“Because if my mother isn’t going to perform this Cleansing, then I sure as hell will,” Nova said.
For a moment, all I could do was stare at her, my mouth opening and closing as my brain struggled to catch up. When I finally did find my voice, it had an audible tremor.
“Is that mirror still connected to Sarah Claire?”
I watched Nova’s throat bob before she answered. “I don’t know.”
“Is it still connected to Bernadette?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, is there literally anything you do know that can stop me from flipping out right now?”
Nova bit her lip and began to pace again. “I know that my mother is making a mistake, Wren. I know she’s going to put us all in more danger trying to bury this, than I am by trying to bring it to the surface.”
For all the gaps in my magical knowledge—and it was mostly gaps, let’s be serious—something deep in my gut was telling me to listen to Nova. Maybe this was a flash of my witch’s intuition, but as I looked at her, at the earnestness and the fear in her eyes, I knew she was right.
“I’m guessing you didn’t come all the way over here just to confess this to me, did you?” I asked, and was surprised to hear that the panic had gone from my voice. I sounded calm, even if I didn’t quite feel it.
Nova’s lips quirked into a shadow of a smile. “No.”
I sighed. “Just say it.”
The smile broadened. “I want your help.” She paused, and the smile slipped away. “Actually, that’s not accurate. I need your help.”
“Is it any use telling you that I’ll be more of a hindrance than a help at this point?” I asked. “I mean, I failed magical baking 101 this week.”
Nova shrugged. “I saw what you did on the beach. Regardless of how we pull off this Cleansing, I’m confident there’s no baking involved.”
At that moment, Freya slipped through the open window behind Nova as noiselessly as a shadow. She wound around Nova’s ankles once before hopping up on my bed, and butting her head against my hand, demanded pets.
“Some guard cat you are,” I told her, scratching behind her ears as she lazily closed her eyes. “You’re officially fired from sentry duty.”
Freya threw me a brief, baleful look before curling up on my pillow and turning her gaze on Nova, her tail flicking pensively over her back.
“So? Are you going to help me or not?” Nova asked, and behind the mask of impatience, I could hear a real plea in her voice. She wouldn’t be here if she had another choice, I thought. If she thought she could do this on her own, she’d already have done it.
I sighed. “Fine.”
Nova sagged with relief. “Good. Now here. Take this,” she said, and held the mirror out to me.
“What?! Why?! I don’t want that thing!” I gasped, scooting further from her across my bed.
“For goddess’ sake, Vesper, it’s not going to bite you,” Nova said, rolling her eyes.
“Why do I need to take it, then?” I asked.
“Because my mother is already suspicious that something is going on with me. If she catches me sneaking back into the house, she’s going to look through my bag; and if she finds this mirror, I’ll be under house arrest indefinitely. Hell, she might throw me in an adjoining cell to Bernadette. It has to stay with you.”
I clenched my teeth together. “Fine,” I ground out, and held my hand out for the mirror.
Nova smiled and handed it to me. “Good. Bring that with you when we do it.” And then she pulled out her phone, and started typing.
“Bring it where? And what are you doing, now?” I asked, exasperated.
“Texting Eva and Zale. Now that you’re on board, they’ll have to say yes, and we’re going to need all the help we can get. I haven’t exactly performed one of these before.”
“Like, at all?”
