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"See, this is so much better," Elodie said, as we studied my reflection in the mirror over my dresser. Even though the image was warped and distorted, I had to admit that I did look nice. Elodie had smoothed a hand over my hair, and the next thing I knew, it was falling in soft waves to my shoulders.
Thats awesome, I told her, but Im letting you use my body so that we can break into Laras office, not so that you can give me a makeover.
Besides, if I wander around looking like this , people will either know Im doing magic somehow or wonder how I managed to sneak a flatiron into Hex Hall.
It was an odd thing, watching my face crumple into a scowl at. . . myself.
"Youre supremely irritating when youre right," she said, waving her hand. Once again, my hair sprung out in a messy halo of curls.
After wed gotten back from the cell ar, Archer and I had told Jenna and Call about the kids down there. All of us had decided that getting into Laras office was the next plan of attack. "Theres bound to be something in there," Jenna said. "Either the spell that makes kids into demons, or the grimoire. . . . "
"Maybe shell have a file folder labeled, My Evil Plan," I suggested. "That would be super helpful. " It had taken us three days to come up with a strategy to get into the office. Call was distracting Lara with questions about his own powers and how they might be useful to "the cause," while Jenna and Archer kept an eye on Mrs. Casnoff. Since shed taken to just wandering in circles around the pond, that wasnt particularly challenging.
Which left the most important part to me and Elodie: using Elodies magic to get into the office and search it for anything that might help us stop the Casnoffs. As far as plans went, it wasnt exactly D-day, but it was the best next step.
Now Elodie looked at my reflection and said, "Its weird. Looking in a mirror and seeing you. " Yes, I think weve established this is kind of awful for everyone involved. Can we go now? We dont have much time.
Heaving a sigh, she turned away from the dresser. As she did, I thought I saw the mirror. . . I dont know, ripple for a second.
Did you see that? In the mirror?
Elodie glanced back. "All I see is you. Me. " She waved her hand. "You know. "
I studied the glass, but Elodie was right. Nothing there. Probably just a trick of the light, I told her. Sorry.
"It wouldnt surprise me," she muttered, opening the door. "That mirror is super jacked. " We made our way onto the landing. I noticed a few of the younger witches huddled on one of the sofas, their heads close together. It wasnt the first time Id come across one of these whispering pods of kids, and I wondered if maybe we werent the only ones coming up with plans.
I dont swing my hips like that when I walk, I said to Elodie as we passed them. Cut it out.
She gave no sign of hearing me.
The house was nearly silent. Dinner had ended an hour or so before, and it was getting close to sundown. Everyone would be locked in their rooms then, which meant we had to hurry.
I could feel my heart pounding as we stepped into the main hallway. More glass had fall en from the stained-glass window. Now the angel who had created witches and warlocks was missing half her face, and a little shudder went through me as we tiptoed around the glass. I wasnt sure if it was me who was creeped out or Elodie. Probably both of us.
When we reached Laras office, Elodie laid my hand on the doorknob. I could feel the magic sizzle up my arm, and gave a mental gasp.
"Why do you think Lara is Lara Casnoff, and Mrs. Casnoff is Mrs. Casnoff?" Elodie whispered as she worked her magic on the enchanted door. "Its her family name, right? So shouldnt she be Miss Casnoff? Or Ms. ?" Of all the things to wonder about, thats what youre focused on? Her marital status?
"Its weird, thats all Im saying," she hissed in reply.
You know you can talk to me in my head, right? You dont have to talk out loud and make everyone think Im a crazy person. Just FYI.
"The only time I can talk is when Im in your body, so sue me, Im taking advantage of that. " Before we could snipe at each other anymore, the door suddenly gave way. Pushing it open, Elodie dashed inside, closing the door behind her. Lara Casnoffs office was the total opposite of Mrs. Casnoffs, complete with soaring bookcases and a heavy wooden desk so brightly polished that I could see myself in it.
"Any idea on where we should start?" Elodie whispered.
The desk, I finally said. Itll be locked, and if its anything like Mrs. Casnoffs desk, magic wont work on it. Theres a nail in my pocket. Get it out, and Ill talk you through jimmying the lock.
Elodies disdain flooded over me, but she got the nail and went to work on the lock. "Were you a burglar in the real world?" she muttered as she worked.
No. My mom and I lived in a particularly bad apartment once. The lock never worked right, and we always had to break in. Have to admit, I never thought the skill would come in handy again.
She gave a little chuckle. "What did you break in Mrs. Casnoffs desk for?"
Information on Archer. After he left.
"Ah. Youre welcome, by the way?"
For what?
She jiggled the nail harder. "For putting him in his place the other night. Working with The Eye," she scoffed. "Yeah, thats a brilliant plan. " Hes just trying to think of something, I said automatically. I wasnt sure why I was defending him when Id basically said that idea was the stupidest thing ever to have stupided, but I didnt like the scorn in her voice. Well, my voice, her words.
Elodie paused in trying to open the desk drawer and shoved my hair back with both hands. "Whats it going to take for you to realize that Archer Cross is bad news? Hes an Eye. Hes a liar and a jerk, and hes not nearly as funny as he thinks he is. And youre betrothed to Cal. Boys who can heal all wounds and are super hot, to boot? Dont exactly come around every day. " I dont think about Call like that.
Pressing the point of the nail back into the lock, Elodie snorted. "Um, hi, Ive been in your head. You totally think about him like that. " Look, this isnt a slumber party, I snapped. Can you please get back to work?
"Fine," she muttered. "Dont listen to me. But Im telling you, Call is the way to go. Heck, if I had a body, I wouldnt mind-" Im going to need you to stop right there.
Im ninety-nine percent sure she wasnt going to stop right there, but before she could say anything else, the lock on the drawer gave way.
"Aha!" Elodie whispered. "Success!"
Heres the thing. When she slid open that drawer, I didnt expect to find anything. Not really. I mean, maybe a cryptic note or two, or a stupid riddle written on parchment that we had to decipher.
So when I saw the book sitting right on top of a pile of papers, I didnt realize what I was looking at. It was only when Elodie said, "Um. . . is that the grimoire you were talking about?"
I looked at the cracked black-leather cover, felt the power coming off it in waves. Yeah. It totally is.
"Well, that was. . . easy. "
She reached out to take it, and without thinking, I shouted No!
Wincing, she raised my hands to my ears. "Ow! I told you, inside voice!"
It cant be this simple, I told her, Torins words ringing in my ears. Its a trap. A trick.
"Or maybe something is finally going our way," she suggested. "Come on, Sophie. Gift horse. Mouth. Dont look at it. " Again, she reached out to pick up the grimoire, but this time, it wasnt my mental screaming that stopped her.
It was the low creak of the door opening.
CHAPTER 23
Before the door had moved more than an inch or so, Elodie scooped up the grimoire and shoved it awkwardly into the waistband of my skirt. As soon as the book touched the skin of my back, we both winced. The magic coming off of it felt like a low-level electric shock, and my arms and legs broke out in goose bumps.
I had to hand it to Elodie. If Id been in control of my body, there would have been flailing and knocking things over, and I probably would have caught my clothes in the drawer. Bu
t Elodie smoothly closed the drawer without a sound, and sat down in Laras chair like she belonged there. An excuse was already formulating in her head-or my head, it was hard to tell -when Call stuck his head around the door.
Elodie sat down with relief. "Oh, its you. "
Frowning, Call gave a curt nod. "I stalled Lara as long as I could. She said she was heading to the greenhouse, but I still wanted to give you a heads-up. "
Elodie stood up and walked around the desk. "Its fine," she said. "I found what I was looking for. " I? Why are you saying "I " and not "we" ?
There was no reply in my head as she smiled at Cal. "Thanks for the warning. " He scanned my face with yet another one of his inscrutable expressions. I wondered if he had trademarked them. "So, are you Sophie? Or Elodie in Sophie?"
"Just me," she said with a little shrug. "Elodie whooshed on out of here when you opened the door. " I didnt worry about inside voices now. What are you doing? I yelled as loudly as I could. She stiffened a little and caught Cals arm. "Come on.
We should get out of here. "
As she and Call walked back upstairs, the grimoire a buzzing weight against my back, and my fingers still nestled in the crook of his arm, I kept up a constant refrain to Elodie.
Stop it. Right now. Either tell him youre me, or get the hell out of my body.
Wed reached the third floor. The sitting room was empty, and Elodie steered Call past it toward my room. Trust me, Elodie finally replied. Im doing you a favor.
She opened the door and gestured for Call to follow her. I watched him hesitate, and for a second, I thought he was going to realize that I wasnt me. But then he followed her. Jenna was gone, and Elodie hopped up onto the dresser, ankles crossed. Call softly closed the door behind him. "Did you find anything?" he asked in a low voice.
Elodie nodded. "Did I ever. I found the grimoire. "
Call blinked at her. "The grimoire? What, just sitting out in the open?"
"In Laras locked desk. Hey, do you know why Mrs. Casnoff, is, well, Mrs. Casnoff? I mean, that was her dads name, so why the Mrs. ?" Seriously? I asked.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Call said, "Huh? Oh, uh, she was married a long time ago, but all the Casnoffs keep the name. Its a tradition or something. But about the grimoire-"
"Did she have an arranged marriage? Like us?" Elodie asked, sliding off the dresser. She moved to stand in front of Cal, so close that I could see my reflection in his eyes. As stupid as it sounds, I was surprised by how me I looked. I was so sure some sign of Elodie would show up in my face. But there was nothing.
Still, Call gave her an odd glance as she sidled in closer. Come on, I begged silently. See it. See me .
But the moment passed, and after giving a little shake of his head, Call said, "Yeah, I guess. Sophie, did you see the spell? The one that could give you back your powers?"
Elodie was taken aback by that, and my hand strayed to the book, still pressing against my back. "Oh, right, that. Yeah, I was just about to find that spell, actually. "
No! I howled yet again, but thankfully, Call had the same thought. "Dont," he snapped, grabbing my wrist as my fingers reached for the grimoire.
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