that I could use to attempt casting spells at the last minute. In the end it was all pretty random, but I could only guess at what I’d need, so I decided it was better to haul it along just in case.
The real problem was that witchcraft wasn’t a type of magic that could be created at a moment’s notice. Most spells required careful preparation with a lot of different ingredients, so I’d need at least several minutes to sit down and concentrate before I could do anything. It wasn’t meant for just throwing around fireballs or anything flashy. The only hope was that I’d be facing Mom, who would have similar limitations on her own powers, and I would be able to rely on my past experience with her to guess what types of spells she’d be using and be ready to counter them. If I had to fight a magikin, whose magical powers were part of their nature, then I didn’t have a good idea of what I could hope to do. Our only contingency plan for that was for Ashleigh to still be able to use her powers, hopefully, and handle it herself.
I kept looking at the sides of the road to see who was going to meet us and tell us where the new meeting place would be. I was afraid that Ashleigh would notice my weird behavior and ask me what was going on. But at the same time, I was worried that I would miss the Unseelie’s contact. How would I know who I was meeting? There wasn’t a signal or something to tell me if it was the right person.
Then at the junction I suddenly saw Zil, with a puffy snow jacket over her usual black hoodie, waving to me from the corner. “Oh, hang on, we’re giving her a ride,” I told Ashleigh, and pulled over to the shoulder.
I unlocked the doors and Zil climbed in the back seat. “Hello, ladies,” she said sweetly.
Then she pulled out a cold iron knife and held it to Ashleigh’s throat.
“Gimme your cell phones,” she growled. “Slowly, so I can see your hands. Don’t try anything, or the faerie princess gets it.”
I glanced over at Ashleigh, and saw that she was frozen in shock just like me. I hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly. “Wha-what are you doing?” I gasped.
“Making sure that you stick to the new plan.” Zil gestured with her free hand. “Phones. Hurry up.”
I dug mine out of my pocket and handed it to her.
Ashleigh swallowed hard, her throat bobbing up and down underneath the blade, and pointed at the floor. “My phone’s in my purse, at my feet.”
Zil nodded at me. “Then Rosa can get it.”
I leaned over, moving slowly with one eye on the knife, and rummaged around inside Ashleigh’s purse. I found her phone by the feel of the jeweled case and pulled it out. “Here,” I said, handing it to Zil.
She shoved both the phones into her pocket. “Okay. Start driving, but only where I say to go. We’re going to make a left here.”
Ashleigh cleared her throat. “We’re not going to the ski cabin?”
“You can cut the act,” Zil snapped. “I know Rosa told you about your kidnapping. That’s why we’re going to a different location, where your friends can’t
help you. Drive.”
I did as she said, turning left at the junction, away from the highway. We left the tourist traffic and drove on alone into the woods. Following Zil’s directions, we were soon on a one-lane road winding up the mountain, and I had no idea where we were.
I kept glancing over at Ashleigh, still frozen in place on her seat. “Do you have to hold that knife there the whole time? We’re cooperating, and you have our phones now. There’s nothing we can do.”
Leaning forward in the gap between the front seats, Zil smiled coldly. “This knife keeps her from trying any magic, and it should dampen your abilities, too. Fae magic can’t stand the touch of cold iron.”
“It’s also the most effective way to kill anyone with Fae blood,” Ashleigh whispered.
I turned and glared at Zil. “Are you going to kill her? You promised me that no one would get hurt.”
“Watch the road,” she snapped back.
I looked back at the road, because it was hazardous even though it was clear of snow, but I didn’t stop glowering. “What are you even doing here? I thought that ‘they’ wouldn’t let you see me anymore.”
“I got a second chance.” With her free hand, she reached over and brushed my cheek. “Are you still split up with Kai?”
I could feel Ashleigh’s gaze boring into me from the passenger seat. “She’s the reason why you broke up with him?”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and kept my eyes glued on the road. “Yeah, I’m not with Kai.” I cleared my throat loudly. “Where are we going?”
Fae of Calaveras Trilogy Box Set Page 49
