“Receipts.Lists.Nothing important,” Tani announced.“Human realm is obsessed with paper trails.”She paused and heaved a dramatic sigh, as if she was offended by accounting.
Then she eyed the book.“What do you suppose it says?”
“I have no idea,” I said.“That’s why I need to figure out how to read it.”
“And you think this book has something to do with closing the Crossroads?”
That was a good question.
I reached for the grimoire without thinking to steady myself, to have something solid.
The leather warmed under my palm.
Not heat from the room.Not friction.
Warmth like recognition.
My breath caught.I snatched my hand back like it had burned me.
Tani’s eyes narrowed.“It likes you.”
“I think,” I said slowly, forcing my voice to stay normal, “I’m running out of options.”
Tani closed the folder and shoved it aside.“Fine.Next victim.”She reached for another file.
“MM,” she read aloud.“Who’s MM?”
I looked over at the folder she held.The label was in Alice’s handwriting—the two letters, neat and deliberate.
“I don’t know,” I said.
Tani opened it.
Inside were notes written in Alice’s hand—but not in English.The same strange language that filled the grimoire.
“Oh,” I breathed.
“Like the book.”Excitement danced in Tani’s eyes, like she’d found the secret menu.
“But this does us no good,” I said.“I still can’t read it.”
“What do you suppose MM means?”she asked.“Initials?”
Initials.Maybe.I nodded.“Someone Alice knew.Someone helping her.”
Tani pointed to a place further down the page.“This handwriting is different.More loopy.”
She was right.Not Alice’s sharp precision.Someone else’s.
“Maybe MM’s,” I said.
Tani nodded, pleased with herself.“So your dead witch-mom had a pen pal.”
“She had an ally,” I corrected.
“Same thing,” Tani said, and flipped to the next page.
“Let’s keep looking,” I said.
