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A slow smile creeps onto my face. I’ve never underestimated Adrienne, exactly. Even as kids, her power was undeniable, let alone her work ethic. Her desire to keep up with me and Calla was unyielding, even though our lessons were several years more advanced than hers. Even now, as she’s moved on to her own time at the academy, and in just a matter of years she’ll get her own pairing, part of me will always see her as the baby of the family. My little sister.
“Did you guys hear about the Carrington estate?” asks Monroe. “I don’t know how much of it is gossip.”
“It’s true,” I say. “There was a meeting before I left Auclair.”
A waitress with a bright red Bonniename tag comes by for our drink orders, smacking her gum and humming after each of our responses. When she walks away, I set the note on the table.
“What’s this—ow!” Kirby drops it, shakes out her fingers, then leans forward to squint at it. “I don’t see anything.”
“You can’t read that?” Adrienne asks.
“Read what?” Monroe nudges it hesitantly and lets out a soft hiss as it shocks her too. “It’s blank.”
I meet Adrienne’s eyes.
“A security system?” she murmurs.
I nod. The shock, it must be vetting who’s touching it. But it allowed Adrienneandme to see it. Because we’re family? Because we’re blood witches?
Adrienne explains the contents of the note as I twist it around in my hands, inspecting it again.
“Please tell me you’re not planning on breaking into the Carrington estate for the book,” Daniel mutters.
“Supposedly there’s a magical barrier around the entire region that no one can cross,” I say.
“Supposedly,” echoes Monroe.
I shrug. “Westcott glamoured someone to tell me to come back…I think he’ll let me through.”
“Yeah, and then never let you leave again,” scoffs Adrienne. “That’s not an option.”
“I—” Kirby stops short and offers the waitress a thin-lipped smile as she sets our drinks on the table.
“Just some onion rings and nachos to share for now,” says Daniel.
She pops her gum and turns away. “Whatever.”
“Have you tried contacting your sister again?” Monroe asks, staring at the note on the table.
I shake my head but stop myself before I can say what I’m thinking.
Yes, I want to know what’s on that page. Yes, I want to make sure Calla and Mom are okay.
But no, I don’t trust her. Not anymore.
Not after Reid.
Adrienne shifts in the seat next to me but says nothing. She’d suggested the same thing earlier.
I sigh and stuff the note in my pocket. “I don’t even know for sure if the book is there. If Westcott has control of the place, I’m sure he’s already gone through our family’s things. We should probably just forget about it.”
“You’ll never be able to do that,” mutters Daniel.
I kick him under the table, and he smirks.
A bell rings over the front door as Wes and Beth duck inside and beeline toward us.
“I’m so sorry we’re late!” says Beth, throwing her arms around my shoulders and pulling me into a suffocating hug. “We lost track of time.”
