Authors: Ariella Moon
Magdalena raised her arm and passed her hand in front of me, back and forth, as if it were a Geiger counter. Without warning, she grabbed my right hand and sniffed it. "Hah!"
"What?" Papo asked.
Magdalena's grip tightened. "I told you the boy was the key. He has Gypsy blood. The grimoire was born of Gypsy magic. Ancient Gypsy magic."
Panic caught me in a chokehold.
What is she talking about?
"Let me see." Papo clutched my hand and passed his palm over mine. I held my breath. Papo was canny like a feral dog, but I doubted he had any kind of radar for magic. It didn't mean he wouldn't pretend.
Kali tensed behind me. Her breath warmed the spot where my hair spilled over my collar.
Papo dropped my hand like he was throwing down a gauntlet. "It may be there, old woman, but it's indirect."
"A hand that held a hand that had touched the grimoire?" Magdalena asked.
Papo arched his scarred eyebrows. "Maybe."
Their penetrating gazes seared me. Papo's curious and calculating, Magdalena's suspicious and determined. Kali pressed her hand against my back, sending warmth to my heart chakra.
"Maybe once removed," Magdalena conceded.
I downcast my eyes and masked my expression. My thoughts jumped to Salem and the explosion of energy when we had clasped hands.
Papo grabbed my jaw again and forced my chin up. "Who you been hanging out with?"
"No one." I tried to twist away from his fetid pepperoni breath. Papo's fingers dug in more deeply. Fresh pain stabbed my jaw. I stared over his shoulder at Magdalena. "The magic could have been on a door handle at school, or the water fountain. I petted a stray dog downtown. I ate a burger. Anything I touched could have been handled by someone else."
My breath lodged in my lungs. The silence in the room stretched. Papo released me with a final jerk. I kept my gaze trained on Magdalena. I could see the wheels churning in her head. Papo was like a pit bull. I avoided eye contact so I wouldn't set him off.
"Tomorrow, you go everywhere you went today," Magdalena instructed. "Pay attention to every door handle, every dog, every drinking fountain, whatever. Look for a spell trail. And you." Magdalena glared at Kali. "Did you give him the burger?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then you must have gotten another job. Any of the employees into magic?"
"I don't know. I just started there today."
"Then find out." Magdalena pointed her index finger at us. "I want the grimoire."
"I can't go back to the diner with my neck oozing."
"Cover it up with a scarf," Magdalena said.
"Then it will itch more," Kali wailed.
"She won't be able to ferret out the grimoire if they fire her," I said. "But I'm sure you know best."
Magdalena's left eye twitched. More wheels churned. She flicked her hand at Kali. "It will be gone in the morning."
"Thank you." Kali directed the words at Magdalena, but nudged my back. I pressed back imperceptibly, not wanting to set off Magdalena or Papo again.
"It's a big school," I said. "This could take some time."
"Our deadline hasn't changed. We leave right after Thanksgiving," Papo said.
"You have three weeks." Magdalena twisted her gemstone ring. "Find out who has my grimoire, or we will."
Kali moved to my side, and we exchanged sidelong glances. Neither of us believed the grimoire existed. Now we'd have to pretend to search for it. And what if we found it? No way would we would tell Papo or Magdalena. Empower them in any way?
I don't think so. I would destroy the grimoire before I
'd let them have it.
Give up Salem to them? Not going to happen. Not now. Not ever.
Salem
. I wavered between wanting to know if she had the grimoire and being terrified to find out. The fine hairs on my nape prickled.
Papo and Magdalena had kidnapped me because they thought I could lead them to the spell book. They didn't spirit me away to save me from the streets. They saw an opportunity and seized me.
A chill shuddered through my body. What would they do to Salem if she possessed the spell book?
A hand that held a hand that had touched the grimoire. A sick feeling snaked through me. The best way to protect Salem would be to avoid her. I would have to drop out of school.
But I promised I'd help her with Drama.
So I have to stay in school. I want to stay. My thoughts eddied until I settled on the safest bet. Aidan
's New Rule Number One: avoid Salem as much as possible. Never touch her, and make sure not to fall in love with her.
Chapter Thirteen
I tried on four different outfits before breakfast. My goth black seemed too eccentric. Everything else gave me a sugarplum fairy mojo. I finally settled on a purple blouse, black lace skirt, black leggings, and my boots. I skipped the elaborate eye-to-temple eyeliner swirls and added just enough kohl to make my eyes pop. Instead of dark plum lipstick, I went with Rose Blush gloss. I still resembled a refugee from a Tim Burton movie, but the overall effect was softer and more romantic than normal. At least I hoped so.
"Don't you look pretty?" Dad said when I emerged for breakfast.
"Thanks." Unfamiliar warmth enveloped me. I couldn't remember the last time one of my parents — or anyone — had complimented me on my appearance.
"Mom said today and tomorrow's carpool are covered."
"Evie's mom in the morning and Tiffany in the afternoon." I dumped cereal into a ceramic Peter Rabbit bowl. "I got this."
Dad handed me the carton of almond milk. "Just making sure I'm not forgetting anything. I have dinner in the city with a client tomorrow night. Will you be okay, or should I reschedule?"
"I'm fourteen, Dad. I think I can deal."
As long as
Teen Wytche
behaves.
"Okay. Call me when you get home from school."
I placed the milk in the fridge, then kissed his cheek. "Promise. You don't have to worry about me."
"For which I am eternally grateful." He pushed back his chair, gathered up his dirty bowl and spoon, and kissed me on the top of the head. "I'll grab some Chinese food for us on the way home tonight."
"Sounds great." I scooped up a spoonful of multigrain circles and milk. Getting some one-on-one time with Dad was nice, but guilt and worry gnawed my insides. I wondered how Mom was faring. She must have met up with Amy by now.
Even though Einstein had a doggie door from the family room to our fenced backyard, I took him out back for a hurried bathroom break. Storm clouds threatened. I hoped the rain would hold off until I got home from school. Once Einstein completed his mission, I dashed back to my room and finished getting ready for school.
For added luck, I dabbed my homemade lavender anointing oil on my brow chakra. Dad popped in, smelling of musk aftershave, and said goodbye before he headed for his office in San Francisco.
About fifteen minutes later, Mrs. O'Reilly and Evie arrived.
"Stay away from my room," I warned Einstein. I didn't trust
Teen Wytche. Sure it was stowed in the closet, but would it stay there? Einstein whimpered as I slipped out the front door. My nose must have played a trick on me because
, for a second, I thought I caught a whiff of exotic spices.
****
Students weren't supposed to eat in the library. So I stashed my backpack on the chair beside me, kept my lunch hidden, and snuck bites when the librarian wasn't looking. Unlike Amy, who devoured one food before eating the next, I preferred to mix it up — a bite of this, then a bite of something else. The celery sticks may have been a mistake. The crunch of each bite reverberated down the aisles. My peanut butter and blackberry jam sandwich was quieter, but the peanut smell permeated the eight-hundred section where Shakespeare's plays were shelved. Maybe I should have joined Evie and Parvani in Mr. Ross's room. But they always watched television, and I needed silence to concentrate on the Drama assignment.
I wrote
The Taming of the Shrew in large letters across the top of my binder paper. Amy had taught me to create the title first whenever I was stumped, and see if it would inspire me. The only things I write well are spells, which tend to rhyme. I made two vertical columns, and jotted down rhyming words.
TamingShrew
Blaming Brew, Blue, Boo
FlamingFlew
GamingGrew, Gnu
MaimingMew
NamingNew
Phew
Queue, Cue
Sue, Screw
True, Two
View
You, Zoo
"You forgot 'woo'." Aidan had snuck up on me from behind. His unexpected appearance launched a bevy of dragonflies in my stomach. I silently vowed to start acting like a gunslinger and sit facing the door. Aidan scraped back the chair to the right of my backpack instead of taking the seat next to me on my left. Even more worrisome, he scooted the chair a few inches away from me before he sat down. Did I have cooties? Had my deodorant worn off during Gym?
Aidan glanced at my face and did a classic Einstein flinch. "Wow." He made squiggles in the air near his temple. I thought he meant I was crazy until he said, "I like the new look."
Chunks broke off the iceberg around my heart. Maybe my effort to soften my makeup hadn't been a mistake.
But why sit so far away? I narrowed my eyes, which probably wasn
't the best way to get him to fall in love with me.
"I like to spread out when I study." His tone marked the halfway point between apologetic and defensive.
Since when do guys choose studying over body contact? Maybe the love spell was wearing off. Visions of a smoldering grimoire flamed to mind. Changing tactics, I asked, "
Hungry?" Before he could answer, I peeled open my backpack, revealing the remaining half of my sandwich and the celery in the open plastic container. "I brought too much food." I hoped the peanut smell would override the possible stench of gym sweat.
His eyes brightened and his stomach gurgled. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Take it." Whenever Amy had invited boys over to the house, she had baked cookies, made popcorn, and cajoled Mom into ordering pizza. I wasn't sure if Amy had wanted to keep the guys' hands busy, or if she'd figured the way to a guy's heart was through his stomach. In case it was the latter, I resolved to bombard Aidan with food.
He plowed through the sandwich and two celery sticks like a kid who had skipped breakfast. I dug deeper into my backpack. After a quick glance to make sure the librarian was preoccupied, I pulled out a container of my homemade chocolate chip cookies. "Take a couple. Just don't let her see you."
Aidan slid one cookie into his jacket pocket and ate the other. "I'm in love," he exclaimed as he swallowed the first bite. My heart pole-vaulted. "These are the best cookies ever."
I resumed breathing and thrust the remaining cookies into his hand. Aidan lit up like the Homecoming bonfire. He polished off the first cookie with a crocodile bite, swallowed, and then wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His brow furrowed as he studied me, notching up my nerves.
"Everything okay? You seemed pretty upset when you left the movie. Jordan and Zhù thought your sister might be ill."
I blinked back tears. "My mom flew back to Massachusetts last night to be with her." A fresh round of worry swamped me. "We'll see."
Aidan's gaze dropped to my hand, and I thought for sure he'd reach for me. Instead, he shifted in his seat. "I hope she makes a speedy recovery."
"Thanks." My lips quivered. I pressed them together.
He glanced at the paper. "What's with the two columns?"
"I'm trying to come up with parody ideas for our play." I angled the paper so he could read it more easily. He leaned in closer, and I noticed small bruises along his jaw. He had tried to cover them with makeup, but the shade wasn't quite right.
"Maybe we can combine a couple of these into a good title." I forced myself to focus on the paper and not stare. But my mind raced through the possibilities. Had he been in a fight? It didn't look like it. It appeared someone had grabbed him — hard.
"Salem?"
I shook myself. "Sorry. Lost my train of thought."
And now you'll think I'm an idiot.
"Play titles?"
"Yes. It was just an idea. I'm not sure any of these could be adapted to a story about male-female inequality."
Aidan's brow twitched. "Let's go with 'Blaming of the Brew.'"
"For sure? Why? What kind of brew? Alcohol or a witch's brew?"
Aidan held my stare for several erratic heartbeats. "We're Team Magic. We have to go with a witch's brew."
I leaned back, creaking the plastic and metal chair. "Okay. Any ideas?"
Aidan drummed his fingers on the table. He glanced at the silver leaves I had drawn on my wrist. "What if the younger sister, Bianca, creates a love potion and gives it to Petruchio so he'll fall in love with her sister, Kate?"
I thought of the grimoire and squirmed in my seat.
Aidan took another cookie and broke it in half. "Remember how, in the play, Petruchio was all drunken bluster and initially wanted Kate for her money?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yes. Yuck."
"Yeah. Kate deserved better than some manipulative drunk for a husband. Such a prize."
"I always hated the idea she had to be 'tamed' to be loveable."
"Agreed." Aidan's sly smile sent flutters shivering my abdomen. "Untamed girls can be pretty loveable."
"If Petruchio had any brains, he would have seen Kate's attitude covered serious insecurities and an understandable desire to not be controlled." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Poor Kate. Having a perfect sister is no fun."
Aidan angled his head. "Something you know about?"
"Just a little." Unease swirled around me like a veil in the wind. Perfection hadn't worked out so well for Amy.
Aidan popped half the cookie into his mouth and placed the other half on the paper in front of me. "We should show Kate's devastation when she discovers Bianca used a love potion."
Guilt cascaded through me like a toxic waterfall.