“This is the last time,” she said, addressing me and Cassandra. “You two have dragged me and Mallory into this far enough, and now we’re out. You need to tell someone, and soon, or I will. It’s against our code to just stand by when it looks like someone could get hurt.” She took a step closer to Cass. “You’re a ticking time bomb. It’s only a matter of time before something really bad happens. And, Esme, you might think you’re helping, but you’re not doing her any favors by keeping this a secret.”
I wondered how Cass would respond, but then the door opened and Deirdre stuck her head out. “It’s safe to come back in,” she said. “I calmed them down.” The four of us streamed back into the room. Amirah and Ji-A were still sitting at their table, albeit looking a little rattled. Amirah leaned over and I heard her whisper something about “running away.”
“What happened?” Mallory asked. “That was awful.” Deirdre smiled again, but she looked less certain this time.
“A misunderstanding, I’m afraid,” she said. “Esme, I’d like to speak to you for a minute after class, but it’s nothing the rest of you need to worry about right now.”
No one appeared satisfied with this explanation, but the steely tone of Deirdre’s voice dispelled any arguments before they even happened, and the mood was less buoyant for the rest of the class. Amirah had submitted a spell that was—get this—to manipulate scarves and—get this—it was accepted. Cassandra’s spell was also accepted, which was a big shock to me. It was about the power to manipulate muscles, and I wondered whether it was about Sitting or just about her getting better results at the gym. Ji-A’s spell, surprisingly, was not accepted. She had written a spell to manipulate celestial bodies, and Deirdre pointed out that it was too similar to the kinesis she already had, and that there was already a spell to manipulate stars.
“Yeah, but what about comets?” Ji-A asked.
“Well, maybe that’s your answer right there, as to why your spell didn’t work,” Deirdre said. “Be more specific next time.”
“Yeah, but when will there be a next time?” Ji-A asked. “We’re only here through tomorrow night.”
“Spells are added at Summits,” Deirdre said. “And through special, Synod-granted permission. If, going forward with your Sitting, you find the books are lacking a spell you really need, you can always petition the Synod for an attempt to add it. Thank you again, girls. You all did a great job today in spite of the unusual occurrence.”
Everyone was getting up to leave, but I hung back, remembering what Deidre had said earlier. “I’m sorry,” I told her, when the room had cleared. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to do anything wrong, I swear.”
“Do you?” she asked, and I couldn’t quite read the look on her face. I waited for her to say more, but when she didn’t, I just nodded. “It was Red Magic, Esme,” she said. “Any spell created to work with Red Magic is, in and of itself, Red Magic. A long time ago, when I first started as a librarian, I would review spells before they were taken to the books to prevent just such an incident as what we saw today, but I haven’t had to do that in years.”
“How could that be Red Magic, though?” I asked. “I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. I was trying to create a spell to help people.”
Deirdre’s face softened and she leaned forward a little. “Of course you were,” she said. “I know it hasn’t been that long since you learned the truth about your mother, and I do not blame you if it’s hard to accept.”
I felt anger bubbling up inside me. Since I’d found out Mom was cursed, I’d heard that word, “accept,” so much and it was total BS. Acceptance was what kept power imbalanced, and it was what kept you simmering, never boiling over, when you were faced with something that wasn’t right. “So, I’m just supposed to accept the fact that my mother will be cursed until the day she dies?”
“That is not what I am telling you to do, Esme,” Deirdre said, a sharp note creeping into her voice. “You don’t know that your mother’s curse will last forever. Some curses do evaporate on their own, so you must not lose hope.”
“Basically, what you’re saying is that I can sit around and hope my mom’s curse goes away, but that actually doing anything to make it go away, or even to make it a little more tolerable for her, and for me, is Red Magic?”
Deirdre sighed again, and leaned a little bit away from me. “We’re on the same side, Esme,” she said. “Everyone in the Sitterhood loves and supports your mother.”
I stood up. My mouth tasted like vinegar, and it was all I could do to keep myself from spitting at Deirdre, or at least blowing her a very offensive raspberry. Hoping Mom’s curse would go away was just the same as letting her rot. “You’re right,” I finally said. “I won’t ever try to help my mother again.” My words were dripping with sarcasm, which was apparently lost on Deirdre.
“Now, you don’t need to go that far,” she said. “Nonmagical help is always allowed. Paint her nails, take her flowers, bake her cookies. Please don’t ever despair. There are so many things you can do to help your mother.” I was about to reply when something caught my eye—a book just over Deirdre’s left shoulder, in the corner of the room. It was directly behind where I’d been sitting, and Ruby and Mallory had been between me and it, so I hadn’t noticed it during the session. But I could see it now—small and black, with pages edged in bright bloodred, totally standing out from the purple and gold books. I didn’t need anyone to tell me what it was. I just knew: it was a book about Red Magic. And Deirdre was sitting there pretending that Sitters didn’t touch Red Magic with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole when, in reality, information was just an arm’s length away.
But I couldn’t ask about the book now. There was no way she was going to tell me anything, so I nodded and bit my lip. Covering my shock, I pretended to still be mad but also seeing her point. “You’re right,” I said. “Thank you for the suggestions. They’re all good and I will try them.” Deirdre smiled, and she put a hand on my shoulder as she walked me out of the room. She might be powerful, and she might be smart, but she was still just another adult easily placated by a lie. I shook my head as I walked away from her. As if I’d never thought to paint Mom’s nails before. How dumb did she think I was?
* * *
—
Cassandra was waiting for me down the hall, leaning against a wall, behind a door. I jumped a mile when she said my name. I took a deep breath, then ran my hands through my hair, trying to shake it off. “Do you remember what happened in there?” I said.
“Mostly,” she said. “But you can fill me in on the details.”
So I did. I told her everything, and then told her what Deirdre had just said. I kept my language focused on my mom. I didn’t want to think, and I’m sure Cassandra didn’t either, that someday she might need the same kind of spell I’d just tried to get in the books. She didn’t say anything and her face was impassive.
“Come on,” she said finally, with a wan smile. “Let’s go get dinner. I’m sure it won’t be awkward at all.”
Dinner was awkward, and there was no sign of Cybill. At first, I was relieved that no one asked why Deidre had asked me to stay after class. Then it became apparent that everyone was avoiding the topic, and I started to get paranoid that they had all talked about it, sans me and Cassandra, and agreed not to ask. Amirah, as always, dominated the conversation by talking about people and topics no one but Ji-A knew or understood, and I could swear that Ruby and Mallory were inching away from Cassandra and me. Again, maybe that was mostly in my head, but it sure as heck seemed like Cassandra and I were on one side of the table and everyone else was on the other. And it was a round table.
We’d finished eating, and everyone but Ruby was eating brownies (Ruby had opted for a mango) when I excused myself. I was on the way to the bathroom when I heard someone call my name. Specifically, I heard Adrian call my name. I started toward him, the
n stopped when I realized he was practically jogging my way. Something about the look on his face—amused, with a sprinkle of concern—set the back of my neck on fire.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as soon as he was close enough that I didn’t have to shout.
“Yeah, but there’s a girl outside asking for you.” He paused. “Actually, more than asking. I would say demanding. The girl you were with at the library. That’s how I ended up talking to her. I was heading back inside, and she started yelling at me. She called me ‘library boy.’ ”
“Oh my God, Janis,” I said, realizing she’d heard zilch from me in more than twenty-four hours, a first in our years of friendship. Why was she here? How was she here? “Where is she?” I asked. Adrian looked down, and I saw a smile flicker across his lips. I followed his eyes to see that I had grabbed his arm and was gripping it like it was the only thing keeping me from falling off a building. I quickly let go.
“I told her to wait for you out back, by the dumpsters,” he said. “I didn’t want anyone to see her hanging around out front.”
“What?” I said. “Why?” That was a direction Janis would not exactly love.
Adrian took a step toward me in a way that made my heart flutter, but his expression was serious. “I don’t think you’re supposed to have visitors,” he said. “So I’d tell her to leave before anyone besides me sees her.”
I nodded and managed to mumble “thanks” before I turned and walked down the hall as fast as I could. Finding the back door to the hotel wasn’t easy. The first two doors I tried were locked and the third led to a weird computer room. The fourth pushed open into the night. Following the whiff of rancid lettuce, I found the dumpsters, with Janis’s car parked between them.
I started toward her car, when a sharp whine from the backseat sent me running. Janis wasn’t alone: she had Pig! By the time I reached the car, the rear window was frosted with a thick layer of slobber, and Pig’s tail beat like a windshield wiper in a downpour. I yanked the door open, and Pig tumbled out, a squiggling sack of love. I bent down, and she covered my face with dog-smelling kisses. I stood up and turned to Janis, who was still sitting in the driver’s seat, window rolled all the way up, looking significantly less thrilled to see me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “How’d you find me?”
She cracked the window an inch. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here? You don’t have your phone, and you’re staying at a hotel in town when you’re supposed to be in Saint Louis visiting an aunt who I’m pretty sure you made up!” I could see she was seriously pissed off but also worried. Her eyes were wide, and she was chewing on one of her braids, an end-of-her-rope habit that she rarely did.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But it’s a long story. Really, really long. How did you know I was here?”
“Well, since you bailed on our weekend slumber party, I’m trying to catch up on my orders, and I need that purple burnout-velvet mock turtleneck I let you borrow.”
“Okay,” I said, not sure yet how this tracked.
“I sold it,” Janis said, “and when you didn’t answer, I figured you wouldn’t care if I went by and grabbed it. I know where your key is hidden. You and your dad never change it up, even though every criminal in the world knows to look under the mat. But when I got there, something was up.” Pig had sat down on my foot and was leaning heavily into my leg. “Your dad was gone,” Janis continued. “All the lights were still out, and Pig didn’t have any food. Esme, I know she always pretends like she’s hungry, but this time she really was hungry. I looked everywhere and I couldn’t find any dog food. I got worried, because I know you guys wouldn’t go out of town and just leave Pig, so I did Find My Friends and saw your phone was here.”
“Wait, what do you mean my dad’s gone?”
“Exactly what I said,” Janis snapped. “His car wasn’t there and neither was he. The whole house was pitch black. I had to use the flashlight on my phone, and I’m surprised no one called the cops thinking I was trying to steal your toaster oven or something.”
Janis was right, something was wrong. Pig was already looking skinnier. I needed to talk to Dad ASAP, but Adrian’s words kept echoing in my head: Janis shouldn’t be here, and I didn’t want anyone to see her. Or Pig. I couldn’t send them away, especially since something told me that I still wasn’t getting the whole story from Janis. Which meant I had only one option.
“Janis,” I said, “I think you should park your car and come in for a little while. Pig too.”
“No way,” she said, remaining in the driver’s seat. “Not until you tell me why you’re here and what’s going on. You keep glancing over your shoulder like you’re worried you’re going to get caught by the paparazzi or something.”
“I can explain everything,” I said. “Or most of it at least, but I think you should come inside. It’s not safe out here.” I wasn’t sure why I said that last part. It was like the words just came out of my mouth before I’d thought about them, but then Janis slapped the steering wheel.
“Yeah, no crap,” she said. “It’s freaking me out, but I’m also freaked out as to why my best friend lied to me and is now holed up in a hotel.”
“Wait, what?” I said, caught off guard. “What do you mean you know it’s not safe out here?” Then something decided to show me what Janis was talking about. I felt the cold drip on the back of my neck. My senses turned on high, and the sweat glands in my armpits went into overdrive. “Janis,” I said, taking a step toward Pig and putting a hand on her, “lock the doors, cover your head, and shut your eyes tight.” She started to ask what I was talking about, but then seemed to think better of it and did exactly what I had told her.
It was moving faster than anything from this dimension ever should or could. It was a flicker, and then a blinding burst of light, like a camera flash two inches from your face. I couldn’t see anything, just rainbow-tinged black. Pig started to howl, the pitiful sound cutting through the night air, and I could hear the sound of her jaws snapping as she tried to bite something she couldn’t see.
“Down, Pig! Get down!” I shouted, keeping my eyes squeezed as tight as I could. I couldn’t tell a dog to close her eyes, but I could at least try to keep the rest of her safe. I stumbled forward and my hands connected with Pig’s fur. I could tell she was still standing, so I gave her a shove and pushed her to the ground. “Stay!” I hissed. “Stay!”
Keeping my eyes shut tight, I stood back up and positioned myself in front of Janis, my back pressed against the car. Then I raised my hands and tried to shut everything out but the sensations coming through my palms. It felt like a handful of slobbered-on Pop Rocks, crackling and sharp. It was coming closer, and closer, and diving for Janis’s car. Pig howled again, but didn’t move, and with a sharp twang, the diving demon collided with the car antenna as I managed to grab it at the last second before it hit the roof of the car. Yanking hard, I gave it a spin, and then tossed it, as hard as I could, right into the dumpster.
The sound of metal scraping on concrete tore at my ears, but I didn’t dare open my eyes for fear of being blinded again. Janis was screaming, and Pig was howling—no doubt her eyes were burning—but I forced both sounds out of my mind and kept all my other senses focused on the demon. A Flash, so named for the obvious reasons. It was barely fazed by its literal dumpster dive and was already taking to the sky again.
I could feel it diving again, only this time, I barely caught it, and the force of its plummeting mass colliding with my powers nearly knocked me over. I didn’t want to think what it could do to Janis’s car. I spun it again, flinging it as far as I could. I blinked my eyes open, just for a second, long enough to see that the demon had landed across the street and was tangled in the branches of an oak tree. Crap. How long was this going to take? The Portal was supposed to be sealed for the Summit, but that was clearly not the case. If this thing got
out, then surely the Portal would open enough to flush it back in.
I grabbed hold of the demon again and started to whip it around in a circle to build momentum for my toss, waiting for the familiar magnetic tug of the open Portal. But I kept whipping, and whipping, and never felt the tug. Finally, I risked opening my eyes. There was the demon, thrashing above me as it moved through the air in a loop, but there was no swirling Portal in the sky. What the eff? Where was it? Why was it taking so long? The longer I held on to the demon, the more I could feel my strength draining. A drop of sweat formed at my temple, and then trickled down the side of my face. The demon kept thrashing, and I could feel it pry strands off my kinesis, one by one, like they were fingers, and I’d have to clamp them back down. Confusion and anxiety were wearing away my concentration too. I couldn’t keep this up forever.
I pulled my senses back into my body enough so that I could speak. “Janis,” I screamed, “unlock the door and open it! Then when I say run, grab my hand and follow me!” Using everything I had, I let go of the demon at the same time as I yanked the dumpster into the air, turned it on its side so its lid fell open, then smashed it into the Flash and brought it down on the ground, like I had just captured a gigantic bug in an even bigger glass.
With one hand, I grabbed Janis’s, and with the other, I grabbed Pig’s collar, as she was still too dazed and blinded to follow on her own. “Run!” I screamed. The hotel door I came out of had locked behind me. When we reached it, I let go of Janis and Pig, then used the last of my kinesis to pry it open and shove us in. The kinetic shove was so hard that Janis rose a foot off the ground, and when she landed, she stumbled and fell, catching herself with her hands as the door slammed shut.
For Better or Cursed Page 18
