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"Yes," I said. "I know about the first menses ceremony."
"Do you know about the variations?" he asked.
"Variations?"
"I take that as a no."
He paced to the window and back. Then he stopped, ran his hand through his hair, adjusted his glasses, and collected himself. Before continuing, he settled into the armchair across from us.
"I mentioned before that the Nast Cabal's interest in Savannah is largely contingent upon capturing her at such a young
age. That is not without reason. Good reason. If a witch is taken before she begins to menstruate, she's much easier to turn."
"Brainwash," I said.
"Recruit, persuade, brainwash, call it what you will. A witch who has not reached puberty is the ideal candidate. That in itself is not surprising, as anyone with any knowledge of youth psychology can tell you it's a very vulnerable age."
Savannah snorted.
Cortez continued, "However, in the case of a witch, it's more than that. By varying the menses ceremony, it's possible to secure the loyalty of a witch."
"You mean enslave her."
"No, no. Altering the ceremony can impose certain limitations on a witch's powers, which can then be used to persuade her to remain with the Cabal. It's difficult to explain. There are nuances and implications I don't fully comprehend. The crux of it is this: Alter the ceremony and you have the ideal recruit. Allow the ceremony to proceed unchanged and you might as well forget the whole thing."
"So if we can get through the ceremony, they won't want Savannah? Nothin' wrong with that, Counselor."
"Except for two small considerations. First, if they discover Savannah has reached her menses, they'll do everything in their power to get her before the eighth night."
"How would they know that?" she asked.
"Shamans," I said. "They have shamans, don't they?"
Cortez nodded. "The Cabals have everything."
"A shaman can diagnose illness. A shaman would know whether she'd matured to the point of first menses yet. All a shaman has to do is touch you, Savannah. Jostling you in a crowd would be enough. They must have had one check you out before they started all this."
"Are you saying I need to stay indoors for a week? You're kidding, right? I have graduation next week, you know. If the school still lets me graduate after all this."
"They will," Cortez said. "I'll make certain of it. Our most pressing concern, however, is preventing the Nast Cabal from learning of your good news. Paige, is the house protected against astral projection?"
"Always," I said.
"Then there's the second consideration. Once Savannah has completed the unaltered ceremony, they won't want her. However, given the reputation of her mother and the problems she caused the Cabals, the Nasts won't simply walk away. If they can't have Savannah, they'll make sure no one else can."
"You mean they'll kill me," she said.
"She doesn't need to hear this," I said.
"I think she does, Paige."
"Well, I disagree. Savannah, go to your room, please."
"He's right, Paige," she said quietly. "I need to hear this."
"She needs to know exactly what danger she faces," Cortez said. "So we need to protect her until after the ceremony, then tell them their opportunity has passed."
"What?" I said. "But if they know that, they'll kill her. You said so yourself."
